The Shipping and Transport Logistics Book Series emphasises both scientific rigor in the research approach and the practical value of the research findings. The primary objective of the Series is to publish research outputs that promote the best practices in and improve the management of shipping and transport logistics. Another objective is to strengthen the theoretical base of managerial decisions in shipping and transport logistics. ‘Container Transport Management’ is selected as the theme for the first volume of this Series. The research studies conducted consist of five major areas within the container transport sector. These areas include the container shipping market, intermodal transport capability, adoption of electronic commerce, empty container management, and logistics services management.

The contents of this volume cover five chapters. International shipping is an artery for economic development. To better understand the shipping industry, the first chapter presents empirical results that identify the determinants of the fleet size in the container shipping industry. Shipping firms can increase their service capability and operational competence by offering intermodal transport services. The second chapter examines the driving forces of developing intermodal transport capability and identifies the key elements of an intermodal transport system. The adoption of electronic commerce has become an integral part of the operations of container carriers. The third chapter investigates the factors affecting the extent of electronic commerce adoption by container transport carriers and their performance implications. Container carriers can achieve sustainable cost and service advantages by carefully deploying resources to manage empty containers. The fourth chapter examines the key resources required to manage empty containers and develops a theoretical model of empty container management. Container shipping firms seek to meet the requirements of their shippers by widening the scope of their services. The last chapter demonstrates the importance of Third-party Logistics (3PL) service providers and presents a management framework for the effective management of the 3PL business.

This book aims to provide a useful reference for researchers and practitioners in the container shipping and related industries. We hope that the readers will find our book an interesting read and informative about the development of the shipping and transport logistics industry.

Y.H. Venus Lun
Kee-hung Lai
T.C. Edwin Cheng