This study investigates the impact of auto-twistlock failures on operational stop time during container vessel handling by analyzing three years(2022-2024) of actual operational data from the P terminal at Busan New Port. As vessel size continue to in...
This study investigates the impact of auto-twistlock failures on operational stop time during container vessel handling by analyzing three years(2022-2024) of actual operational data from the P terminal at Busan New Port. As vessel size continue to increase and automation becomes further integrated into port operation, twistlocks remain one of the few elements that still introduce unpredictable interruptions. three delays undermine terminal productivity, reduce berth turnaround efficiency and weaken carriers schedule reliability Recognizing this structural problem the present research aims to empirically identify the operational factors that contribute to twistlock-related delays A total of 1,404 stoppage events associated with twistlock issues were examined representing a throughput volume of 5,257,373 boxes over the three-year period The dependent variable was defined as the elapsed time from the onset of a stoppage to the resumption of operations Independent variable included twistlock type, work type, day or night shift, dwell-time deviation, and failure severity Category variables were dummy-coded for regression purposes, and variables exhibiting multi-collinearity, such as the root-cause category, were excluded from the final model The results demonstrate that failure severity is the most influential factor affecting stop time with severe failures adding an average of 24.94 minutes per event Loading operations and daytime shifts were also found to increase delays by 1.96 minutes and 1.32 minutes, respectively Conversely the use of automatic twistlocks reduced stoppage time by approximately 1.11 minutes, reflecting the operational stability offered by their structural design Dwell-time deviation showed no statistical significance, indicating that twistlock delays stem largely from internal process characteristics rather than scheduling conditions these findings highlist that twistlock failure constitute a subtle but consequential operational risk within modern automated terminals, their influence extends beyond internal work efficiency to broader indicators such as berth turnaround and vessel schedule reliability as such addressing this issue requires coordinated efforts between terminals and carriers. Establishing a standardized and more frequent inspection cycle for vessel twistlocks, along with joint improvement in process management is essential to structurally reducing failure rates. Such cooperative measures are necessary to enhance terminal productivity while supporting stable and reliable sailing schedules. keywords : Twistlock Failure, Stop Time Delay, Terminal Productivity, Berth Turnaround Efficiency, On-time Sailing Reliability, Port Operation Risk