Empty Container Return Logistics Optimization in Maritime Transport

Abstract

Managing empty-container is an integral part of an overall efficient global transportation system as they relate to shipping and other means of transportation. Efficient empty container management is required to balance demand and supply between major exporting and importing regions. The movement of containers is not profitable when it comes to an empty return. One of the persistent logistics challenges faced by the liner shipping industry during the last decade is the Empty Containers Return problem (ECR). Ocean carriers and other transport operators are typically facing the challenges of finding effective and robust solutions to ECR problems. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a cost-effective and efficient solution for returning empty containers from one port to the original port based on the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm. Computational results show that the proposed solution performs well in terms of computational time and solution quality.