| Summary: | 碩士 === 國防管理學院 === 資源管理研究所 === 86 === The VRPB (Vehicle Routing Problem with Backhauls) is considered as an extension of VRP (Vehicle Routing Problem) and the customers it services are divided into two categories. Category I consists of the Linehaul, or Delivery customers, each of which is to be delivered of certain products from the Depot or the Distribution Center. Category II consists of the Backhaul, or Pick Up customers, each of which has certain products to be picked up in or after the distribution routes before moving back to the Depot or the Distribution Center.
In recent years, people have recognized the fact that huge amount of transportation costs could be saved by applying this kind of mixed delivery/pick up method of including Backhaul customers in the traditionally Delivery only routes. For example, the American grocery industry started applying the mixed delivery/pick up transportation method in 1982 and thus saved more than one hundred sixty billion US Dollars annually.
In this paper, based on the concepts of ''Route Neighborhood'' presented by Fuh-hwa Liu and Sheng-yuan Shen, we develop a new heuristic algorithm. The algorithm uses the Route Neighborhood method to build a VRPB model which is converted into a program in computer languages for obtaining the results faster. Tests are conducted on benchmark problems from the Internet to evaluate the solution quality by comparing them with the optimal solutions. We hope this will provide a good reference for future studies on the Vehicle Routing Problem with Backhauls.
Other researchers find that Route Neighborhood methodology also brings out very good solutions when applied to the VRP with Time Window problems. Therefore, further studies on Route Neighborhood method are encouraged for better solutions to other VRP problems.
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