| Article ID: | iaor20134985 |
| Volume: | 50 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| Start Page Number: | 175 |
| End Page Number: | 185 |
| Publication Date: | Nov 2013 |
| Journal: | INFOR: Information Systems and Operational Research |
| Authors: | Beaudoin Daniel, LeBel Luc, Soussi Mohamed Amine |
| Keywords: | forestry |
Due to seasonal considerations, sawmills build up large inventories in their log yard to ensure continuous operation. Our industrial partner services up to 140 log trucks per day, which translates to yard congestion and long truck wait times. This project looks at the impact of different loader-to-truck allocation strategies on truck cycle time and loaders driving distance, using a discrete event simulation model. It was found that by changing the current loader-to-truck allocation strategy, average truck cycle time and loaders driving distance can be significantly reduced by 14.6% and 18.4% respectively.