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 ofthe overall transport chain. This is, among other reasons, because many recipients are not at homewhen deliveries take place. On the other hand, it is for many recipients inconvenient that they haveto collect their parcels at different pickup shops varying from logistics service provider (LSP) toLSP. One solution is to employ (open) parcel lockers which are conveniently located for recipientsand which allow successful (first) deliveries for LSPs. In this paper, we investigate the impact ofparcel lockers with respect to traveled distances as well as CO2emissions. We show that undercertain situations, parcel lockers positively contribute to both aforementioned performance indexes.Based on our observations, we formulate recommendations how to support the implementation ofparcel lockers.