The Multiple Compartments (MC) feature allows a single transportation asset (e.g., truck, trailer) to be divided into independent compartments, each with its own capacity and compatibility constraints. This enables Hopper to produce more accurate, feasible, and operationally realistic transportation plans.
📝 Note: This article covers an advanced Hopper feature. If you are new to Hopper, review the Getting Started with Hopper guide first.
Get up and running in 4 steps:
⚠️ Important
Every asset that omits the Compartment Configuration Name field is still modeled as a single undivided pool. Only assets with a linked configuration are switched to compartment-level validation.
Use this feature when one or more of your transportation assets have physically separate sections that must be loaded independently. Common examples:
Without Multiple Compartments, Hopper checks only that the total shipment fits the total asset capacity. This can produce plans that look valid in the optimizer but cannot be executed operationally because individual compartments are overloaded or contain incompatible products.
Three changes have been made to Hopper's data model: one new input table, one new field on an existing input table, and one new field on an existing output table.
This table defines the structure and rules of the compartments that make up each configuration. Add one row per compartment; rows with the same Compartment Configuration Name form a single configuration.
💡 Tip
When multiple capacity fields (Quantity, Volume, Weight) are populated, Hopper enforces all of them simultaneously. A shipment is only assigned to a compartment if it fits within every constraint.📝 Note
Allowed Product Name accepts four value types: (1) blank — any product allowed; (2) a single product name — only that product; (3) a group name — only members of that group; (4) a named filter — only products matching the filter criteria.
A new Compartment Configuration Name field has been added to the Transportation Assets table. Populate it with the name of a configuration defined in the Compartment Configurations table to enable compartment-level modeling for that asset.
Effect on Hopper's solver:
💡 Tip
To compare single-compartment vs. multi-compartment results for the same asset, use one of these approaches:
1) Scenario items approach: add 1 record for the asset in the Transportation Assets table and set its Configuration Name to the multi-compartment configuration to be used. Then setup a scenario for the single-compartment run with an item that blanks the Configuration Name field (action: configurationname = '').
2) Dual-asset approach: add two records for the same physical asset under different names in the Transportation Assets table — one with the configuration name populated, one with it blank. Change the value of the Status field (Include/Exclude) to activate one at a time via scenario items.The Transportation Optimization Shipment Summary output table now includes a Compartment Name column. For any shipment transported on a multi-compartment asset, this column shows which compartment it was assigned to.
📝 Note
Compartment Name is blank for shipments on assets that do not use a compartment configuration (i.e., single-compartment assets).
This field enables:
The following example runs two scenarios with the same "MK Artic Multi Temp" asset to illustrate the difference:
Both scenarios have other single-compartment assets available. In each scenario, the MK Artic Multi Temp asset is used for one route. The charts below show how much of each product is on board at each stop along that route (stops are ordered by route sequence on the x-axis; the asset is loaded at Milton Keynes and Chelmsford depots and delivers to the CZ locations).
Key observations:
⚠️ Important
Higher throughput in Scenario A is not a benefit — it reflects an infeasible plan. Scenario B costs more and delivers less on this route because it models reality accurately. The higher cost is expected and correct.
Multiple Compartments moves Hopper from aggregate capacity modeling to granular compartment-level modeling. This means:
Questions? Contact the Optilogic support team at support@optilogic.com.
The Multiple Compartments (MC) feature allows a single transportation asset (e.g., truck, trailer) to be divided into independent compartments, each with its own capacity and compatibility constraints. This enables Hopper to produce more accurate, feasible, and operationally realistic transportation plans.
📝 Note: This article covers an advanced Hopper feature. If you are new to Hopper, review the Getting Started with Hopper guide first.
Get up and running in 4 steps:
⚠️ Important
Every asset that omits the Compartment Configuration Name field is still modeled as a single undivided pool. Only assets with a linked configuration are switched to compartment-level validation.
Use this feature when one or more of your transportation assets have physically separate sections that must be loaded independently. Common examples:
Without Multiple Compartments, Hopper checks only that the total shipment fits the total asset capacity. This can produce plans that look valid in the optimizer but cannot be executed operationally because individual compartments are overloaded or contain incompatible products.
Three changes have been made to Hopper's data model: one new input table, one new field on an existing input table, and one new field on an existing output table.
This table defines the structure and rules of the compartments that make up each configuration. Add one row per compartment; rows with the same Compartment Configuration Name form a single configuration.
💡 Tip
When multiple capacity fields (Quantity, Volume, Weight) are populated, Hopper enforces all of them simultaneously. A shipment is only assigned to a compartment if it fits within every constraint.📝 Note
Allowed Product Name accepts four value types: (1) blank — any product allowed; (2) a single product name — only that product; (3) a group name — only members of that group; (4) a named filter — only products matching the filter criteria.
A new Compartment Configuration Name field has been added to the Transportation Assets table. Populate it with the name of a configuration defined in the Compartment Configurations table to enable compartment-level modeling for that asset.
Effect on Hopper's solver:
💡 Tip
To compare single-compartment vs. multi-compartment results for the same asset, use one of these approaches:
1) Scenario items approach: add 1 record for the asset in the Transportation Assets table and set its Configuration Name to the multi-compartment configuration to be used. Then setup a scenario for the single-compartment run with an item that blanks the Configuration Name field (action: configurationname = '').
2) Dual-asset approach: add two records for the same physical asset under different names in the Transportation Assets table — one with the configuration name populated, one with it blank. Change the value of the Status field (Include/Exclude) to activate one at a time via scenario items.The Transportation Optimization Shipment Summary output table now includes a Compartment Name column. For any shipment transported on a multi-compartment asset, this column shows which compartment it was assigned to.
📝 Note
Compartment Name is blank for shipments on assets that do not use a compartment configuration (i.e., single-compartment assets).
This field enables:
The following example runs two scenarios with the same "MK Artic Multi Temp" asset to illustrate the difference:
Both scenarios have other single-compartment assets available. In each scenario, the MK Artic Multi Temp asset is used for one route. The charts below show how much of each product is on board at each stop along that route (stops are ordered by route sequence on the x-axis; the asset is loaded at Milton Keynes and Chelmsford depots and delivers to the CZ locations).
Key observations:
⚠️ Important
Higher throughput in Scenario A is not a benefit — it reflects an infeasible plan. Scenario B costs more and delivers less on this route because it models reality accurately. The higher cost is expected and correct.
Multiple Compartments moves Hopper from aggregate capacity modeling to granular compartment-level modeling. This means:
Questions? Contact the Optilogic support team at support@optilogic.com.
