The impact of axle weight constraints on the deployment of a mixed-size fleet in vehicle routing decisions

Abstract

A vehicle routing problem (VRP), using a mixed fleet of vehicles, with sequence-based pallet loading and axle weight constraints is introduced. The effect of the integration of axle weight constraints in a Fleet Size and Mix VRP is analyzed by comparing the problem with and without axle weight constraints. A vehicle fleet of 30-foot and 45-foot trucks, consisting of a tractor and a semi-trailer, is considered. Two scenarios are analyzed with different objective functions. In the first scenario, the objective aims to minimize total distance while in the second scenario the objective aims the minimization of total transport costs. An Iterated Local Search metaheuristic algorithm is used to solve the problem. The results indicate that the impact of axle weight constraints on the solution cost of a vehicle routing problem depends on the fleet composition. Therefore, decisions on the deployment of a mixed-size fleet may be influenced by the integration of axle weight constraints.