Revisiting a class of liner fleet deployment models

A class of liner fleet deployment models in the literature is revisited. We point to an implicit (and unnecessary) assumption in this class of models that can lead to fleet deployment plans that employ more vessels than strictly necessary. New analytical results are derived to relax this assumption, leading to a new and more realistic liner fleet deployment model. In a case study, it is found that the new model can lead to a substantial reduction in the fleet deployment cost, up to 15 percent. Moreover, it is observed that the new model is particularly timely in the current era where vessel sharing agreements and mega vessels are the norm, as the cost savings grow with the vessel size.