Vehicle Routing and Staffing for Sedan Service

This article uses optimization techniques for an application in which vehicles are dispatched to meet customer demands within tight time windows. The authors describe how the system assists supervisors and dispatchers in scheduling driver shifts and routing the fleet throughout the day. After a definition of the formal problem, the authors discuss how to solve the linear program, how to solve the integer problem, and local-search heuristics. They periodically take a snapshot of the dynamic data and formulate an integer program, which they then solve to near optimality using column generation. The solution can be adopted after minor modifications are made by a fast local-search heuristic. The authors note that the system described in this article is currently in use and has improved the provider’s productivity significantly. This system would be appropriate for other service operations, such as mobile installation and repair service or package delivery.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1767714
• Authors:
  • Gunluk, Oktay
  • Kimbrel, Tracy
  • Ladanyi, Laszlo
  • Schieber, Baruch
  • Sorkin, Gregory B
• Publication Date: 2006-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 313-326
• Serial:
  • Transportation Science
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
  • ISSN: 0041-1655
  • Serial URL: http://transci.journal.informs.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drivers; Fleet management; Heuristic methods; Integer programming; Optimization; Routing; Urban transportation; Vehicle passenger service
• Uncontrolled Terms: Column generation
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I10: Economics and Administration; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01037335
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 28 2006 11:31AM