Identification of container dwell time determinants using aggregate data

Ioanna Kourounioti*, Amalia Polydoropoulou

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The general aim of this paper is to identify the key factors that affect the Dwell Time (DT) of containers and to quantify the influence of terminal policies on the DT. Aggregate data were collected from the Terminal Operation Systems (TOS) of three container terminals; two in the Middle East and one in Asia. The Poisson regression models that were developed for each terminal revealed the factors affecting the Dwell Time (DT). Terminal charging policies and customs inspection affect DT especially in ports that impose storage fees from the first day and adopt more efficient customs inspection methods. In addition, DT was found to depend on: 1) container s weight; 2) container status (full or empty); 3) billable line; 4) seasonality, and; 5) pick-up day of the week. Information on the receiver of goods and the commodity was available and incorporated in the Poisson regression models resulting in higher R2 and better model applicability. The combined model of the three terminals explains the influence of the different monetary policies and the terminal type on the DT. The developed models can be used to predict the DT and consequendy the day an import container is to be picked-up from the terminal. Model results highlight the importance of collecting information on the commodity and the receiver of the goods for the de-velopment of predicting models that enhance decision making in port container terminals both in an operational and in strategic level.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)567-588
Number of pages22
JournalInternational Journal of Transport Economics
Volume44
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Dwell time
  • Import containers
  • Marine container terminals
  • Monetary policies
  • Poisson regression models

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