What is load planning?
What is load planning software in transport management; how to optimize your logistics ? How to optimize container load planning? Reduce time and transportation costs with load optimization and 3D packing visualization for boxes with different dimensions into trucks with containers having different dimensions.
Challenges in deploying container loading planning software
- Which type of Container is used to load (Closed, Flat Deck, and Reefer, etc.?)
- What is the internal dimension of the container (e.g.: Standard 20 ft., 40 ft., Van)
- How to pick a box to load
- How many boxes can be loaded into the container?
- What is the maximum capacity of the truck?
- What is the front wheel and rear wheel maximum capacity of the truck?
- How to separate Incompatible cargoes?
- How to distribute weights across the container?
- How to avoid overloading? How to avoid underloading?
- How to arrange the loads to ensure that it is easy to unload?
- How to take into consideration containers with different temperatures (cold chain) and the cargoes demanding temperature constraints?
- Which optimization tool or algorithm can be used for load-planning solutions?
- How to keep the delivery sequence in the arrangement without losing optimal utilization of the container space and weight constraints
- How to prioritize the boxes according to the value (Place fragile or high-value items in a way that minimizes the risk of damage, often on top or in positions)
What is Load planning ? optimise your logistics
- Type of Container (List the type of containers used: 20ft, 40ft, High Cube, Dry Van, etc.)
- Truck container dimensions (inside dimensions: length x width x height), max. weight capacity temperature details (if any,)
- Maximum capacity on the front wheel and on the rear wheel to optimize load planning
- List of boxes (length, width, height, quantity, weight, temperature requirements (if any))
- Product value in each box and product priorities
- Commodity & Commodity compatibility details
- Delivery priority and sequence Data Validation
- Check for missing or incorrect input data
- Ensure each box’s dimensions fit within the container
- Verify Commodity compatibility
- Check temperature requirement specifications
- Validate delivery priority assignment and apply packing algorithm
- Implement our packing algorithm (Genetic / Bin packing algorithm) to arrange boxes in the container
- Consider constraints like maximum capacity on front and rear wheels, factor in commodity compatibility and temperature constraints
- Prioritize placement based on delivery sequence
- Determine how to distribute weight between the front and rear wheel
- Adjust box placement to balance the weigh
- Check commodity compatibility and ensure incompatible commodities are not placed together and rearranged if necessary
- Verify the temperature-sensitive boxes are placed in the appropriate areas
- Adjust placement to maintain required temperatures in container load planning
- Check delivery priority placement: Ensure that boxes with higher delivery priority values are placed near the door side. Reorganize if necessary
- Check weight distribution and ensure the weight is balanced according to the front and rear wheel capacities. If unbalanced, rearrange the packing and optimize packing solution
- Refine the packing arrangements to maximize space utilization and maintain weight balance. Recalculate if necessary
- Determine packed boxes and remaining boxes and the packing position dimension and generate Load Plan
- Generate a load plan with the placement of each box
- Include weight distribution, dimensions, commodity compatibility, temperature zones, and delivery priorities
- Include the details of the remaining boxes with Visualization:
- Visualize packing arrangement within the container and Provide the load plan to the user
Ripples-FMS what is load planning software ? Optimize your logistics. We can implement an independent solution to optimize load planning or the container load planning software can be integrated with the existing transport management system or any other software solutions on demand.
