Pilot Off-Peak Delivery Program in the Region of Peel

Abstract

Off-peak delivery (OPD) is the delivery of goods during the evening and overnight hours. This strategy has the potential to alleviate peak period congestion, improve efficiency of delivery firms, and reduce emissions. This paper investigates benefits and challenges of a pilot OPD program in the Region of Peel, with the goal of informing potential broader implementations of OPD. In contrast to other previously implemented OPD projects, this OPD pilot focuses on deliveries in suburban areas. Three firms, delivering to 14 pilot retail stores, participated in the OPD pilot in the Region of Peel from March to August 2019. The analysis shows that during the six-month pilot, the average speed of the trips that were made in off-peak hours, from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the next day, is 18.1% faster than those that happened in day-time hours. Furthermore, the total greenhouse gas emissions/km decreased by 10.6%, and emissions factors for air quality pollutants, including CO, NOx, PM10, and PM2.5 reduced by 10.8% to 15.0% in off-peak hours. Results for service times varied between firms, but on average increased by 15.2%, indicating activities in the off-peak hours at the retail stores that prevented overall improvements in service time compared to day-time deliveries. A post-pilot interview was done with logistics managers of the three firms, which provides rich insights about challenges, successes, and ways that the OPD program could be improved.