Reducing congestion in port hinterlands: an agent-based modeling case study of truck parking facility impacts

Abstract The increasing volume of container handling at seaports leads to a rise in heavy vehicle traffic, often resulting in congestion that poses a significant challenge to port competitiveness by disrupting operational fluidity, increasing logistics costs and delays. This study presents the development of an agent-based simulation model designed to evaluate the impact of incorporating a truck parking facility on the hinterland operations. The model is adaptable to diverse maritime supply chain and utilizes performance indicators, such as queue length and total cycle time. A case study conducted at Itapoá Port, Brazil, indicates that the infrastructure can be used as an efficient congestion management strategy, since it has the potential to reduce the total cycle time of full containers by 15.69% for import flows and 18.43% for export flows. Findings suggest that the proposed solution can mitigate congestion, enhance operational efficiency, and contribute to more sustainable port logistics.