Most vehicle routing problems are solved with a distance minimization objective, subject to side constraints, without any consideration for vehicle scheduling. Yet, there are many practical situations where scheduling plays an important role and cannot be dissociated from the routing decisions. In this talk I will describe five routing problems on which I have worked over the past few years, together with a variety of colleagues and students, and in which scheduling plays a crucial role.
These problems arise in
1) pickup and delivery operations, including dial-a-ride problems
2) ship routing and scheduling
3) green vehicle routing
4) long-haul vehicle routing with driver working rules
5) synchronized arc routing for snow ploughing
The talk will be centered on problem descriptions and insights, as opposed to algorithms.