Driver-Centric Vehicle Routing for Parcel Delivery

Abstract

One issue parcel delivery drivers are facing in their workplace is the limited access to restrooms. Because drivers are constantly pressured to meet the demanding performance standards called work quotas, they have little time to visit restrooms while working, often forcing them to urinate into bottles in the back of their trucks. This paper presents a new vehicle routing approach for parcel deliveries using the driver-centric concept, the aim of which is to improve the drivers' level of comfort at the workplace. We propose a vehicle routing model that allows a driver to stop at either a business customer permitting restroom access or a public restroom every M minutes, where M is the driver-specified parameter indicating the tolerable time between restroom stops. We show that, contrary to what some practitioners believe, our driver-centric approach can give benefits not only to delivery drivers but also to parcel carriers under many practical conditions, thereby providing a win-win solution for both parties. Drivers benefit from using driver-friendly routes that allow them to visit restrooms at their desired intervals, while also increasing the chances of meeting work quotas. Parcel carriers benefit from reduced delivery time and operating costs in each vehicle route.