Forming delivery routes while processing the stochastic flow of requests for forwarding services

Abstract

Formation of rational delivery routes is the main way to increase the effectiveness of client services for freight forwarding companies. The main part of the requests for transport services comes from occasional (non-constant) clients. The set of those requests forms a stochastic flow. For stochastic requests flow, the delivery routes are formed in the process of the requests receipt. Therefore, the standard approaches for merging of requests from multiple clients into routes, based on linear programming techniques, cannot be used in such conditions. An algorithm of formation under the stochastic demand conditions of such delivery routes, which allow servicing of two or more shippers, is proposed in the paper. The author has developed a specialized software to support decisions made by dispatchers of forwarding companies.