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A Novel Truck Appointment System for Container Terminals

Author

Listed:
  • Fatima Bouyahia

    (Laboratory of System Engineering & Applications, ENSA, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco)

  • Sara Belaqziz

    (Laboratory of System Engineering & Applications, ENSA, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco)

  • Youssef Meliani

    (Laboratory System and Materials for Mechatronics, Savoie Mont Blanc University, 73000 Chambéry, France)

  • Saâd Lissane Elhaq

    (Engineering Research Laboratory ENSEM, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca 20676, Morocco)

  • Jaouad Boukachour

    (IUT, Le Havre Normandy University, 76610 Le Havre, France)

Abstract

Due to increased container traffic, the problems of congestion at terminal gates generate serious air pollution and decrease terminal efficiency. To address this issue, many terminals are implementing a truck appointment system (TAS) based on several concepts. Our work addresses gate congestion at a container terminal. A conceptual model was developed to identify system components and interactions, analyzing container flow from both static and dynamic perspectives. A truck appointment system (TAS) was modeled to optimize waiting times using a non-stationary approach. Compared to existing methods, our TAS introduces a more adaptive scheduling mechanism that dynamically adjusts to fluctuating truck arrivals, reducing peak congestion and improving resource utilization. Unlike traditional static appointment systems, our approach helps reduce truckers’ dissatisfaction caused by the deviation between the preferred time and the assigned one, leading to smoother operations. Various genetic algorithms were tested, with a hybrid genetic–tabu search approach yielding better results by improving solution stability and reducing computational time. The model was applied and adapted to the Port of Casablanca using real-world data. The results clearly highlight a significant potential to enhance sustainability, with an annual reduction of 785 tons of CO 2 emissions from a total of 1281 tons. Regarding trucker dissatisfaction, measured by the percentage of trucks rescheduled from their preferred times, only 7.8% of arrivals were affected. This improvement, coupled with a 62% decrease in the maximum queue length, further promotes efficient and sustainable operations.

Suggested Citation

  • Fatima Bouyahia & Sara Belaqziz & Youssef Meliani & Saâd Lissane Elhaq & Jaouad Boukachour, 2025. "A Novel Truck Appointment System for Container Terminals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-30, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:5740-:d:1684761
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Namboothiri, Rajeev & Erera, Alan L., 2008. "Planning local container drayage operations given a port access appointment system," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 185-202, March.
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