The Size and Composition of a Road Transport Fleet

Abstract

The paper starts with a discussion of the simple fleet size problem. It is shown that this simple problem can be formulated as a linear program.

The second part of the paper consists of an actual case study. The fleet concerned is faced with highly seasonal demand which can be met by the firm's own vehicles or by outside hire. There are two types of vehicle, both of which are available in six different sizes. Linear programming was used to find the optimum size and composition of the company fleet. The results, which were substantially implemented, recommended a smaller company fleet and concentration on larger and more flexible vehicles.