OPTIBOX is an empty-container repositioning optimizer — it plans where every empty container moves next, at the lowest cost.
OptiBox turns hidden empty-repositioning cost into competitive advantage.
Empty container repositioning costs the industry $20B+ a year, with 20–30% of all containers moving empty.
Why this is universal
Empty container repositioning is one of the most significant controllable cost categories in liner shipping.
Across the global fleet, between one in five and one in three boxes are empty in motion at any given time.
After bunker fuel, terminal handling and charter hire, empty repositioning is the next-largest cost line.
What this means for your P&L
Where it sits in your P&L
After bunker fuel, terminal handling and charter hire, empty container repositioning is the next-biggest line on a liner P&L.
Global imbalance dashboard
OptiBox tracks every container in your global fleet and surfaces regional imbalances in real time.
Production dashboard · scale
OptiBox's Global Container Map tracks the full fleet — surplus and deficit dots on a live map, filtered by region, country, equipment type, load and discharge node.
101 surplus + 183 deficit ports — re-paired live by OptiBox. Snapshot from a representative OptiBox carrier deployment.
The result, in one carrier's data
The OptiBox production dashboard runs the same repositioning plan two ways — your planner's manual routing versus the optimizer's route choice.
Saving
$12.3M
Cost reduction
~30%
Fewer legs
224
Four engines under the hood
Route generation flow
Distance Route Finder
Computes distance between two-port pairs across global lanes.
Auto-Route Creation
Connects with the nearest inland location automatically.
Hub-Route Creation
Routes through the nearest deep-water hub seaport.
Feeder Contract
Identifies existing feeder contracts to minimize on-cost.
Haulage Contract
Identifies existing haulage contracts at each leg.
Routing Master
Selects the lowest-cost route across all qualifying options.
Why OptiBox, not generic optimization
End-to-end workflow
OptiBox doesn't stop at recommendations.
Business benefits
Cost Efficiency
15–25% cut in repositioning and storage costs
Operational Agility
Faster decision-making & reduced planning cycles
Asset Utilization
Better deployment of container assets
Service Reliability
Fewer shortages and tighter SLA adherence
Strategic Confidence
Data-backed decisions on lease, purchase and routing
Pick your next step
OptiBox turns hidden empty-repositioning cost into competitive advantage.
Empty container repositioning costs the industry $20B+ a year, with 20–30% of all containers moving empty. Yet most carriers still plan it in spreadsheets. OptiBox balances surplus and deficit globally, forecasts demand with time-series models, and routes empties along the cheapest path — typically cutting repositioning cost 15–25% within the first year.
15–25%
Repositioning cost reduction
$1,500
Savings per TEU (up to)
20%
Higher utilization
6–12 mo
Time to ROI
Why this is universal
$20B+
Industry annual cost
Empty container repositioning is one of the most significant controllable cost categories in liner shipping.
20–30%
Of containers move empty
Across the global fleet, between one in five and one in three boxes are empty in motion at any given time.
#4
Cost line on a liner P&L
After bunker fuel, terminal handling and charter hire, empty repositioning is the next-largest cost line.
What this means for your P&L
Regional planners pick the closest route. OptiBox picks the cheapest route on the planet — every move, every time.
ML predicts which ports will need empties weeks before they do. You reposition into demand, not after.
Less idle time at deficit ports. Lower storage costs. Empties cycle back into commercial moves faster.
Repositioning costs estimated at the start of the year, deviation tracked in real time as commercial reality shifts.
Where it sits in your P&L
After bunker fuel, terminal handling and charter hire, empty container repositioning is the next-biggest line on a liner P&L. Unlike the other three, every dollar of it earns exactly zero revenue — making it the single most attractive cost line to attack.
Rank in cost stack
#4
Of the top 5 operational cost lines.
Cost-share weighting shown is indicative — actuals vary by trade lane and contract mix. The ranking (empty repositioning at #4) is consistent across liner operations.
Global imbalance dashboard
OptiBox tracks every container in your global fleet and surfaces regional imbalances in real time. Then it pairs the right surplus ports with the right deficit ports — based on cost, not geography.
Example weekly plan · illustrative
$555K
Three rebalancing routes shown below. Figures depend on fleet size, trade-lane imbalance and base routing — illustrative only.
+1,240
TEU vs demand
+890
TEU vs demand
−2,140
TEU vs demand
−680
TEU vs demand
+320
TEU vs demand
−480
TEU vs demand
Production dashboard · scale
OptiBox's Global Container Map tracks the full fleet — surplus and deficit dots on a live map, filtered by region, country, equipment type, load and discharge node. Snapshot below is from a representative OptiBox carrier deployment.
Locations monitored
284
101 surplus + 183 deficit ports — re-paired live by OptiBox.
170,210
Total equipment tracked
101
Surplus locations
183
Deficit locations
The result, in one carrier's data
The OptiBox production dashboard runs the same repositioning plan two ways — your planner's manual routing versus the optimizer's route choice. Numbers below are taken directly from the OptiBox cost-comparison report.
Manual repositioning
Baseline$39.43M
Total repositioning cost
With OptiBox
Optimizer$27.13M
Total repositioning cost
Saving
$12.3M
Cost reduction
~30%
Fewer legs
224
Average cost per box · by equipment type
Four engines under the hood
Route generation flow
01
Distance Route Finder
Computes distance between two-port pairs across global lanes.
02
Auto-Route Creation
Connects with the nearest inland location automatically.
03
Hub-Route Creation
Routes through the nearest deep-water hub seaport.
04
Feeder Contract
Identifies existing feeder contracts to minimize on-cost.
05
Haulage Contract
Identifies existing haulage contracts at each leg.
06
Routing Master
Selects the lowest-cost route across all qualifying options.
Why OptiBox, not generic optimization
Not a modified land-logistics engine. Every assumption — feeder contracts, deep-water hub routing, equipment types — reflects real liner operations.
From regional operators to global mega-carriers. The optimization model is identical; the value just compounds with fleet size.
Pilot one trade lane. Validate the savings. Then scale to the full network. No big-bang deployment required.
First repositioning cycle on OptiBox typically generates measurable savings within weeks. Full 15–25% payback at 6–12 months.
End-to-end workflow
OptiBox doesn't stop at recommendations. It generates the work order, integrates with your equipment management system, and tracks every executed move against the plan — so the optimization makes it all the way to the depot.
Integrates with equipment management systems
Supports global imbalance dashboards
Generates actionable repositioning work orders
Monitors actual vs planned moves
Provides explainable recommendations with cost trade-offs
Business benefits
What carriers see with OptiBox
15–25%
Cost reduction
$1,500
Saved per TEU
20%
Higher utilization
#4
Cost line on a P&L
6–12 mo
ROI
Pick your next step
Three ways to start — pick the one that fits where you are. Or drop us a line directly.
enquiry@solverminds.comJust looking
Concise overview of OptiBox — what it does, what it needs, where it fits. No call, no commitment.
Request brief →Evaluating
Custom 30-min session with your real surplus/deficit snapshot. See the recommended routes live.
Schedule session →Ready to deploy
45 minutes with an OptiBox specialist. Integration plan, timeline, and ROI projection.
Book a call →