Comparing operation cycle times of container yard cranes under various sequencing rules

This study compares the cycle times of handling operations of yard cranes under different sequencing rules. An operation cycle was divided into several elementary movements and formulas for the expectation and the variance of each elementary movement were analytically derived. The expected waiting time of trucks was estimated based on the given arrival rate of trucks. The previous studies focused on developing a method to make an efficient schedule of operations for yard cranes. This paper introduces several sequencing rules, such as first-come-first-served, unidirectional travel, and Z pick travel rules. In addition, a formula for estimating the cycle times of yard cranes under each sequencing rule is derived, and the performance under the different sequencing rules are compared with each other.