Night freight
Operating at night can improve the efficiency and safety of road freight deliveries and at the same time reduce daytime congestion and fuel consumption, making significant cost savings and environmental outcomes possible.
However, impacts of night freight on surrounding residents, businesses, and entertainment or tourist precincts include:
- Noise - vehicle engines, reversing alarms, material-handling equipment, staff can cause sleep disturbance
- Lighting overspill - from loading bay and truck movements
These impacts are addressed by state and local council regulations. Statutory noise requirements restrict the movement of freight vehicles at night in certain areas.
Optimising night freight delivery:
- careful design and siting of loading bays and loading zones
- using rail for part of the journey can reduce freight traffic on arterial systems
- optimising a delivery route to travel against peak hour traffic flows
Links
- Quiet Deliveries Demonstration Scheme - results from 2011 are now available. Quieter technologies and methodologies improve fuel-efficiency and vehicle turn-around without causing adverse community impacts.