Liner shipping network design

Maritime transportation enables transportation of large volumes at relatively low costs and is therefore a fundamental part of the world trade. It is estimated that around 90 percent of world trade today is carried by the international shipping industry. Additionally, efficient port structures make it possible to combine sea transportation with land-based modes of transportation. Roughly speaking, liner shipping is the service of transporting large volumes of cargo by means of high-capacity vessels that follow regular routes on fixed schedules. Within this type of shipping service, the variety of vessel types can be split into vessels designed for Lift-on/Lift-off (LoLo) operations, and Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) operations. In LoLo operations, quay cranes located on the docks are used to load and unload the vessels’ cargo, while RoRo vessels are designed to carry cargo that can be rolled on and off the vessels.