Transportation planning system and transportation planning method

A transportation planning method executed by a transportation planning system that includes a control section and a storage section connected to the control section,

• the storage section retaining
• cargo information indicative of a transportation source, a transportation destination, and a transportation amount of cargos based on an order,
• vehicle information indicative of a loading capacity and a cost of each of a plurality of vehicles that can be used for transportation of the cargos,
• location information indicative of positions of a plurality of locations at each of which at least one of loading of the cargos into the vehicles, unloading of the cargos from the vehicles, and storage of the cargos is to be performed,
• movement time period information indicative of a time period required for movement between the locations, and
• storage location information indicative of an amount of cargos that can be stored and a storage cost at each of locations at which the cargos can be stored among the plurality of locations,
• the transportation planning method comprising:
• by the control section, a step of dividing a region including the plurality of locations into a plurality of divisional regions each including one or more of the locations;
• by the control section, a step of selecting one or more of the locations in each of the plurality of divisional regions as a candidate or candidates for a storage location of the cargos;
• by the control section, a step of generating a plurality of transportation schedules each including a plan of the candidate or candidates for a storage location and of a storage period for storing each of the cargos on a basis of the cargo information, the vehicle information, the location information, and the movement time period information;
• by the control section, a step of determining, on a basis of the storage location information, that, in a case where an amount of cargos to be stored at the candidate or candidates for a storage location of the cargos in each of the plurality of transportation schedules does not exceed the amount of cargos that can be stored at the corresponding location, the plan of the candidate or candidates for a storage location and of the storage period included in the transportation schedule is reasonable;
• and
• by the control section, a step of calculating a transportation cost in one or more of the transportation schedules for which it has been determined that the plan of the candidate or candidates for a storage location and of the storage period is reasonable, on a basis of the vehicle information, the location information, the movement time period information, and the storage location information.