The multiple vehicle routing problem with simultaneous delivery and pick-up points

Traditionally, the vehicle routing problem is thought of as a pure delivery or pickup problem. In many practical situations, however, the vehicle is often required to simultaneously drop off and pick up goods at the same stop. This paper first recognizes the possibility of simultaneous deliveries and pickups at the same node. Hence, the main objective of this paper is to develop a model and a solution procedure efficient enough to handle such real-world variants. To illustrate and demonstrate the real-world applicability of the suggested model and solution procedure, we have described and conducted a case study dealing with a public library distribution system in Franklin County, Ohio. The final result of the case study indicates that substantial time/distance savings can be achieved by using the proposed model and solution procedure.