A hybrid genetic approach for container loading in logistics industry

A hybrid genetic approach is proposed for container loading in order to meet the up-to-date customer requirements in the logistics industry. Container loading is usually modeled as a three-dimensional packing problem which is known to be NP-complete. By combining an order-based genetic algorithm with a novel heuristic placement method, the complicated and highly constrained packing problem is transformed into a simple permutation problem with a much smaller searching domain. It is guaranteed that every box is stable after placement inside the container. From the simulation results, it is demonstrated that optimal results can be duly obtained in a reasonably short period of time. © 2005 IEEE.