# A concise guide to existing and emerging vehicle routing problem variants

## TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse and evolving variants of vehicle routing problems, highlighting recent research directions, challenges, and the integration of new attributes in modeling.

## Contribution

It offers a structured summary of existing and emerging vehicle routing problem variants, emphasizing recent trends and identifying research gaps.

## Key findings

- Overview of diverse vehicle routing problem variants
- Discussion of recent research directions and challenges
- Identification of emerging problem attributes and modeling approaches

## Abstract

Vehicle routing problems have been the focus of extensive research over the past sixty years, driven by their economic importance and their theoretical interest. The diversity of applications has motivated the study of a myriad of problem variants with different attributes. In this article, we provide a concise overview of existing and emerging problem variants. Models are typically refined along three lines: considering more relevant objectives and performance metrics, integrating vehicle routing evaluations with other tactical decisions, and capturing fine-grained yet essential aspects of modern supply chains. We organize the main problem attributes within this structured framework. We discuss recent research directions and pinpoint current shortcomings, recent successes, and emerging challenges.