Google Research has open-sourced MilleMiglia, a C++ instance generator that creates realistic benchmarks for optimizing one of the supply chain's most critical but understudied segments: middle-mile logistics. The tool fills a significant gap in operational research by providing the first public, standardized dataset for middle-mile delivery problems—a challenge that logistics companies have long kept proprietary due to competitive sensitivity, even as the middle-mile represents a substantial portion of overall supply chain costs.
Unlike first and last-mile logistics, which focus on moving goods to and from distribution centers, the middle-mile functions as a complex relay race where shipments pass through multiple regional hubs over several days. At each distribution center, goods must arrive within specific time windows to catch scheduled outgoing vehicles; missing these connections causes significant delays. The tool captures these unique constraints to generate privacy-preserving data applicable to e-commerce, retail, pharmaceuticals, and automotive supply chains.
Google has published MilleMiglia's source code and documentation on GitHub, positioning it as a foundational resource for researchers seeking to optimize continental-scale logistics networks. The release addresses a persistent challenge in operations research where the lack of public data has hindered academic progress in one of the most expensive and complex segments of modern supply chains.
Key Points
MilleMiglia is an open-source C++ tool that generates realistic benchmarks for middle-mile logistics optimization
Solves the lack of public data for middle-mile research due to proprietary concerns from logistics companies
Middle-mile represents significant logistics costs but has been under-researched compared to first and last-mile operations