As part of the development, a proof of concept (PoC) was carried out using real data from transport companies, which demonstrated concrete optimization and savings potential in scheduling. In the specific test, 30 heavy trucks were scheduled with time slots and several delivery points in the main route throughout Germany. The tours calculated by the Auto Dispatcher were compared with the manually implemented plans.
For the complex initial tours at the start of the day, the system can deliver a finished scheduling with just one click of the mouse and in less than 30 minutes. These contain detailed tour plans including cost calculations, tolls, arrival times and profit estimates for all vehicles, which can be exported directly to navigation devices.
The result of the comparison showed that the transport company had saved 25 percent in costs and delivered 35 percent faster. At the same time, the planning effort was reduced by three to five hours. For a fleet of 30 trucks, this means monthly savings of EUR 2,400 per vehicle and EUR 850,000 for the entire company per year.
Even greater savings should be possible with the Swarm Logistics solution in much more complex use cases. For example, distribution traffic or parcel deliveries with heterogeneous vehicle structures come into question. Here, the manufacturer expects savings of up to 45 percent, which are to be proven in further tests.
The technological basis for self-organizing logistics was also tested. Due to the evaluation of the freight by each individual vehicle, the system enables autonomous coordination between vehicles that can also compete with each other. Swarm Logistics has created an integrated system that combines the control and planning levels for logistics companies. The solution offers a complementary technology for autonomous commercial vehicles for autonomous delivery.
The desired vision of swarm logistics as part of the machine economy, in which vehicles accept freight orders completely autonomously from digital freight exchanges, redistribute them again in cross-fleet encounters and thus coordinate themselves completely autonomously, is therefore not far away.
The proof of concept can be seen as a great success and an important milestone. The first users of the ArealPilot 360° PowerTMS and the Arealcontrol PlanBoard will soon be able to carry out scheduling automatically within minutes.
The original press release can be found here at: www.logpr.de
