Automation in the transport sector: how the use of self-driving vehicles impacts the efficiency of urban delivery networks

Abstract

Due to the prominent level of technology attained, companies try to stay one step ahead of change by offering the most technologically advanced products and services possible. These services include Last-Mile delivery, whose latest developments involve the inclusion of process automation, that is the area of research on which this study is based. The aim of the research is therefore to understand whether these technologically advanced solutions actually lead to economic efficiency. In order to do so, a literature review was conducted on the topics of last-mile delivery, self-driving vehicles, and economic efficiency in this area. Subsequently, by conducting semi-structured interviews with companies in the Swedish territory, the study analyses the cost factors associated with such innovations and the companies' perceptions of efficiency. The results of the study help to understand how the use of self-driving vehicles impacts efficiency, in terms of costs, of urban last-mile delivery, and what the future developments of this technology will potentially be.