Multi-zone dispatching in truckload trucking

This paper examines the use of multi-zone dispatching alternatives in truckload trucking using simulation methods and historical freight data of continental scale supplied by J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. After introducing the concept of zone dispatching, several alternative operational configurations are presented. Simulation results indicate that multi-zone dispatching works best when zone boundaries are configured to minimize, to the extent possible, the freight imbalance between the zones. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.