Mathematical programming model for the problem of allocation of heterogeneous loads via road transport

This paper addresses the heterogeneous cargo allocation problem focused on optimization distribuition of itens in vehicles with different capacities. A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model is presented with the objective of minimizing transportation costs subject to vehicle capacity and minimum load constraints. Computational experiments were conducted using the Gurobi solver applied to artificial instances with different dimensions and complexity levels, considering a time limit of 60 minutes. The results show that it was possible to obtain the optimal solution for smaller instances, as well as for some larger ones with lower complexity. These particularities in results demonstrate a gap for future research on strategies for model improvement, These findings highlight opportunities for future research by applying alternative exact solution methods or developing heuristic approaches, aligned with the requirements and constraints of real-world decision-making scenarios.