In this paper, we analyze the effects of the foldable container when both standard and foldable containers are used, which is a more realistic assumption about the supply of containers than the assumption used in the single-container models. . For instance, the one-way leasing rate for a 40-foot-high cube container from Ningbo to Savannah has surged to $1,500 from $800 in January, and from Shanghai to Long Beach, it has risen from $1,000 earlier this year to $1,500. However, the issue is not just the need for containers, but a need for. . Results suggest that the case for foldable containers is compelling and savings of over 50% are viable, even after taking into account the higher upfront purchase cost, higher maintenance costs and lower expected lifespans of foldable containers. The proposed model is a large-scale optimization problem, for which we develop an efficient heuristic algorithm to get near-optimal solutions within a reasonable time. The shipping cost from USA to Southeast Asia used to follow predictable seasonal patterns. More than a fifth of containers are returned empty to. .
