EFFICIENT DISPATCHING IN A TERMINAL CITY NETWORK

This project report describes new optimization and simulation tools to address several problems in transportation, specifically driver dispatching and tour information in full truckload trucking. In this segment of transportation industry, one of the problems is low driver retention mainly due to the long routes that keep drivers away from home for long time. This issue is first addressed by extracting a network of high volume cities (called terminal city network) from the existing transportation network. Then, the tours for the drivers are regularized in the terminal network as much as possible using simulation and optimization. Specifically, integer programming models and discrete event system simulation tools are developed to design and evaluate optimal or near optimal delivery plans for truckload shipments between terminal cities in a truckload trucking environment. The problem is primarily examined from a freight carrier's perspective, with a goal of providing driver tour pattern and domicile information to maximize carrier revenue while meeting shipment demands and driver needs. Multiple models are provided spanning from long term aggregate planning problems to short term driver specific operational models and showing how they can be used in different settings. Realistically sized case studies are also provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the approaches using data supplied by J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.