In this article, the possibilities offered by information technology are examined and endeavours are made to see if container transport by truck to port areas can be made more efficient. The main interest of the article is to describe how the PARIS (Planning And Routing Information System) system works. Expectations relating to the growth of the modal split in container transport in Rotterdam are outlined. The PARIS functioning is illustrated on the basis of the Sea-Land container shipping company experiences. The possible ways of devising an effective (container) loading planning system for a number of users are also explored.When containerization became more common this precipitated increases in truck transportation levels especially where port hinterland movements were concerned. The huge number of lorry movements necessitated by container transportation and all the shunting of empty containers and equipment which this involves has only contributed to congestion and to environmental pollution. The hundreds of trucks that descend on the ECT terminals in Rotterdam on a daily basis is just an indication of the scale of container transportation business.
Abstract