PRINCIPLES OF SMALL - SCALE ROAD TRANSPORTATION ROUTING

Abstract

Abstract. The article critically analyses the approach to the routing of small-scale road transportation, known as the "Clark and Wright method". Small-scale automobile transportation is a very special phenomenon: such transportation employs 1/2 of the available rolling stock; however, the volume of transportation may reach only 1/50 of the total volume. Despite this, such transportation is necessary and always profitable. Nevertheless, the efficiency of transportation depends significantly on the quality of their routing. The Clark and Wright method in its classic version is based on the principle of folding pendulum routes into circular pick-up and drop-off ones with minimisation of car mileage and more rational use of its load. Instead, the research proves that such an approach to routing is accompanied by uncontrolled growth of transport work without any real profit. The vehicle takes over the functions of a warehouse that are not characteristic of it (it becomes a warehouse on wheels). This is generally a rather expensive and poorly motivated operation. Therefore, the increase in transport work is a kind of penalty for the situation where the car takes on functions not inherent to it.
The analysed Clark and Wright method distorts largely the meaning of the concept "perfect plan of small-scale transportation". Minimising the mileage of the vehicle seemingly reduces the time of transportation. Time is the most valuable resource in the life of a person and society. However, increasing the load on the vehicle and the road infrastructure intensifies their wear and tear. Restoring transport conditions requires other resources, which must be also time-consuming. However, this fact was not taken into account from the very beginning. Obviously, instead of mileage, one can operate with other types of "tariff/price/profit". But then, the problem arises, how to objectively determine the tariff/price/profit.
The Clark and Wright method is perceived quite naturally when we speak about "delivering services" - a home appliance repair worker, for example, plans a tour (closed tour) in order, for a certain reward, to deliver his intelligence, knowledge, skills (together with the instruments and small spare parts in a suitcase) rationally. His philosophy should also be followed by a travelling salesman, intending, for example, to distribute jewellery (which weight is no more than, say, an ounce).