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The purpose of this paper is to explore, through a synthesis of the literature, the causes, benefits, constraints and ways for reducing the number of empty trips made by container trucks. Reduced empty truck trips contribute to sustainable transportation practices in the port territory.

To contribute in the current body of the literature, through a comprehensive synthesis of the studies, this study examines many perspectives surrounding the empty truck trips at container terminals. Hence different, but relevant operational aspects of empty truck trips are explored. This study adopts a content analysis as the research methodology.

Different perspectives, which are drawn from the reviewed literature, identify a research gap in published research in the area of transport collaboration (of supply chain collaboration) and coordination problems in hinterland transport chains (of maritime logistics), and the literature relating to backhauling (of vehicle routing problems with backhauls). To cover that research gap in the literature, this study attempts to highlight and synthesize the important empty-trips studies currently available into a coherent and understandable form.

As an integral part of encouraging collaboration in the container transportation industry, this research may be effective in persuading port authorities to evaluate and to help transport managers to reply to specific enquiries of truck-sharing arrangements.

The utilization of available empty space of container trucks is a feasible option of increasing transport capacity and achieving sustainable transportation benefits.

This paper provides a contemporary lens to view the relationship between empty trips and their applications in the carrier industry, in order to resolve the perceived issues of non-sustainable transportation and their implications for the society.

Empty container trucks may cause a deficit in transport capacity and contribute to congestion and emissions in the port territory. Reengineering of the container truck hauling process to introduce truck-sharing arrangements using the truck appointment system has the potential of reducing the number of empty-truck trips. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This research evaluates the results from an investigation of the truck appointment system using a case study approach. The data collection phase involved primary and secondary sources along with using publicly available data on port operations.

The study explores a dynamic truck-sharing facility for a computer-based matching system to assign probable export containers to available empty slots of a container truck. The proposed model reengineers the truck appointment system with a potential to reduce the number of empty-truck trips to increase container transport capacity around seaport gates.

Due to continuous increases in container-freight traffic, leading seaports of the world are experiencing a capacity shortage resulting in traffic congestion. The research findings are useful in practice as the proposed truck-sharing model can be introduced to enhance capacity in the container transport chain of the port territory.

The empty-trucks problem has not been addressed much in studies from a decentralized perspective where all truck operators have an equal chance to contribute to optimize the supply chain in contrast with the typical one-company-based optimization. The solution addressed here uses the shared-transportation concept to cover the research gap.

This study aims to explore the challenges of truck-sharing and effective ways of dealing with those in achieving supply chain collaboration and collaboration in transportation management (e.g. transport collaboration) for transport capacity expansion, and reducing carbon emission and traffic congestion for integrating environmental and social sustainability issues. This paper also reveals insights into successful shared-transportation and a reduction in empty trips.

This exploratory qualitative study was conducted by means of interviewing road carriers from the container transportation industry.

In a truck-sharing initiative, technical issues (e.g. carrying capacity) arise, some of which involve the container truck and some involving constraints that cannot be controlled, such as driving restrictions, seaport operating hours, and the presence of the large number of container categories pertaining to the industry. Therefore, a significant amount of “structural empty running” may always prevail. It should also be noted that some, seemingly vital, constraints can actually be changed, treated, or modified for better truck-sharing outcomes, such as building a foundation of trust and establishing coordination among road carriers.

A probable solution to the problem of increasing hinterland transport capacity is to make appropriate use of the huge number of idle truck slots that exist; this could be achieved by encouraging the acceptance of the challenges of truck-sharing realistically and suggesting an approach to handling them.

To broaden its appeal, truck-sharing initiatives must be able to overcome challenges by combining theoretical insight with an understanding of the practical aspects of such an endeavor. This original research fosters knowledge that is unique and which also has real-life applications in maritime logistics studies and supply chain literature for both port authorities and container road carriers.

This study aims to propose a new genetic algorithm for solving supply chain scheduling and routing problem in a multi-site manufacturing system. The main research question is: How is the production and transportation scheduled in a multi-site manufacturer? Also the sub-questions are: How is the order assigned to the suppliers? What is the production sequence of the assigned orders to a supplier? How is the order assignment to the vehicles? What are the vehicles routes to convey the orders from the suppliers to the manufacturing centers? The authors’ contributions in this paper are: integration of production scheduling and vehicle routing in multi-site manufacturing supply chain and proposing a new genetic algorithm inspired from the role model concept in sociology.

Considering shared transportation system in production scheduling of a multi-site manufacturer is investigated in this paper. Initially, a mathematical model for the problem is presented. Afterwards, a new genetic algorithm based on the reference group concept in sociology, named Reference Group Genetic Algorithm (RGGA) is introduced for solving the problem. The comparison between RGGA and a developed algorithm of literature closest problem, demonstrates a better performance of RGGA. This comparison is drawn based on many test problems. Moreover, the superiority of RGGA is certificated by comparing it to the optimum solution in the small size problems. Finally, the authors use real data collected from a drug manufacturer in Iran to test the performance of the algorithm. The results show the better performance of RGGA in comparison with obtained outputs from the real case.

The authors presented the mathematical model of the problem and introduced a new genetic algorithm based on the “reference group” concept in sociology. Robert K. Merton is a sociologist who presented the concept of reference groups in society. He believed that some people in each society such as heroes or entertainment artists affect other people. The proposed algorithm uses the reference group concept to the genetic algorithm, namely, RGGA. The comparison of the proposed algorithm with DGA and the optimum solution shows the superiority of RGGA. Finally, the authors implement the algorithm in a real case of drug manufacturing and the results show that the authors’ algorithm gives better outputs than obtained outputs from the real case.

One of the major objectives of supply chains is to create a competitive advantage for the final product. This intension is only achieved when each and every element of the supply chain considers customers’ needs in every function of theirs. This paper studies scheduling in the supply chain of a multi-site manufacturing system. It is assumed that some suppliers produce raw material or initial parts and convey them by a fleet of vehicles to a multi-site manufacturer.

A seaport is an essential part of a supply chain, but many ports experience truck shortages, creating pressure for port authorities from shippers who need more trucks that move cargo. This study explores and ranks the motives for adopting a truck-sharing concept (where shippers share the same truck for delivery) as a mechanism to improve transport capacity.

This study adopts a multi-method approach – both interviews and surveys. Interviews are first conducted with shippers to explore truck-sharing usage motives. Next, quantitative surveys of both shippers and carriers are conducted to rank those motives.

The study identifies five motives (operational efficiency goal, quick transport solution, sustainability policy, convenience-seeking behavior and secure transport process) for truck-sharing, four critical transport attributes (lower charges for freight, distance travelled, full capacity utilization and environmental recognition), four psychological consequences (monetary savings, greater safety, instant availability of trips and clarification of environmental values), and six core values (secure transport process, being careful of money, ease of doing business, sustainability, status in the community and recognition by customers of shippers).

The qualitative results will help researchers better understand how usage motives influence shippers' willingness to share a truck for transport needs. The quantitative results are useful for ranking truck-sharing motives by their importance.

Based on the findings, managers of carriers can categorize shippers according to their specific needs and thereby customize promotions to attract more shippers.

The findings provide the first, exploratory insights into shippers' motives.

Consumer adoption of shared products is a prerequisite for successful commercialization. The purpose of this paper is to explore what innovative characteristics of entity shared products can accommodate consumers' concerns and are likely to motivate adoption of consumers.

This paper used a conceptual model that combined the innovation diffusion theory and technology acceptance model to explore shared products adoption. It identified the direct and indirect effects of perceived app ease of use/online, perceived convenience of access/offline, perceived utility advantages and personal innovativeness on shared products adoption intention. Structural equation modeling was used for analyzing the questionnaire data from a sample of 479 users who used entity shared products such as shared cars, shared bicycles and shared power banks for mobile phones.

The empirical tests indicate that perceived utility advantages based on market innovation, perceived accessibility of usage rights based on technology innovation (including perceived app ease of use/online and perceived convenience of access/offline) and consumer personal innovativeness are the key factors affecting consumer adoption.

This paper constructs an innovation-adoption coupling model of entity shared products to understand shared products usage. The findings provide useful practical guidance for the design and development of shared products and “usage rights economy” business applications.

Collaborative consumption (CC), a unique business model, provides several monetary and non-monetary benefits to customers. Several adapted theory of planned behaviour (TPB)-based models were developed and tested to understand this consumption behaviour with the findings inconsistent and fragmented. Thus, this study aims to develop a general and consistent TPB model using a meta-analytic path analysis to better understand customers’ CC adoption behaviour.

Using 37 studies, a meta-analysis was performed adopting several analytical methods; bivariate analysis, moderation analysis and path analysis.

The universal TPB model shows that factors, that is, trust, attitude, perceived environmental responsibility and communication facilities, drive both perceived usefulness and CC. However, subjective norms, such as perceived behavioural control and emotional value, drive only perceived usefulness. Moderation analysis shows that the relationships between variables used in the proposed TPB model tends to vary depending on five moderators, that is, countries’ economic development level, type of CC, sample size, sample type and survey administration method.

The consideration of only quantitative papers and papers written in English language in this meta-analysis may bias the study’s findings.

Based on the findings regarding important factors that consumers consider when adopting CC, this study provides insightful recommendations to companies facilitating CC.

By developing the universal TPB model, this study theoretically contributes to the TPB model, and by conducting the moderation test, the study contextually contributes to the TPB literature in the CC context.

A large part of maritime container supply chain costs is generated by carriers in port hinterland logistics. Carriers which operate in the hinterland are under pressure to reduce costs and increase profitability, and they face challenges of fierce price competition. This study aims to explore how collaboration is perceived and implemented by carriers in truck container logistics in the port hinterland as a way to tackle these issues.

This study adopts a qualitative multiple case study approach. Qualitative interviews with carriers in the port hinterland of Hamburg, Germany, were conducted and analyzed using grounded theory.

The study reveals two collaboration types in the hinterland, based on the different carriers' interpretation of market conditions as changeable or as given, driving their collaboration mindsets and strategic actions: The developer, who has a proactive collaboration mindset and practices strategic maneuvers toward changing poor market conditions through collaboration, and the adapter, who has a defensive collaboration mindset and perceives market conditions as given and constraining collaboration.

The qualitative results will help researchers better understand how collaboration practices depend on the carriers' subjective interpretations and perceptions of the market.

Based on the findings, managers of carriers gain an understanding of the different types of actors in their market and the relevance of acknowledging these types. Consequently, they can design appropriate strategic measures toward collaboration.

The findings for the first time provide exploratory insights of carriers' mindsets.

India ranks third in the global startup ecosystem in the world incubating more than 50,000 startups and witnessing 15% YoY growth per year. Being a center of innovation and skilled labor, Indian startups have attracted investments from all over the world. This paper aims at exploring the trends that are driving the growth in the Indian startup ecosystem.

Top 200 startups according to valuation are selected as a sample to find out the major trends in the Indian startup ecosystem. This paper includes surveying the sample startups about the implementation of trends such as big data, crowdfunding and shared economy in their startup and its tangible, as well as intangible impacts on their business. The result of the survey is analyzed to get an overview of the emerging trends in the Indian startup ecosystem.

Major ten emerging trends that drive growth in the Indian startup ecosystem are discovered and the areas where these trends can be leveraged are identified.

This research has contributed toward structuring and documenting the growth driving trends, and it will help the budding entrepreneurs to get familiar with the contemporary trends, pros and cons associated with it and the ways to leverage these trends to build a successful startup.