Optimal empty vehicle repositioning and fleet-sizing for two-depot service systems

Song, Dong-Ping and Earl, Christopher F. (2008). Optimal empty vehicle repositioning and fleet-sizing for two-depot service systems. European Journal of Operational Research, 185(2) pp. 760–777.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2006.12.034

Abstract

This paper considers the problem of determining optimal control policies for empty vehicle repositioning and fleet-sizing in a two-depot service system with uncertainties in loaded vehicle arrival at depots and repositioning times for empty vehicles in the fleet. The objective is to minimise the sum of the costs incurred by vehicle maintenance, empty vehicle repositioning and vehicle leasing. A novel integrated model is presented. The optimal empty repositioning policy for a particular fleet size is shown to be of the threshold control type. The explicit form of the cost function under such threshold controls is obtained. The optimal threshold values and fleet-size are then derived. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the results.

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About

• Item ORO ID
• 7404
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 0377-2217
• Project Funding Details

• Funded Project Name	Project ID	Funding Body
  Not Set	Not Set	EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)

• Keywords
• transportation; dynamic programming; stochastic; empty repositioning; fleet-sizing
• Academic Unit or School
• Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Engineering and Innovation
  Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Research Group
• Innovation, Knowledge & Development research centre (IKD)
  Design and Innovation
• Copyright Holders
• © 2007 Elsevier B.V.
• Depositing User
• Christopher Earl