Semi-Trailer Swap Transport Applied in Large-Scale Manufacturing Enterprises

In order to cut down the transportation cost in large-scale manufacturing enterprises, an improved method of semi-trailer swap transport among loading and unloading points was proposed. Firstly, a mixed integer programming model to get the shortest length of the tractor was set up. Secondly, the algorithm has been designed to solve the model. Thirdly, an example is given to transport the goods by semi-trailer swap transport in a large-scale manufacturing enterprise. Computational results indicate that semi-trailer swap transport not only can decrease the number of vehicles and drivers, but also can reduce the total distance traveled.