by Walther Ploos van Amstel
Here are some of the most notable international city logistics items from recent weeks and months: UPS restructures its UK last mile. UPS wants to reduce its UK workforce by transferring last-mile delivery to outside couriers, which would significantly change the labor landscape for legacy parcel carriers; arguably the clearest sign yet that the integrator …
The Laneshift program, a joint initiative by C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge, has spent three years proving the business case for electric freight trucks in India, Brazil, and Mexico. The 2025 Impact Report presents the results. For transport managers watching the global transition, the numbers are worth knowing. What was deployed 357 electric freight …
Urban freight policy typically operates in silos. Vehicle access regulations — low-emission zones, weight restrictions, time windows, congestion charges — are designed and evaluated separately from loading zone management. A new study from Budapest University of Technology and Economics asks whether that separation reflects reality, or whether cities that invest in one tend to invest …
What are strategic, tactical, operational, and hyperoperational decisions in a transport company? These four levels differ mainly in their time horizons, reversibility, and the granularity of the information they work with. Strategic decisions span years and shape the structure of the company: which markets and segments to serve (FTL, LTL, temperature-controlled, urban distribution), network design …
A new European Commission study maps out why small electronics rarely make it back into the circular economy — and what cities and policymakers can do about it. Every year, millions of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and their chargers reach the end of their useful life in European households. Yet instead of being returned, repaired, or …
Urban logistics is in crisis. As city populations grow and e-commerce expands, the volume of goods moving through urban areas has risen sharply, leading to congestion, pollution, escalating delivery costs, and a diminished quality of life for residents. Logistics service providers (LSPs) are under mounting pressure to deliver goods faster and more cheaply, while municipalities …
The UK parcel delivery market has reached what InPost describes as a tipping point. Rising e-commerce volumes, time-pressured lifestyles, and persistent last-mile inefficiencies have pushed traditional home delivery models to their limits. Consumers report mounting frustration with missed deliveries, theft, delayed parcels, and inconvenient returns. According to InPost’s July 2025 research, more than one-third of …
As cities introduce zero-emission zones, urban logistics is undergoing a fundamental transformation. This study examines how light electric freight vehicles (LEFVs) are being integrated into last-mile delivery in the Netherlands and how this transition reshapes logistics operations, urban infrastructure, and governance. Rather than focusing solely on vehicle technology, the paper highlights the organisational and spatial …
In cities around the world, logistics plays a crucial but often invisible role. From early morning supermarket deliveries to the increasing number of parcel vans navigating through neighborhoods, urban freight is an integral part of daily life. Yet, despite its importance, city logistics remains under-researched and poorly understood, mainly due to a lack of good …
Last-mile delivery is under increasing pressure. With booming e-commerce, growing urban congestion, and mounting sustainability targets, cities struggle to keep deliveries efficient, affordable, and clean. This thesis investigates how optimization models can help last-mile logistics adapt, balancing operational efficiency with environmental and regulatory demands. A recent Ph.D. Thesis by Pinar Ozyavas addresses the issues around optimizing …