Performance Assessment of a Freight Network with Stochastic Capacities

Xiu-Zhen Xu, Yi-Feng Niu and Qing Li

Complexity, 2018, vol. 2018, 1-9

Abstract:

This paper focuses on performance assessment of a freight network with stochastic capacities by using reliability analysis, in which a node denotes a supplier, a transfer center, a distribution center, or a market, while an arc denotes a logistics service provider offering the freight traffic service for a pair of nodes. Due to some uncertainties in real environment (for example, a proportion of vehicles owned by the provider may be reserved by other customers), the available capacity of the provider along each arc is stochastic. Thus, network reliability that at least units of commodity demand can be successfully delivered from the source to the destination denotes the operational performance of such a freight network. A -minimal path–based method is developed to evaluate the freight network reliability. To advance the efficiency of solving -minimal paths, an improved model is established by redefining capacity bounds of arcs and minimal paths. Furthermore, a new concept of expected capacity grounded on network reliability is presented to measure the service performance of the freight network. A practical case related to the coal delivery network is studied to demonstrate the implications of both network reliability and expected capacity.

Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hin:complx:9142542

DOI: 10.1155/2018/9142542

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