A Data-driven and multi-agent decision support system for time slot
  management at container terminals: A case study for the Port of Rotterdam
Ali Nadi Maaike Snelder J. W. C. van Lint Lóránt Tavasszy
Controlling the departure time of the trucks from a container hub is
important to both the traffic and the logistics systems. This, however,
requires an intelligent decision support system that can control and manage
truck arrival times at terminal gates. This paper introduces an integrated
model that can be used to understand, predict, and control logistics and
traffic interactions in the port-hinterland ecosystem. This approach is
context-aware and makes use of big historical data to predict system states and
apply control policies accordingly, on truck inflow and outflow. The control
policies ensure multiple stakeholders satisfaction including those of trucking
companies, terminal operators, and road traffic agencies. The proposed method
consists of five integrated modules orchestrated to systematically steer
truckers toward choosing those time slots that are expected to result in lower
gate waiting times and more cost-effective schedules. The simulation is
supported by real-world data and shows that significant gains can be obtained
in the system.