Title: The vehicle routing problem with one-dimensional loading constraints

Authors: Junmin Yi; Zhixiong Su; Yihui Qiu

Addresses: School of Management, Xiamen University of Technology, 361024, Xiamen, China ' School of Management, Xiamen University of Technology, 361024, Xiamen, China ' School of Management, Xiamen University of Technology, 361024, Xiamen, China

Abstract: This paper proposes a vehicle routing problem with one-dimensional loading constraints, originating from a pick-up route planning of milk-run operations in the automotive industry. With analysis on milk-run routing-loading decisions, a wall-building approximation method is applied to vehicle loading, and then the routing problem is introduced as a new CVRP problem with special constraints of one-dimensional loading rather than the 3L-CVRP's full dimensional loading, hence a 1L-CVRP problem emerges. The 1L-CVRP instances with case data are solved by genetic algorithms and discussions are conducted on results, approximation error study and application conditions. With its modelling, solution and application, the systematic scheme of this 1L-CVRP is aimed at enriching the newly-proposed nL-CVRP framework with more dimensionality and instances. In addition, this study also serves as a straightforward paradigm for real-world logistics routing and loading applications.

Keywords: loading constraints; packing problem; dimensions; genetic algorithm; milk-run; wall-building; approximation; vehicle routing problem; VRP.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2017.087193

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2017 Vol.27 No.3, pp.412 - 426

Received: 19 Aug 2015
Accepted: 11 Oct 2015
Published online: 11 Oct 2017 *

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