Article: Optimisation approach to solve the truck loading and delivery problem at long haul distances with heterogeneous products and fleet Journal: International Journal of Operational Research (IJOR) 2021 Vol.40 No.1 pp.92 - 116 Abstract: This paper proposes a sequential optimisation approach for addressing a complex real world problem of dispatch planning and freight loading for a set of highly irregular products with a heterogeneous fleet of trucks. The approach focuses on the case of goods with 'low-density values', highly varied with large travel distances. The proposed approach is based on a two-phase strategy: the first optimises the space assignment process inside trucks to each type of product. It is achieved by minimising long-haul transportation costs as a function of the fleet size and capacity, considering a set of predefined feasible and efficient loading solutions or patterns. The second phase minimises the number of visits per truck, assuming a fleet with fixed size and capacities for each type of product, which is determined in the first stage. The approach was successfully applied to a rolled steel company in Colombia, whose results show that the proposed model efficiently addresses the analysed problem, which is reflected in reasonable solution times and costs from a practical implementation perspective. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Optimisation approach to solve the truck loading and delivery problem at long haul distances with heterogeneous products and fleet

Authors: Luis-Angel Cantillo; Víctor Cantillo; Pablo A. Miranda

Addresses: Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universidad del Norte, Km 5, Vía a Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla, Colombia ' School of Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Av. Brasil 2241, Casilla 4059, Valparaíso, Chile

Abstract: This paper proposes a sequential optimisation approach for addressing a complex real world problem of dispatch planning and freight loading for a set of highly irregular products with a heterogeneous fleet of trucks. The approach focuses on the case of goods with 'low-density values', highly varied with large travel distances. The proposed approach is based on a two-phase strategy: the first optimises the space assignment process inside trucks to each type of product. It is achieved by minimising long-haul transportation costs as a function of the fleet size and capacity, considering a set of predefined feasible and efficient loading solutions or patterns. The second phase minimises the number of visits per truck, assuming a fleet with fixed size and capacities for each type of product, which is determined in the first stage. The approach was successfully applied to a rolled steel company in Colombia, whose results show that the proposed model efficiently addresses the analysed problem, which is reflected in reasonable solution times and costs from a practical implementation perspective.

Keywords: truck loading; long-haul dispatching; heterogeneous fleet; irregular shape products; multi-commodity; big data.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOR.2021.111954

International Journal of Operational Research, 2021 Vol.40 No.1, pp.92 - 116

Received: 29 Apr 2017
Accepted: 17 Apr 2018
Published online: 22 Dec 2020 *

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Title: Optimisation approach to solve the truck loading and delivery problem at long haul distances with heterogeneous products and fleet

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