Optimizing Last-Mile Delivery Using Micromobility and Autonomous Technologies: A Scalable Framework for Future Logistics Solutions

Freight delivery is essential to urban mobility and the economy but contributes to congestion, emissions, and infrastructure wear. With e-commerce growth, it is vital to improve last-mile delivery (LMD), which can comprise up to 51% of logistics costs. This proposal introduces a framework combining micromobility and autonomous technologies to optimize LMD. These solutions offer flexible and labor-efficient alternatives for dense, high-traffic environments. The goal is to ease congestion and enhance delivery efficiency. Real-world case studies in urban and semi-urban settings will assess the framework’s feasibility, scalability, and overall impact. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: • Develop a scalable framework for LMD that integrates various micromobility and autonomous technologies to optimize routes and identify the best delivery options for policymakers. • Design algorithms for efficient route planning that enhance operational efficiency, reduce fuel/electricity costs, and improve delivery speed. • Evaluate the feasibility of different delivery methods, taking into account constraints and practical considerations to ensure real-world applicability. • Improve system resilience by enabling real-time route adjustments to address real-world obstacles, such as road repairs and traffic disruptions. • Validate the proposed framework through agent-based simulation using Amazon’s last-mile data to demonstrate its effectiveness. • Leverage AI-powered technology to analyze historical data and predict demand to enable dynamic adaptation of delivery methods, such as deploying more drones on weekdays and fewer on weekends in specific areas, to optimize operational performance.

• Record URL:
  • https://fersc.utk.edu/research-focus/fersc-projects-year-3/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $210,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348338

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Freight Transportation for Efficient and Resilient Supply Chain

  University of Tennessee Knoxville
  Knoxville, TN  United States  37996
• Project Managers:

  Bruner, Britain

  Kaplan, Marcella

• Performing Organizations:

  Oregon State University, Corvallis

  101 Kearney Hall
  Corvallis, OR  United States  97331

  Texas A&M University, College Station

  Zachry Department of Civil Engineering
  3136 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3136
• Principal Investigators:

  Porter, David

  Quadrifoglio, Luca

  Hernandez, Sal

  Carleton, Philip

• Start Date: 20250901
• Expected Completion Date: 20260831
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Autonomous vehicles; Delivery service; First mile and last mile; Micromobility; Urban areas
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01984387
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Freight Transportation for Efficient and Resilient Supply Chain
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348338
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Mar 25 2026 5:38PM