Optimization of Urban Cargo Distribution Network and Station Points with Open Source GIS

Abstract

The cargo and transportation sector is growing day by day. Resources need to be managed more efficiently in the face of growth in the sector and fast delivery demand in customer requests. Location selection of cargo branches and route planning processes of cargo vehicles are important in order to manage resources more efficiently. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide significant advantages in site selection and route planning processes. Especially open source GIS data and GIS software offer low cost and effective solutions. In this study, the branch locations of a cargo company in ġehitkamil district of Gaziantep province were examined and the routes of the vehicles were analyzed in a way to minimize time loss and fuel consumption. In this context, isochrone maps were produced over the road network. The population numbers within these isochrone zones were calculated and vehicle liability zones were determined according to the population data. Finally, the daily route planning of more than a hundred cargoes, which are required to be delivered by cargo vehicles in one day, has been made.