Even though there is a dedicated page for transportation and logistics, I am putting them here because I want them along with PI because they are highly relevant for PI research.

1.1 Architecture and Frameworks

First and foremost, checkout the proceedings of all the International Physical Internet Conferences (IPIC) so far - that should inform possible latest developments in PI. For example, you get the entire IPIC 2024 proceedings here. Apart from that, there are a number of high-value publications in journals and other conferences. Adding to that, I came across a number of Masters’ thesis on PI. I will be listing them as well.

  1. Towards a Physical Internet: Meeting the Global Logistics Sustainability Grand Challenge: 2011, White paper by Prof. Benoit Montreuil that formalized the concept of Physical Internet.
  2. Physical Internet Foundations: Oct 2012 (pdf yes)
  3. Physical Internet enabled Hyperconnected City Logistics: 2016 (pdf yes)
  4. From the Digital Internet to the Physiscal Internet: A Conceptual Framework with a stylized network model: Sep 2020 (pdf yes). An effective paper on modelling PI after DI, authored by a professor of mine.
  5. Roadmap to Physical Internet: ALICE, 2020

1.1.1 Thesis

  1. Information Exchange in a Physical Internet Network: A proposed architecture: 2023/24
  2. The Physical Internet: A Systematic Mapping Study: 2019-20

1.2 Literature Review

  1. Conceptualizing the Physical Internet: Literature Review, Implications and Directions for Future Research: Oct 2016 (pdf yes)
  2. The physical internet as a new supply chain paradigm: A systematic literature review and a comprehensive framework: May 2020 (pdf yes): Very detailed/comprehensive.
  3. The Interplay between the Physical Internet and Logistics: A Literature Review and Future Research Directions: 2022 (pdf
  4. Physical Internet - where are we at? A systematic literature review: Jul 2024

1.3 Routing

  1. Routing Management in Physical Internet Crossdocking Hubs: Study of Grouping Strategies for Truck Loading: 2014 (pdf yes)
  2. Proposition of a hybrid control architecture for the routing in a Physical Internet cross-docking hub: 2015 (pdf yes)
  3. Physical Internet, conventional and hybrid logistics systems: A routing optimization-based comparison using the Eastern Canada road network case study: Feb 2017 (pdf yes)
  4. Routing in the Physical Internet: Framework, Algorithms and Research perspectives: Apr 2018 (conference video talk)
  5. Routing the Pi-Containers in the Physical Internet using the PI-BGP Protocol: Oct 2018 (pdf yes)
  6. Design and Evaluation of Routing Artifacts as a Part of the Physical Internet Framework: Nov 2020 (pdf yes)
  7. [Dynamic Multiple Deport Vehicle Routing in the Physical Internet context])(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405896321007114): Jan 2021 (pdf yes)
  8. A dynamic routing protocol with payments for the Physical Internet: A Simulation with learning agents: Oct 2022 (pdf no)
  9. Physical Internet-enabled E-grocery delivery Network: A load-dependent two-echelon vehicle routing problem with mixed vehicles: Dec 2022 (pdf yes)
  10. Routing and network-slicing-based protocols for the Physical Internet network: Jul 2023 (pdf yes)
  11. Lead-time-based freight routing in multi-modal networks considering the Physical Internet: Jul 2023 (pdf yes)
  12. An Optimization Approach for the Van-Robot Pairs Routing in the Physical Internet Framework: Sep 2023 (pdf no)
  13. A dynamic and reactive routing protocol for the physical internet network: Oct 2023 (pdf no)
  14. Logistics Hub and Route Optimization in the Physical Internet Paradigm: Apr 2024 (pdf no)
  15. Dynamic Directional Routing for the Physical Internet: A Sector-Based Approach with Dynamic Adjustment: Jun 2024 (pdf yes)
  16. Communication is computation: A privacy-protecting routing protocol for Physical Internet: Nov 2024 (pdf yes)

1.4 PI and Synchromodal Transport

  1. Introduction to Synchromodal Networks in Austria: 2016 (pdf yes), relevant to PI
  2. Inducing a new paradigm shift: A different take on synchromodal transport modelling: Jul 2019 (pdf yes)
  3. Towards freight transportsystem unification: Reviewing and Combining the advancements in the Physical Internet and Synchromodal transport research: Mar 2019 (pdf yes)
  4. Synchromodality in the Physical Internet - dual sourcing and real-time switching between transport nodes: Apr 2019 (pdf yes)
  5. Synchromodality in the Physical Internet: Real-time switching in a multimodal network with stochastic transit times: Jul 2019 (pdf yes)

1.4.1 Synchromodal Transport

  1. The Design of a Synchromodal Freight Transport System: 2013 - Master’s thesis that described the idea or synchromodal transport arguably for the first time.
  2. Multimodal Schedule Design for synchromodal freight transport systems: 2014
  3. Intermodality vs. Synchromodality: 2015 (pdf yes): Foundational paper on Synchromodal transport

1.5 Simulations & PI

Most of the work that has been done on PI involves simulations - be it routing, work on PI containers and so on. The following are papers that entail simulation frameworks for PI.

  1. Simulating a physical internet enabled mobility web: The case of mass distribution in France: 2012, (pdf yes)
  2. Simulation of a Physical Internet-based Transportation Network: 2014, (pdf yes)
  3. A model to take advantage of Physical Internet for vendor inventory management: 2015, (pdf yes)
  4. Perspectives of Inventory Control models in the Physical Internet: A simulation study: June 2015, (pdf, yes)
  5. Inventory Control Models towards Phyical Internet: Lateral Transshipment Policy Determination by Simulation: Jul 2018, IPIC, (pdf yes)
  6. Multiagent Modelling and Simulation of a Physical Internet Enabled Rail-Road Intermodal Transport System: August 2018, (pdf yes)
  7. A Simulation-Optimization Approach for Two-Way Scheduling/Grouping in a Road-Rail Physical Internet Hub: 2019, (pdf yes)
  8. Modelling and Simulation of a Physical Internet of Transportation Hubs: May 2019, (pdf yes)
  9. Knowledge mapping of digital twin and physical internet in Supply Chain Management: A systematic literature review: Feb 2022, (pdf yes)
  10. A dynamic routing protocol with payments for the Physical Internet: A Simulation with learning agents: Oct 2022, (pdf yes)
  11. Questioning the relevance of using Physical Internet for managing autonomous train shuttles in rural areas: July 2023, (pdf yes)
  12. Towards Automated Physical Internet System: Simulations of Two Privacy-Protecting Routing Protocols: Jan 2025, (pdf yes)

2. Transportation Networks (Theory, Engineering)

  1. Transportation Network Analysis by Prof. Stephen D. Boyles: Currently reading this one (10 March 2025)
  2. The Vehicle Routing Problem
  3. Logistics Transportation Systems by MD Harder

3. Transportation Networks (Case Studies, Practical)

UPS

  1. UPS Optimizes Delivery Routes: An great paper describing UPS’ ORION system that was built to optimize its delivery routes.
  2. UPS and Agentic AI

DHL

  1. Innovative Integer Programming Software and Methods for Large-Scale Routing at DHL Supply Chain
  2. Network Mode Optimization for DHL Supply Chain

4. Logistics

4.1 Books

  1. Operations Management, by Russel and Taylor: My first book on Operations Management, an excellent introductory book. Gives a taste of the various facets of Operations (Inventory, Facility Location, Facility Design, Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management and so on).
  2. Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning and Operation by Chopra and Meindl: A detailed introduction to Supply Chain management and logistics. This is the book my Operations professor recommended when I asked him what I had to do in order to deep dive.
  3. DHL: From Startup to Global Upstart: DHL is a well-known logistics company and this book is about its story. DHL is a California based start-up which is acquired by Deutsche Post in the early 2000s, then it goes on to become the world leader in logistics service. Its not really a technical book, but if one is fascinated by Logistics, they might end up liking it. Book is available on libgen.
  4. Quantitative Approaches in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

4.2 Research Papers

  1. On the use of machine learning in supply chain management: A systematic review: Published in October 2024, has reviewed research from 2000-2023. This is my starting point to understand what is going on with ML and Supply Chain Management - what ML methods are used to solve what kind of Supply Chain problems.
  2. An end-to-end Approach to Reinforcement Learning in Transport Logistics](https://ris.utwente.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/328039267/An_end-to-end_Approach_to_a_Reinforcement_Learning_in_Transport_Logistics.pdf)
  3. A review of reinforcement learning algorithms and applications in supply chain management: by the MIT Scale Network
  4. A literature review on machine learning in supply chain management
  5. Some Studies in Machine Learning Using the Game of Checkers, by Prof. Arthur L. Samuel: One of first papers on Reinforcement Learning
  6. Reinforcement learning for logistics and supply chain management: Methodologies, state of the art, and future opportunities
  7. The adoption of reinforcement learning in the logistics industry: A case study at a large international retailer: A Master’s thesis on the topic.

4.3 Interesting Links

  1. Reinforcement Learning for Logistics, by Microsoft
  2. Reinforcement Learning to manage the Logistics and resources of a warehouse: A Github Project
  3. MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics: The MIT Scale Network