The encyclopedia · Engineering & Operations · Operational decision · 2010–2016
Sweden's forestry trucks routed by safety, cost and road rules, not distance
Sweden's forest industry routed timber trucks by distance, road width, curvature, gradient and safety — not just the shortest path.
Swedish forestry industry (SDC / Skogforsk)
the move
Forestry trucks in Sweden must choose a route from a forest landing to a mill, but the shortest path can run down roads too narrow, curved or steep for a loaded timber truck, or that road authorities and residents restrict.
The Forestry Research Institute and partners built Krönt Vägval, a calibrated route-finder that scores each candidate route on distance, road width, curvature, gradient and traffic safety, and selects the overall best.
The tool, owned and run by SDC, was recognized with the 2016 INFORMS Daniel H. Wagner Prize for a real application built on a strong mathematical foundation.
why it works
- Shortest distance ignores roads that are unsafe or unsuitable for heavy trucks
- Scoring route quality lets the model trade cost against safety and environment
- Calibration makes the tool usable across many forest-to-mill journeys
- Industry ownership through SDC turned an algorithm into everyday planning
what transfers
For fleets on shared roads the shortest route is rarely the best; score route quality on the constraints that matter and let the model trade them off.
what came after
Krönt Vägval is in everyday use across the Swedish forestry industry and won the 2016 INFORMS Daniel H. Wagner Prize for Excellence in Operations Research Practice.
references
- Internationellt pris för arbetet med Krönt vägval
- Introduction: 2016 Daniel H. Wagner Prize for Excellence in Operations Research Practice
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