Simulation-based flexibility analysis of vehicle dispatching problem on a container terminal with GPS tracking data

To provide better services for shipping companies and to increase profits, improving the operation equipment efficiency and reducing the ship dwelling time at the terminal is an important problem for port companies. Port management information system and information technology is widely used for supporting and controlling the terminal operation, which can track the operation data simultaneously. In this study, a simulation model is constructed using historical Global Positioning System tracking data and analyzed for application to the shipping industry. For improving handling equipment efficiency, flexibility analysis is performed for the trailers that served gantry cranes for ship operation (container loading and unloading processes) by comparing the different dispatching scenarios after performing the simulation. The proposed procedure to construct simulation models of container terminal was found to be both practical and powerful.