by Walther Ploos van Amstel
The parcel industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, primarily driven by the surge of e-commerce and new technologies. The Physical Internet (PI) provides initiatives to optimize parcel flow and jointly address the industry’s economic, operational, social, and environmental sustainability issues. Encapsulating parcels in modular PI containers is a promising method to enhance efficiency …
An innovative walking and cycle-based system for optimized deliveries in city centers was launched in Dublin. Operating out of micro hubs and combining powered e-Walkers and e-Quad cycles, this model allows for last-mile deliveries that don’t add to local emissions or congestion, enabling a change in the way goods are delivered in busy city locations.
DHL Express is taking the next step in rolling out a fully containerized last-mile delivery process, starting in the Netherlands. The containerized delivery process enables the cost-efficient and secure transfer of goods between terminals, motor vehicles, and specialized last-mile delivery vehicles.
Alphabet’s plan for a new waterfront city in Toronto includes a standard smart container for last-mile logistics. Sidewalk Labs unveiled its Master Innovation and Development Plan to transform the site into the most innovative district in the world, with a network of sensors generating data on how people, goods, and vehicles move throughout the new community.
Using metro and tram for urban freight could be a good plan. TramSit is a new logistics system to transfer cargo to and from dense cities without the need of any motorized vehicle like vans and trucks based on containerisation.
Containerization will play an important role in success of cargo bikes. This research paper by Tom Assmann and Fabian Behrendt presents a quantitative model to determine economically viable container heights for three-wheeled rear loading cargo bikes in crossdocking and intermodal truck-based last mile distribution schemes.