Ford and Royal Mail have teamed up to test a new city-friendly package delivery service in Manchester. The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether different modes of transportation using Ford’s routing software could help deliver larger packages on foot in urban areas.

Using Mode: Ford’s proprietary link delivery scheduling software, a fleet of custom-built vans and custom-built package trolleys, this project reduces the number of delivery vehicles in the city center.

“We are proud to partner with Royal Mail to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and congestion in the city centre. Now that we’re in the busiest and most magical time of year for package delivery, we’re excited to see the results of this trial prove the value of foot delivery. And we’re excited that the effectiveness of Ford’s software is helping to make downtown areas cleaner and safer,” said Tom Thompson, founder of Last Mile Delivery at Ford Mobility.

Ford Mode: The Link software allows multiple packagers to make deliveries in a single vehicle that supports it. It identifies a safe and convenient location for parcel deliveries which are then delivered on foot to several apartment blocks, commercial and residential buildings in the M4 postal code area of ​​Manchester.

During the trial, the postman used a smartphone app that reported the location of the postal truck and indicated the best route to deliver the package. This process results in fast and efficient delivery. At the same time, human interaction at the time of delivery is maintained to ensure trust at the door.

Van use on the affected delivery routes fell 50 percent, while daily vehicle mileage fell 33 percent, from 15 miles to 10 miles per bus station per day. This results in a reduction of 1.3 kg of CO2 emissions per car.1 This more sustainable delivery approach makes roads quieter, safer and cleaner.

“Ford’s software has enabled Royal Mail to reduce postal van usage and mileage in the test area, while still providing a fast and reliable package delivery service. At Royal Mail, we are constantly looking for opportunities to reduce our emissions, as well as provide convenience to our customers,” said Achim Dunnwald, Chief Operating Officer at Royal Mail.

Royal Mail has operated in the UK for over 500 years and can deliver to around 31 million addresses and has the lowest reported CO2 emissions per package of a major UK shipping company.