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Container Flows and Empty Container Repositioning

Maritime Logistics

ISBN: 978-1-78052-340-8, eISBN: 978-1-78-052341-5

Publication date: 12 January 2012

Abstract

This chapter explains the impact containerisation has on the various partners of the global supply chain and the challenges companies encounter and the solutions they use in dealing with empty container repositioning.

The phenomenon of imbalanced container flows and its impact on shipping lines, shippers, container haulage companies, port development and the economy are presented. Special attention is given to explain the many solutions companies use to reduce the impact of empty container repositioning, hence tracing out the past research that led to these solutions and pointing to potentially new research directions in the future.

Because of the widespread use of containerisation and the imbalanced container flows that results from globalisation, empty container repositioning will be an ongoing issue for the maritime logistics industry. Many solutions are being used, but there is room for improvement and more research is needed.

Empty container repositioning is an important issue but has not been deemed as such in the literature. This chapter explains the reasons it is important and that its impact is not limited to shipping lines only but affects the whole supply chain.

Keywords

Citation

Ng, A.S.F. (2012), "Container Flows and Empty Container Repositioning", Song, D.-W. and Panayides, P.M. (Ed.) Maritime Logistics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 29-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/9781780523415-003

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited