Multi-compartment vehicle routing problems: State-of-the-art, modeling framework and future directions

Among the many extensions of classical capacitated vehicle routing problem, multi-compartment problems have been studied extensively only in recent years. Vehicles with multiple compartments enable joint delivery or collection goods differing characteristics separate that would otherwise need transportation single-compartment vehicles. This enables greater flexibility decisions and order assignment to tours. The versatile use these vehicles is leading increasing relevance both research industry, consequently an number related publications. available studies, however, consider substantially different problem variants. As no survey on so far, identification common features opportunities has difficult. paper aims at overcoming this difficulty by proposing extended typology for reviewing existing literature. Although few identical can be identified, attributes among similar applications (regarding compartment flexibility, example) are observed. Suggestions future directions also proposed.