Microsimulation-Based Collaboration Model for Urban Freight Transport

Gomez-Marin, Cristian Giovanny; Serna-Uran, Conrado Augusto; Arango-Serna, Martin Dario; Comi, Antonio · 2020 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3028564

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Summary

This paper addresses the challenge of optimizing Urban Freight Transport (UFT) by developing a microsimulation-based collaboration model. The research is motivated by the need to improve city sustainability and liveability through the coordination of logistics operators, which can reduce vehicle counts and traffic impacts. Existing models often fail to capture the dynamic interplay between freight demand, supply, and information flows, typically relying on static approaches or modeling collaboration and mobility separately. The authors aim to create a framework that supports ex-ante assessment of delivery scenarios, allowing decision-makers to evaluate the impacts of decentralized collaboration and dynamic information sharing before implementation. The methodology involves a two-layer microsimulation framework implemented using the JAS-mine agent-based platform. The first layer consolidates static data from road networks, customers, and suppliers. The second layer simulates the dynamic operational context by generating events that represent micro-changes in demand (e.g., new orders, cancellations, quantity changes) and supply (e.g., variations in service times, travel times, and traffic congestion). The model emulates decentralized collaboration where stakeholders share real-time information. It uses metaheuristics to recalculate vehicle routes dynamically in response to these events. The framework was tested using real-world data from Medellín, Colombia, involving a logistics network with an Urban Consolidation Centre (UCC), multiple suppliers, and retailers. The study found that the proposed model effectively simulates the complex interactions between stakeholders and the urban environment. By integrating dynamic variables such as customer demand fluctuations and traffic-induced travel time variations, the model demonstrated the ability to update routing plans in real-time. The results from the Medellín test case showed satisfactory performance, highlighting the benefits of using such a modeling framework to support decision-making policies. The simulation successfully captured how decentralized information sharing allows the system to react to operational changes, thereby maintaining service levels and optimizing logistics flows. The significance of this work lies in its contribution to the field of city logistics by providing a tool that explicitly models the interplay between goods movements and information flow. Unlike traditional static models, this framework accounts for the dynamism of both demand and supply, offering a more realistic representation of urban freight operations. The findings suggest that collaborative measures supported by microsimulation can help stakeholders achieve operational efficiency, reduce distribution costs, and mitigate negative externalities like congestion. This approach provides a robust method for evaluating innovative delivery strategies and their potential impacts on urban sustainability.

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• last mile delivery