Robert Gardner Runs a Small, Local-Only Delivery Service

question 15

Essay

Robert Gardner runs a small, local-only delivery service. His fleet consists of three smaller panel trucks. He recently accepted a contract to deliver 12 shipping boxes of goods for delivery to 12 different customers. The box weights are: 210, 160, 320, 90, 110, 70, 410, 260, 170, 240, 80 and 180 for boxes 1 through 12, respectively. Since each truck differs each truck has different load capacities as given below: Robert would like each truck equally loaded, both in terms of number of boxes and in terms of total weight, while minimizing his shipping costs. Assume a cost of $50 per item for trucks carrying extra boxes and $0.10 per pound cost for trucks carrying less weight.
Formulate the integer goal programming problem for Robert. (Hint: objective function involves decision and deviation variables.)

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Definitions:

Imperfectly Monitored

A condition where the actions or performances are not fully observed or regulated, often leading to incomplete information or enforcement.

Agent

An agent in economics is an individual or entity that makes decisions impacting the allocation of resources or engagements in economic transactions.

Undesirable Behavior

Actions or patterns of action viewed as negative by society and often lead to social or legal penalties.

Economic Experiments

Controlled trials or simulations conducted to test economic theories or to study the effects of economic policy changes.