Getting the timing right on out-of-hours deliveries

15th December 2014

A new best practice guide from Transport for London offers step-by-step guidance and information on retiming deliveries and collections to less busy times of the day.

Making deliveries later in the evening, overnight or earlier in the morning can lead to less risk of collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians, less fuel used and better air quality.

However, noise from vehicles making deliveries outside of normal working hours can sometimes cause a greater disturbance when roads are otherwise quiet.  London boroughs for example regularly restrict out-of-hours deliveries to minimise night-time disruption to local residents and communities.

Avoiding the busiest times for deliveries can lead to other benefits too – for example, staff can concentrate on offering a better service to customers rather than receiving deliveries.  Streets are also safer, as goods vehicles and vulnerable road users are less likely to travel at similar times, while reduced congestion will help improve air quality.

The guide contains practical advice for fleet operators, businesses and local authorities to help them discover the tangible efficiencies and environmental improvements that can be achieved when moving deliveries outside of the peak hours. 

It emphasises that fleet operators have a key role to play in bringing their customers and local authorities together, and can be downloaded at www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/getting-the-timing-right.pdf