Niklas Arvidsson

Review of Road Hauliers' Measures for Increasing Transport Efficiency and Sustainability in Urban Freight Distribution

This paper analyses a set of measures for transport efficiency improvements from the perspective of the road haulier, particularly regarding improvements suitable for urban distribution and their effects. The first part of the paper addresses literature within the area of transport efficiency. The second part reviews potential transport efficiency improvements with respect to environmental impact and the number of actors involved in the decision. The third part presents results from interviews with the CEOs of two road hauliers regarding their opinions of the transport efficiency measures. Finally, the conclusions about transport efficiency measures are summarized in a matrix, taking into account whether these measures can be considered as costs or benefits for the actors involved. The results show ambiguous and often intricate relations with regard to costs and benefits for the actors in the system. They also explain part of the inertia to change within the freight industry. However, an increasing number of transport operators are now offering more sustainable transport solutions and this service might gain them a competitive advantage in the future.

Driving forces of road freight CO2 in 2030

Purpose – Road freight carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are determined by a complex interaction between shippers and hauliers within the boundaries set by regulations and economic factors. It is necessary to gain understanding about the various driving forces and trends affecting these to promote low carbon future. The purpose of this paper is to find out what factors affect the long-term future development of road freight CO2 emissions and whether the long-term emission targets will be achieved. Design/methodology/approach – An international comparison of similar Delphi surveys is carried out in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Findings – The Delphi surveys indicate that the structural change of the economy, changes of consumer habits, concerns of energy and environment and changes in logistics practices and technology are the overarching trends shaping the future of the energy efficiency and CO2 emissions of road freight transport. The expert forecasts for Finland and Sweden highlight that reaching the carbon...

An ex ante evaluation of mobile depots in cities: A sustainability perspective

ABSTRACT Today, a large share of cost, congestion, and emission in cities is attributed to light goods vehicles like carrier vans distributing to the last mile. The aim of many policy agendas is to reach cleaner cities with less disturbance from the distribution vehicles. Several suggestions have been put forward and tested in research and practice, such as access restrictions, multimodal transport, and use of cleaner vehicles. In this paper, we develop a case for a more sustainable freight distribution within cities using an ex ante case study. The idea of the mobile depot is built on the iteration between historical transitions within cities and contemporary developments in urban freight distribution, and then analyzed ex ante both quantitatively in calculations and qualitatively in two stakeholder workshops. The idea is integrated and multimodal, based on a mobile depot (e.g., a bus, truck, barge, or tram) that circles the city and connects to low emission last mile delivery options such as LEVs (Light Electrical Vehicles) or cargo bikes. We found that such a system can be environmentally and socially better for the city context, while maintaining economic viability above a certain utilization rate of the mobile depot for the transport operators.

The rise of on-demand ‘Instant Deliveries’ in European cities

ABSTRACT This exploratory paper contributes to a new body of research that investigates the potential of digital market places to disrupt transport and mobility services. We are specifically looking at the urban freight sector, where numerous app-based services have emerged in recent years. The paper specifically looks at ‘instant deliveries,’ i.e. services providing on-demand delivery within two hours – by either private individuals, independent contractors, or employees – by connecting consignors, couriers and consignees via a digital platform. The paper provides an overview of the main issues concerning instant deliveries, supported by data (including a survey of 96 courier delivery providers) and examples. After presenting a typology of companies (digital platforms) involved in ‘instant deliveries,’ we question in what way they transform the urban freight current patterns. We highlight four issues, discussing their potential to impact urban freight services and related policies in European cities: 1) Freight trips and data; 2) Business models; 3) Labor legislation and work conditions; and 4) Local public policies. We conclude by saying that predicting the medium-term consequences of these changes is difficult, but it is essential that city planning and policies take account of these developments and consider how planning and possibly regulation needs to be adapted to these new ways of doing things.