The Logic of Steamship Scheduling

Abstract

To those who frequent the waterfront of any major port city, a special thrill is to see one of the huge containerships come into her berth precisely on time. Equally exciting is to watch the departure of this proud queen of the seas exactly at the advertised hour. What appears to be a simple, almost routine process involving a minor amount of calculation actually is a complex exercise in coordinated management. To pierce the veil normally masking the details of this activity is essential if this phase of ship operation is to be appreciated.