On the impact of open parcel lockers on traffic

Abstract

The last-mile in the courier express parcel (CEP) sector is the most challenging part of the overall transport chain. This is, among other reasons, because many recipients are not at home when deliveries take place. On the other hand, it is for many recipients inconvenient that they have to collect their parcels at different pickup shops varying from logistics service provider (LSP) to LSP. One solution is to employ (open) parcel lockers which are conveniently located for recipients and which allow successful (first) deliveries for LSPs. In this paper, we investigate the impact of parcel lockers with respect to traveled distances as well as CO2 emissions. We show that under certain situations, parcel lockers positively contribute to both aforementioned performance indexes. Based on our observations, we formulate recommendations how to support the implementation of parcel lockers.