Robust scheduling of truck arrivals at marine container terminals

The use of a truck appointment system is gaining momentum in the marine container industry. It is used to regulate the number of trucks that can enter the terminal. Terminals employing appointment systems put a cap on the number of trucks that can enter a zone in the yard per time window. Limiting truck arrivals can be beneficial to some extent; however, if the caps are not set properly, it could be detrimental to both the terminal and the truckers. This paper examines the effect of limiting truck arrivals on truck turn time and crane utilization. In addition, it proposes a methodology to assist terminal operators with determining the optimal number of trucks to accept for the appointment system to be effective. The proposed methodology, which is a combination of mathematical formulation and simulation, seeks a solution that is beneficial for both the terminal operator and the trucker. Furthermore, the solution is robust to account for truckers with appointments showing up late or not showing up at all.