The Robust Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Window Assignments

In practice, there are several applications in which logistics service providers determine the time windows at customers, for example, parcel delivery, retail, and repair services. These companies face uncertain travel times that have to be taken into account when determining routes prior departure. The objective of proposed robust vehicle routing problem with window assignments (RVRP-TWA) is simultaneously such expected risk violating minimized. We assume probability distributions not completely known but some statistics, as mean, minimum, maximum, can estimated. extend framework based on requirements’ violation index, was originally developed case where specific requirements (time windows) given inputs, they also part decisions. subproblem finding optimal assignment customers a route shown convex, subgradients derived. RVRP-TWA solved by iteratively generating subgradient cuts from added branch-and-cut fashion. Experiments address performance solution approach examine trade-off between windows.