An Optimal Model for Container Deployment in Liner Shipping Routes Based on Equilibrium Operation

This paper addresses the formulation for the problem of container deployments in liner shipping routes (PCDLSR). A key and fundamental issue, which is usually regarded as a given factor by most existing studies based on such an assumption that the quantities of containers handled at each calling port are the same as ship's capacity, is here to be treated with as an essential management problem on the shipping routes with multi-hubs in this paper. The PCDLSR is formulated as a mixed integer problem (MIP). The model for container deployment in liner shipping routes can be constructed and developed by a two-stage approach based on the route equilibrium operation. Meanwhile, a circular shipping route is given as an example to conduct numerical experiments. Results indicate that the proposed model is more effective in describing the case of assets deployed in the liner shipping route, guaranteeing the stability of its operation and reducing the total cost of its operation.