2.

Drone shipping versus truck delivery in a cross-docking system with multiple fleets and products

Tavana, M., Khalili-Damghani, K., Santos-Arteaga, F. J., & Zandi, M. H. (2017). Drone shipping versus truck delivery in a cross-docking system with multiple fleets and products. Expert Systems with Applications, 72, 93-107. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095741741630687X

Summary

This paper looks at the advantages of a cross-docking inventory management system during the emergence of drones as a transportation alternative. A cross-docking system is a system where incoming materials are directly loaded on the next vehicle, with virtually no storage in-between. Advantages of using drones for the last-mile reduction are reduced uncertainty due to variable traffic, and less pollution. The paper provides a model for the delivery of packages using trucks and drones, while making use of cross-docking.