New constructions heuristics to solve the vehicle routing problem with time windows. New software and methodology.

Abstract

[Abstract] In this paper we present an analysis of the traditional tour construction heuristics for the vehicle routing problem, providing new construction techniques that outperform some of the traditional methods for the benchmark problems. A wide description of the traditional methods is presented compared to the new constructional procedures developed in the framework of this research, and based on a new combination of the addition and insertion procedures. All methods are tested on Solomon's 56 benchmark problems, for which the method developed provides better results for problems.