Multi-stage approach for the transshipment of import containers at maritime container terminals

The management of container flows is one of the most challenging tasks for terminal managers. In this regard, the freights inside the containers have to be transported towards their requesting companies. This delivery is subject to many factors such as the vessel berthing time, yard assignment, time windows of the companies, availability of internal vehicles etc. Therefore, the time a given company waits for its requested containers is highly dependent on the management of the technical resources at the container terminal. To appropriately address the coordination of involved operations, a multi-stage approach is proposed. It is aimed at providing a complete schedule of all the involved processes and supporting the operational decisions related to the technical terminal resources in an integrated way, from the berth to the delivery of the freights inside containers to the requiring companies. The computational results indicate that this solution approach provides a suitable solution in all cases and is appropriate for supporting terminal managers when addressing strategic decisions involving the technical equipment.