Mathematical modeling and heuristic solutions for container loading and routing problem: A case study in a cable manufacturing company

Optimizing product placement within the container is one of the most effective ways to reduce transportation costs. Products should be arranged in the most appropriate way based on product type, customer group and product sensitivities. In this study, we addressed the problem of loading three-dimensional products into containers, organising them according to customer orders, and routing the containers. We developed a mathematical model to represent these challenges and proposed a heuristic algorithm specifically designed for threedimensional container loading. The proposed decision support system was applied to a real-world scenario and tested at a cable manufacturing company (Has & ccedil;elik Cable Co. Inc.), and the results are presented. This study also contributes to the green transformation by increasing transport efficiency and reducing unnecessary fuel consumption, thereby helping to minimize environmental impact.