Large scale simulation of a real-time collaborative system for container trucks in the Port of Antwerp

Abstract

In this work, a primary proof of concept of a real-time shared planning system (SPS) for container trucks covering drayage operations in seaports is presented. The aim of such an SPS is to provide a flexible system which allows horizontal collaboration between road carriers with the aim on improving the overall efficiency of the logistic chain. Its impact on the drayage in the port is studied in the context of a large-scale simulation, based on the Port of Antwerp, which models the relevant operations in the logistic chain that handles container transport over roads. In this simulation, interactions on the traffic network will be explicitly simulated by a mesoscopic traffic model. The results show a clear positive impact for carriers joining the collaborative system as compared to the case of individual planning; the time spent in traffic is on average reduced by 13%, meaning less congestion on the road and a potential increase in capacity.