by Walther Ploos van Amstel
A new paper presented at IPIC 2026 (Errami, Hashemi-Petroodi, Puchinger, Klibi) tackles a problem central to the Physical Internet vision for cities: how do you actually get competing logistics providers and public transport authorities to share infrastructure, not just talk about it? The model, developed under the EU MODALSHIFT project and tested on a real …
Battery-electric trucks (BETs) are widely seen as a core pathway to decarbonising heavy-duty road freight, but large-scale adoption remains difficult. A recent study examines how collaborative logistics, smart routing, and targeted policies can accelerate BET deployment for trucks used in middle-mile and long-haul operations—while managing costs and operational constraints. The research combines a new electric …
“Why has it suddenly become so expensive?” a long-term customer asked last week when the account manager explained that the company would soon start driving electric trucks. That is a fair question. Anyone looking only at the price tag will be shocked: electric trucks are more expensive to purchase, charging infrastructure adds costs, and planning …
In 2004, Mark Barratt wrote his classic work “Understanding the meaning of collaboration in the supply chain” on supply chain collaboration. Barratt presents his vision of collaboration and the factors involved in its success. It offers wise lessons that are still held today and collaboration in city logistics. Companies systematically work on improving the efficiency …
The growth of e-commerce has driven higher demand for B2C transportation, creating challenges for urban distribution and upstream supply networks. Various sustainable transport strategies have been proposed to mitigate the impact of freight movement. However, these strategies must balance economic, environmental, and social considerations. A recent study evaluates a sustainable distribution strategy based on collaborative …
How can flexible applications of the space and infrastructure of urban distribution centers (UDCs) be organized to help lower demands on space and infrastructure in cities? The application of flexible use of space and infrastructure can improve the efficiency of a UDC, but the challenge lies in the organization of the application of flexibility. A possible …
Shared-fleet logistics involves collaboration between two or more companies to combine workloads and vehicle capacity to improve vehicle utilisation and transport efficiency and reduce costs. A recent study considers the potential environmental and economic benefits of implementing a shared-fleet collaboration between two public organizations: a local government authority and a National Health Service (NHS) Trust. …
Is it possible for flexible applications of infrastructure to help cope with the demand for space? In a new paper, researchers tried to answer how different forms of flexibility can impact the societal costs of infrastructure development on passenger transport hubs. The value is used to determine these impacts for an explorative research option. This …
City logistics is under attack with more car-free residential areas, congested inner cities, and pedestrianized campuses. In the following years, logistics service providers must deliver more volume with fewer vehicles, safer and cleaner. Logistics service providers should plan city logistics routes carefully, considering local regulations, zero-emission zones, road closures, times windows, loading and unloading points, …
Urban construction logistics has a big impact on cities. A paper by researchers from Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences looks at governance strategies for realizing more sustainable urban construction logistics. Practitioners have stressed the fragmented nature of the construction industry and the lack of collaboration in construction logistics as issues.