Design of Regular Intercity Driver Routes for the LTL Motor Carrier Industry

The load plan of a LTL motor carrier determines the services it operates and the frequencies it offers. To satisfy the stable part of the demand for transportation, regular driver routes have to be built. These routes must cover the planned services and abide by the laws, regulations and conventions that regulate the drivers' workload, while guaranteeing the timely delivery of goods at the destination terminal. The objective is to minimize costs and to ensure an efficient fleet utilization. We describe the problem, examine its characteristics, and propose a modeling and algorithmic approach based on set covering ideas. Results of an actual application are also presented.