Liner shipping speed and bunkering management under stochastic environment

Abstract

Liner shipping operation level decision problem, speed and bunkering management particularly, has been an area that only attracted scarce research attention albeit its significant impact on the profitability of liner companies. The reason is twofold. One is that the shipping industry in general, partly due to its long history, was conservative, fragmented and less willing to adopt changes. It was also largely out of public?s sight. ?Out of sight, out of mind?, researchers? minds as well. The other is that uncertainties involved in the operation level render both the modeling and solving extremely difficult. The mission of this thesis is therefore to fill in this gap and study the operational speed and bunkering management from the liners? perspective.