Vehicle Payload Research Articles

From Do-It-Yourself Design to Discovery: A Comprehensive Approach to Hyperspectral Imaging from Drones

This paper presents an innovative, holistic, and comprehensive approach to drone-based imaging spectroscopy based on a small, cost-effective, and lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) payload intended for remote sensing applications. The payload comprises a push-broom imaging spectrometer built in-house with readily available Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components. This approach encompasses the entire process related to drone-based imaging spectroscopy, ranging from payload design, field operation, and data processing to the extraction of scientific data products from the collected data. This work focuses on generating directly georeferenced imaging spectroscopy datacubes using a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) imaging spectrometer, which is based on COTS components and freely available software and methods. The goal is to generate a remote sensing reflectance datacube that is suitable for retrieving chlorophyll-A (Chl-A) distributions as well as other properties of the ocean spectra. Direct georeferencing accuracy is determined by comparing landmarks in the directly georeferenced datacube to their true location. The quality of the remote sensing reflectance datacube is investigated by comparing the Chl-A distribution on various days with in situ measurements and satellite data products.

An Integrated Route and Path Planning Strategy for Skid–Steer Mobile Robots in Assisted Harvesting Tasks with Terrain Traversability Constraints

This article presents a combined route and path planning strategy to guide Skid–Steer Mobile Robots (SSMRs) in scheduled harvest tasks within expansive crop rows with complex terrain conditions. The proposed strategy integrates: (i) a global planning algorithm based on the Traveling Salesman Problem under the Capacitated Vehicle Routing approach and Optimization Routing (OR-tools from Google) to prioritize harvesting positions by minimum path length, unexplored harvest points, and vehicle payload capacity; and (ii) a local planning strategy using Informed Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (IRRT*) to coordinate scheduled harvesting points while avoiding low-traction terrain obstacles. The global approach generates an ordered queue of harvesting locations, maximizing the crop yield in a workspace map. In the second stage, the IRRT* planner avoids potential obstacles, including farm layout and slippery terrain. The path planning scheme incorporates a traversability model and a motion model of SSMRs to meet kinematic constraints. Experimental results in a generic fruit orchard demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. In particular, the IRRT* algorithm outperformed RRT and RRT* with 96.1% and 97.6% smoother paths, respectively. The IRRT* also showed improved navigation efficiency, avoiding obstacles and slippage zones, making it suitable for precision agriculture.

Low-rank human-like agents are trusted more and blamed less in human-autonomy teaming.

If humans are to team with artificial teammates, factors that influence trust and shared accountability must be considered when designing agents. This study investigates the influence of anthropomorphism, rank, decision cost, and task difficulty on trust in human-autonomous teams (HAT) and how blame is apportioned if shared tasks fail. Participants (N = 31) completed repeated trials with an artificial teammate using a low-fidelity variation of an air-traffic control game. We manipulated anthropomorphism (human-like or machine-like), military rank of artificial teammates using three-star (superiors), two-star (peers), or one-star (subordinate) agents, the perceived payload of vehicles with people or supplies onboard, and task difficulty with easy or hard missions using a within-subject design. A behavioural measure of trust was inferred when participants accepted agent recommendations, and a measure of no trust when recommendations were rejected or ignored. We analysed the data for trust using binomial logistic regression. After each trial, blame was apportioned using a 2-item scale and analysed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA. A post-experiment questionnaire obtained participants' power distance orientation using a seven-item scale. Possible power-related effects on trust and blame apportioning are discussed. Our findings suggest that artificial agents with higher levels of anthropomorphism and lower levels of rank increased trust and shared accountability, with human team members accepting more blame for team failures.

Применение оксидных покрытий, полученных экстракционно-пиролитическим методом, в космической технике

The problem of creating antimicrobial protection methods in rocket and space technology requires new approaches, in particular, the development of antibacterial coatings to protect the payload of launch vehicles. Also, in outer space outside the Earth's atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength of less than 280 nm (hard and vacuum ultraviolet) accelerates degradation of materials. It is relevant to create protective coatings for various materials used in space. An innovative extraction-pyrolytic method for producing oxide films containing copper, titanium and titanium oxide nanoparticles is considered. As a result, the compositions of effective antibacterial coatings with the function of protection against UV radiation have been established. The intended service and design features of the part on which the coating is applied are considered, and a flow diagram for applying an antibacterial coating to protect the internal volume of the fairing from bacteria circulating in the head of the launch vehicle is proposed. The possibilities of protection against UV radiation by applying oxide films to the outer surface of devices and rocket parts have been studied.

Tyre lateral slip effect on off-tracking of a long combination vehicle

This paper evaluates the effect of tyre lateral slip on the off-tracking of a long combination vehicle (LCV) consisting of a semi-truck with 28-ft double trailers. A geometric model of LCV motion neglecting tyre slip and a high-order multi-body dynamic model in TruckSim® including tyre slip are developed and validated against other simulation and field test data. Tyre slip effect on off-tracking is measured by comparing the models' estimated off-tracking when the LCV netogiates 50, 75 and 100 ft (15.24, 22.86, and 30.48 m) radius curves at speeds of 1–16mph (1.6–25 km/hr). Two trailer payloads – 6000 lb/trailer and 14,500 lb/trailer – and three tyre-road friction coefficients – 0.85, 0.45 and 0.65 – were simulated. The simulation results indicate that tyre lateral slip increases – and thus off-tracking decreases – approximately to the second-order of vehicle speed for a given curve radius. It is also found that tyre lateral slip is negligible for speeds below 3–4mph (5–6 km/hr) in all simulated conditions. Additionally, as the path radius increases, tyre lateral slip and vehicle off-tracking sensitivity to vehicle speed reduce. The results suggest that for moderate speeds (>7mph (11 km/hr)), increasing vehicle payload and reducing surface friction coefficient result in an increase in tyre lateral slip that consequently reduces off-tracking.

Design of Restrictive Conditions for Simultaneous Loading and Unloading of Goods with Different Temperature Regimes in Vehicle Routing Problem

Abstract This paper deals with the vehicle routing problem involving simultaneous loading and unloading of goods with different temperature regimes. Existing modifications of the problem as well as current software products do not focus on the transport of goods with different temperature regimes. In this paper, restrictive conditions for the joint transportation of goods with multiple temperature regimes are determined, which can be used within various types of optimization algorithms that address vehicle routing problems. Considering the proposed conditions in these algorithms will increase the utilization of the vehicle payload, and load space while complying with the established mandatory rules for the transport of foodstuffs. This will reduce the number of journeys required to carry out the transport, thus resulting in savings in operating costs.

Novel insights into the NOx emissions characteristics in PEMS tests of a heavy-duty vehicle under different payloads

Real Drive Emission (RDE) test with Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS) is a widely adopted way to assess vehicle emission compliance. However, the current NOx emissions calculation method stipulated in the China VI emission standard easily ignores the NOx emissions during cold start and low-power operation. To study the effect of cold start and low-power operation on the calculation of NOx emissions in the PEMS test, in this study, a China VI Heavy-Duty Vehicle (HDV) for urban use was used to conduct PEMS tests under various vehicle payload conditions. The data analysis results show that the increase in vehicle payload is beneficial to reducing the specific NOx emissions and passing the NOx emission compliance test because the increased payload improves the NOx conversion efficiency of the SCR system. Cold start duration has no obvious relationship with vehicle payload, accounting for only about 4∼6% in each test, but contributing more than 30% of NOx emissions. Due to the effect of the power threshold and the 90th cumulative percentile, the cold start data has little influence on the result of the NOx emissions assessment and the maximum variation of the NOx emissions result in this study is an 8% rise. For the HDV for urban use, the variation of the power threshold resulting from vehicle payload is small, no more than 2% in this study. The presence of the power threshold makes almost only the low-power operation in the second half of urban driving have an impact on the NOx emissions calculation, which may make more than 50% of NOx emissions in the PEMS test be neglected. The impact of the low-power operation on NOx emissions calculation result will be significantly enhanced if all windows are considered in the Moving Average Window (MAW) method. In the meantime, the degree of variation is closely related to the NOx emissions level during the first half of urban driving. The maximum deterioration of NOx emission assessment result can be more than 90% in this study.

Variations in Finite-Time Multi-Surface Sliding Mode Control for Multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Payload Delivery with Pendulum Swinging Effects

Multi-surface sliding mode control addresses the limitations of traditional sliding mode control by employing multiple sliding surfaces to handle uncertainties, disturbances, and nonlinearities. The design process involves developing sliding surfaces, designing switching logic, and deriving control laws for each surface. In this paper, first, a robust finite-time multi-surface sliding mode controller will be presented and its performance analyzed by applying it to a multirotor subjected to a suspended payload, modeled in the form of a single pendulum, itself defined as a spatial (3D) dynamic model. Next, an adaptive finite-time multi-surface sliding mode controller will be derived—adding a variable adaptive parameter to the existing sliding surfaces of the robust finite-time control—and applied to the same system. It will be shown that the adaptive controller, with an adaptive parameter that adjusts itself based on the present value of the multi-surface sliding mode parameter, creates an improved fast finite-time convergence by obtaining an optimal settling time and minimizing undershoot of the multirotor state vector. Empirical verification of the effectiveness of the adaptive control will be carried out by presenting the control performances against a step response. It is also shown that the control may be utilized to approximate external disturbances—represented by the pendulum—and that with the application of control, the vehicle’s motion may be stabilized and the payload swing suppressed. Lyapunov stability theory-based stability proofs for the controllers’ designs are developed, showing the asymptotic stability of the output and uniform boundedness of the errors in the system dynamics. It is verified that the multi-surface sliding mode control can account for system uncertainties—both matched and mismatched—in addition to changes in internal dynamics and disturbances to the system, where the single pendulum payload is representative of the changes in dynamics that may occur to the system. Numerical simulations and characteristics are presented to validate the performance of the controllers.

Fuel Use Reduction and Economic Savings from Optimization of Road Transportation of Coniferous Roundwood

One of the 10 priorities of the Green New Deal is sustainable transportation. It should be considered in the perspective of long-term ecological and economic sustainability, according to the trend of opportunities for sustainable development. The economic and environmental aspects of transportation related to the harvesting and movement of timber play a special role in the energy cost and their environmental impact per distance of raw material supply. The principles of rational and energy-efficient use of transportation equipment play a key role in the movement of raw timber. These are influenced by the availability of timber resources, limitation of vehicle payloads, reduction of energy consumption expressed in terms of reduction of fuel combustion, or current legal and road regulations for timber transportation. The paper evaluates economic and environmental factors in relation to the demand for fuels necessary for the implementation of road transportation of softwood timber. The aim of this paper was to present the current situation of the use of transportation means in the movement of bulky timber, as well as opportunities to optimize fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, affecting the economic and environmental effects. Previous studies on fuel consumption in the transportation of roundwood indicate irrational use of vehicles. This indicates unused payload capacity increasing energy inputs expressed in fuel consumption. It has been empirically investigated that this is the result of improperly approved transport sets adapted to the material being transported. In addition, it was shown that there is a clear correlation between the vehicle payload utilization rate and economic and environmental factors. The results of this study point to the potential to increase the use of transportation vehicles for timber transportation and reduce fuel combustion and CO2 emissions by 7–20%.

Dynamic Performance of Hygrothermal Mechanically Preloaded Variable-Stiffness Composite Fairing Structures

Since the introduction of variable-stiffness composites, the design philosophy for high-performance lightweight composite structures has broadened greatly. Indeed, variable-stiffness composites have been shown to increase buckling performance and dynamic stability, as well as to modify the dynamic response by tailoring stiffness distributions. Thus, efficient linear analysis tools play a significant role in the early design of variable-stiffness structures, allowing designers to identify many viable solutions when considering preloaded dynamically excited aerospace components. To address this need, a Ritz-based method for eigenfrequency and dynamic instability analysis of hygrothermal and mechanically prestressed variable-stiffness laminated doubly curved payload fairing structures is presented. Flexibility in modeling and design is achieved using Sanders–Koiter-based shell kinematics that allow general orthogonal surfaces to be modeled without further assumptions on the shallowness or on the thinness of the structure. The efficiency of the proposed Ritz method is enabled by using Legendre orthogonal polynomials as displacement trial functions. By comparing the present approach with finite element solutions for variable-curvature, variable-angle tow fairing shell geometries, excellent accuracy is shown, accompanied by an order-of-magnitude reduction in variables by the present method. Original solutions are presented comparing the dynamic behavior of prestressed constant and variable-stiffness composite shell structures, showcasing the viability of the variable-stiffness concept to significantly increase the structural performance of critical doubly curved variable-curvature components such as launch vehicle payload fairings.

Compact and automated eDNA sampler for in situ monitoring of marine environments

Using environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor biodiversity in aquatic environments is becoming an efficient and cost-effective alternative to other methods such as visual and acoustic identification. Until recently, eDNA sampling was accomplished primarily through manual sampling methods; however, with technological advances, automated samplers are being developed to make sampling easier and more accessible. This paper describes a new eDNA sampler capable of self-cleaning and multi-sample capture and preservation, all within a single unit capable of being deployed by a single person. The first in-field test of this sampler took place in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada alongside parallel samples taken using the typical Niskin bottle collection and post-collection filtration method. Both methods were able to capture the same aquatic microbial community and counts of representative DNA sequences were well correlated between methods with R^{2} values ranging from 0.71–0.93. The two collection methods returned the same top 10 families in near identical relative abundance, demonstrating that the sampler was able to capture the same community composition of common microbes as the Niskin. The presented eDNA sampler provides a robust alternative to manual sampling methods, is amenable to autonomous vehicle payload constraints, and will facilitate persistent monitoring of remote and inaccessible sites.

The prediction and assessment of properties for high energy density fuel – Adamantane derivatives: The combined DFT and molecular dynamics simulation

The structures of high-energy–density fuel are significant factors to influence property, which in turn determines the flight distance and payload of vehicles. The density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulation are employed to predict properties of adamantane derivatives, and explore the effect of structure with the different substitutes and the isomers on properties including density, net heat value, specific impulse, thermal and oxidation stability. For adamantane derivatives with different substitutes, the C/H ratio is treated as the descriptors of density and net heating value. While the number of secondary carbon atom attached by side chains and the gap between HOMO and LUMO are viewed as the descriptors of density and volumetric net heating value for isomers, respectively. Based on the above descriptor, the structures with superior properties are obtained for ethyladamantane, propyladamantane and butyladamantane. The structure of pentyladamantane with excellent properties (2c-ethyl-2t,4c,4t-trimethyladamantane) is predicted due to resembling structure of adamantane derivatives with preferable properties. The thermal and oxidation stability of 2c,2t-dimethyladamantane, 2c-ethyl-2t-methyladamantane, 2c,2t-diethyladamantane and 2c-ethyl-2t,4c,4t-trimethyladamantane with superior properties is close to tetrahydro-dicyclopentadiene meeting requirement of aircraft. Therefore, the guidance, that predicts, screens and assesses the structure and property of adamantane derivatives, is provided in this study by defining descriptors.

Mu-Synthesis PID Control of Full-Car With Parallel Active Link Suspension Under Variable Payload

This article presents a combined <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula> -synthesis PID control scheme, employing a frequency separation paradigm, for a recently proposed novel active suspension, the Parallel Active Link Suspension (PALS). The developed <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula> -synthesis control scheme is superior to the conventional <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H_{\infty }$</tex-math></inline-formula> control, previously designed for the PALS, in terms of ride comfort and road holding (higher frequency dynamics), with important realistic uncertainties, such as in vehicle payload, taken into account. The developed PID control method is applied to guarantee good chassis attitude control capabilities and minimization of pitch and roll motions (low frequency dynamics). A multi-objective control method, which merges the aforementioned PID and <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula> -synthesis-based controls is further introduced to achieve simultaneously the low frequency mitigation of attitude motions and the high frequency vibration suppression of the vehicle. A seven-degree-of-freedom Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) full car model with PALS, is employed in this work to test the synthesized controller by nonlinear simulations with different ISO-defined road events and variable vehicle payload. The results demonstrate the control scheme's significant robustness and performance, as compared to the conventional passive suspension as well as the actively controlled PALS by conventional <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H_{\infty }$</tex-math></inline-formula> control, achieved for a wide range of vehicle payload considered in the investigation.

The Genesis of Improving Functional Capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Used as Forensic Equipment

The rapid development of innovative technical means that provide significant information in various areas has had a positive impact on the expansion of the possibilities for law enforcement agencies to use modern unmanned aerial vehicles. Continuous modernization of equipment requires continuous monitoring and testing of the capabilities of new technologies, but in some cases the fulfillment of tasks that different departments face calls for a rational approach to choosing technical means depending on the demands to its functions and overall economic profitability. Using the analysis of historical information and technical data on unmanned aerial vehicles, the authors present their approach to identifying the periods of the transformation of the vehicles’ functions and their introduction in the practice of law enforcement as forensic means used in investigating and solving crimes. The authors single out key technical aspects of ensuring the payload and target load of unmanned aerial vehicles, which determine the areas of this equipment’s functional use, and its relevance in solving a wide range of criminalistic tasks.

Analysis methodology of compatibility between motion control and mechanical architecture of a newly designed gantry virtual track train and the path-tracking control strategy

This study aimed to propose a gantry virtual track train (G-VTT) architecture and investigate the path-tracking control of it. Based on the decoupling control theory, the concept and judgment criterion of the path-tracking independence of the G-VTT was proposed to provide a method to analyzing the compatibility between motion control and mechanical architecture, and instructing the design of the architecture of the G-VTT that could realize autonomous path-tracking with simple control strategy. The controllability and observability of the path-tracking control system were discussed from the perspective of vehicle kinematics and the decouplibility of each tracking point's lateral motion and the path-tracking independence of the vehicle was proved. The distributed virtual driving (DVD) model based on self-adaptive preview PID algorithm was proposed to achieve independent path-tracking of each axle. This model consists of two parts: forward preview model based on the fractional calculus theory simulating the driver's visual field and the parameter self-tuning PID controller based on variable universe fuzzy control theory (VUF-PID controller). The effectiveness and adaptability of the DVD model were verified by co-simulation test. The results show that the VUF-PID controller has an excellent control performance and could realize the self-tuning of PID parameters effectively and could adapt to the noticeable hysteresis effect with the forward preview model introduced. Moreover, the VUF-PID controller could significantly improve the curve-passing stability of the G-VTT, and exhibits excellent adaptability to the traveling speed, curve radius, and vehicle payload. Even when the train travels under an adverse operating condition with lateral acceleration about 3.2m/s2, the maximum tracking error could still be kept below ±0.02 m.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis and Design of Payload Shroud of Satellite Launch Vehicle

The main focus of the present paper is to computational fluid dynamics analysis and design of payload fairing of satellite launch vehicle at freestream Mach number range of 0.6 - 3.0. Initially, time-dependent compressible three-dimensional Euler equations are solved employing a finite volume discretization method with a multi-stage Runge-Kutta time-stepping scheme to compute surface pressure and aerodynamic coefficients at various payload fairing and at angle of attack up to 5o with an increment of 1o. Payload fairing dimensions are selected that satisfies permissible structure load on satellite launch vehicle. Detailed flowfield simulation is carried out on the selected payload fairing employing axisymmetric compressible Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes equations to assess unsteady flowfield characteristics. The numerical simulations are used to locate terminal shock on the payload fairing at transonic Mach number. Unsteady flow characteristics are used to compute acoustic load. Shock standoff distances at supersonic speeds are tabulated and compared with the analytical solution. Schlieren images and oil flow pictures are compared with experimental results and in good agreement. Aerodynamic shape optimization of satellite launch vehicle payload fairing shape has been performed to satisfy structural load at maximum drag and dynamic pressure.

Automatic Mass Estimation of Construction Vehicles by Modeling Operational and Engine Data

Earthmoving operations employ heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks and scrapers, to transport soil and rock on and off construction sites. Such construction activities are commonly scheduled and paid for based on the amount of earth moved. A number of metric and volumetric tools and techniques, including weighbridges, load–volume scanners (LVS), and strain gauges, have been developed to measure the payload of vehicles. These methods are costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, and may affect the production rate and cost of construction projects. This study develops an automatic mass estimation technique for on-road construction vehicles considering both operational and engine data. Acceleration rate, speed, and road slope are investigated as the operational variables, while engine load is considered as an engine attribute to estimate vehicle mass. A global positioning system-aided inertial navigation system (GPS-INS) and an engine data logger are integrated to collect the field data. Experiments are conducted on several construction vehicles to collect a wide range of data under various operational conditions. After assuring the quality of field data obtained in this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) were developed to model the mass of construction equipment based on operational and engine parameters. The model was validated by comparing the estimated mass data with the actual values measured by a weighbridge in the experiment. The results show that the proposed model achieves greater than 90% accuracy in predicting the mass of on-road construction vehicles.

Synthesis of advanced fuel with density higher than 1 g/mL by photoinduced [2 + 2] cycloaddition of norbornene

High-energy–density (HED) fuels have attracted extensive attention for volume-fixed aerospace vehicles because they can provide more propulsion energy to increase the payload and range of aerospace vehicles. Herein, we report a route for synthesis of HED fuel, pentacyclo[8.2.1.14,7.02,9.03,8]tetradecane (PCTD) with strained structure, by photoinduced intermolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition of norbornene (NBE). The triplet quenching and phosphorescence quenching results indicate that NBE cycloaddition is conducted through the photosensitized processes containing triplet–triplet energy transfer, cyclization and relaxation. The reaction conditions are optimized to obtain the high photocatalytic activity, with the NBE conversion and PCTD selectivity reaching 78.7% and 94.4%, respectively. Moreover, a kinetic model is proposed with the reaction rate equation being correlated with the incident light flux, with the pseudo reaction kinetics parameters and reaction rate equations obtained. Importantly, PCTD shows high density of 1.024 g/mL and high volumetric net heat of combustion of 42.98 MJ/L, much higher than those of JP-10. In addition, blending with JP-10 or QC can significantly improve cryogenic properties of blended fuels, which is very promising for the practical application.

Thermo-structural analysis of deployable composite booms with slotted hinges for space applications

The constraints on size and geometry of launch vehicle payload volume and the necessity of large antennas, solar cells, instruments for field of view, and isolation lead to the research and production of deployable structures. They accomplish compact packing volume on the launch and a large deployable length in space once the satellite is ejected into orbit. Booms are cantilever arms that are deployable which project out of the satellite or any spacecraft main body to perform various tasks. Static and dynamic analysis of deployable composite boom with integral slotted hinges is carried out in the present work. A deployable composite boom prototype is manufactured using glass epoxy composite and experiments are carried out. A similar structure is modeled and analyzed in the software also. The results for deflection, stress, strain, natural frequency, etc. for such a structure are presented initially. The effect of stacking sequence and number of layers in the composite boom structure is also studied. Finally, the thermal effect on the static and dynamic behavior of deployable composite boom prototypes is also discussed.

A Type of Transportation Problem to be Solved Following the Time Criterion and Considering Vehicle Features

The formulation of classical minimax transport-type problems involves the search for an optimal transportation plan considering only time of delivery of resources. The inevitable additional costs of processing resources at the origin and destination are usually not considered. This approach is fully justified given incommensurability of delivery times of resources along available routes and times of preliminary/subsequent processing of resources. At the same time, in a number of practical problems, the time spent on loading/unloading (for example, when organizing loading of packaged mineral fertilizers from port warehouses onto ships) can be of significant importance. In such cases, when searching for an optimal transportation plan, it is necessary to take into account not only travel times of vehicles used along the set routes, but also the costs of loading and unloading operations, considering the number of available vehicles and their characteristics, for example, payload.In this regard, the objective of the study is not only to develop a method for calculating the optimal transportation plan, but also a method for distributing vehicles, considering their number and features.At the same time, another no less important objective of the study is to substantiate the application of the method of successive reduction of residuals, considering the form of the objective function, which considers not only the main parameters of classical minimax transport-type problems, but also the quantitative characteristics of vehicles involved in the transport operation. It is fundamentally important that the use of the method of successive reduction of residuals determines the polynomial computational complexity of the algorithm, which makes it possible to use it in the operational solution of problems of practical dimension.To solve the problem of distributing available vehicles according to the origin points, considering payload of vehicles, it is proposed to use the method of dynamic programming. An illustrative example of distribution of delivery vehicles, adapted for the use in MS Excel, is considered.