Abstract
Urban freight transport is becoming increasingly complex due to a boost in the volume of products distributed and the associated number of delivery services. In addition, stakeholders’ preferences and city logistics dynamics affect the freight flow and the efficiency of the delivery process in downtown areas. In general, transport activities have a significant and negative impact on the environment and citizens’ welfare, which motivates the need for sustainable transport planning. This work proposes a metaheuristic-based approach for tackling an enriched multi-depot vehicle routing problem in which economic, environmental, and social dimensions are considered. Our approach integrates biased-randomization strategies within a variable neighborhood search framework in order to better guide the searching process. A series of computational experiments illustrates how the aforementioned dimensions can be integrated in realistic transport operations. Also, the paper discusses how the cost values change as different dimensions are prioritized.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
Bektaş, T., Laporte, G.: The pollution-routing problem. Transp. Res. Part B Methodol. 45(8), 1232–1250 (2011)
Caceres, J., Arias, P., Guimarans, D., Riera, D., Juan, A.A.: Rich vehicle routing problem: a survey. ACM Comput. Surv. 47(2), 1–28 (2014)
Calvet, L., Ferrer, A., Gomes, M.I., Juan, A.A., Masip, D.: Combining statistical learning with metaheuristics for the multi-depot vehicle routing problem with market segmentation. Comput. Ind. Eng. 94, 93–104 (2016)
Chao, I.M., Golden, B.L., Wasil, E.: A new heuristic for the multi-depot vehicle routing problem that improves upon best-known solutions. Am. J. Math. Manag. Sci. 13(3–4), 371–406 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1080/01966324.1993.10737363
Chen, L.W., Sharma, P., Tseng, Y.C.: Dynamic traffic control with fairness and throughput optimization using vehicular communications. IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun. 31(9), 504–512 (2013)
Chibeles-Martins, N., Pinto-Varela, T., Barbosa-Póvoa, A.P., Novais, A.Q.: A multi-objective meta-heuristic approach for the design and planning of green supply chains—MBSA. Expert Syst. Appl. 47, 71–84 (2016)
Clarke, G., Wright, J.W.: Scheduling of vehicles from a central depot to a number of delivery points. Oper. Res. 12(4), 568–581 (1964)
Cordeau, J.F., Maischberger, M.: A parallel iterated tabu search heuristic for vehicle routing problems. Comput. Oper. Res. 39(9), 2033–2050 (2012)
Delucchi, M.A., McCubbin, D.R.: External costs of transport in the US. Institute of Transportation Studies, pp. 1–34 (2010)
Demir, E., Van Woensel, T., de Kok, T.: Multidepot distribution planning at logistics service provider Nabuurs BV. Interfaces 44(6), 591–604 (2014)
Dominguez, O., Juan, A.A., Faulin, J.: A biased-randomized algorithm for the two-dimensional vehicle routing problem with and without item rotations. Int. Trans. Oper. Res. 21(3), 375–398 (2014)
Dominguez, O., Juan, A.A., Barrios, B., Faulin, J., Agustin, A.: Using biased randomization for solving the two-dimensional loading vehicle routing problem with heterogeneous fleet. Ann. Oper. Res. 236(2), 383–404 (2016)
Escobar, J.W., Linfati, R., Toth, P., Baldoquin, M.G.: A hybrid granular tabu search algorithm for the multi-depot vehicle routing problem. J. Heuristics 20(5), 483–509 (2014)
European Commission: EU Transport in figures. Statistical pocketbook, 2015th edn (2015). https://doi.org/10.2832/9150
Eurostat: Sustainable development in the European Union: 2015 monitoring report of the EU sustainable development strategy. Publications office of the European Union (2015)
Faulin, J., Juan, A.A., Lera, F., Grasman, S.: Solving the capacitated vehicle routing problem with environmental criteria based on real estimations in road transportation: a case study. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 20, 323–334 (2011)
Grasas, A., Juan, A.A., Faulin, J., de Armas, J., Ramalhinho, H.: Biased randomization of heuristics using skewed probability distributions: a survey and some applications. Comput. Ind. Eng. 110, 216–228 (2017)
Hansen, P., Mladenović, N.: Variable neighborhood search. In: Search Methodologies, pp. 313–337. Springer (2014)
Hansen, P., Mladenović, N., Pérez, J.A.M.: Variable neighbourhood search: methods and applications. Ann. Oper. Res. 175(1), 367–407 (2010)
Hatami, S., Ruiz, R., Andrés-Romano, C.: Heuristics and metaheuristics for the distributed assembly permutation flowshop scheduling problem with sequence dependent setup times. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 169, 76–88 (2015)
Hunt, J.D., Stefan, K.J.: Tour-based microsimulation of urban commercial movements. Transp. Res. Part B Methodol. 41(9), 981–1013 (2007)
Jabbarpour, M.R., Noor, R.M., Khokhar, R.H.: Green vehicle traffic routing system using ant-based algorithm. J. Netw. Comput. Appl. 58, 294–308 (2015)
Juan, A.A., Faulin, J., Jorba, J., Riera, D., Masip, D., Barrios, B.: On the use of Monte Carlo simulation, cache and splitting techniques to improve the Clarke and Wright savings heuristics. J. Oper. Res. Soc. 6(62), 1085–1097 (2010)
Juan, A.A., Faulin, J., Ferrer, A., Lourenço, H.R., Barrios, B.: MIRHA: multi-start biased randomization of heuristics with adaptive local search for solving non-smooth routing problems. TOP 21(1), 109–132 (2013)
Juan, A.A., Faulin, J., Pérez-Bernabeu, E., Jozefowiez, N.: Horizontal cooperation in vehicle routing problems with backhauling and environmental criteria. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 111, 1133–1141 (2014)
Juan, A.A., Pascual, I., Guimarans, D., Barrios, B.: Combining biased randomization with iterated local search for solving the multi-depot vehicle routing problem. Int. Trans. Oper. Res. 22(4), 647–667 (2015)
Kadziński, M., Tervonen, T., Tomczyk, M.K., Dekker, R.: Evaluation of multi-objective optimization approaches for solving green supply chain design problems. Omega 68, 168–184 (2016)
Koç, Ç., Bektaş, T., Jabali, O., Laporte, G.: The fleet size and mix pollution-routing problem. Transp. Res. Part B Methodol. 70, 239–254 (2014)
Kuo, Y.: Using simulated annealing to minimize fuel consumption for the time-dependent vehicle routing problem. Comput. Ind. Eng. 59(1), 157–165 (2010)
Liu, W.Y., Lin, C.C., Chiu, C.R., Tsao, Y.S., Wang, Q.: Minimizing the carbon footprint for the time-dependent heterogeneous-fleet vehicle routing problem with alternative paths. Sustainability 6(7), 4658–4684 (2014)
McKinnon, A., Browne, M., Whiteing, A., Piecyk, M.: Green Logistics: Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Logistics. Kogan Page Publishers, London (2015)
Mirabi, M., Fatemi Ghomi, S.M.T., Jolai, F.: Efficient stochastic hybrid heuristics for the multi-depot vehicle routing problem. Robot. Comput. Integr. Manuf. 26(6), 564–569 (2010)
Muñuzuri, J., Cortés, P., Onieva, L., Guadix, J.: Modelling peak-hour urban freight movements with limited data availability. Comput. Ind. Eng. 59(1), 34–44 (2010)
Niknamfar, A.H., Niaki, S.T.A.: Fair profit contract for a carrier collaboration framework in a green hub network under soft time-windows: dual lexicographic max–min approach. Transp. Res. Part E Logist. Transp. Rev. 91, 129–151 (2016)
Pisinger, D., Ropke, S.: A general heuristic for vehicle routing problems. Comput. Oper. Res. 34(8), 2403–2435 (2007)
Ranaiefar, F., Amelia, R.: Freight-Transportation Externalities. Elsevier Inc, Amsterdam (2011)
Ruan, M., Lin, J.J., Kawamura, K.: Modeling urban commercial vehicle daily tour chaining. Transp. Res. Part E Logist. Transp. Rev. 48(6), 1169–1184 (2012)
Salhi, S.: Heuristic Search: The Emerging Science of Problem Solving. Springer, Berlin (2017)
Santos, G., Behrendt, H., Maconi, L., Shirvani, T., Teytelboym, A.: Part I: externalities and economic policies in road transport. Res. Transp. Econ. 28(1), 2–45 (2010)
Scheuer, S.: EU Environmental Policy Handbook. A Critical Analysis of EU Environmental Legislation: Making it Accessible to Environmentalists and Decision Makers. European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Brussels (2005)
Subramanian, A., Uchoa, E., Ochi, L.S.: A hybrid algorithm for a class of vehicle routing problems. Comput. Oper. Res. 40(10), 2519–2531 (2013)
Talbi, E.G.: Metaheuristics: From Design to Implementation. Wiley, Hoboken (2009)
Teo, J.S.E., Qureshi, A.G.: Evaluating city logistics measure in e-commerce with multiagent systems. Procedia Soc. Behav.Sci. 39, 349–359 (2012)
Ubeda, S., Arcelus, F., Faulin, J.: Green logistics at Eroski: a case study. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 131(1), 44–51 (2011)
Vidal, T., Crainic, T.G., Gendreau, M., Lahrichi, N., Rei, W.: A hybrid genetic algorithm for multidepot and periodic vehicle routing problems. Oper. Res. 60(3), 611–624 (2012)
Vidal, T., Crainic, T.G., Gendreau, M., Prins, C.: A unified solution framework for multi-attribute vehicle routing problems. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 234(3), 658–673 (2014)
Wang, X., Kopfer, H., Gendreau, M.: Operational transportation planning of freight forwarding companies in horizontal coalitions. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 237(3), 1133–1141 (2014)
Wang, X., Fan, T., Li, W., Yu, R., Bullock, D., Wu, B., Tremont, P.: Speed variation during peak and off-peak hours on urban arterials in Shanghai. Transp. Res. Part C Emerg. Technol. 67, 84–94 (2016)
Xiao, Y., Konak, A.: Green vehicle routing problem with time-varying traffic congestion. In: Proceedings of the 14th INFORMS Computing Society Conference, pp. 134–148 (2015)
Xie, K., Wang, X., Huang, H., Chen, X.: Corridor-level signalized intersection safety analysis in Shanghai, China using Bayesian hierarchical models. Accid. Anal. Prev. 50, 25–33 (2013)
Zhang, J., Zhao, Y., Xue, W., Li, J.: Vehicle routing problem with fuel consumption and carbon emission. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 170, 234–242 (2015)
Zhang, S., Lee, C.K.M., Wu, K., Choy, K.L.: Multi-objective optimization for sustainable supply chain network design considering multiple distribution channels. Expert Syst. Appl. 65, 87–99 (2016)
Acknowledgements
This work has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, FEDER (TRA2013-48180-C3-P, TRA2015-71883-REDT), the Ibero-American Program for Science and Technology for Development (CYTED2014-515RT0489), and the Erasmus+ programme (2016-1-ES01-KA108-023465). Likewise, we want to thank the support of the UPNA doctoral grants programme.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reyes-Rubiano, L., Calvet, L., Juan, A.A. et al. A biased-randomized variable neighborhood search for sustainable multi-depot vehicle routing problems. J Heuristics 26, 401–422 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10732-018-9366-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10732-018-9366-0