Application of Metaheuristic Algorithms to Solve the Multi-Trip Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows: A Case Study from the Thai Transport Sector

The paper titled “Application of Metaheuristics for Multi-Trip Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Window” was published in the journal Production Engineering Archives, 2024, Volume 30, Issue 3, pages 303–313, which is indexed in the Scopus database (Quartile 2).

This research addresses the delivery routing challenges of a transport company in Phuket, Thailand, aiming to minimize total transportation costs. These costs include fixed vehicle rental fees and variable costs based on travel distance, fuel prices, and fuel consumption. The problem becomes particularly complex when customer demand surpasses vehicle capacity (both by weight and volume) and deliveries must be completed within strict time windows.

The study classifies this as a Multi-Trip Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Window (MTCVRPTW), an NP-hard problem. To solve it efficiently, the authors apply two metaheuristic algorithms: Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Differential Evolution (DE). Numerical experiments demonstrate that the DE algorithm delivers superior solution quality compared to both PSO and the company’s current routing practices, offering valuable insights for improving delivery operations.