Abstract
This paper aims to solve the last-mile distribution of rural e-commerce logistics (RECL) for the survival of third-party logistics enterprise. Considering the features of the RECL (long transport chain and low consumption density), A route optimization model is constructed for RECL’s last-mile distribution to maximize the profit of the logistics enterprise, which is subsidized by the government. To solve the model, the ant colony optimization (ACO) was improved to suit the RECL’s last-mile distribution by modifying the heuristic information, the update rule of pheromone, and the solution construction. Next, the optimal combinations of the default parameters in the improved ACO were determined through Matlab tests on five test datasets in different sizes. The other parameters were configured according to the scale of the RECL. On this basis, the improved ACO was proved effective through example analysis on the said test datasets. The analysis results also reflect how the number of vehicles affects the maximum profit of the logistics enterprise and the coverage of the RECL logistics network.
Highlights
The rural area is becoming the new blue ocean for online consumption, triggering a boom in rural e-commerce logistics (RECL)
2) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Because the rural logistics distribution area is much smaller than the conventional urban logistics, the route optimization of the RECL is a small-scale problem
Considering the cost and benefit of the RECL, this paper puts forward the vehicle routing problem (VRP) of the last-mile distribution in the RECL, and designs a route optimization model for the RECL’s last-mile distribution to maximize the profit of the logistics enterprise
Summary
The rural area is becoming the new blue ocean for online consumption, triggering a boom in rural e-commerce logistics (RECL). The Chinese Ministry of Transport proposed to speed up the construction of three-tier (county, town and village) distribution node system for rural logistics, offering infrastructure support for the ‘‘Express Delivery to the Countryside’’ project. Logistics enterprises start to set up outlets in accessible towns. The service network of most logistics enterprises has not yet covered villages, owing to their remote locations and poor transportation infrastructure. The economy in China’s rural areas is increasingly bottlenecked by the incomplete network, high cost and slow speed of rural logistics. The existing research on last-mile distribution mainly focuses on densely populated areas like cities, communities and business areas. The relatively few studies on the RECL
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
