Loading Method and Routing Optimizations of Fresh Products on Multi-Temperature Joint Distribution With Limited Flexible-Size Compartments

The value of fresh agricultural products decreases over time. For customers, timely delivery of products is essential and both freshness and quality are their top priorities. In this paper, a multi-temperature joint distribution problem for fresh agricultural products is studied under a setting where each compartment has a flexible range with defined upper and lower bounds. To characterize the relationship between different loading methods and routing, two realistic optimization models are constructed that can be distinguished into loading-related and routing-related models, simultaneously considering time window and split distribution. Carriers can plan the distribution based on current vehicle availability and estimated cost. To solve the optimization problem, an improved simulated annealing algorithm is designed that reduces the distribution cost and enhances the loading capacity. Numerical experiments are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The results indicate that different loading and distribution strategies significantly influence the distribution efficiency.