A concise guide to existing and emerging vehicle routing problem variants
This is an incremental survey article for researchers and practitioners in operations research and logistics.
The paper provides a concise overview of existing and emerging vehicle routing problem variants, organizing them within a structured framework based on objectives, integration with other decisions, and aspects of modern supply chains, without presenting new results or numbers.
Vehicle routing problems have been the focus of extensive research over the past sixty years, driven by their economic importance and their theoretical interest. The diversity of applications has motivated the study of a myriad of problem variants with different attributes. In this article, we provide a concise overview of existing and emerging problem variants. Models are typically refined along three lines: considering more relevant objectives and performance metrics, integrating vehicle routing evaluations with other tactical decisions, and capturing fine-grained yet essential aspects of modern supply chains. We organize the main problem attributes within this structured framework. We discuss recent research directions and pinpoint current shortcomings, recent successes, and emerging challenges.