Port choice by intra-regional container service operators : an application of decision-making techniques to liner services between Malaysian and other Asian ports

Intra-regional container service operators are challenged to design regular and reliable liner services connecting regional ports at the lowest cost and shortest transit time while considering customer demand. This paper focuses on the selection of ports of call in regular intra-regional container services, an under-researched part of the container shipping market. A combination of decision-making techniques (i.e. Analytical Hierarchy Process, fuzzy link-based and Evidential Reasoning) are presented to assist intra-regional container service operators in selecting ports of call. The proposed methodology is empirically applied to container services between Malaysian and other nearby Asian ports. While Port Klang is the main gateway to Malaysia, the results show that other Malaysian ports should play a more prominent role in accommodating intra-Asian container services. This research can assist maritime stakeholders in evaluating intra-regional port-to-port liner service configurations. Furthermore, the novel mix of decision-making techniques complements and enriches existing academic literature on port choice and liner service configuration

An Empirical Study on the Current Feeder Shipping Network Patterns among Malaysian Feeder Service Providers

Route network patterns have been investigated globally by many researchers, with the majority of studies only focussing on the liner shipping industry for long-distance services, and with less attention paid to the feeder services industry. The feeder services industry is important to enhance the economic sustainability and viability of feeder service providers and trade partners. The primary objectives of this paper were to study the focal economy points of feeder services in Malaysia and to demonstrate the type of network patterns practised by Malaysian feeder service providers. Accordingly, an empirical study was conducted through the cooperation of eight Malaysian feeder service providers via face-to-face interviews and port visits to understand the patterns of each shipping route deployed. Moreover, to demonstrate the network patterns of each feeder service provider, a route network model was designed. The main finding from this study found that Port Klang was the primary feeder hub port and focal economy point in Malaysia due to the highest number of feeder vessels entering the port. Furthermore, the type of route patterns applied by Malaysian feeder service providers were determined and categorised based on three models: 75% (basic model), 17.5% (butterfly model), and 7.5% (chain model) collected data consisting of 40 service routes. This paper will assist future and existing feeder service providers in their planning and execution of the optimal service routes regarding their efficiency in servicing existing and future customers and promoting strategic and tactical allocation of shipping services to specific ports