diff --git a/lib/interpreters/split_clustering.rb b/lib/interpreters/split_clustering.rb
index b272d8dc0..45045484f 100644
--- a/lib/interpreters/split_clustering.rb
+++ b/lib/interpreters/split_clustering.rb
@@ -238,6 +238,8 @@ def self.split_solve_core(service_vrp, job = nil, &block)
         unless sides.size == 2 && sides.none?(&:empty?)
           # this might happen under certain cases (skills etc can force all points to be on one side)
           # and not necessarily a problem but it should happen very rarely (in real instances)
+          # it might also happen because the vehicles are in a linking relation (like vehicle_trips)
+          # which forces them to be stay on one side.
           log 'There should be exactly two clusters in split_solve_core!', level: :warn
           ss_data[:cannot_split_further] = true
         end
@@ -298,7 +300,8 @@ def self.create_sub_vrp(split_solve_data)
       sub_vrp = ::Models::Vrp.create({}, false)
 
       # Select the vehicles and services belonging to this sub-problem from the service_vehicle_assignments
-      sub_vrp.vehicles = ss_data[:current_vehicles] + ss_data[:transferred_vehicles]
+      # transfer a vehicle with a forcing linked relation only if all of its linked vehicles can be transferred as well
+      sub_vrp.vehicles = ss_data[:current_vehicles] + transfer_unused_vehicles(ss_data)
       sub_vrp.services = ss_data[:current_vehicles].flat_map{ |v| ss_data[:service_vehicle_assignments][v.id] }
       sub_vrp.services.concat ss_data[:transferred_empties_or_fills]
 
@@ -386,7 +389,13 @@ def self.create_representative_vrp(split_solve_data)
       # go through the original relations and force the services and vehicles to stay in the same sub-vrp if necessary
       split_solve_data[:original_vrp].relations.select{ |r| FORCING_RELATIONS.include?(r.type) }.each{ |relation|
         if relation.linked_vehicle_ids.any? && relation.linked_services.none?
-          relations << { type: :same_route, linked_ids: relation.linked_vehicle_ids }
+          linked_ids = []
+          relation.linked_vehicle_ids.map{ |v_id|
+            s_id = "0_representative_vrp_s_#{v_id}"
+            linked_ids << s_id if services.any?{ |s| s[:id] == s_id }
+          }
+
+          relations << { type: :same_route, linked_ids: linked_ids } if linked_ids.size > 1
         elsif relation.linked_vehicle_ids.none? && relation.linked_services.any?
           linked_ids = []
           relation.linked_services.each{ |linked_service|
@@ -441,6 +450,33 @@ def self.create_representative_sub_vrp(split_solve_data)
       r_sub_vrp
     end
 
+    def self.transfer_unused_vehicles(split_solve_data)
+      # transfers an unused vehicle to the current sub-problem if and only if
+      # all forcing relations can be respected (vehicle_trips, meetup etc.)
+      ss_data = split_solve_data
+      o_vrp = ss_data[:original_vrp]
+
+      unused_vehicle_ids = ss_data[:transferred_vehicles].map(&:id)
+      current_and_unused_vehicle_ids = ss_data[:current_vehicles].map(&:id) + unused_vehicle_ids
+
+      related_forcing_relations = o_vrp.relations.select{ |r|
+        FORCING_RELATIONS.include?(r.type) && (r.linked_vehicle_ids.to_a & unused_vehicle_ids).any?
+      }
+
+      # FIXME: this operation can be done faster by exploiting the fact that some unused vehicles might share a relation
+      selected_vehicles_to_use = []
+      ss_data[:transferred_vehicles].each{ |transferred_vehicle|
+        can_have_all_its_linked_vehicles_if_transferred = related_forcing_relations.all?{ |relation|
+          relation.linked_vehicle_ids.exclude?(transferred_vehicle.id) ||
+            (relation.linked_vehicle_ids - current_and_unused_vehicle_ids).empty?
+        }
+
+        selected_vehicles_to_use << transferred_vehicle if can_have_all_its_linked_vehicles_if_transferred
+      }
+
+      selected_vehicles_to_use
+    end
+
     def self.select_existing_relations(relations, vrp)
       relations.select{ |relation|
         next if relation.linked_vehicle_ids.empty? && relation.linked_ids.empty?
@@ -468,12 +504,28 @@ def self.transfer_unused_resources(split_solve_data, vrp, result)
          (vrp.resolution_vehicle_limit.nil? || result[:routes].size == vrp.resolution_vehicle_limit)
         remove_poorly_populated_routes(vrp, result, 0.1)
       end
+
+      used_vehicle_ids = result[:routes].map{ |r| r[:vehicle_id] }
+      forcing_vehicle_relations = split_solve_data[:original_vrp].relations.select{ |r|
+        FORCING_RELATIONS.include?(r.type) && r.linked_vehicle_ids&.any?
+      }
+
       split_solve_data[:transferred_vehicles].delete_if{ |vehicle|
-        result[:routes].any?{ |r| r[:vehicle_id] == vehicle.id } # used
+        # mark used (delete from transferred_vehicles) if used or there is a used linked vehicle from a forcing relation
+        next true if used_vehicle_ids.include?(vehicle.id)
+
+        related_relations = forcing_vehicle_relations.select{ |r| r.linked_vehicle_ids.include?(vehicle.id) }
+        (used_vehicle_ids & related_relations.flat_map(&:linked_vehicle_ids)).any?
       }
+
       split_solve_data[:transferred_vehicles].concat(split_solve_data[:current_vehicles].select{ |vehicle|
-        result[:routes].none?{ |r| r[:vehicle_id] == vehicle.id } # not used
+        # mark unused (add to transferred_vehicles) if not used and there is no used linked vehicle from a forcing relation
+        next false if used_vehicle_ids.include?(vehicle.id)
+
+        related_relations = forcing_vehicle_relations.select{ |r| r.linked_vehicle_ids.include?(vehicle.id) }
+        (used_vehicle_ids & related_relations.flat_map(&:linked_vehicle_ids)).empty?
       })
+
       split_solve_data[:transferred_vehicles].each{ |v|
         v.matrix_id = nil unless split_solve_data[:vehicle_has_complete_matrix][v.id]
       }
@@ -498,9 +550,13 @@ def self.remove_empty_routes(result)
     end
 
     def self.remove_poorly_populated_routes(vrp, result, limit)
+      forcing_relation_vehicle_ids = vrp.relations.flat_map{ |relation|
+        FORCING_RELATIONS.include?(relation.type) ? relation.linked_vehicle_ids.to_a : []
+      }.uniq
+
       emptied_routes = false
       result[:routes].delete_if{ |route|
-        vehicle = vrp.vehicles.find{ |current_vehicle| current_vehicle.id == route[:vehicle_id] }
+        vehicle = vrp.vehicles.find{ |v| v.id == route[:vehicle_id] }
         loads = route[:activities].last[:detail][:quantities]
         load_flag = vehicle.capacities.empty? || vehicle.capacities.all?{ |capacity|
           current_load = loads.find{ |unit_load| unit_load[:unit] == capacity.unit.id }
@@ -511,6 +567,14 @@ def self.remove_poorly_populated_routes(vrp, result, limit)
 
         log "route #{route[:vehicle_id]} time: #{route_duration}/#{vehicle_worktime} percent: #{((route_duration / (vehicle_worktime || route_duration).to_f) * 100).to_i}%", level: :info
 
+        # Do not remove a poorly populated routes if it is in a forcing relation
+        # TODO: Ideally, we wouldn't remove a poorly populated vehicle only if, any of its linked vehicles is
+        # "non-removable" (i.e., either it is well-used or it has a well-used link)
+        # Or we would calculate the "overall" stats for all linked vehicles and remove/leave them together
+        # NOTE: This might need a recursive logic because different vehicles might be connected via different
+        # FORCING_RELATIONS.
+        next if forcing_relation_vehicle_ids.include?(route[:vehicle_id])
+
         time_flag = vehicle_worktime && route_duration < limit * vehicle_worktime
 
         if load_flag && time_flag
diff --git a/test/wrappers/ortools_multi_trips_test.rb b/test/wrappers/ortools_multi_trips_test.rb
index a823a9ccc..553168863 100644
--- a/test/wrappers/ortools_multi_trips_test.rb
+++ b/test/wrappers/ortools_multi_trips_test.rb
@@ -117,4 +117,45 @@ def test_lapse_between_trips
     last_route_start = result[:routes][1][:activities].first[:begin_time]
     assert_operator first_route_end + 3600, :<=, last_route_start
   end
+
+  def test_multi_trips_with_max_split
+    vrp = VRP.lat_lon_capacitated
+
+    # 2 vehicles with 4 trips each (to make sure there will be unused but un-transferable vehicles)
+    vrp[:relations] = []
+    2.times{ |i|
+      vrp[:vehicles] << vrp[:vehicles].first.dup.merge({ id: 'other_vehicle' }) if i == 1
+
+      linked_vehicle_ids = [vrp[:vehicles].last[:id]]
+      1.upto(3).each{ |trip|
+        vrp[:vehicles] << vrp[:vehicles][-trip].dup.merge({ id: "#{vrp[:vehicles][-trip][:id]}_#{trip+1}_trip" })
+        linked_vehicle_ids << vrp[:vehicles].last[:id]
+      }
+      vrp[:relations] << { type: :vehicle_trips, linked_vehicle_ids: linked_vehicle_ids }
+    }
+    # make sure split uses all vehicles
+    vrp[:services].first[:sticky_vehicle_ids] = [vrp[:vehicles].first[:id]]
+    vrp[:services].last[:sticky_vehicle_ids] = [vrp[:vehicles].last[:id]]
+    # activate max_split
+    vrp[:configuration][:preprocessing] ||= {}
+    vrp[:configuration][:preprocessing][:max_split_size] = 1
+    vrp[:configuration][:preprocessing][:first_solution_strategy] = 'global_cheapest_arc'
+
+    vrp = TestHelper.create(vrp)
+
+    OptimizerWrapper.stub(:solve, lambda{ |service_vrp, _job, _block| # stub with empty solution
+      sub_vrp_vehicle_ids = service_vrp[:vrp].vehicles.map(&:id)
+
+      # check vehicle trips are not split
+      vrp.relations.each{ |relation|
+        assert (relation.linked_vehicle_ids - sub_vrp_vehicle_ids).empty? ||
+                 (relation.linked_vehicle_ids & sub_vrp_vehicle_ids).empty?,
+               'All trips of a vehicle should be in the same subproblem'
+      }
+
+      OptimizerWrapper.send(:__minitest_stub__solve, service_vrp) # call original solve method
+    }) do
+      OptimizerWrapper.wrapper_vrp('demo', { services: { vrp: [:ortools] }}, vrp, nil)
+    end
+  end
 end