Determining the best ship loading strategy during military deployments

Purpose This study aims to examine ship loading strategies during large-scale military deployments. Ships are usually loaded a stowage goal of about 65% the ship's capacity. The authors identify how much cargo load onto ships for each sailing and propose lower goals that could improve delivery forces deployment. Design/methodology/approach construct several mixed integer programs optimal minimize timelines notional, but realistic, problem variables. relative importance these variables using experimental designs, regressions, correlations chi-square tests empirical results. Findings research specifies conditions which should be light loaded, i.e. less than total Empirical results show delivered up 16% faster with light-loaded strategy compared fully ships. Research limitations/implications work assumes deterministic times times. Also, all timing aspects estimated nearest natural number days. Practical implications provides important new insights strategies, were not previously quantified. More importantly, logistics planners use reduce sealift Originality/value Most routing scheduling problems costs as primary goal. identifies situations in transporting thereby trading efficiency effectiveness, enable overall unit equipment theater seaports.