IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ejores/v218y2012i3p636-647.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Vehicle routing with multiple deliverymen: Modeling and heuristic approaches for the VRPTW

Author

Listed:
  • Pureza, Vitória
  • Morabito, Reinaldo
  • Reimann, Marc

Abstract

In real life distribution of goods, relatively long service times may make it difficult to serve all requests during regular working hours. These difficulties are even greater if the beginning of the service in each demand site must occur within a time window and violations of routing time restrictions are particularly undesirable. We address this situation by considering a variant of the vehicle routing problem with time windows for which, besides routing and scheduling decisions, a number of extra deliverymen can be assigned to each route in order to reduce service times. This problem appears, for example, in the distribution of beverage and tobacco in highly dense Brazilian urban areas. We present a mathematical programming formulation for the problem, as well as a tabu search and an ant colony optimization heuristics for obtaining minimum cost routes. The performance of the model and the heuristic approaches are evaluated using instances generated from a set of classic examples from the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Pureza, Vitória & Morabito, Reinaldo & Reimann, Marc, 2012. "Vehicle routing with multiple deliverymen: Modeling and heuristic approaches for the VRPTW," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 218(3), pages 636-647.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:218:y:2012:i:3:p:636-647
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2011.12.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221711010605
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ejor.2011.12.005?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Charles S. Revelle & Gilbert Laporte, 1996. "The Plant Location Problem: New Models and Research Prospects," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 44(6), pages 864-874, December.
    2. Jonathan F. Bard & George Kontoravdis & Gang Yu, 2002. "A Branch-and-Cut Procedure for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(2), pages 250-269, May.
    3. Russell Bent & Pascal Van Hentenryck, 2004. "A Two-Stage Hybrid Local Search for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(4), pages 515-530, November.
    4. Gerardo Berbeglia & Jean-François Cordeau & Irina Gribkovskaia & Gilbert Laporte, 2007. "Rejoinder on: Static pickup and delivery problems: a classification scheme and survey," TOP: An Official Journal of the Spanish Society of Statistics and Operations Research, Springer;Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, vol. 15(1), pages 45-47, July.
    5. Hoff, Arild & Gribkovskaia, Irina & Laporte, Gilbert & Løkketangen, Arne, 2009. "Lasso solution strategies for the vehicle routing problem with pickups and deliveries," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 192(3), pages 755-766, February.
    6. Olli Bräysy & Michel Gendreau, 2005. "Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows, Part I: Route Construction and Local Search Algorithms," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(1), pages 104-118, February.
    7. Gilbert Laporte, 2009. "Fifty Years of Vehicle Routing," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(4), pages 408-416, November.
    8. Gerardo Berbeglia & Jean-François Cordeau & Irina Gribkovskaia & Gilbert Laporte, 2007. "Static pickup and delivery problems: a classification scheme and survey," TOP: An Official Journal of the Spanish Society of Statistics and Operations Research, Springer;Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, vol. 15(1), pages 1-31, July.
    9. Roberto Baldacci & Paolo Toth & Daniele Vigo, 2010. "Exact algorithms for routing problems under vehicle capacity constraints," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 175(1), pages 213-245, March.
    10. Olli Bräysy & Michel Gendreau, 2005. "Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows, Part II: Metaheuristics," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(1), pages 119-139, February.
    11. Marc Reimann & Heinz Ulrich, 2006. "Comparing backhauling strategies in vehicle routing using Ant Colony Optimization," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 14(2), pages 105-123, June.
    12. Zhong, Yingjie & Cole, Michael H., 2005. "A vehicle routing problem with backhauls and time windows: a guided local search solution," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 131-144, March.
    13. Laporte, Gilbert, 1992. "The vehicle routing problem: An overview of exact and approximate algorithms," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(3), pages 345-358, June.
    14. Marius M. Solomon, 1987. "Algorithms for the Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Problems with Time Window Constraints," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 35(2), pages 254-265, 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. Qin Song, 2023. "Semi-Open Multi-Distribution Center Path Planning with Time Windows," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, March.
    2. Majsa Ammouriova & Massimo Bertolini & Juliana Castaneda & Angel A. Juan & Mattia Neroni, 2022. "A Heuristic-Based Simulation for an Education Process to Learn about Optimization Applications in Logistics and Transportation," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Ali, Ousmane & Côté, Jean-François & Coelho, Leandro C., 2021. "Models and algorithms for the delivery and installation routing problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 291(1), pages 162-177.
    4. Xu, Liang & Xu, Zhou & Xu, Dongsheng, 2013. "Exact and approximation algorithms for the min–max k-traveling salesmen problem on a tree," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 227(2), pages 284-292.
    5. Le Colleter, Théo & Dumez, Dorian & Lehuédé, Fabien & Péton, Olivier, 2023. "Small and large neighborhood search for the park-and-loop routing problem with parking selection," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 308(3), pages 1233-1248.
    6. Pedro Munari & Alfredo Moreno & Jonathan De La Vega & Douglas Alem & Jacek Gondzio & Reinaldo Morabito, 2019. "The Robust Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows: Compact Formulation and Branch-Price-and-Cut Method," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(4), pages 1043-1066, July.
    7. Pedro Munari & Reinaldo Morabito, 2018. "A branch-price-and-cut algorithm for the vehicle routing problem with time windows and multiple deliverymen," TOP: An Official Journal of the Spanish Society of Statistics and Operations Research, Springer;Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, vol. 26(3), pages 437-464, October.
    8. Luo, Yuchen & Golden, Bruce & Poikonen, Stefan & Wasil, Edward & Zhang, Rui, 2023. "The paired mail carrier problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 308(2), pages 801-817.
    9. Villegas, Juan G. & Prins, Christian & Prodhon, Caroline & Medaglia, Andrés L. & Velasco, Nubia, 2013. "A matheuristic for the truck and trailer routing problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 230(2), pages 231-244.
    10. Xianghua Chu & Su Xiu Xu & Fulin Cai & Jiansheng Chen & Quande Qin, 2019. "An efficient auction mechanism for regional logistics synchronization," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 30(7), pages 2715-2731, October.
    11. Meiyan Lin & Kwai Sang Chin & Lijun Ma & Kwok Leung Tsui, 2020. "A comprehensive multi-objective mixed integer nonlinear programming model for an integrated elderly care service districting problem," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 291(1), pages 499-529, August.
    12. José Manuel Belenguer & Enrique Benavent & Antonio Martínez & Christian Prins & Caroline Prodhon & Juan G. Villegas, 2016. "A Branch-and-Cut Algorithm for the Single Truck and Trailer Routing Problem with Satellite Depots," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 735-749, May.
    13. Jonathan De La Vega & Pedro Munari & Reinaldo Morabito, 2019. "Robust optimization for the vehicle routing problem with multiple deliverymen," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 27(4), pages 905-936, December.
    14. Brandstätter, Christian & Reimann, Marc, 2018. "The Line-haul Feeder Vehicle Routing Problem: Mathematical model formulation and heuristic approaches," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 270(1), pages 157-170.
    15. De La Vega, Jonathan & Gendreau, Michel & Morabito, Reinaldo & Munari, Pedro & Ordóñez, Fernando, 2023. "An integer L-shaped algorithm for the vehicle routing problem with time windows and stochastic demands," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 308(2), pages 676-695.

    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. Schmid, Verena & Doerner, Karl F. & Laporte, Gilbert, 2013. "Rich routing problems arising in supply chain management," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 224(3), pages 435-448.
    2. Shijin Wang & Xiaodong Wang & Xin Liu & Jianbo Yu, 2018. "A Bi-Objective Vehicle-Routing Problem with Soft Time Windows and Multiple Depots to Minimize the Total Energy Consumption and Customer Dissatisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-21, November.
    3. Lahyani, Rahma & Khemakhem, Mahdi & Semet, Frédéric, 2015. "Rich vehicle routing problems: From a taxonomy to a definition," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 241(1), pages 1-14.
    4. Baals, Julian & Emde, Simon & Turkensteen, Marcel, 2023. "Minimizing earliness-tardiness costs in supplier networks—A just-in-time truck routing problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(2), pages 707-741.
    5. Mohammad Torkjazi & Nathan Huynh, 2019. "Effectiveness of Dynamic Insertion Scheduling Strategy for Demand-Responsive Paratransit Vehicles Using Agent-Based Simulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-12, September.
    6. Wang, Zheng, 2018. "Delivering meals for multiple suppliers: Exclusive or sharing logistics service," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 496-512.
    7. Vidal, Thibaut & Crainic, Teodor Gabriel & Gendreau, Michel & Prins, Christian, 2013. "Heuristics for multi-attribute vehicle routing problems: A survey and synthesis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 231(1), pages 1-21.
    8. Naji-Azimi, Zahra & Salari, Majid & Renaud, Jacques & Ruiz, Angel, 2016. "A practical vehicle routing problem with desynchronized arrivals to depot," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 255(1), pages 58-67.
    9. Lai, David S.W. & Caliskan Demirag, Ozgun & Leung, Janny M.Y., 2016. "A tabu search heuristic for the heterogeneous vehicle routing problem on a multigraph," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 32-52.
    10. Bhusiri, Narath & Qureshi, Ali Gul & Taniguchi, Eiichi, 2014. "The trade-off between fixed vehicle costs and time-dependent arrival penalties in a routing problem," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1-22.
    11. Phuong Khanh Nguyen & Teodor Gabriel Crainic & Michel Toulouse, 2017. "Multi-trip pickup and delivery problem with time windows and synchronization," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 253(2), pages 899-934, June.
    12. Liu, Ran & Jiang, Zhibin, 2012. "The close–open mixed vehicle routing problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 220(2), pages 349-360.
    13. Arroyo, Federico, 2024. "Cost Allocation in Vehicle Routing Problems with Time Windows," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 9(1), pages 1241-1268.
    14. Gutiérrez-Jarpa, Gabriel & Desaulniers, Guy & Laporte, Gilbert & Marianov, Vladimir, 2010. "A branch-and-price algorithm for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Deliveries, Selective Pickups and Time Windows," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 206(2), pages 341-349, October.
    15. Zhiping Zuo & Yanhui Li & Jing Fu & Jianlin Wu, 2019. "Human Resource Scheduling Model and Algorithm with Time Windows and Multi-Skill Constraints," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-18, July.
    16. Taş, D. & Gendreau, M. & Dellaert, N. & van Woensel, T. & de Kok, A.G., 2014. "Vehicle routing with soft time windows and stochastic travel times: A column generation and branch-and-price solution approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 236(3), pages 789-799.
    17. Zhang, Zizhen & Qin, Hu & Wang, Kai & He, Huang & Liu, Tian, 2017. "Manpower allocation and vehicle routing problem in non-emergency ambulance transfer service," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 45-59.
    18. Andrew Lim & Xingwen Zhang, 2007. "A Two-Stage Heuristic with Ejection Pools and Generalized Ejection Chains for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 19(3), pages 443-457, August.
    19. Liu, Yiming & Roberto, Baldacci & Zhou, Jianwen & Yu, Yang & Zhang, Yu & Sun, Wei, 2023. "Efficient feasibility checks and an adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm for the time-dependent green vehicle routing problem with time windows," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 310(1), pages 133-155.
    20. Wang, Hsiao-Fan & Chen, Ying-Yen, 2013. "A coevolutionary algorithm for the flexible delivery and pickup problem with time windows," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(1), pages 4-13.

    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:eee:ejores:v:218:y:2012:i:3:p:636-647. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eor .

    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.