Optimization of Operational Planning for Freight Road Transport Taking into Account the Specifics of Small Batch Delivery

Abstract

The article investigates methods for managing the operational planning of freight road transport with a special focus on organizing the delivery of small cargo batches based on logistics principles. General challenges of operational planning, such as market dynamics and condition uncertainty, as well as specific problems of small batch transportation (low utilization, empty runs, complexity of routing numerous points), are analyzed. Classical and modern planning methods (exact, heuristic, metaheuristic, simulation, AI methods) are reviewed and compared based on criteria of solution quality, computational speed, and flexibility. A structural model of a consolidation network for small batches and a mathematical model for route optimization, considering costs, time, load factors, and time windows, are proposed. A heuristic algorithm for the practical implementation of the model, including order classification, batch consolidation, and routing methods (Clarke-Wright, 2-opt), is considered. The possibilities of integrating planning methods with modern IT (GPS, TMS) are analyzed. An example calculation and an assessment of the economic efficiency of the proposed approach for a regional network are provided. Recommendations are given for selecting methods and implementing logistics principles to improve the efficiency of operational transportation planning, especially for small batches, in the context of Ukraine.

Keywords: operational planning, freight road transport, small cargo batches, consolidation, logistics, management methods, route optimization, mathematical model, efficiency, TMS.