Using Truck Appointment System to Improve the Yard Efficiency of the Container Terminal

This paper considers the effectiveness of a truck appointment system in improving the yard efficiency of the container terminal. This research uses truck appointment information to improve the import container retrieval operation and reduce container rehandles by adopting an advanced container location assignment algorithm. By reducing the container rehandles, the terminal could improve yard crane productivity and reduce truck transaction time. A hybrid approach of simulation and queuing model was developed to model the container retrieval operation and estimate the crane productivity and truck turn time. Various configurations of the truck appointment system are modeled to investigate how those factors affect the effectiveness of the truck information. The research results illustrate a clear benefit for terminals utilizing truck appointment system to manage their yard operation if the appointment information is used to reduce rehandling. Reducing the duration of the appointment time window or increasing the appointment lead time could further enhance the system performance. The truck information is still effective for improving system efficiency even if a good portion of trucks miss their appointments.