The capacitated vehicle routing problem with sequence-based pallet loading and axle weight constraints is an extension of the classical Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP). It integrates loading constraints in a routing problem and is based on a real-world transportation problem. The demand of the customers consists of pallets. These pallets may be placed in two horizontal rows inside th...

Before trying to develop an automated inspection system for pallet part grading we analyzed the economics of such a system. Our results suggest that higher quality pallets produced by grading and sorting pallet parts would be attractive to both manufacturers and their customers, who would have to pay increased prices for higher quality pallets. Reductions in costper-trip for the pallet purchase...

Test Methods A total of 1867 new, multiple-use and used (remanufactured and repaired) GMA pallets were randomly sampled from 20 different locations throughout the United States. The pallets were carefully inspected and then tested for strength and stiffness when in racks spanning the stringers (RAS) and spanning the deckboards (RAD). The test spans were 44and 36-inch respectively and a uniform-...

Pallets play an important role in food transportation but are seldom in direct contact with food and are not intended to be used in contact with food. We have surveyed information relevant to the possible influence of wood versus plastic pallets on food safety. Wood absorbs bacteria, which cannot later be recovered alive at its surface. Bacteria do not penetrate below the surface of new plastic...

We study a problem faced by a major beverage producer. The company produces and distributes several brands to various customers from its regional distributors. For some of these brands, most customers do not have enough demand to justify full pallet shipments. Therefore, the company decided to design a number of mixed or “rainbow” pallets so that its customers can order these unpopular brands w...

We study the combinatorial FIFO stack-up problem. In delivery industry, bins have to be stacked-up from conveyor belts onto pallets. Given k sequences q1, . . . ,qk of labeled bins and a positive integer p, the goal is to stack-up the bins by iteratively removing the first bin of one of the k sequences and put it onto a pallet located at one of p stack-up places. Each of these pallets has to co...

The mission of logistics is basically to get the right goods or services to the right place, at the right time, and in the desired conditions, while making the greatest contribution to the company [1]. Everyday a distribution company has to decide how to put goods onto pallets according to the customers’ orders and then how to efficiently distribute these pallets among the number of trucks so a...