Pilot Program Reduces Truck Delivery Times in New York City by Utilizing Off-Hour Runs
This story appears in the Aug. 23 print edition of Transport Topics.
A pilot program in which trucks made off-hour runs into New York City decreased the average delivery time from the depot to the first receiver by 75%, according to an analysis of the program.
Trucks in the pilot program delivering during the hours of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. spent an average of 30 minutes curbside, compared with an average of 100 minutes during peak daytime hours.
The pilot program also produced a “sharp reduction” in parking tickets and fines, which for carriers that participated in the pilot can exceed $1,000 a month per truck, the pilot’s sponsors found.
The program was conducted by the city’s Office of Freight Mobility within the Department of Transportation, and by researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
Trucks in the program dramatically decreased delivery times, the program’s sponsors said, because the participants included shippers.
Eight carriers participated in the program, which began last fall and ended earlier this year. But 25 New York City business locations participated, which meant they arranged to accept off-hour deliveries.
In some cases, DOT said, the businesses gave storage area keys to truck drivers who did not need assistance unloading.
Kendra Adams, executive director of the New York State Motor Truck Association, called the pilot a “good first step” in gathering evidence on what works to ease congestion.
“It shows the importance of getting . . . the receiver to buy into that program because, as we all know, it’s not the truckers’ decision of when they want to get to a certain location,” Adams said.
“So, this whole issue of congestion within NYC, it’s not controlled by the trucker. It’s controlled by when somebody wants their product,” Adams said.
The pilot program was funded with a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration and $640,000 from Rensselaer.
Trucking firms and receivers got cash incentives for participating in the pilot. Payments ranged from $300 per truck for small carriers up to $3,000 in lump sum payments for large receivers and large trucking firms.
The city will try to launch a permanent off-hours system that involves more carriers and receivers, the DOT said.
Carriers, receivers or potential funding sources for the program can contact the office of Freight Mobility at 212-839-6670 or visit the Web page at www.nyc.gov/trucks.
