A set covering approach for routing and crew scheduling of LTL motor carrier transportation

The load plan of a LTL motor carrier determines the services it operates and the frequencies it offers. To satisfy the stable part of the demand for transportation, regular driver routes have to be built. These routes have to cover the planned services and to abide by the laws, regulations and conventions that regulate the driver’s workload, while guaranteeing the timely delivery of goods at the destination terminal. The objective is to minimize costs and to ensure an efficient fleet utilization. The authors examine the problem characteristics and propose a modeling and algorithmic approach, based on set covering ideas. Results of an actual application are also presented.