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Multi-period vehicle routing and crew scheduling with outsourcing options

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  • Zäpfel, Günther
  • Bögl, Michael

Abstract

The planning problems confronting logistics service providers frequently involve complex decisions. Motivated by a real-life case study, this paper considers short-range weekly planning on the part of postal companies that must decide about pickup tours and delivery tours for fluctuating volume (number of shipments), with time windows for the demand points, in consideration of variable vehicle capacities and personnel planning, and including outsourcing decisions for tours and drivers. This problem can be formulated as a model of combined tour and personnel planning. However, because a real formulation of the problem involves hundreds of millions of variables and numerous constraints, in practice only heuristic solutions prove relevant. This paper proposes a hybrid metaheuristic combined with a construction heuristic that--as computer simulations have demonstrated--are suitable for practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Zäpfel, Günther & Bögl, Michael, 2008. "Multi-period vehicle routing and crew scheduling with outsourcing options," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(2), pages 980-996, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:113:y:2008:i:2:p:980-996
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Xiangyong & Tian, Peng & Leung, Stephen C.H., 2010. "Vehicle routing problems with time windows and stochastic travel and service times: Models and algorithm," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1), pages 137-145, May.
    2. Kritikos, Manolis N. & Ioannou, George, 2010. "The balanced cargo vehicle routing problem with time windows," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 42-51, January.
    3. Lin, Cheng-Chang, 2010. "The integrated secondary route network design model in the hierarchical hub-and-spoke network for dual express services," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 20-30, January.
    4. Shukla, Nagesh & Choudhary, A.K. & Prakash, P.K.S. & Fernandes, K.J. & Tiwari, M.K., 2013. "Algorithm portfolios for logistics optimization considering stochastic demands and mobility allowance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(1), pages 146-166.
    5. Eliiyi, Deniz Türsel & Ornek, Arslan & Karakütük, SadIk Serhat, 2009. "A vehicle scheduling problem with fixed trips and time limitations," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 150-161, January.

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