C. H. Robinson Uses Heuristics to Solve Rich Vehicle Routing Problems

Abstract

We consider a broad family of vehicle routing problem variants with many complex and practical constraints, known as rich vehicle routing problems, which are faced on a daily basis by C.H. Robinson (CHR). Because CHR has many customers, each with distinct requirements, various routing problems with different objectives and constraints must be solved. We propose a novel framework for solving rich vehicle routing problems, which we demonstrate is effective in solving a variety of different problems. This framework, along with a simple user interface, has been wrapped into a new module and integrated into the company’s transportation planning and execution technology platform. Since its implementation, this new module has outperformed the previously used third-party technologies at CHR, significantly reduced setup times, and improved users’ productivity as well as customer outcomes.