This recently published paper (co-authored with David Lai, Emrah Demir, Yasel Costas, and Alexandre Florio) presents a comprehensive approach to addressing the Pollution-Routing and Speed Optimization Problem (PRP-SO), focusing on minimizing emissions and fuel consumption by optimizing vehicle speeds and routes.
Download the paper here.
It introduces innovative solution methods, including an exact branch-and-price algorithm and a Tabu search metaheuristic integrated with speed optimization algorithms. Extensive computational experiments demonstrate the efficacy of these methods, with significant environmental and operational benefits observed in real-life instances.
The obtained results from the study show significant reductions in fuel consumption and emissions, particularly when transporting heavy items in hilly areas. The approaches developed allowed for optimizing vehicle routes with consideration for terrain, leading to more efficient planning that reduces environmental impact. The computational experiments highlighted the effectiveness of the proposed solution methods, with the exact algorithm achieving optimality in many cases and the heuristic approach providing near-optimal solutions quickly. These findings underscore the potential for substantial savings and environmental benefits through careful route and speed optimization in logistics operations.
In summary, the study underscores the importance of incorporating road gradients and optimal speed strategies in logistics planning for sustainability. Further research is suggested to explore route security in hilly terrains and optimize fuel consumption alongside vehicle routing security.
Tom Van Woensel 