Time Window Characteristics in a Heuristic Algorithm for a Full-Truck Vehicle Routing Heuristic Algorithm in An Intermodal Context

Intermodal container terminals handle both the pickup and delivery of containers to and from customers, with these transport activities and terminal handling comprising a significant portion of intermodal transport costs. Efficient operations are therefore essential, particularly when time window c...

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Main Authors: Wisute Ongcunaruk, Pornthipa Ongkunaruk, Gerrit Janssens
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitas Andalas 2025-06-01
Series:Jurnal Optimasi Sistem Industri
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Online Access:https://josi.ft.unand.ac.id/index.php/josi/article/view/381
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author Wisute Ongcunaruk
Pornthipa Ongkunaruk
Gerrit Janssens
author_facet Wisute Ongcunaruk
Pornthipa Ongkunaruk
Gerrit Janssens
author_sort Wisute Ongcunaruk
collection DOAJ
description Intermodal container terminals handle both the pickup and delivery of containers to and from customers, with these transport activities and terminal handling comprising a significant portion of intermodal transport costs. Efficient operations are therefore essential, particularly when time window constraints limit routing flexibility. This study presents a metaheuristic incorporating time windows to plan container pickups and deliveries. The proposed algorithm operates in three phases: initial solution construction using an insertion heuristic, improvement via local search, and further refinement through a deterministic annealing metaheuristic. The presence of time windows makes the planning more difficult, as the transport company has less flexibility in constructing the transport routes and, as a result, the distance travelled and/or the cost is increased. To assess how time window characteristics affect algorithm performance and cost, the study introduces two temporal descriptors—concentration (the clustering of time windows during the day) and specialization (the dominance of short or long-time windows in specific periods). The results of the experimental runs of the algorithm are statistically analysed to identify under which conditions of concentration and specialization an effect on the cost can be identified. Experimental results reveal that increased concentration leads to a rise in both the number of routes (up to 35%) and total cost (around 2%). While concentration results in more routes, these routes remain relatively cost-efficient. Furthermore, a lack of specialization in concentrated time windows amplifies both the number of routes and the total cost. Finally, the length of time windows influences these effects, with shorter time windows having a reduced impact on concentration and specialization outcomes compared to longer ones.
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spelling doaj-art-9021ebcf7e3d4dcbac6f2769c86f14d62025-06-30T16:40:02ZengUniversitas AndalasJurnal Optimasi Sistem Industri2088-48422442-87952025-06-0124110.25077/josi.v24.n1.p18-36.2025Time Window Characteristics in a Heuristic Algorithm for a Full-Truck Vehicle Routing Heuristic Algorithm in An Intermodal ContextWisute Ongcunaruk0Pornthipa Ongkunaruk1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2903-4397Gerrit Janssens 2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9857-5130King Mongkut’s University of Technology North BangkokKasetsart UniversityHasselt University Intermodal container terminals handle both the pickup and delivery of containers to and from customers, with these transport activities and terminal handling comprising a significant portion of intermodal transport costs. Efficient operations are therefore essential, particularly when time window constraints limit routing flexibility. This study presents a metaheuristic incorporating time windows to plan container pickups and deliveries. The proposed algorithm operates in three phases: initial solution construction using an insertion heuristic, improvement via local search, and further refinement through a deterministic annealing metaheuristic. The presence of time windows makes the planning more difficult, as the transport company has less flexibility in constructing the transport routes and, as a result, the distance travelled and/or the cost is increased. To assess how time window characteristics affect algorithm performance and cost, the study introduces two temporal descriptors—concentration (the clustering of time windows during the day) and specialization (the dominance of short or long-time windows in specific periods). The results of the experimental runs of the algorithm are statistically analysed to identify under which conditions of concentration and specialization an effect on the cost can be identified. Experimental results reveal that increased concentration leads to a rise in both the number of routes (up to 35%) and total cost (around 2%). While concentration results in more routes, these routes remain relatively cost-efficient. Furthermore, a lack of specialization in concentrated time windows amplifies both the number of routes and the total cost. Finally, the length of time windows influences these effects, with shorter time windows having a reduced impact on concentration and specialization outcomes compared to longer ones. https://josi.ft.unand.ac.id/index.php/josi/article/view/381deterministic annealingtime windowsintermodal transportconcentration and specializationmetaheuristics
spellingShingle Wisute Ongcunaruk
Pornthipa Ongkunaruk
Gerrit Janssens
Time Window Characteristics in a Heuristic Algorithm for a Full-Truck Vehicle Routing Heuristic Algorithm in An Intermodal Context
Jurnal Optimasi Sistem Industri
deterministic annealing
time windows
intermodal transport
concentration and specialization
metaheuristics
title Time Window Characteristics in a Heuristic Algorithm for a Full-Truck Vehicle Routing Heuristic Algorithm in An Intermodal Context
title_full Time Window Characteristics in a Heuristic Algorithm for a Full-Truck Vehicle Routing Heuristic Algorithm in An Intermodal Context
title_fullStr Time Window Characteristics in a Heuristic Algorithm for a Full-Truck Vehicle Routing Heuristic Algorithm in An Intermodal Context
title_full_unstemmed Time Window Characteristics in a Heuristic Algorithm for a Full-Truck Vehicle Routing Heuristic Algorithm in An Intermodal Context
title_short Time Window Characteristics in a Heuristic Algorithm for a Full-Truck Vehicle Routing Heuristic Algorithm in An Intermodal Context
title_sort time window characteristics in a heuristic algorithm for a full truck vehicle routing heuristic algorithm in an intermodal context
topic deterministic annealing
time windows
intermodal transport
concentration and specialization
metaheuristics
url https://josi.ft.unand.ac.id/index.php/josi/article/view/381
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AT pornthipaongkunaruk timewindowcharacteristicsinaheuristicalgorithmforafulltruckvehicleroutingheuristicalgorithminanintermodalcontext
AT gerritjanssens timewindowcharacteristicsinaheuristicalgorithmforafulltruckvehicleroutingheuristicalgorithminanintermodalcontext