A Double Traveling Salesman Problem With Three-Dimensional Loading Constraints for Bulky Item Delivery

Minzhi Ruan,Chunyue Shen,Shuang Qiu,Jianqiang Tang,Chao Qi

doi:10.1109/access.2021.3051248

Abstract

This article considers bulky item delivery problems in which multiple items are retrieved and loaded onto a vehicle from different warehouses and then delivered. This problem is described as a double traveling salesman problem with three-dimensional container loading constraints with multiple stacks. The double TSP with multiple stacks is used to determining the shortest route performing pickups and deliveries in two separated networks (one for pickups and one for deliveries) using only one container. Repacking is not allowed after loading the items into the container. An integer linear programming model is proposed to solve this problem, a standard genetic algorithm and an improved genetic algorithm is designed. In the improved genetic algorithm, a Lin-Kernighan algorithm is used to improve the delivery route, a k-means clustering algorithm, and a heuristic packing scheme improvement rules work together to improve the loading route. The results show that the improved genetic algorithm is superior to the standard genetic algorithm in large scale problems.

Highlights

The rapid development of e-commerce has significantly propelled the growth and improvement of the modern logistics industry
The results showed that the GA and improved genetic algorithm (IGA) could converge rapidly, and the optimal solution was found for all instances from R01 to R20
The results show that the GA and IGA converged rapidly; again, the optimal solutions of the proposed 3L-DTSPMS are quite close to the lower bound (LB)

Summary

Introduction

The rapid development of e-commerce has significantly propelled the growth and improvement of the modern logistics industry. According to the National Retail Federation, in 2015, almost 60% of Amazon’s online transactions included free shipping, which meant the company paid billions in shipping expenses. With such a trend and the fact that shipping and delivery are very costly, companies make every effort to reduce the transportation expenses on a per package and per order basis. The features of the shipping and delivery process largely depend upon the nature of goods. It is not surprising for a consumer to spend a few minutes online and place an order for a refrigerator, washing machine, or treadmill, with delivery and installation in two days.

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Results

Conclusion