Dynamic matching algorithms for Internet-based logistics brokerage agents

In this paper, we present a dynamic matching methodology for the logistics brokerage agent that intermediates empty vehicles and freights registered to the logistics e-marketplace by car owners and shippers. In this matching methodology, two types of decisions should be made: one is when to match freights and vehicles and the other is how to match freights and vehicles at that time. We propose three strategies for deciding when to match, i.e. real time matching (RTM), periodic matching (PM), and fixed matching (FM) and use Hungarian method for solving the how-to-match problem. In order to compare the performance of the when-to-match strategies, computational experiments are done and the results show that the waiting-and-matching strategies, PM and FM, give better performance than real time matching strategy, RTM. We can expect that the suggested matching methodology may be used as an efficient and effective tool for the brokerage agent in the logistics e-marketplaces.