diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
index ab45c336..0429873a 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
@@ -36,12 +36,13 @@ import jsprit.core.problem.job.Shipment;
 import jsprit.core.problem.solution.VehicleRoutingProblemSolution;
 import jsprit.core.problem.solution.route.VehicleRoute;
 import jsprit.core.problem.solution.route.activity.End;
-import jsprit.core.problem.solution.route.activity.Start;
 import jsprit.core.problem.solution.route.activity.TimeWindow;
 import jsprit.core.problem.solution.route.activity.TourActivityFactory;
+import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.PenaltyVehicleType;
 import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.Vehicle;
 import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.VehicleImpl;
 import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.VehicleImpl.Builder;
+import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.VehicleType;
 import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.VehicleTypeImpl;
 import jsprit.core.util.Coordinate;
 import jsprit.core.util.Resource;
@@ -421,7 +422,7 @@ public class VrpXMLReader{
 	private void readVehiclesAndTheirTypes(XMLConfiguration vrpProblem) {
 
 		//read vehicle-types
-		Map<String, VehicleTypeImpl> types = new HashMap<String, VehicleTypeImpl>();
+		Map<String, VehicleType> types = new HashMap<String, VehicleType>();
 		List<HierarchicalConfiguration> typeConfigs = vrpProblem.configurationsAt("vehicleTypes.type");
 		for(HierarchicalConfiguration typeConfig : typeConfigs){
 			String typeId = typeConfig.getString("id");
@@ -435,9 +436,16 @@ public class VrpXMLReader{
 			if(fix != null) typeBuilder.setFixedCost(fix);
 			if(timeC != null) typeBuilder.setCostPerTime(timeC);
 			if(distC != null) typeBuilder.setCostPerDistance(distC);
-			VehicleTypeImpl type = typeBuilder.build();
-			types.put(type.getTypeId(), type);
-//			vrpBuilder.addVehicleType(type);
+			VehicleType type = typeBuilder.build();
+			String id = type.getTypeId();
+			String penalty = typeConfig.getString("[@type]");
+			if(penalty != null){
+				if(penalty.equals("penalty")){
+					type = new PenaltyVehicleType(type);
+					id = id + "_penalty";
+				}
+			}
+			types.put(id, type);
 		}
 		
 		//read vehicles
@@ -449,7 +457,13 @@ public class VrpXMLReader{
 			Builder builder = VehicleImpl.Builder.newInstance(vehicleId);
 			String typeId = vehicleConfig.getString("typeId");
 			if(typeId == null) throw new IllegalStateException("typeId is missing.");
-			VehicleTypeImpl type = types.get(typeId);
+			String vType = vehicleConfig.getString("[@type]");
+			if(vType!=null){
+				if(vType.equals("penalty")){
+					typeId+="_penalty";
+				}
+			}
+			VehicleType type = types.get(typeId);
 			if(type == null) throw new IllegalStateException("vehicleType with typeId " + typeId + " is missing.");
 			builder.setType(type);
 			String locationId = vehicleConfig.getString("location.id");
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLWriter.java b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLWriter.java
index 64643d6c..3416f15b 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLWriter.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLWriter.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import jsprit.core.problem.solution.VehicleRoutingProblemSolution;
 import jsprit.core.problem.solution.route.VehicleRoute;
 import jsprit.core.problem.solution.route.activity.TourActivity;
 import jsprit.core.problem.solution.route.activity.TourActivity.JobActivity;
+import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.PenaltyVehicleType;
 import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.Vehicle;
 import jsprit.core.problem.vehicle.VehicleType;
 
@@ -224,6 +225,9 @@ public class VrpXMLWriter {
 				append(Schema.VEHICLE).toString();
 		int counter = 0;
 		for(Vehicle vehicle : vrp.getVehicles()){
+			if(vehicle.getType() instanceof PenaltyVehicleType){
+				xmlConfig.setProperty(vehiclePathString + "("+counter+")[@type]", "penalty");
+			}
 			xmlConfig.setProperty(vehiclePathString + "("+counter+").id", vehicle.getId());
 			xmlConfig.setProperty(vehiclePathString + "("+counter+").typeId", vehicle.getType().getTypeId());
 			xmlConfig.setProperty(vehiclePathString + "("+counter+").location.id", vehicle.getLocationId());
@@ -242,6 +246,9 @@ public class VrpXMLWriter {
 		String typePathString = Schema.builder().append(Schema.TYPES).dot(Schema.TYPE).build();
 		int typeCounter = 0;
 		for(VehicleType type : vrp.getTypes()){
+			if(type instanceof PenaltyVehicleType){
+				xmlConfig.setProperty(typePathString + "("+typeCounter+")[@type]", "penalty");
+			}
 			xmlConfig.setProperty(typePathString + "("+typeCounter+").id", type.getTypeId());
 			xmlConfig.setProperty(typePathString + "("+typeCounter+").capacity", type.getCapacity());
 			xmlConfig.setProperty(typePathString + "("+typeCounter+").costs.fixed", type.getVehicleCostParams().fix);
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd b/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
index f1722126..f631f2f4 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 									<xs:element name="timeSchedule" type="timeWindowType"/>
 									<xs:element name="returnToDepot" type="xs:boolean" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
 								</xs:all>
+								<xs:attribute name="type" type="xs:string" use="optional" />
 							</xs:complexType>
 						</xs:element>
 			
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@
 										</xs:complexType>
 									</xs:element>
 								</xs:all>
+								<xs:attribute name="type" type="xs:string" use="optional" />
 							</xs:complexType>
 						</xs:element>
 					</xs:sequence>