A robust rolling horizon framework for empty repositioning

Ilke Bakir*, Alan Erera, Martin Savelsbergh

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
67 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Naturally imbalanced freight flows force transportation service providers to reposition empty resources. When constructing empty repositioning plans, the cost of repositioning empty resources needs to be weighed against the cost of corrective actions in case of unavailable resources. This is especially challenging given the uncertainty of future demand. We design and implement a robust rolling horizon framework for constructing effective empty repositioning plans. An extensive computational study demonstrates the benefits of explicitly accounting for uncertainty in future demand by using robust optimization, and pragmatically controlling the level of conservatism in hedging against this uncertainty. We also investigate practical strategies for reducing the complexity of managing the repositioning of empty resources in transportation service networks covering huge geographic areas.

Original languageEnglish
Article number103903
Number of pages22
JournalTransportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies
Volume144
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov-2022

Keywords

  • Empty repositioning
  • Robust optimization
  • Sharing group policies
  • Time-expanded networks

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