Off-network cost of foldable containers for European base stations

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 foldable containers reduce container fleet management costs?

The effect of foldable containers on the costs of container fleet management in liner shipping networks. Maritime Economics & Logistics. 2012. Vol. 14. No. 4. P. 455-479. DOI: 10.1057/mel.2012.16. Shintani, K. & Konings, R. & Imai, A. Combinable containers: A container innovation to save container fleet and empty container repositioning costs.

Are foldable containers a good investment?

Despite high purchase costs and the additional folding and unfolding costs of foldable containers, foldable containers have advantages in the reduction of repositioning costs and saving in terms of storage space and vessel capacity.