Hyundai Glovis says new AI auto stowage and unloading system can cut planning time by 90 percent

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Hyundai Glovis says new AI auto stowage and unloading system can cut planning time by 90 percent

Published: 12 Feb. 2026, 17:36

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Vehicles await loading onto a Hyundai Glovis car carrier vessel. [HYUNDAI GLOVIS]

Hyundai Glovis said Thursday it will apply its AI-based stowage planning system to car carrier vessels, a move the company says could cut planning time by over 90 percent.

Stowage planning refers to the process of determining how cargo is arranged on a vessel to maximize efficiency and safety in advance, which is particularly complex for car carriers. Each ship can load more than 6,000 vehicles at a time, yet internal layouts vary widely and cargo composition shifts with every voyage.

The newly introduced system digitally maps the interior of a car carrier by segmenting decks and zones in granular detail, capturing structural constraints within a comprehensive data model.

Once operators input variables such as vehicle type, volume and port sequence, the algorithm automatically generates an optimized loading configuration.

Hyundai Glovis' AI evaluates whether vehicle pathways are obstructed, checks height and weight limitations and ensures alignment with unloading schedules at intermediate ports. The goal is to prevent logistic bottlenecks — for instance, when cars destined for an earlier stop are blocked by vehicles bound for a later port, forcing crews to unload and reload large volumes of cargo and resulting in costly delays.

“We confirmed that it demonstrates safety and efficiency levels comparable to plans devised by experienced experts, while cutting planning time roughly in half,” a spokesperson for Hyundai Glovis said. “Further refinements could reduce planning time by more than 90 percent.”

Hyundai Glovis plans to roll out the AI-powered system across its entire fleet of car carriers in phases.

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]