Multi-Agent Approach to Freight Transportation
Using Pooling Technology
V. A. Demin
Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State
Technical University (MADI)
Moscow, Russia
2021 Systems of Signals Generating and Processing in the Field of on Board Communications | 978-1-6654-1548-4/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/IEEECONF51389.2021.9416077
logist3@yandex.ru
D. V. Blinov
Technical director LogistiX
Moscow, Russia
dblinov@me.com
V. R. Rogov
Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Technical University (MADI)
Moscow, Russia
Abstract— This article discusses the problems of delivery of
small consignments from manufacturers. The problems of
flexibility of a modern logistics system, which must be constantly
adjusted for high-quality and efficient satisfaction of consumer
demand, are considered. The article discusses the impact of
delivery by half-empty vehicles on the cost of the final product.
The authors consider the possibility of increasing the efficiency of
the transport process by means of using terminal warehouse
complexes and determine their place and role in the technological
scheme of the transport cycle for the delivery of goods by road.
The article discusses the use of pooling technology in
transportation, as well as the prospects of this system in Russia.
The authors consider the possibility of using a multi-agent
approach to solving problems that arise when using pooling
technology. The efficiency of the pooling technology will be
achieved through the creation of intelligent agents that can
quickly plan and reschedule the allocation of resources in
accordance with dynamically changing conditions. They also
single out autonomous agents in the future system and establish
connections between their interactions. Agents can interact with
each other, exchanging messages, analyze received messages,
make decisions in conditions of uncertainty and lack of
information. One of the features of an agent is its ability to learn,
based on the use of knowledge bases in a certain field of activity,
containing decision-making models, optimization, analysis
algorithms, learning.
Keywords— pooling, multi-agent approach, transport,
suppliers, full load
I. INTRODUCTION
One of the trends in logistics in recent years is pooling
technology. This technology is a groupage delivery of goods
directly to the client's warehouse using a transport company.
978-0-7381-3089-7/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE
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D. B. Efimenko
Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State
Technical University (MADI)
Moscow, Russia
ed2002@mail.ru
D. A. Komkova
Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State
Technical University (MADI)
Moscow, Russia
daryia22@mail.ru
Groupage delivery has existed in the logistics market for
many years. It is beneficial for sending consignments that are
not enough to fill the car.
The groupage delivery plan is as follows: the cargo from
the client's warehouse is delivered to the consolidation
warehouse (as a rule, this is the warehouse of the logistics
operator that performs the groupage delivery). After
"combining" with the goods of other suppliers, it is sent to the
regional warehouse, from where, in turn, it is delivered in a
small batch to the final consignee.
Pooling is a type of groupage delivery that has several
differences:
• The vehicle is sent from the consolidation warehouse
directly to the final consignee, skipping intermediate
points (“deconsolidation” warehouses). This allows
you to reduce additional costs and shorten delivery
times;
• The tariffication scheme will be changed. Online
platform allows you to track how many pallets are
involved in the shipment.
However, this scheme has serious drawbacks: several
intermediate warehouses are involved in the process, which
increases the delivery time and accepting a small amount of
cargo for transportation, the carrier risks leaving the vehicle
not fully loaded, and he invests these risks in the cost.
The relevance of this technology will only increase in the
future, as most retailers are reducing batch sizes and
increasing the regularity of deliveries. The difference between
the cost of classic groupage delivery and pooling can reach
from 10% to 30%. This behavior is due to the fact that
retailers receive a number of advantages: the goods are not
stored in the chain's warehouse, but in the supplier's
warehouse, which reduces the area of retailers' warehouses
and the volume of processing of goods, and also increases the
level of freshness of the supplied goods. Therefore, suppliers
are faced with the need to supply goods in small and frequent
batches, which significantly affects the cost of delivery.
As the analysis of the company's logistics costs shows, a
significant part of them falls on transportation. Manufacturers
delivering small volumes of products to remote regions are
often forced to overpay for LTL rates and transport products
in half-empty vehicles [1].
The process takes place around an online platform on
which suppliers see the shipment schedule and can "share"
transport among themselves in order to optimize transportation
costs.
The maximum effect of pooling can be achieved by
synchronizing vendor schedules.
II. POOLING DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS
Because of this problem, pooling technology was
developed. Pooling is a solution that helps suppliers, retailers
and transport companies make better use of transport,
warehouses and other resources when interacting with each
other. In Russia, this system is only developing and the
interaction of participants takes place on the platforms
Pooling.me, Pro-pooling.ru and others. In Europe, the list of
platforms for the implementation of pooling technology is
wider: Mercurygate, Generixgroup, Flock Freight and others..
Pooling technology allows you to optimize costs and make
the process transparent for all participants. Unscrupulous
carriers can charge a higher LTL rate. However, using the
platform allows you to track the rates, the number of suppliers
and the cargo they plan to transport. Such interaction enables
each supplier not to overpay for the transportation of their
cargo.
Pooling technology allows for uniform delivery. For
example, before the application of pooling technology,
delivery from the manufacturer was carried out 1-3 times a
week for each manufacturer separately. In this case, the
vehicle loading did not exceed 2/3 of the volume. The vehicle
was not fully loaded.
The introduction of technology improves the efficiency of
truck use and the frequency of deliveries [2]:
• vehicles decreased by 50%;
• delivery has become daily.
It can also highlight an improvement in the quality of
delivery:
• flows to fixed destinations became regular;
• delivery is carried out by full trucks;
• transport received a constant volume and schedule of
work, which had a positive effect on building
partnerships with them;
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• the indicator of the level of provision of distribution
services will improve by 5-10%, which ensures order
fulfillment - 99%.
In addition to optimizing logistics costs, pooling allows
you to improve key KPIs (key performance indicators) of
transport logistics.
There is no universal classification of KPIs. As a rule, each
company defines them independently. However, most
companies divide them into two groups: service and financial.
Service includes:
• making orders;
• timeliness of delivery;
• timeliness of return, etc.
Financial include:
• the ratio of the cost of delivery to sales;
• average cost of a delivered pallet;
• level of utilization, etc.
Today key performance indicators (KPIs) play no less
important role than finance, which used to be the only
important indicator in the company. [3].
To use the pooling technology, suppliers need to register
on the platform for providing such a service and provide
information about the planned order. The order information
must contain information about the delivery date, destination
and volume of goods. Next, there is a search for a suitable
vehicle option and a place in it for ordering.
It should be noted that pooling technology can reduce
environmental pollution [4].
Thus, there are several main advantages of using pooling
technology:
1) Cost Savings. Shipping by the truckload is almost
always going to be less expensive than small or LTL
shipments. Ride-sharing with other shipments and products
allows you to benefit from being willing to work together.
LTL carrier trucking companies usually give discounts to high
volume companies. If you have small shipments, then you’ll
be losing money with services like that.
2) Transit Time. Relying on the long-haul method of
trucking reduces travel time for your deliveries. This can
deliver better delivery times by using the pooling method.
Consolidating several shipments on one truck for the trek
across the country is a more consistent and reliable form of
transportation. Plus, once the separated shipments are on the
smaller local trucks, you will receive better delivery times
than a truck making several stops before they get to you.
3) Better Service. The pool distribution method is a
more secure way of managing your supply chain. Reducing
the number of overall shipments is always going to be simpler
and more straightforward to operate. Freight consolidation
also adds another checkpoint for our services to check and
control your products. It can reduce the chance for product
claims and losses for the retailer.
 4) Carbon Footprint. One obvious benefit of using fewer
trucks is fewer carbon emissions. Centralizing your shipments
means we can be more efficient with our resources. It also
reduces the wear and tear on our equipment. Fewer trucks on
the road means less fuel is being used as well. We can save
money and reduce the damage to the environment at the same
time.

III. INCREASE IN EFFICIENCY OF THE

TRANSPORTATION PROCESS
In recent years, there has been a qualitative reformatting
and expansion of the functionality of the main element of the
transportation process "transport cycle of movement of cargo",
as a complete set of operations for its delivery. Figure 1 shows
the previously used transport cycle scheme. The concept of
"transport cycle" in this case acquires an extended
interpretation, especially in connection with the constant
improvement of technological, informational and economic Fig. 2. Process diagram of transport cycle of cargo delivery by road transport
mechanisms of movement, loading and unloading, storage of
goods, etc [8,9]. It is also worth paying attention to the quotient of
efficiency of the transportation process.

(Ssl + Scp + S + Sx)Wq − R3

Qe = , (1)
(Ssl + Scp + S + Sx)Wq + R1 + R2...R9 + R10

Q e – quotient of efficiency of the transportation process;

W – volume of cargo transportation, t;
q

S – cost of preparing cargo for transportation, RUB / t;

cp

Fig. 1. Process diagram of the transport cycle of direct delivery of goods S – cost of transportation, RUB / t;
S – cost of loading and unloading operations, RUB / t;
Pooling technologies are used more efficiently when the sl
system includes warehouse or terminals of transport – costs due to an increase in the distance of transportation
companies. This approach allows to reduce the unevenness of R 1

the intensity of movement of material flows of goods, of goods, RUB;

depending on the demand of consumers. Reducing the
unevenness of the intensity of movement of material flows
implies that the terminal acts not only as a buffer between
shippers and final consignees, but also flexibly reacts to a
possible change in demand for a particular type of cargo by
increasing or decreasing the corresponding consignment.
R2 – costs associated with the inconsistency of the rolling
stock with the type of cargo being transported, RUB;
R3 – costs in case of damage or loss of cargo, RUB;
– costs when performing additional loading and unloading
R 4

Figure 2 shows the technological scheme of the transport cycle operations, RUB;
for the delivery of goods by road, which allows you to clearly
see the place and role of warehouse in the transportation
R5 – costs arising from additional storage of cargo, RUB;
process. R 6
– costs due to the inertia of the transportation process,

The cycle presented in figure 2 has a high degree of RUB;

dynamics. There is a continuous change in the state of the R7 – costs with an increase in the cost of transportation, RUB;
process with a possible change in the composition of the
R – costs with an increase in the cost of loading and
elements. The cycles of individual stages in the transportation 8

of goods fluctuate over time. However, in this case, the
warehouse is an element that flexibly responds to changes in
the transportation environment. [5].
unloading operations, RUB;
R9 – costs with an increase in the cost of preparing cargo for
transportation, RUB;
R10 – costs with an increase in the cost of warehousing, RUB.

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 This quotient will allow us to consider the transportation
process not only from the point of view of the efficiency of
using rolling stock, which depends on improving the design of
vehicles and their compliance with operating conditions, but
also takes into account socio-economic categories that
characterize the quantitative relationship between costs and
results, as an objective causal relationship [6].
Undoubtedly, the use of this quotient will allow you to
obtain more accurate information about the efficiency of the
transportation process and to determine clearer KPIs that
allow you to measure the degree of achievement of goals or
the optimality of processes - efficiency and effectiveness.
IV. MULTI-AGENT APPROACH TO POOLING
TECHNOLOGY
Pooling technology can help reduce the transport
component in production costs and improve service levels.
However, it is worth considering the importance and relevance
of digital transformation in the modern world and the use of
improving the pooling technology within its framework.
Thus, a multi-agent approach to transportation of products
using pooling technology is a promising direction. Each
participant in the system will act as an agent that is
implemented and functions as an independent unit or element
of artificial intelligence.
Any multi-agent system consists of the following main
components:
• a set of organizational units, in which a subset of
agents manipulating a subset of objects is
distinguished;
• many tasks;
• environment, some space in which agents and objects
exist;
• a lot of relationships between agents;
• many actions of agents (for example, operations on
objects).
Multi-agent systems (MAS) - coordinate independent
processes. Systems are made up of many artificial agents that
work together. The agent is autonomous and able to adapt to
changing environment. The following properties of agents can
be distinguished [7]:
1) Autonomy: agents function without direct interference
in their actions, they can independently control their state and
respond to changes occurring;
2) Communication methods: agents communicate with
each other using some language;
3) Reactivity: agents are able to perceive the environment;
4) Activity: agents have purposeful behavior and are able
to take initiative themselves;
5) Intelligent behavior: the agent is capable of learning, is
able to find optimal ways of behavior;
6) Individual picture of the world: each agent perceives the
environment differently;
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7) Mobility: ability to transfer agent code.
It should be taken into account that the behavior of the
system is not determined as a whole, the behavior of agents is
determined at the individual level, and the dynamics of the
system arises as a result of the activities of many agents. This
behavior allows us to make the system more versatile and
powerful, since it is possible to take into account the complex
structures and behavior of the system, which is an undoubted
advantage over other approaches.
Input
Entry Solver Entry
Output
Perception Impact
Distributed environment
Fig. 3. Agent structure
Figure 3 shows the structure of the agent. The input is a
special device that is responsible for collecting information
about the state of the environment, the output is an executive
body that affects the external environment. Solver is a
decision-making procedure, this unit must have the ability to
analyze incoming data, store information about its state and
the state of the environment and influence the operation of the
object for which it is responsible.
It is also necessary to highlight one more advantage: the
system can be built even in the absence of knowledge about
global dependencies. Within the framework of the multi-agent
approach, the individual logic of the behavior of the
participants (agents) is determined. As a result, an agent-based
model will be built and the global behavior of the system will
be displayed.
Multi-agent systems are made up of many artificial agents
that work together. An agent is an evolution of the concept of
an "object". There are many definitions of an agent. However,
the following can be distinguished: an agent is an object that
has activity, autonomous behavior. An agent can make
decisions in accordance with some set of rules, can interact
with the environment and other agents, and can change.
So, in a multi-agent model, each object has a software
agent. For example, an object (cargo, car, warehouse) wants to
achieve a certain goal. This object has a specific strategy that
describes how to get it.
From the point of view of a multi-agent approach to
pooling technology, three main agents should be distinguished
that will interact with each other:
1. Supplier - this agent forms an application for sending an
order, and also, upon receipt of a positive result, contacts the
nearest suppliers on the issue of picking up goods on the way
to the terminal of the transport company.
 2. Transport company - this agent selects the transport and
route for the delivery of products to the end consumer.
3. Consumer - this agent generates a report on the result of
delivery of products and documentation with suppliers.
Depending on the system in which the multi-agent
approach will be applied, the number of agents may be
greater.
Figure 4 shows an approximate diagram of the interaction
of system agents when using pooling technology.
Manufacturer 1 Manufacturer 2 Manufacturer 3
Transport company
Recipient
Fig. 4. Participants interaction scheme
As you can see in Figure 4, all interaction of agents occurs
in two directions: to receive and transmit information. This
allows agents to have information for making certain decisions
in managing the process of transporting goods.
Receiving information, each agent decides to move
according to one of the decision scenarios that are
incorporated in the agent's behavior algorithm.
V. CONCLUSIONS
Thus, we can conclude that from the point of view of a
multi-agent approach, pooling technology can not only
independently arrange work between suppliers, transport
companies and consumers, which will undoubtedly allow
finding the best option out of all possible.
Multi-agent systems are self-organizing systems, since
they seek the optimal solution to the problem without external
interference. An optimal solution is understood as a solution
that consumes the least amount of energy in conditions of
limited resources.
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The main advantage of multi-agent systems is flexibility.
The multi-agent system can be supplemented and modified
without rewriting a significant part of the program. Also, these
systems are self-healing and resilient to failures due to a
sufficient supply of components and self-organization.
The multi-agent approach requires the definition of a set of
agents and the foundations of their behavior, the definition of
relationships between agents and the theoretical foundations of
these relations. The definition of agents with precise
specification of their behavior and interaction with other
agents is the basis for the development of adequate multi-
agent models. Multi-agent systems show flexibility in solving
problems, which is an excellent basis for the formation and
development of long-term strategic business interactions.
Pooling technology allows not only to reduce the cost of
the final product, but also helps to reduce the negative impact
on the environment. Fully loaded, carriers can send fewer
vehicles on flights, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions,
fuel consumption and waste.
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