This paper deals with the dynamic (multi-period) vehicle allocation problem (DVAP) in the road transportation of full loads between terminals. The DVAP belongs to a class of problems dealing with multi-period resource allocation and consists of defining the "movements" of a fleet of vehicles that transport goods between terminals with a wide geographical distribution and which interact among themselves. These movements may be of fully-laden vehicles, unladen for repositioning, or held at a terminal to meet future demands. Emphasis is given on the characterization of the problem in real situations, mathematical modeling of the problem, and the use of exact and heuristic methods to solve the problem, including the GRASP heuristic. Results based on a case study of a transportation company are presented and analyzed, showing that the approach can be effective in supporting practical decisions.
Dynamic vehicle allocation; Multi-period optimization; Freight transportation; GRASP heuristic
