A Line-Based Algorithm for Container Routing in Shipping Networks
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This paper proposes an integrated routing framework for liner shipping networks in which the routing decision concerns the movement of one or more containers from an origin to a destination, jointly addressing topological feasibility, temporal consistency, and cost–time trade-offs. The methodology combines a label-setting routing algorithm with a post-processing phase that enables multi-criteria analysis and clustering of origin–destination pairs. Within this framework, each container route explicitly accounts for service schedules, frequencies, dwell time, transshipment constraints, and port-specific handling costs, thereby ensuring the generation of temporally feasible routes over large-scale liner shipping networks. Two optimality criteria are considered for the container routing problem: time and cost. Computational experiments on a real-inspired network demonstrate the scalability of the proposed approach and highlight the difference between optimal time and cost-routing choices for containers. Further insights are obtained through clustering analyses, which reveal heterogeneous routing profiles and distinct trade-off patterns across origin–destination pairs, providing additional management insights beyond aggregate performance indicators. Overall, the proposed procedure offers a flexible and extensible tool for analyzing container movements within liner shipping services and supports advanced decision-making in maritime network design and service planning.
Source: Future Transportation
Institution: University of Messina
Language: English
Topic: Maritime Ports and Logistics
Subfield: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,207
OpenAlex ID: W7171532319