Multi-Tier Delivery Routing With Rendezvous Drop-Off Points
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Solution Overview
Problem
In urban areas, shipping carrier vehicles often face challenges with unavailable or cost-prohibitive parking, leading to idling and increased fuel consumption, emissions, and traffic congestion due to the serial nature of last-mile deliveries.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a multi-tier delivery system where merchant facilities notify shipping carriers to pick up shipments, which are then batched and delivered by delivery agents, reducing driver and vehicle idle time by allowing vehicles to quickly drop off batches of shipments at rendezvous points, optimizing routes and schedules based on historical data and public transit integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If shipping carrier vehicles perform serial last-mile deliveries by stopping at each delivery location, then deliveries can be made to individual customers, but vehicle idle time increases and fuel consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery process is segmented into two distinct phases: (1) bulk transportation phase where vehicles transport batches of shipments to rendezvous points, and (2) last-mile delivery phase where delivery agents complete individual deliveries. This segmentation allows vehicles to avoid frequent stops while still achieving individual deliveries, thereby reducing fuel consumption while maintaining delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Rendezvous points serve as intermediary locations where vehicles transfer batches of shipments to delivery agents. These intermediaries enable the decoupling of bulk transportation from individual deliveries, allowing vehicles to minimize idle time and fuel consumption while delivery agents handle the final delivery step to individual customers.
2Ease of operation
If shipping carrier vehicles wait for parking availability at delivery locations, then deliveries can be completed, but vehicle idle time and emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The parking and waiting function is extracted from the vehicle's delivery process. Instead of vehicles waiting at delivery locations for parking availability, the system extracts this function by having vehicles deliver batches to rendezvous points and transfer shipments to delivery agents, eliminating the need for vehicles to idle and reducing emissions while maintaining delivery completion capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Rendezvous points act as intermediaries that eliminate the need for vehicles to wait for parking at final delivery locations. By transferring shipments at these intermediary points to delivery agents who then complete deliveries, the system avoids vehicle idle time and associated emissions while ensuring deliveries are completed.
3Ease of operation
If shipping carrier vehicles travel to multiple delivery locations sequentially, then individual deliveries can be made, but traffic congestion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery service is segmented into bulk transportation of batches to rendezvous points followed by individual deliveries by agents. This segmentation reduces the number of vehicle stops and trips through congested areas, thereby maintaining delivery service quality while reducing traffic congestion caused by multiple vehicle movements.
Solution Approach 2:
Rendezvous points serve as intermediary transfer locations that reduce the need for vehicles to make multiple sequential trips to individual delivery locations. By consolidating batch deliveries to these intermediaries and having agents complete final deliveries, the system maintains comprehensive delivery service while minimizing vehicle-induced traffic congestion.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a system and method for generating a delivery plan for multi-tier delivery schemes are described. Embodiments may include generating a delivery plan for a region including multiple delivery locations. The delivery plan may specify at least one agent delivery route within the region. The delivery route may include at least one shipment acquisition location coinciding with an expected travel route of a vehicle conveying shipments. The agent delivery route may be traversed by an agent that is to deliver a specific group of shipments acquired from the vehicle at the shipment acquisition location. Embodiments may include selecting the specific group of shipments for delivery on the delivery route. The selecting is based on a time constraint for delivering the group of shipments to respective delivery locations along the delivery route, and historical delivery time information for previous deliveries to the delivery locations along the delivery route.