Designing Platooning-Enabled Hub Networks and Managing Cost Uncertainty

Elif Zeynep Serper

Truck platooning is an emerging transportation technology that enables trucks to travel in closely coordinated convoys using vehicle-to-vehicle communication and automated driving support. Platooning offers significant benefits, including fuel savings of 8%–12% through reduced aerodynamic drag for the following vehicles, as well as reduced operational costs by allowing drivers in following vehicles to rest while in motion. These benefits also contribute to more sustainable freight transportation. However, the actual cost-saving potential of platooning is uncertain and may vary depending on operational conditions such as traffic, weather, platoon length, and technology-related factors. This study presents a hub network design approach for truck platooning, where hubs are considered as tactical coordination points for forming and dissolving platoons rather than traditional freight consolidation facilities. The problem jointly determines hub locations and truckload routing decisions while satisfying servicetime requirements. To explicitly account for uncertainty in platooning cost savings, we develop a two-stage stochastic optimization model in which hub location decisions are made before the uncertainty is realized, while routing and platoon formation decisions can adapt to scenario-specific cost savings. The model is solved using a Sample Average Approximation approach, supported by a scenario reduction scheme to improve computational efficiency. Computational experiments on a large-scale U.S. freight network show that platooning-enabled hub networks can reduce total transportation costs by an average of 8% and improve delivery performance by up to 42%. The results also demonstrate the value of explicitly incorporating uncertainty into the decisionmaking process, particularly when platooning cost savings are highly variable.

Short Bio

Dr. Elif Zeynep Serper is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at TED University. She received all her degrees in Industrial Engineering from TOBB University of Economics and Technology. Dr. Serper completed a one-year postdoctoral research stay at the University of Waterloo as a TÜBİTAK fellow. Her research focuses on optimization models for logistics and transportation systems, as well as communication network design, with an emphasis on sustainability and efficiency.

Venue

Friday, May 22, 2026, 4.00 pm

IE Building, Halim Doğrusöz Auditorium (IE 03)