Multi-Fruit Value Chain Network Design Considering Multi-Compartment Reefer Trucks

Refrigerated trucks in the cold chain enhance the shelf-life of food. In the fruit supply chain (FSC), if each different fruit necessitates its dedicated fleet of refrigerated vehicles, the total cost of the supply chain would increase. On the other hand, if there are several fruits in a single compartment, the quality and freshness of the fruits will be impacted since each fruit requires a different operating temperature. Therefore, partitions are necessary within the container. While the use of cold chain infrastructure will result in a reduction in food loss and an enhancement in food security, it will also incur an increase in the overall cost of the supply chain. Therefore, this paper aims to create a mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) mathematical model considering multi-compartment reefer trucks (MCRTs) to minimize the total cost in the FSC. To assess the efficiency of the model, a case study is carried out in India, and the formulated mathematical model is solved using a heuristic approach. The findings indicate that utilizing MCRTs leads to a reduction in the number of vehicles required and a drop in total supply chain cost. Three-compartment reefer trucks offer a more significant cost-saving advantage in the FSC compared to two-compartment reefer trucks. Furthermore, it is noted that operating three distribution centers (DCs) results in a reduction in the overall cost. The decrease in total supply chain costs enhances the affordability of fruits for low-income populations and contributes to the enhancement of food security. In addition to cost reduction, implementing MCRT has also beneficial environmental impacts such as decreased emissions due to a decrease in the number of trucks utilized and reduced food waste.