IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ortrsc/v53y2019i6p1731-1750.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Enhanced Dynamic Discretization Discovery for the Continuous Time Load Plan Design Problem

Author

Listed:
  • Mike Hewitt

    (Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, Quinlan School of Business, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60611)

Abstract

For less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation carriers, as shipment sizes are small relative to trailer capacity, profitability is driven by the ability to load trailers with shipments from multiple customers. However, LTL carriers are facing increased pressure from customers to provide short delivery times, which limits their ability to hold freight, a critical tactic for consolidation. As consolidation requires the coordination of shipment paths in both space and time, shorter delivery times necessitate planning methods that can accurately estimate consolidation opportunities in time. This paper adapts and enhances the dynamic discretization discovery method designed for solving the scheduled service network design problem , defined on an arbitrarily fine discretization of time, to produce exact and heuristic methods for the LTL analog, the continuous time load plan design problem. With instances from the literature and based on data from a U.S. LTL carrier, we provide computational evidence that the algorithm can effectively solve this problem. With an analysis of high-quality solutions to the instances based on LTL carrier data, we derive insights into terminal staffing policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Mike Hewitt, 2019. "Enhanced Dynamic Discretization Discovery for the Continuous Time Load Plan Design Problem," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(6), pages 1731-1750, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ortrsc:v:53:y:2019:i:6:p:1731-1750
    DOI: 10.1287/trsc.2019.0890
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2019.0890
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/trsc.2019.0890?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. L. R. Ford & D. R. Fulkerson, 1958. "Constructing Maximal Dynamic Flows from Static Flows," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 6(3), pages 419-433, June.
    2. Kathleen Lindsey & Alan Erera & Martin Savelsbergh, 2016. "Improved Integer Programming-Based Neighborhood Search for Less-Than-Truckload Load Plan Design," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(4), pages 1360-1379, November.
    3. Michael Berliner Pedersen & Teodor Gabriel Crainic & Oli B. G. Madsen, 2009. "Models and Tabu Search Metaheuristics for Service Network Design with Asset-Balance Requirements," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(2), pages 158-177, May.
    4. Judith M. Farvolden & Warren B. Powell, 1994. "Subgradient Methods for the Service Network Design Problem," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(3), pages 256-272, August.
    5. Warren B. Powell, 1986. "A Local Improvement Heuristic for the Design of Less-than-Truckload Motor Carrier Networks," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(4), pages 246-257, November.
    6. Dale McDaniel & Mike Devine, 1977. "A Modified Benders' Partitioning Algorithm for Mixed Integer Programming," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 312-319, November.
    7. Endong Zhu & Teodor Gabriel Crainic & Michel Gendreau, 2014. "Scheduled Service Network Design for Freight Rail Transportation," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 62(2), pages 383-400, April.
    8. Ahmad I. Jarrah & Ellis Johnson & Lucas C. Neubert, 2009. "Large-Scale, Less-than-Truckload Service Network Design," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 57(3), pages 609-625, June.
    9. Natashia Boland & Mike Hewitt & Luke Marshall & Martin Savelsbergh, 2017. "The Continuous-Time Service Network Design Problem," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 65(5), pages 1303-1321, October.
    10. Warren B. Powell & Yosef Sheffi, 1989. "OR Practice—Design and Implementation of an Interactive Optimization System for Network Design in the Motor Carrier Industry," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 37(1), pages 12-29, February.
    11. Crainic, Teodor Gabriel, 2000. "Service network design in freight transportation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 272-288, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yang, Senyan & Ning, Lianju & Shang, Pan & (Carol) Tong, Lu, 2020. "Augmented Lagrangian relaxation approach for logistics vehicle routing problem with mixed backhauls and time windows," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    2. Schwerdfeger, Stefan & Boysen, Nils, 2020. "Optimizing the changing locations of mobile parcel lockers in last-mile distribution," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 285(3), pages 1077-1094.
    3. Belieres, Simon & Hewitt, Mike & Jozefowiez, Nicolas & Semet, Frédéric, 2021. "A time-expanded network reduction matheuristic for the logistics service network design problem," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    4. Scherr, Yannick Oskar & Hewitt, Mike & Neumann Saavedra, Bruno Albert & Mattfeld, Dirk Christian, 2020. "Dynamic discretization discovery for the service network design problem with mixed autonomous fleets," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 164-195.
    5. Vu, Duc Minh & Hewitt, Mike & Vu, Duc D., 2022. "Solving the time dependent minimum tour duration and delivery man problems with dynamic discretization discovery," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 302(3), pages 831-846.
    6. Greening, Lacy M. & Dahan, Mathieu & Erera, Alan L., 2023. "Lead-Time-Constrained Middle-Mile Consolidation Network Design with Fixed Origins and Destinations," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    7. Hewitt, Mike & Lehuédé, Fabien, 2023. "New formulations for the Scheduled Service Network Design Problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 117-133.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Greening, Lacy M. & Dahan, Mathieu & Erera, Alan L., 2023. "Lead-Time-Constrained Middle-Mile Consolidation Network Design with Fixed Origins and Destinations," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    2. Alan Erera & Michael Hewitt & Martin Savelsbergh & Yang Zhang, 2013. "Improved Load Plan Design Through Integer Programming Based Local Search," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(3), pages 412-427, August.
    3. Xin Wang & Teodor Gabriel Crainic & Stein W. Wallace, 2019. "Stochastic Network Design for Planning Scheduled Transportation Services: The Value of Deterministic Solutions," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 31(1), pages 153-170, February.
    4. Ahmad Baubaid & Natashia Boland & Martin Savelsbergh, 2021. "The Value of Limited Flexibility in Service Network Designs," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(1), pages 52-74, 1-2.
    5. Hewitt, Mike & Lehuédé, Fabien, 2023. "New formulations for the Scheduled Service Network Design Problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 117-133.
    6. Dall'Orto, Leonardo Campo & Crainic, Teodor Gabriel & Leal, Jose Eugenio & Powell, Warren B., 2006. "The single-node dynamic service scheduling and dispatching problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(1), pages 1-23, April.
    7. Lara, Cristiana L. & Koenemann, Jochen & Nie, Yisu & de Souza, Cid C., 2023. "Scalable timing-aware network design via lagrangian decomposition," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 309(1), pages 152-169.
    8. C S Sung & S H Song, 2003. "Integrated service network design for a cross-docking supply chain network," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 54(12), pages 1283-1295, December.
    9. Wang, Zujian & Qi, Mingyao, 2019. "Service network design considering multiple types of services," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 1-14.
    10. Arnt-Gunnar Lium & Teodor Gabriel Crainic & Stein W. Wallace, 2009. "A Study of Demand Stochasticity in Service Network Design," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(2), pages 144-157, May.
    11. Tamvada, Srinivas Subramanya & Mansouri, Bahareh & Hassini, Elkafi & Pribytkov, Theodore, 2021. "An integer programming model and directed Steiner-forest based heuristic for routing less-than-truckload freight," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    12. Hewitt, Mike & Crainic, Teodor Gabriel & Nowak, Maciek & Rei, Walter, 2019. "Scheduled service network design with resource acquisition and management under uncertainty," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 324-343.
    13. Juliette Medina & Mike Hewitt & Fabien Lehuédé & Olivier Péton, 2019. "Integrating long-haul and local transportation planning: the Service Network Design and Routing Problem," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 8(2), pages 119-145, June.
    14. G. Guastaroba & M. G. Speranza & D. Vigo, 2016. "Intermediate Facilities in Freight Transportation Planning: A Survey," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(3), pages 763-789, August.
    15. Ahmad I. Jarrah & Ellis Johnson & Lucas C. Neubert, 2009. "Large-Scale, Less-than-Truckload Service Network Design," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 57(3), pages 609-625, June.
    16. Natashia Boland & Mike Hewitt & Luke Marshall & Martin Savelsbergh, 2019. "The price of discretizing time: a study in service network design," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 8(2), pages 195-216, June.
    17. Zhang, X. & Liu, X., 2022. "A two-stage robust model for express service network design with surging demand," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 299(1), pages 154-167.
    18. Teodor Gabriel Crainic & Mike Hewitt & Michel Toulouse & Duc Minh Vu, 2018. "Scheduled service network design with resource acquisition and management," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 7(3), pages 277-309, September.
    19. Bai, Ruibin & Wallace, Stein W. & Li, Jingpeng & Chong, Alain Yee-Loong, 2014. "Stochastic service network design with rerouting," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 50-65.
    20. Li, Xiangyong & Ding, Yi & Pan, Kai & Jiang, Dapei & Aneja, Y.P., 2020. "Single-path service network design problem with resource constraints," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ortrsc:v:53:y:2019:i:6:p:1731-1750. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.