McLean’s legacy: The current state of research on handling equipment in container transshipment yards

In the world of logistics and transportation, driven by the hub-and-spoke paradigm, efficient transshipment operations are crucial to optimizing the movement of goods, for example by reducing costs and minimizing handling times. In this context, a large share of goods is transported in containers, already significantly reducing interface losses between transport modes. To provide a structured overview of current research on container handling operations, this paper categorizes existing studies based on specific types of container transshipment yards: rail-rail, rail-road, berth-rail, berth-road, berth-berth, and berth-not specified. For each type, we identify key decision problems, specific areas of focus, and methodologies applied. Additionally, we present an overview of handling equipment, distinguishing their functional roles and highlighting patterns in equipment utilization across modes. Several studies evaluate the environmental impact of handling equipment and analyze factors like carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, energy consumption, and air pollution. Our study reveals that equipment and especially crane scheduling stand out as the most frequently addressed issues across all yard types, in contrast to layout and fleet sizing, for example. In addition, both automated and manual handling equipment can contribute to greener, more efficient yards. However, it also exposes a clear need for further research on environmental considerations in transshipment yard operations. Categorizing the literature by transshipment yard type, handling equipment, environmental focus, and decision problems, this review provides a structured and accessible foundation that enables researchers and practitioners to develop innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions for container terminal operations across diverse transport modes.