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Containerised freight is a key component of global and urban trade. Empty containers are a necessary outcome of such trade and have operational costs close to that of full containers yet are not a source of revenue as the latter is. A literature review revealed regional repositioning to be a complex problem due to a multitude of interacting parts and distributed decision making among stakeholders which have conflicting objectives. The goal is to optimise the activities related to urban goods movements and reduce the total social cost of these activities. The purpose of this study is to develop a detailed description and understanding of the empty container movements in Melbourne using a modelling approach designed to represent complex systems. This paper explores the cause and effects of the land-side empty container repositioning. Then the key characteristics of the system were captured into a conceptual model that documents and articulates the logistics processes, interactions, power-relations, problems and potential solutions of the freight system. The conceptual model was translated into a simulation model in the form of an agent-based model. The agent-based model was a proof-of-concept which provided an opportunity to graphically imitate the logistics processes and interactions of the system in a natural, flexible and dynamic way. Empty containers represent a sizeable proportion of logistics activity, however previous studies on container freight operations in Melbourne have tended to focus on commercially valuable, loaded containers - not empty containers. This paper closes the gap in understanding of empty container management in Melbourne as represented in a concept model and agent-based model.
Gusah et al. (Tue,) studied this question.