Hybrid data mining heuristics for the heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Rodrigues de Holanda Maia ◽  
Alexandre Plastino ◽  
Puca Huachi Vaz Penna
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problem ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Iterated Local Search ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Data Mining Techniques ◽  
Heterogeneous Fleet ◽  
Hybrid Heuristics

The vehicle routing problem consists of determining a set of routes for a fleet of vehicles to meet the demands of a given set of customers. The development and improvement of techniques for finding better solutions to this optimization problem have attracted considerable interest since such techniques can yield significant savings in transportation costs. The heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem is distinguished by the consideration of a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles, which is a very common scenario in real-world applications, rather than a homogeneous one. Hybrid versions of metaheuristics that incorporate data mining techniques have been applied to solve various optimization problems, with promising results. In this paper, we propose hybrid versions of a multi-start heuristic for the heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem based on the Iterated Local Search metaheuristic through the incorporation of data mining techniques. The results obtained in computational experiments show that the proposed hybrid heuristics demonstrate superior performance compared with the original heuristic, reaching better average solution costs with shorter run times.

scholarly journals Solving Practical Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows Using Metaheuristic Algorithms

1970 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip Taner ◽  
Ante Galić ◽  
Tonči Carić
Keyword(s):  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Real World ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problem ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Iterated Local Search ◽  
Metaheuristic Algorithms ◽  
Benchmark Problems ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Constructive Heuristics ◽  
Initial Feasible Solution

This paper addresses the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) and shows that implementing algorithms for solving various instances of VRPs can significantly reduce transportation costs that occur during the delivery process. Two metaheuristic algorithms were developed for solving VRPTW: Simulated Annealing and Iterated Local Search. Both algorithms generate initial feasible solution using constructive heuristics and use operators and various strategies for an iterative improvement. The algorithms were tested on Solomon’s benchmark problems and real world vehicle routing problems with time windows. In total, 44 real world problems were optimized in the case study using described algorithms. Obtained results showed that the same distribution task can be accomplished with savings up to 40% in the total travelled distance and that manually constructed routes are very ineffective.

scholarly journals A Model for Sustainable Courier Services: Vehicle Routing with Exclusive Lanes

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1077
Author(s):  
Keyju Lee ◽  
Junjae Chae ◽  
Bomi Song ◽  
Donghyun Choi
Keyword(s):  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problem ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Heterogeneous Fleet ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Asian Cities

In Southeast Asian cities, it is common for logistic companies to operate a heterogeneous fleet of delivery vehicles with motorcycles being the preferred vehicle to handle the final phase of delivery. In such scenarios, heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem (HFVRP) is generally applied to plan an optimal delivery. However, in many downtown cores of large and rapidly developing Southeast Asian cities, HFVRP is neither viable nor reliable because of road usage restrictions. The purpose of this article is to develop and test a different approach that accurately takes these restrictions into account and provides viable and more sustainable results. Restrictions in this paper refer to situations of urban areas in Vietnam where (i) certain vehicle types are prohibited in specified areas or where narrow alleyways limit the utilization of vehicles that exceed the road capacity and (ii) certain roads are exclusive to certain vehicle types. In networks, limited access and exclusive lanes are represented as links, or arcs, exclusive to one or another. Taking these limitations into consideration, we have developed a unique model, which we have termed Vehicle Routing Problem with Exclusive Links (VRP-EL). The model was validated and tested for its performance on scenarios with varying ratios of exclusive links. Scenarios up to 500 customers were tested on a meta-heuristic algorithm, simulated annealing. VRP-EL produces realistic outcomes. Limiting certain links to be selected according to vehicle types increases overall travel distance. However, this increase outweighs the cost of re-planning and rerouting had they not been constrained initially. The reduction in traveling distance leads to fossil fuel reduction for the overall system. The estimation of reduced carbon emissions through applying the proposed model is presented. Considering the severe traffic congestion and carbon emissions caused by motorcycles in Vietnam, the proposed model leads to a sustainable road environment.

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