CONTAINER MOVEMENT BY TRUCKS IN METROPOLITAN NETWORKS: MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION

This paper investigates methods for improving the scheduling of trucks used to transfer shipping containers between marine terminals, intermodal facilities and end customers. The objective is to reduce empty miles and satisfy the time window constraints at customer/facility locations. Container movement by trucks with time constraints at origins and destinations is modeled as an asymmetric multi-traveling salesmen problem with time windows (m-TSPTW) with social constraints. A two-phase exact algorithm based on dynamic programming is proposed that finds the best routes for a fleet of trucks. Since the m-TSPTW problem is NP-hard, the computational time for optimally solving large size problems becomes prohibitive. For large size problems, the authors develop a hybrid methodology consisting of dynamic programming in conjunction with genetic algorithms. The developed algorithms are compared with an insertion heuristic method. Results show that the exact method was efficient for relatively small problems consisting of a few nodes. The hybrid genetic algorithm was capable of finding the optimum solution for small problems and a sub-optimum solution for medium to large size problems. The insertion heuristic was able to find relatively good solutions for large problems and was computationally efficient.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VHF-4CT656C-2/1/d2b883baae3126395c06efef3a298b6c
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13665545
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • Jula, H
  • Dessouky, Maged
  • Ioannou, P
  • Chassiakos, A
• Publication Date: 2005-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 235-259
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review
  • Volume: 41
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1366-5545
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13665545

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Algorithms; Container handling; Customers; Dynamic programming; Fleet management; Genetic algorithms; Heuristic methods; Intermodal facilities; Marine terminals; Metropolitan areas; Networks; Optimization; Scheduling; Time windows; Traveling salesman problem; Trucking
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Society; Terminals and Facilities; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00989096
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 18 2005 12:00AM