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原文传递 Freight Routing and Containerization in a Package Network that Accounts for Sortation Constraints and Costs.

题名：	Freight Routing and Containerization in a Package Network that Accounts for Sortation Constraints and Costs.
作者：	CHAYANUPATKUL, A.; HALL, R. W.
关键词：	CARGO HANDLING; CONTAINERIZATION; PACKAGES; SORTING; TERMINALS
摘要：	In this research, we investigate package transportation routing that accounts for sorting activities at the terminals visited. Due to the large number of packages originated from different locations and destined to different locations, at each terminal visited, sorting operations are essential to regroup and dispatch incoming shipments from different origins to different destinations. This process is time, labor, and resource intensive. Proper containerization allows shipments to bypass terminals without entering sorting operations. The efficient utilization of sorting facilities, in turn, enables parcel carriers to handle more shipments with existing resources while maintaining the same service level. However, container capacity and limits on alternative routes resulting from bypass may cause the containers to be moved via longer routes. Thus, the efficiency of package transportation operations may deteriorate, leading to higher transportation costs. The primary objective of this research is to study package routing that accounts for containerization to minimize transportation costs and sorting costs imposed. To obtain container routings, a network is modified so that each arc represents a container group on a flight. The solution method is segmented into three phases: construct a new network, perform LP relaxation, and find the solution of the original problem. The solution provides a sequence of container groups along the whole route for each commodity. Three heuristic approaches are developed and evaluated: the grouping heuristic (GH), the forcing constraint heuristic (FCH) and the combined heuristic (CH). The approaches are benchmarked with lower bounds calculated by solving the LP relaxation with forcing constraints. Model extensions for congested periods of sorting operations are also proposed. To account for the sorting option at source terminals, heuristic approaches that build from the GH and the FCH are developed and examined under different parameters and problem instances.
报告类型：	科技报告