Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Container supply with multi-trailer trucks: parking strategies to speed up the gantry crane-based loading of freight trains in rail yards

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
OR Spectrum Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Multi-trailer trucks (also referred to as road trains) consist of a strong tractor truck pulling about a handful of trailers. They are, for instance, used in large ports to collectively transport a batch of containers between different container yards. We address the decision task where to park successive road trains next to some freight trains, so that a gantry crane can quickly transship the boxes between both means of transport. We formalize the resulting optimization problem and derive suited solution procedures. These algorithms are, then, applied to investigate different managerial aspects such as the relation to preceding decision problems, i.e., the composition of road trains, and the road trains’ efficiency compared to conventional (single-trailer) trucks.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barber D, Grobar L (2001) Implementing a statewide goods movement strategy and performance measurement of goods movement in California: METRANS Transportation Center. Accessed May 2017

  • Boysen N, Fliedner M (2010) Determining crane areas in intermodal transshipment yards: The yard partition problem. Eur J Oper Res 204:336–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boysen N, Fliedner M, Jaehn F, Pesch E (2013) A survey on container processing in railway yards. Transp Sci 47:312–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boysen N, Scholl J, Stephan K (2017) When road trains supply freight trains: scheduling the container loading process by gantry crane between multi-trailer trucks and freight trains. OR Spectr 39:137–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chisman JA (1975) The clustered traveling salesman problem. Comput Oper Res 2:115–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cordeau J-F, Legato P, Mazza RM, Trunfio R (2015) Simulation-based optimization for housekeeping in a container transshipment terminal. Comput Oper Res 53:81–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duinkerken MB, Dekker R, Kurstjens ST, Ottjes JA, Dellaert NP (2006) Comparing transportation systems for inter-terminal transport at the Maasvlakte container terminals. OR Spectr 28:469–493

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Union Road Federation (ERF) (2009) European road statistics 2008. In: 16th international road federation world road meeting 2009, Lisbon, Portugal

  • Gilmore PC, Gomory RE (1964) Sequencing a one state-variable machine: a solvable case of the traveling salesman problem. Oper Res 12:655–679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hafen Hamburg Marketing e.V. (HHM) (2015) Containerumschlag im Vergleich. Top 20 Ports. Port of Hamburg. Accessed Aug 2016 (in German)

  • Handelskammer Hamburg (HK) (2013) Hafen Hamburg auf einen Blick. Handelskammer Hamburg. Accessed June 2016 (in German)

  • Heilig L, Voß S (2017) Inter-terminal transportation: an annotated bibliography and research agenda. Flex Serv Manuf J 29:35–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kellner M, Boysen N (2015) RMG vs. DRMG: an evaluation of different crane configurations in intermodal transshipment yards. EURO J Transp Logist 4:355–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller CE, Tucker AW, Zemlin RA (1960) Integer programming formulation of traveling salesman problems. J ACM 7:326–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura E, Imai A, Papadimitriou S (2005) Yard trailer routing at a maritime container terminal. Transp Res E Logist Transp Rev 41:53–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potvin JY, Guertin F (1998) A genetic algorithm for the clustered traveling salesman problem with a prespecified order on the clusters. Advances in computational and stochastic optimization, logic programming, and heuristic search. Springer, New York, pp 287–299

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rotter H (2004) New operating concepts for intermodal transport: the mega hub in Hanover/Lehrte in Germany. Transp Plan Technol 27:347–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steenken D, Voß S, Stahlbock R (2004) Container terminal operation and operations research—a classification and literature review. OR Spectr 26:3–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tierney K, Voß S, Stahlbock R (2013) A mathematical model of inter-terminal transportation. Eur J Oper Res 235:448–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Operations Management, Universität Hamburg, Moorweidenstraße 18, 20148, Hamburg, Germany

    Martin Tschöke

  2. Lehrstuhl für Operations Management, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Carl-Zeiß-Straße 3, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Nils Boysen

Authors
  1. Martin Tschöke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nils Boysen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nils Boysen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tschöke, M., Boysen, N. Container supply with multi-trailer trucks: parking strategies to speed up the gantry crane-based loading of freight trains in rail yards. OR Spectrum 40, 319–339 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00291-017-0491-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00291-017-0491-1

Keywords