Reverse logistics flows need to be centrally
managed in order to make efficient and
coordinated use of the vehicle fleet.
An average of 39% of the survey fleet was in use
each hour, with a minimum of 16% always in use.
This corresponds broadly to night use. Although
there will be external constraints, such as
restrictions on delivery times, there is scope for
many operators to reduce fleet sizes by spreading
activity throughout the 24 hour period with
beneficial reductions in associated running and
management costs.
Delivery bookings were predominant in the period
0600 to 1200 hours, with 30% occurring between
0600 and 1000. This coincides with one of the two
daily peaks in road congestion. In contrast, the 12
hours from 1800 to 0600 cover only 25% of delivery
bookings. By reviewing the need for movement
during peak times and changing delivery schedules,
companies would reduce inefficient running.
Fitting airflow management equipment showed a
positive improvement in fuel consumption. If all
the vehicles involved in the survey had been fitted
with this type of equipment, a 5% improvement in
fuel consumption would have been evident. In
terms of benefits, this would give operators a
saving equivalent to over 3p/litre and significantly
reduce environmentally damaging CO2 emissions.
Accurate measurement is the key to assessing
existing performance and to enable improvements
to be monitored. By measuring the key
performance indicators used within this study
individual fleet operators can identify key areas in
need of attention. This benchmarking exercise will
assist them in maximising the benefits of any
changes implemented.