ParcEMon: IoT Platform for Real-Time Parcel Level Last-Mile Delivery Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting and...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Transportation Engineering
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Background:

• Transport is Australia's third-largest source of greenhouse gases, contributing 17% of national emissions.
• The growth of e-commerce has intensified last-mile delivery emissions, increasing air pollutants.
• Understanding factors influencing freight emissions is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an Internet of Things (IoT) platform for measuring and reporting real-world last-mile delivery emissions.
• To analyze the impact of vehicle, environmental, and driving behavior factors on emissions.
• To enable parcel-level emission analysis for informed delivery process enhancements.

Main Methods:

• Developed and tested an IoT platform integrated with a delivery vehicle.
• Collected real-world data under actual traffic and driving conditions, unlike previous lab-based studies.
• Analyzed sensor data in real-time, considering vehicle characteristics, road conditions, ambient temperature, and driving behaviors.

Main Results:

• The IoT platform successfully collected detailed data and provided contextualized reporting on emissions.
• A trade-off was identified between parcel weight and total travel distance for emission reduction.
• Real-world data analysis revealed correlations between various factors and their impact on emissions.

Conclusions:

• The developed IoT platform is feasible for collecting granular data on last-mile delivery emissions.
• Micro-level emission understanding is vital for improving delivery efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
• The findings provide a knowledge base for optimizing delivery processes and mitigating emissions from e-commerce logistics.