Ocean Container Carrier Selection Using Fuzzy TOPSIS Method: Customers' Perspective

Abstract

Ocean container carriers (OCCs) compete with their competitors and increase their market share depending upon their customers. Shippers, consignees, and freight forwarders all have varied expectations from the services provided by OCCs. This study aims to determine which selection criteria are used while assigning OCCs and also identify which criteria are preferred under recent conditions by considering the perspective of shippers, consignees, and freight forwarders. As far as we know, this is the first study to utilize the fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution method to examine OCC selection studies. Another aim of the study is to expand the literature on OCC studies. A total of 146 surveys were collected for the study, which included 32 OCC selection criteria from three different customer groups. The results of the study indicated that the most important criterion for shippers and freight forwarders was equipment availability, while for consignees, on-time notification of the customer was key. It has been observed that the selection criteria for OCCs have changed over time and that customer relations-related criteria are regarded as more important than freight criterion by shippers and consignees.