truck sequencing and dock assignment in a cross-docking system

in a supply chain, cross-docking is one of the most innovative systems for ameliorating the operational performance at distribution centers. cross-docking is a logistics strategy in which freight is unloaded from inbound trucks and (almost) directly loaded into outbound trucks, with little or no storage in between, thus no inventory remains at the distribution center. in this paper, we consider the scheduling problem of inbound and outbound trucks with multiple dock doors, which the aim is to minimize the makespan. in this research, a mathematical model is derived to find the optimal solution. also a simulated annealing algorithm is adapted to find near optimal solution, as the mathematical model will not be applicable for large scale problems. numerical examples are presented in order to specify the efficiency of the proposed algorithm in comparison with mathematical model.