This paper presents a stochastic partially optimized cyclic shift crossover operator for the optimization of the multi-objective vehicle routing problem with time windows using genetic algorithms. The aim of the paper is to show how the combination of simple stochastic rules and sequential appendage policies addresses a common limitation of the traditional genetic algorithm when optimizing complex combinatorial problems. The limitation, in question, is the inability of the traditional genetic algorithm to perform local optimization. A series of tests based on the Solomon benchmark instances show the level of competitiveness of the newly introduced crossover operator. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.