Using intermediate infeasible solutions to approach vehicle routing problems with precedence and loading constraints

Logistics and transportation issues have been receiving increasing attention during the last decades and their requirements have gradually changed, making it necessary to take into account new situations and conditions. The Double Traveling Salesman Problem with Multiple Stacks (DTSPMS) is a pickup and delivery problem in which some additional precedence and loading constraints are imposed on the vehicle to be used. In this paper we approach the problem using intermediate infeasible solutions to diversify the search process and we develop some fixing procedures and infeasibility measures to deal with this kind of solutions and take advantage of their potential. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.