Showing papers on "Fleet management published in 2009"

Intelligent Freight Transportation Systems : Assessment and the Contribution of Operations Research

Abstract: While it is certainly too early to make a definitive assessment of the effectiveness of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), it is not to take stock of what has been achieved and to think about what could be achieved in the near future. In our opinion, ITS developments have been up to now largely hardware-driven and have led to the introduction of many sophisticated technologies in the transportation arena, while the development of the software component of ITS, models and decision-support systems in particular, is lagging behind. To reach the full potential of ITS, one must thus address the challenge of making the most intelligent usage possible of the hardware that is being deployed and the huge wealth of data it provides. We believe that transportation planning and management disciplines, operations research in particular, have a key role to play with respect to this challenge. The paper focuses on Freight ITS: Commercial Vehicle Operations and Advanced Fleet Management Systems, City Logistics, and electronic business. The paper reviews main issues, technological challenges, and achievements, and illustrates how the introduction of better operations research-based decision-support software could very significantly improve the ultimate performance of Freight ITS.

An Approximate Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Large-Scale Fleet Management: A Case Application

Abstract: We addressed the problem of developing a model to simulate at a high level of detail the movements of over 6,000 drivers for Schneider National, the largest truckload motor carrier in the United States. The goal of the model was not to obtain a better solution but rather to closely match a number of operational statistics. In addition to the need to capture a wide range of operational issues, the model had to match the performance of a highly skilled group of dispatchers while also returning the marginal value of drivers domiciled at different locations. These requirements dictated that it was not enough to optimize at each point in time (something that could be easily handled by a simulation model) but also over time. The project required bringing together years of research in approximate dynamic programming, merging math programming with machine learning, to solve dynamic programs with extremely high-dimensional state variables. The result was a model that closely calibrated against real-world operations and produced accurate estimates of the marginal value of 300 different types of drivers.

Joint Routing and Deployment of a Fleet of Container Vessels

Abstract: Liner companies face a complex problem in determining the optimal routing and deployment of a fleet of container vessels. This paper presents a model and an algorithm to address the two problems jointly. The model captures the revenues and operating expenses of a global liner company, and allows for the representation of vessel types with different cost and operating properties, transhipment hubs and associated costs, port delays, regional trade imbalances and the possibility of rejecting transportation demand selectively. Benchmark tests demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves good solutions quickly. The proposed algorithm is applied in a case study with 120 ports of call distributed throughout the globe. The case study explores the sensitivity of optimal fleet deployment and routing to varying bunker costs.

Container fleet sizing and empty repositioning in liner shipping systems

Abstract: This paper considers the joint container fleet sizing and empty container repositioning problem in multi-vessel, multi-port and multi-voyage shipping systems with dynamic, uncertain and imbalanced customer demands. The objective is to minimize the expected total costs including inventory-holding costs, lifting-on/lifting-off costs, transportation costs, repositioning costs, and lost-sale penalty costs. A simulation-based optimization tool is developed to optimize the container fleet size and the parameterized empty repositioning policy simultaneously. The optimization procedure is based on Genetic Algorithms and Evolutionary Strategy combined with an adjustment mechanism. Case studies are given to demonstrate the results.

GPS and wireless integrated fleet management system and method

Abstract: A fleet management system has a chauffeur or driver module and a communication and positioning module associated with each fleet vehicle, and a backend monitoring and control system located at a fleet data center in communication with each vehicle. The system monitors each trip automatically and generates time stamps at the start of a trip, a pick up location, a drop off location, and return of the vehicle to a garage at the end of a trip. Vehicle status information is collected and stored along with timestamps. The information is used to generate billing and payroll accounts, and also in monitoring conditions of fleet vehicles and generating alerts as needed. Turn-by-turn route instructions are provided to drivers by voice output on request.

An effective genetic algorithm for the fleet size and mix vehicle routing problems

Abstract: This paper studies the fleet size and mix vehicle routing problem (FSMVRP), in which the fleet is heterogeneous and its composition to be determined. We design and implement a genetic algorithm (GA) based heuristic. On a set of twenty benchmark problems it reaches the best-known solution 14 times and finds one new best solution. It also provides a competitive performance in terms of average solution.

Containership routing with time deadlines and simultaneous deliveries and pick-ups

Abstract: In this paper we seek to determine optimal routes for a containership fleet performing pick-ups and deliveries between a hub and several spoke ports. A capacitated vehicle routing problem with pick-ups, deliveries and time deadlines is formulated and solved using a hybrid genetic algorithm for establishing routes for a dedicated containership fleet. Results on the performance of the algorithm and the feasibility of the approach show that a relatively small fleet of containerships could provide efficient services within deadlines. Moreover, through sensitivity analysis we discuss performance robustness and consistency of the developed algorithm under a variety of problem settings and parameters values.

Systems and methods for utilizing telematics data to improve fleet management operations

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a fleet management system is provided for capturing, storing, and analyzing telematics data to improve fleet management operations. The fleet management system may be used, for example, by a shipping entity (e.g., a common carrier) to capture telematics data from a plurality of vehicle sensors located on various delivery vehicles and to analyze the captured telematics data. In particular, various embodiments of the fleet management system are configured to analyze engine idle data in relation to other telematics data in order to identify inefficiencies, safety hazards, and theft hazards in a driver's delivery process. The fleet management system may also be configured to assess various aspects of vehicle performance, such as vehicle travel delays and vehicle speeds. These analytical capabilities allow the fleet management system to assist fleet managing entities, or other entities, in analyzing driver performance, reducing fuel and maintenance costs, and improving route planning.

Transit network design with allocation of green vehicles: A genetic algorithm approach

Abstract: The use of fossil fuels in transportation generates harmful emissions that accounts for nearly half of the total pollutants in urban areas. Dealing with this issue, local authorities are dedicating specific efforts to seize the opportunity offered by new fuels and technological innovations in achieving a cleaner urban mobility. In fact, authorities are improving environmental performances of their public transport fleet by procuring cleaner vehicles, usually called low and zero emission vehicles (LEV and ZEV, respectively). Nevertheless there seems to be a lack of methodologies for supporting stakeholders in decisions related to the introduction of green vehicles, whose allocation should be performed since the network design process in order to optimize their available green capacity. In this paper, the problem of clean vehicle allocation in an existing public fleet is faced by introducing a method for solving the transit network design problem in a multimodal, demand elastic urban context dealing with the impacts deriving from transportation emissions. The solving procedure consists of a set of heuristics which includes a routine for route generation and a genetic algorithm for finding a sub-optimal set of routes with the associated frequencies.

Anticipatory algorithms for same-day courier dispatching

Abstract: This paper describes anticipatory algorithms for the dynamic vehicle dispatching problem with pickups and deliveries, a problem faced by local area courier companies. These algorithms evaluate alternative solutions through a short-term demand sampling and a fully sequential procedure for indifference zone selection. They also exploit an unified and integrated approach in order to address all the issues involved in real-time fleet management, namely assigning requests to vehicles, routing the vehicles, scheduling the routes and relocating idle vehicles. Computational results show that the anticipatory algorithms provide consistently better solutions than their reactive counterparts.

Vehicle Replacement in the International Committee of the Red Cross

Abstract: This paper studies 4x4 vehicle replacement within the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), one of the largest humanitarian organizations. ICRCpolicy sets the replacement of vehicles at 5 years or 150,000 Km, whichever comes first. Using field data collected at the ICRC headquarters and national level we study the ICRC policy. Our results suggest that the organization can make considerable savings by adjusting its replacement policy. This study contributes to the area of logistics and transportation research in humanitarian operations.

Fleet deployment in liner shipping: a case study

Abstract: The fleet deployment problem is an important planning problem in liner shipping. It deals with optimally assigning voyages to available vessels in the fleet and determining vessel routes and schedules in a way that minimizes costs or maximizes profit. This paper presents a new model for a fleet deployment problem in liner shipping, and we also propose a multi-start local search heuristic to solve the problem. The heuristic has been embedded in a prototype decision support system (DSS) that has been implemented and tested at Hoegh Autoliners, a major global provider of ro-ro (roll-on roll-off) vehicle transportation services. The heuristic was able to produce high-quality solutions within a few minutes to a real planning problem with more than 55 vessels and 150 voyages over a planning horizon of 4–6 months. Tests indicated that the solutions suggested by the DSS gave between 2 and 10% improvements compared with solutions from manual planning. What is almost equally important is that using the DSS can ease...

Development and Use of Emissions Inventories for Construction Vehicles

Abstract: Real-world data are insufficient to estimate actual emissions from construction vehicles and to develop effective decisions aimed at reducing emissions. A methodology is developed here for inventorying construction fleet emissions on the basis of representative real-world measurements of construction vehicles by means of a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). The PEMS enables measurements of actual duty cycles and their corresponding fuel use and emissions. The methodology is demonstrated via application to a fleet of publicly owned construction vehicles used primarily for highway maintenance. Selected backhoes, front-end loaders, and motor graders, representing various model years and engine emissions standards, were measured with PEMS during use. Tests were performed for B20 biodiesel and petroleum diesel (PD) fuels. Emission factors from the PEMS data, combined with owner records of annual fuel consumption for over 1,000 vehicles, were used to estimate annual inventories of tailpipe emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. The emissions inventory was stratified by pollutant, vehicle type, fuel type, and engine tier and was used to assess fleet management strategies aimed at reducing emissions. Case study results illustrate that total fleet emissions would be reduced by 3% to 24% when B20 fuel was being used exclusively instead of PD exclusively, 11% to 50% when all Tier 0 and Tier 1 engines were replaced with Tier 2 engines, and 31% to 72% when B20 fuel was used exclusively in the highest engine tier available. Recommendations are made about development and practical applications of emissions inventories for construction fleet management.

Automatic vehicle location tracking system based on GIS environment

Abstract: Recently, automatic vehicle location (AVL) has become more widely used, affordable and popular than ever before. AVL is used for different tracking purposes, especially for those related to tracking one vehicle or a fleet of vehicles. Tracking system technology was made possible by the integration of three new technologies: navigational technologies such as global positioning system (GPS), database technologies such as geographic information system (GIS) and communication technology such as general packet radio service (GPRS). The proposed software design ‘tracking system’ is used to pinpoint the position, ground speed and fuel level of a given vehicle. This improves fleet management by making it secure and more efficient. The system has the ability to detect the optimal path between source and destination, depending on many factors such as travel time, jam, topography and number of traffic lights. The authors applied greedy techniques (GT) such as Dijkstra's and Kruskal's algorithms to a graph weight depending on the proposed cost function (CF). The geofencing technique is applied to the system based on real coordinates and grants security and safety to the fleet of vehicles. The designed software offers more flexibility in loading digital maps. This proposed software has the ability to visualise the real position of vehicles on maps and to take decisions according to real-time information.

Integrated autonomous fleet management using self-aware vehicles

Abstract: An apparatus for managing a fleet of vehicles. On each of the vehicles are a plurality of vehicle subsystems, each subsystem capable of monitoring conditions and assessing capabilities of the subsystem. For each vehicle, a vehicle management system has one or more processors and memory configured to: monitor conditions and assess capabilities of the vehicle based on subsystem condition and capability information provided by the subsystems, and based on the monitored vehicle conditions and assessed vehicle capabilities, initiate performance of one or more fleet management functions.

A solution method for a car fleet management problem with maintenance constraints

Abstract: The problem retained for the ROADEF'99 international challenge was an inventory management problem for a car rental company. It consists in managing a given fleet of cars in order to satisfy requests from customers asking for some type of cars for a given time period. When requests exceed the stock of available cars, the company can either offer better cars than those requested, subcontract some requests to other providers, or buy new cars to enlarge the available stock. Moreover, the cars have to go through a maintenance process at a regular basis, and there is a limited number of workers that are available to perform these maintenances. The problem of satisfying all customer requests at minimum cost is known to be NP-hard. We propose a solution technique that combines two tabu search procedures with algorithms for the shortest path, the graph coloring and the maximum weighted independent set problems. Tests on benchmark instances used for the ROADEF'99 challenge give evidence that the proposed algorithm outperforms all other existing methods (thirteen competitors took part to this contest).

Citywide Transit Integration in a Large City: The Interligado System of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract: The Interligado System is a large-scale transit modernization plan for the Municipality of Sao Paulo, Brazil, which optimizes bus routes and services through the use of advanced technologies for fare integration, bus fleet renovations, new requirements for the companies delivering transit services, and support infrastructure for buses (e.g., priority and exclusive lanes, bus stops, integration terminals, and user information and control systems). The implementation of the Interligado System represents a significant planning and implementation effort involving 39 private bus providers, cooperatives of 6,000 self-employed van operators, and 13,700 vehicles. Electronic farecards allow passengers to ride a combination of lines within a 2-h period. Integration of municipal bus services was completed in May 2004, and integration with Metro and state buses was completed in 2006. The name "Interligado" is no longer used to brand the transit reform, but the project components not only remain in place but have been...

A multiobjective model for maximizing fleet availability under the presence of flight and maintenance requirements

Abstract: Every aircraft, military or civilian, must be grounded for maintenance after it has completed a certain number of flight hours since its last maintenance check. In this paper, the author addresses the problem of deciding which available aircraft should fly and for how long, and which grounded aircraft should perform maintenance operations, in a group of aircraft that comprise a combat unit. The aim is to achieve maximum availability of the unit over the planning horizon. A multiobjective optimization model is developed for this problem and its application and solution are illustrated by a real life example drawn from the Greek Air Force. Two heuristic approaches are proposed for solving large scale instances of the problem. The paper concludes with a discussion that gives insight into the behavior of the model and of the heuristics, based on analysis of obtained results.

Web information system for transport telematics and fleet management

Abstract: In this paper, a Web information system for fleet management and transport telematics is described. The system is developed based on MOWIS — a service-oriented open software platform for location-based and context-aware mobile and Web applications. Based on MOWIS services such as routing service, directory service, traffic information service and moving object service, as well as real AVL bus tracking data, the Web information system developed possess all functionalities needed for vehicle tracking, fleet control and management available for Web fleet control users.

Ride service outsourcing for profit maximization

Abstract: Transportation service subcontracting is becoming an effective means of business for many leading carriers to maintain their market dominance and profitability. This research is based on an outsourcing practice in one of the few largest limousine fleet companies in the US, whose (mostly advance) demand for services often exceeds its capacity. We develop a model for ride service outsourcing. A column generation method is proposed. The outsourcing decision is made simultaneously with pre-scheduling of in-house ride services as well as staffing. Test with services data indicates that the developed method dramatically improves the carrier’s outsourcing decision.

The Vehicle Routing Problem with Uncertain Demand at Nodes

Abstract: The vehicle routing problem with uncertain demand at nodes is considered. The approximate reasoning algorithm is developed to determine the preference strength to send the vehicle to next node, and the improved sweeping algorithm with vehicle coordinated strategy is originally proposed to determine a set of vehicle routes that minimizes costs. Finally the computational results are presented to show the high effectiveness and performance of the solution approaches.

Turbocharger fleet management system

Abstract: A system of monitoring the performance characteristics of a turbocharged engine and forecasting a performance parameter based on measured data include sensor components for measuring various performance parameters such as pressures and temperatures. The measured data may be received by electronic components that forward the data through networking components to computing components. The data may be stored in a database. Methods for forecasting turbocharger performance and indicating turbocharger malfunctions include retrieving measured data, performing calculations to correct at least a portion of the measured data, retrieving input from a user, performing regression analysis to determine a forecasting model used to forecast future values, and determining a time when the future values reach a user-specified level.

A model, a heuristic and a decision support system to solve the earth observing satellites fleet scheduling problem

Abstract: Creating an observation schedule is an important part of the earth observing satellites fleet management process. Even for a short term schedule already dozens of earth observing requests requiring several satellites have to be scheduled respecting complex constraints involving multidimensional resource capacities as well as request preferences. This paper first presented the earth observing satellites fleet scheduling problem, then formulated a conceptual model and provided a heuristic approach for generating efficient schedules. This paper also outlined the modules of a decision support system managing the disaster and environmental monitoring satellites fleet in China. The system performance shows significant improvements with respect to faster and better scheduling of heterogeneous earth observing satellites.

Fleet management automation using the global positioning system

Abstract: Fleet management is an important topic in research and development nowadays. Companies, security and emergency forces need to keep track of their trucks and cars and know where a vehicle is at a moment in time, and when, where and for how long a vehicle stopped.

Beyond products and services: shifting value generation in the automotive supply chain

Abstract: This paper argues that today's global automotive markets challenge the way that vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers (and their academic observers) conceptualise value creation with complex 'blends' of services and products, an increasingly common basis for revenue generation. It presents two cases from opposite ends of the automotive value chain (a vehicle fleet management service and machine tool manufacturer) as a mechanism for exploring the drivers towards and the underlying nature of the process of 'servitisation'.

Cost-minimizing retrofit/replacement strategies for diesel emissions reduction

Abstract: The cost effectiveness of various emission reduction diesel retrofits is analyzed, as is early vehicle retirement. An integer program is developed to find cost-minimizing cleanup strategies, given reduction goals for various pollutants, as well as technological and budget constraints. Retrofits are assumed to take place in the present, but benefits and costs can be distributed over time. Budget constraints deal with short-term expenditures, while the overall objective is to minimize the net present value of short and long-term costs. The model is intended as a tool both for fleet owners and for government administrators. A case study examines the potential to clean up a diesel school bus fleet.

Design and analysis of delivery ‘pipelines’ in truckload trucking

Abstract: This paper examines a new dispatching alternative for the truckload trucking industry involving the use of delivery ‘pipelines’ with dense flow volumes. Drivers and loads are partitioned into two sets; those that utilize pipelines via a series of ‘dray’ moves and line-hauls, and the remaining set of random over-the-road (OTR) drivers that are dispatched by traditional methods. Alternative methods are presented to determine where delivery pipelines should be located and how they should be operated. The effects of the pipelines on the remaining OTR fleet are also examined. Results indicate that the new dispatching alternative is feasible.