Empty Container Repositioning

• Although some movements of empty containers are needed due to imbalances between inbound and outbound goods flows in specific geographical areas, the transport of empty containers could be performed more efficiently. This report outlines results from the project “Increasing transport efficiency through reducing positioning of empty containers” performed during 2020-2023 by RISE and Chalmers, and financed by the Swedish Energy Agency. The purpose of the project was to contribute to increasing transport efficiency by understanding how empty container repositioning can be reduced and made more efficient in the Swedish transport system. To provide increased understanding regarding current practices and possible improvement areas, the report describes empty repositioning of containers in the inland container transport, and highlights drivers and barriers to minimize and make empty repositioning more efficient. Data on empty container movements in ports and by truck provide increased understanding of the current state. However, available data only offer partial views of empty container movements. Therefore, an empty trip model was constructed to help understand the proportion of containers that are transported empty between various origin-destination pairs, drawing on the Swedish road goods transport data from Trafikanalys. Several recommendations are made for how to improve data on empty container movements, for example differentiating between 20 and 40 feet containers. Also, this report details strategies for either reducing the empty container repositioning or making it more efficient within the national transport system, with a focus on: a) increased reutilization of containers and b) an increased share of rail compared to truck transport. Reutilization involves matching import and export containers to a larger degree, for example facilitated by extended storage of containers, and also how demands in various regions can be matched more efficiently, where some geographical areas are import dominated and others export dominated. The improvement potential in terms of cost and emissions have been calculated, simulating transport data in specific case studies. One simulation concerned reducing empty container repositioning locally, comparing the current situation with improvements in terms of street turns and extended storage given different collaboration levels. The extended storage scenario delivered the best results, as it significantly increased the likelihood of finding export cargo for an emptied import container. Another simulation considered empty container movements between Swedish inland terminals, identifying a large potential for both reutilization locally and triangulation between terminals compared to the current situation. The report further outlines the outcome of a Multi-Actor-Multi-Criteria-Analysis, where opportunities to reduce empty container repositioning in the hinterland of a port were considered from several stakeholders’ perspectives: shipping lines, transport operators, inland terminals, forwarders, ports and cargo owners. The scenarios evaluated were a) Time Flexibility, where additional days were allowed to find matching export cargo for an emptied import container, b) Container Sharing, where implications of allowing matching of containers of shipping lines in the same alliance were explored, and c) Data Sharing, where increased transparency regarding containers available for export in the inland was explored. The stakeholders preferred different scenarios, and details explaining their reasoning is provided. Drawing on the insights regarding current practices and possible improvement areas, recommendations to industry and authorities are provided. Widespread collaboration between stakeholders is needed, even so, all stakeholders can take action to create better conditions for empty container repositioning. Smarter tools for planning is one example.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Container transport

Empty container

Repositioning

Street turns

Triangulation

Transport efficiency

Container substitution

Inland depot

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

rap (ämneskategori)