# Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP)

> The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is the optimization problem of assigning a set of deliveries to a fleet of vehicles and sequencing the stops to minimize cost while respecting constraints like capacity and time windows.

The VRP generalizes the traveling salesman problem to multiple vehicles with real-world constraints: vehicle capacity, delivery time windows, driver working hours, and more. Solving it well is what separates efficient planning from wasted miles and missed slots.

Because the VRP is computationally hard, practical solvers use construction heuristics (such as nearest-neighbor) followed by local-search improvements (such as 2-opt and Or-opt). A TMS with a built-in VRP solver can automatically assign shipments to vehicles and drivers while respecting EU driving regulations.

## Frequently asked questions

### How does a VRP solver help logistics planners?

It automatically builds efficient trips — assigning shipments to vehicles and ordering stops — so planners spend less time on manual scheduling and the fleet drives fewer empty or unnecessary miles, all while respecting capacity, time windows, and driving-hour rules.


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Canonical page: https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/vehicle-routing-problem