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The loader problem: formulation, complexity and algorithms

Author

Listed:
  • G Tang

    (Shanghai Second Polytechnic University)

  • F Chen

    (Shanghai Jiaotong University)

  • T C E Cheng

    (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom)

  • C T Ng

    (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom)

  • Z-L Chen

    (University of Maryland, College Park)

Abstract

In this paper we consider a new transportation model, called the loader problem, which is frequently encountered by third-party logistics service providers in practice. It is a tactical staff-planning problem with the objective of minimizing the total labour cost of staffing a sufficient number of loaders on a given fleet of trucks that serve a given set of customer sites. We formulate the problem as an integer program and show that it is strongly NP-hard. We then consider two special cases of the loader problem that occur in certain practical situations, and propose polynomial and pseudo-polynomial time algorithms for solving these cases. We also propose a linear programming relaxation-based random rounding algorithm for the general problem and report the computational results of the algorithm.

Suggested Citation

  • G Tang & F Chen & T C E Cheng & C T Ng & Z-L Chen, 2010. "The loader problem: formulation, complexity and algorithms," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 61(5), pages 840-848, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:61:y:2010:i:5:d:10.1057_jors.2009.55
    DOI: 10.1057/jors.2009.55
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    Cited by:

    1. Trung Kien Nguyen & Nguyen Thanh Hung & Huong Nguyen-Thu, 2020. "A linear time algorithm for the p-maxian problem on trees with distance constraint," Journal of Combinatorial Optimization, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1030-1043, November.

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