Georgetown Foldable Container Efficient Procurement

Do foldable containers reduce repositioning costs?

In our ECR problem, the shipping company considers both transporting loaded containers and repositioning of empty containers over a planning horizon. Because empty repositioning incurs costs and consumes vessel capacity, foldable containers are used to reduce repositioning costs.

How to reduce the cost of repositioning empty containers?

There are many efforts to reduce the cost of repositioning empty containers, one of which is a foldable container. Foldable containers can be transported in a package such that a few folded containers occupy the same volume as one standard container.

Do folding/unfolding costs affect the adoption of foldable containers?

Therefore, it is clear that decisions about foldable containers are influenced by folding/unfolding costs, which may affect the adoption and active utilization of foldable containers. Table 12. Total transportation and repositioning quantities of foldable containers between NA-Asia network. Empty Cell Empty Cell LDR RLDR Empty Cell Empty Cell

How can a government reduce the cost of a foldable container?

It would also be helpful for governments to invest in research and innovation of the equipment technology for handling foldable containers to reduce the fixed cost. Meanwhile, policies that can motivate container companies to supply more foldable containers to the market would also have a positive effect.