DMRVR: Dynamic Milk-Run Vehicle Routing Solution Using Fog-Based Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Daniel Domingos Adriano,Antonio G N Novaes,Carlos Montez,Michelle Wangham

doi:10.3390/electronics9122010

Daniel Domingos Adriano, Antonio G N Novaes + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics9122010

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Abstract

Milk-run tours with time windows are an essential strategy to collect goods to minimize production and transportation costs. Due to unexpected events at the supplier production or traffic congestion, delays can occur during the vehicle route execution, causing non-compliance between the logistics operator and the company. This paper describes the DMRVR (Dynamic Milk-Run Vehicle Routing) solution that uses a dynamic routing algorithm along with fog-based vehicular ad hoc networks for implementing the collection of goods in milk-run operations that respect the company’s time window. When a production delay occurs, the supplier sends a message through the vehicular network to alert the pickup vehicle, forcing it to make dynamic route changes to satisfy the constraints. We have implemented a queue with a timeout and retransmission features to improve the vehicular network’s message delivery. To assess the DMRVR solution, we analyzed the efficiency of the dynamic vehicle routing and the vehicular network impacts. In the experiments, we used an event-based network simulator OMNeT++ bidirectionally coupled with SUMO (Simulation of Urban Mobility), aiming to make the most realistic simulations. Simulation results show the average route time was lower than the time limit imposed by the company with the DMRVR solution. In dense vehicular network scenarios, the message delivery success rate is higher. Conversely, when the vehicular network scenario is sparse, it is necessary to balance network coverage and distribute more RSUs in specific places.

Highlights

Industries have been looking for efficient ways to operate, aiming to minimize the costs of production
The evidence from this study points towards the idea that the use of a vehicular network merged with fog computing contributes to provide a novel solution to the dynamic vehicle routing problem (DVRP) concerning milk-run operations
We did not find other studies proposing the use of Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) based application in milk run operations

Summary

Introduction

Industries have been looking for efficient ways to operate, aiming to minimize the costs of production. In this context, supply chain management plays an essential part in reducing the total production value expenses. Different company types and sizes implement Just in Time (JIT) or lean production systems to reduce production costs [1,2]. Milk-run is a logistics strategy of good collection/delivery. In this strategy, an empty vehicle goes from a logistics operator to suppliers for collecting goods following a predefined route and returning

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