A decision support system tool for the transportation by barge of import containers: A case study

a r t i c l e i n f o In this paper, we present a DSS that generates schedules for the transportation of containers by barge in the hin-terland, in particular from sea terminals to an inland terminal. As a case study, we propose the transportation from the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp to a terminal in the south of the Netherlands, where the problem is typical. This problem is modeled as a heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem. The main decision is based on the trade-off of either consolidating containers to generate economies of scale with barges or alternatively dispatch , expensively and quickly, single containers by truck. The DSS is flexible as it can be applied to different settings by properly tuning the several parameters in the model. With numerical experiments, based on real world data, we evaluate the effectiveness of this system and its applicability. In recent years, traffic of containers has increased considerably. Global trade favors the use of containers, as standardized handling units are necessary for the different logistic systems worldwide, and lead to a lower cost of transportation [2]. One of the main advantages of this standardization is the encouragement of multimodal transport, that favors economies of scale in transport, and can reduce congestion and emissions [12]. Recently, the transportation of containers in the hinterlands is drawing considerable attention for several reasons. This transportation leg has been acknowledged to be the most costly in many container supply chains; 40% to 70% of the total transportation cost is in the hinterland [26]. Moreover, an excessive use of trucks between sea ports and hinter-land causes issues of congestion and pollution [38]. Promoting the use of alternative modes of transport is one of the primary measures to decrease the drawbacks of inland transportation and generate economies of scale [12,15]. In Europe, especially in the Northwestern area where the flow of containers is the highest, the problem is relevant [22]. The hinterland is mostly affected by import container flows; the imbalance with the outbound traffic has been estimated to be in the ratio of 2:1 [32]. Therefore, inbound road traffic around the sea ports is becoming unsus-tainable and several expedients are being considered. Trains and barges are favored for the fact that they can generate economies of scale and can push large bundles far in the hinterland. Also port authorities and governments are supporting their use. For …