Trailer Scheduling Optimization and Simulation Based on Petri Net

To solve the problem with excessive trailers obstructing major traffic paths outside container terminals, a hybrid Petri net (HPN) model with optimal scheduling strategy is created by optimizing trailer arrivals using non-stationary Poisson distribution to simulate arrival pattern. It can be applied to trailer arrivals and operation process of inland container terminals in the Pearl River Delta. Based on the HPN model, an Arena simulation model of Sanshui Port is constructed, where data is collected and analyzed through a process analyzer (PAN) to calculate the number of trailers per arrival and hence evaluate the effectiveness of scheduling strategy. Simulation results show that the obstruction can be effectively alleviated by optimizing the scheduling strategy, while the waiting time of trailers and the quantity of awaiting trailers are reduced by up to 87% and 26% separately after optimization.