A loading plan is a pre-departure design for where cargo should be placed to improve transport efficiency and safety.
Hyundai Glovis said its AI algorithm automatically generates optimized loading positions after users enter information such as the types and number of vehicles to be loaded and the ports for loading and unloading. The system considers port-call order as well as cargo weight and height.
A single car carrier typically transports thousands of vehicles bound for multiple destinations. If the plan is wrong, vehicles that must be unloaded at an intermediate port can be blocked by vehicles headed to later destinations.
That can force crews to unload large numbers of vehicles and reload them, causing delays and additional costs. The company said the AI-based planning can prevent such inefficiencies in advance, reducing wasted time and expense.
For heavy, oversized cargo such as construction equipment, planners must also account for each deck’s height and load limits and place cargo lower in the ship to distribute weight evenly. Seaworthiness — the ability to maintain safe balance while sailing — is a key factor in loading plans.
Hyundai Glovis said the algorithm runs on its proprietary data-design technology, for which it has completed a patent application. The company said it created a data model that breaks a car carrier’s interior into detailed decks and zones to represent structural characteristics and possible movement routes, allowing the AI to judge vehicle paths and feasible placement locations.
Because car carriers differ in internal structure and cargo mixes change each voyage, the company said it has been difficult to apply a single standard. It also said more than 6,000 vehicles can be loaded for one trip, requiring many specialists and significant time to produce a plan.
A Hyundai Glovis official said loading and unloading based on the AI-generated plan showed safety and efficiency similar to plans designed by specialists, while planning time fell by about half from the previous level of about 27 hours. The official said the company expects the reduction to exceed 90% as the technology advances.
Hyundai Glovis said it will apply the technology sequentially across all of its car carriers in operation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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