Integrating Driver Preferences in Urban Delivery

In times of skilled labor shortages, it becomes essential for delivery companies to stand out from their competitors. Creating a supportive work environment where employees feel valued, is key to achieve this goal. For example, recent studies have shown that delivery drivers have different preferences when it comes to parking and how far they are willing to walk. These preferences can vary for each driver based on factors like age or experience. For instance, experienced drivers are skilled to approach difficult parking spots but might not want to walk long distances. The challenges of parking and walking also vary depending on the area of the city, e.g., in commercial, downtown, or rural areas. Consequently, delivery companies may want to integrate individual driver preferences in their operational planning of delivery routes. To show the impact of such integration, we present a multi-objective vehicle routing problem. Using Berlin as a case study, we examine the balance between driver convenience and travel cost. Our findings demonstrate that integrating driver preferences into planning models can be achieved at relatively low cost.