Delivering the goods
From changes to land use and infrastructure that have forced depots out of urban centres and rising consumer demand for ever-faster services, this IET Insight explores how emerging challenges have generated a need for new technologies in last-mile logistics delivery. These include solutions such as drones and droids, computerised vehicle routing and systems to help with freight consolidation.
Issues covered include the implications for infrastructure provision and policy caused by intensified freight transportation operations in urban centres, current and future trends in last-mile logistics, how collaboration between carriers and retailers could make better use of existing vehicle and logistics infrastructure and where technology could assist with planning and execution.
The paper was authored by Tom Cherrett, Professor of Logistics & Transport Management at the University of Southampton and member of the IET Transport Policy Panel, and Julian Allen, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Westminster.