Royal Mail and Ford partnership slashes delivery van use in half

A successful trial of new routing software has enabled Royal Mail to use fewer vans to make parcel deliveries in Manchester, delivering significant reductions in emissions, congestion, and air pollution.

The postal service today announced the results of a partnership with auto giant Ford to trial the motor company’s Mode:Link software to try and increase foot-based deliveries in urban areas.

Ford’s software enables several posties to meet one delivery van at a coordinated point and then make deliveries on foot, reducing the number of parcel vans travelling in the city centre. Van usage for the delivery routes involved in the trial halved, with vehicle mileage decreasing by 33 per cent, the companies said.

“Our software made it possible for Royal Mail to help reduce carbon emissions and congestion in city centres,” said Tom Thompson, founder of the Last Mile Delivery software project at Ford Mobility. “As we enter the busiest and most magical time of year for parcels, we are delighted to see the results of this trial prove the value of delivery on foot and the effectiveness of Ford’s software in making city centres cleaner, greener and safer.”

The software identifies locations for vans to stop to handover parcels to postal workers, who then use an app to find the location and the most efficient delivery routes. The process results in fast and efficient delivers, according to Royal Mail, and also maintains human contact at the point of delivery.

Commenting on the success of the trial, Achim Dunnwald, chief operating officer at Royal Mail, said: “Ford’s software enabled Royal Mail to reduce van usage and mileage in the trial area, whilst still offering a prompt and reliable parcel delivery service. At Royal Mail, we are continuously looking at opportunities to reduce our emissions, alongside delivering convenience to our customers.”

The trial took place in the M4 postcode area of Manchester, which will be in the centre of Manchester’s Clean Air Zone when it launches next year. The Zone will charge heavy goods vehicles and vans that do not meet emissions standards fines of up to £60 from 2023.

Over the past year, Royal Mail has announced a series of initiatives to lower the environmental impact of deliveries, including using micro-electric vehicles, accelerating its switch to electric vans, and growing its on-foot delivery fleet to more than 85,000 postal workers.