The performance of marine terminals has generally been evaluated by comparing their actual throughputs with their optimum throughputs. The engineering approach that generally has been used to determine optimum throughputs may be appropriate when terminals have natural hinterlands. In a deregulated (competitive) environment in which the natural hinterlands of marine terminals have become diffuse…
This chapter presents methodologies for evaluating the economic performance of a port. This performance may be evaluated from the standpoint of technical efficiency, cost efficiency and effectiveness by comparing the port’s actual throughput with its economic technically efficient, cost efficient and effectiveness optimum throughput, respectively. The port’s economic performance may also be…
This study investigates determinants of the probability that an individual on board a ship of a given shipping line will be injured (given that the ship is not involved in an accident). A Probit regression statistical model is used to investigate such determinants when ships are in port and on given types of containerships. Probit estimation results suggest that an individual is less likely to …
The behavior of shipping freight (charter) rates and the timing of shipping contracts affect the transportation costs of charterers and the operating cash flows of shipowners. Although the literature has established macroeconomic determinants of shipping freight rates, there has been no systematic investigation of microeconomic determinants of freight rates and the delivery time of chartered sh…
The earlier port pricing literature argued that port prices should be based upon marginal cost pricing. However, recent literature suggests that a conflict would arise between marginal cost pricing and full cost recovery at ports. Further, problems arise in determining or estimating marginal costs. A price structure that addresses the problems of port marginal cost pricing is cost axiomatic pri…
A hinterland is the landward side of a seaport, whereas a seaport (dry port) is the sea node (inland node) of a hinterland transport chain, i.e. the hinterland transport network over which cargo moves. A hinterland transport chain is jointly determined by seaports, dry ports, intermodal carriers, importers and exporters. A mathematical model is proposed to model this joint choice. Analysis of t…