How will e-commerce growth impact our transportation network? Final report.

Details

• Creators:
  Rutter, Allan ; Bierling, David H. ; Lee, Dahye ; Morgan, Curtis Alan ; Warner, Jeffery E.
• Corporate Creators:
  Texas A&M Transportation Institute
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Electronic commerce
  • Logistics
  • Physical distribution
  • Supply chain management
  • Trucking
  • Delivery vehicles
  • Traffic volume
  • Traffic characteristics
• Publication/ Report Number:
  PRC 17-79 F
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States;Texas
• Edition:
  Final Report
• Corporate Publisher:
  Texas A&M Transportation Institute
• Abstract:
  The steady growth in online retailing continues to rattle long-established business models and the ; shopping patterns of consumers (who are also taxpayers, voters, and drivers). Those consumers ; are increasingly choosing shorter delivery cycles—opting in some cases to receive their goods ; within hours rather than days. ; The demand for more immediate delivery requires retailers to be more nimble and radically ; changes warehousing logistics. Sellers are augmenting their reliance on million-plus square foot ; facilities, adding smaller sorting and delivery hubs and locating them closer to their customers. ; Moreover, while retailers continue to employ traditional delivery services like FedEx, UPS, and ; USPS, they also are looking to independent contractors who use personal vehicles to transport ; packages in the same way that transportation network companies like Uber ferry passengers. ; These changes can directly impact our transportation system, and they bring to light a number of ; challenges for transportation planners, operating agencies, and policy makers. For instance: ; - Evolving delivery operations cloud the picture of how carriers are regulated. Much of the ; regulation of motor carriers in Texas relates directly to the weight capacity of the vehicles ; transporting cargo. Most traditional delivery operations fall under this statutory ; description, requiring certificates of operating authority from the Federal Motor Carrier ; Safety Administration. The use of personal autos by people acting as independent ; contractors may meet the basic definition of a motor carrier (transporting cargo for hire), ; but these contractors are not required to register as such because of the vehicles’ smaller ; size. Consequently, they avoid a number of safety and operational requirements. ; - Changes in urban logistics will impact roadway system use and needs. The further ; expansion of e-commerce will increase warehousing needs. These facilities, located ; increasingly within urban areas, require interstate highway access to accommodate more ; frequent daily truck traffic. Even with increased automation, these centers will require ; larger workforces than traditional warehouses would, creating more trips by employees ; coming from areas with limited transit service options and working multiple shifts. ; - Personal vehicle use in express delivery growth will affect traffic patterns. Growing ; numbers of express deliveries involve personal vehicles, mirroring the model of ; transportation network companies, which may increase the number of non-peak-period ; trips into residential areas. These trips may not be captured in current regional travel ; demand models that help to forecast system needs, so planning agencies will need to ; adjust their models to ensure that those needs are more accurately projected. ; E-commerce and its associated delivery demands will likely continue to disrupt traditional ; business practices. Planners and policy makers alike will need to closely monitor these changes ; to effectively plan and operate a transportation system that meets the needs of a growing ; population of road users and consumers.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/32858/dot_32858_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.01 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:20da6e18ec42827241393ba220bffe8519504fc91ec4060703cb6fa6bf536a196994318dc0f8dc14e812a7694b35663346ad74c6e267d65c911e1b0bb34a2eaf