Reducing trucks on the road through optimal route scheduling and shared log transport services

A concern for public safety on the roads, cost pressures from global competition and a need to find more energy efficient forestry practices are driving forest companies to develop new transport management systems and novel approaches to using truck resources. A 0/1 integer linear programming truck route-scheduling model was developed and tested in two-medium-sized New Zealand forest companies. One company indicated that truck fleet size could be reduced by 25 to 30%. The other company indicated that a reduction in fleet size of 50% was possible. Substantial cost savings were also identified. In practice, it is expected that the reductions in fleet size and cost savings would not be quite as large as those indicated because of a number of simplifying assumptions included in the models. Results and solution times would be suitable for using the model as a tactical planning tool for small to medium sized problems. It would not be suitable as an aid for dispatching log trucks or for use with large and complex transport operations.