DOT Backs Studies on Overnight Truck Deliveries
A university in New York and Florida’s Department of Transportation have been tapped by the U.S. Department of Transportation to study the potential benefits of delivering and picking up freight during nighttime and off-peak hours.
The department announced Sept. 24 that it would give Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and Florida’s DOT $100,000 each for the studies. RPI would use the grant to work with national and regional retailers as well as food companies with operations in New York City to identify if nighttime and off-peak deliveries reduce travel times and save money for carriers.
Florida’s agency would team up with the Sacred Heart Health System to carry out a similar study at the health system’s campus in Pensacola. The federal grants stem from the department’s Surface Transportation Research, Development and Deployment Program.
“I’ve talked to people around the country, and they have told me they are tired of spending hours stuck in traffic — they want their transportation problems solved. … If successful in these cities, this approach can be applied to other areas around the country, cutting congestion, commute times and the costs to businesses,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.
“While aggravating local traffic, trucks, too, have been forced to crawl through city streets — causing businesses losses in time, money and productivity,” Federal Highway Administration chief Greg Nadeau said.
