Optimization Model of Fleet Deployment Plan of Liners

Because of economic globalization and the prosperous of international trade since 1990s, the container liner business has been developing in an unprecedented speed and has brought vitality to the shipping industry. In the second half of 2008, the outbreak of the global economic crisis has resulted in the depression of international trade and the shipping industry downturn. In searching for the survival in such competitive environment, instead of solely dependent on large-scale investments, shipping companies need to enforce scientific management, and invest the right ships into the right routes to maximize cost reduction and efficient transport. In this paper, combined with the characteristics of the existing shipping market, a rational bi-objective fleet deployment model is established, and a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed. In the end, the efficiency and practicability of the proposed model will be illustrated by examples. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.