> The system organizes the deliveries into an efficient route that favors right turns.
Yes, I just wonder how much less efficient "the most efficient route with only right turns" is than the true optimal route. Based on my limited experience with optimal TSP problems, I bet they're fairly close.
I'm imagining a route which gives each driver a chunk of several blocks, then has them hit all locations within the chunk with a right-hand spiral inwards... But I'd love to see the actual routes.
According to the article, the system doesn't really plot an only-right-turns route, it's more like an 80%-right-turns route. But the fact that the software knows enough to know that left turns are worth avoiding is a pretty good piece of work.
Yeah, I doubt it would make a difference at all with a small fleet. The point is that UPS has TONS of vehicles on the road every single day, so shaving a fraction of the costs related to each becomes substantial across the company.
Yes, I just wonder how much less efficient "the most efficient route with only right turns" is than the true optimal route. Based on my limited experience with optimal TSP problems, I bet they're fairly close.
I'm imagining a route which gives each driver a chunk of several blocks, then has them hit all locations within the chunk with a right-hand spiral inwards... But I'd love to see the actual routes.