The HITS (Sustainable and Integrated Urban Transport System) project, conducted in Stockholm, involved transporters, academic institutions, municipal authorities, property owners, logistics companies and waste-handling firms. The study aimed to develop efficient transport solutions for cleaner and safer cities.
Researchers examined current delivery practices and found vehicles operating with low fill rates. The study tested a delivery model where businesses redirected deliveries to a suburban consolidation centre. Electric lorries transported consolidated goods during off-peak hours to urban distribution centres, where items were transferred to electric mini-trucks or cargo bikes for final delivery.
The research focused on Stockholm’s downtown area, examining deliveries to shops, restaurants, hotels and offices. Global logistics firm HAVI conducted multiple tests during the study period. These included trials of digitally connected goods systems and unmanned deliveries using smart locks and key cards. The company also tested night-time deliveries at the Westfield Mall of Scandinavia.
“With off-peak deliveries, we can utilise our trucks and loading docks more efficiently and thereby simplify operations through less congestion at our facilities. This is a concept we would be interested in scaling up,” said HAVI’s Project Manager Sustainability, Isabella Sahlbom.
Property owners emerged as significant factors in consolidation success, according to the findings. The study indicated they could influence delivery methods through their relationships with tenants and hub operators.
“Earlier, consolidation hubs have not always met with success but by engaging real estate owners we found that the chances for success are far greater,” said Jack Lu from CLOSER, the Swedish research platform for research and innovation coordination. “Property owners have great opportunities to influence how deliveries are to be carried out through their formal relationships with tenants and contacts with hub operators.”
Project Manager Elisabeth Hörnfeldt at Scania’s Innovation Office reported that shifting to off-peak deliveries could “reduce daytime traffic but also enhance efficiency in logistics and cut costs.”
The City of Stockholm’s Transport Department is considering off-peak deliveries as part of its climate targets.
“The City of Stockholm can’t just enact regulations and thereby expect everything to be solved. But off-peak deliveries can form part of the solution for achieving the City’s climate targets, and with this project we now have a better understanding of how this transformation can take place,” said Victoria Herslöf, Sustainable Urban Transport Strategist.
The research indicated that more heavy transport during off-peak hours rather than rush hour could reduce congestion and provide more attractive public spaces and safer streets. The study noted that while solutions may need to vary between cities, the results showed several approaches to sustainable urban transport systems.
“It may not be possible to find a single solution that fits all cities or meets all challenges at the same time. However, the results we have obtained show that there are several viable solutions for sustainable transport solutions, benefiting society at large as well as all those involved in urban transport,” Hörnfeldt said.