Blake
12-12-2007, 09:05 PM
We all know that sitting in a left-hand-turn lane or waiting to turn across lanes of oncoming traffic can be time-consuming and even treacherous. The New York Times Magazine has a great article by Joel Lovell on a highly focused effort by UPS to eliminate left-hand turns from its drivers' delivery routes. The company is using a "package flow" software program to pre-plot delivery sequences for its 95,000 vehicles. It may sound comically anal-retentive, but the results are staggering: Lovell reports that UPS lopped off some 28.5 million miles from its delivery routes last year thanks to the software, saving 3 million gallons of fuel and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by close to 69 million pounds. We have to wonder: If such a strategy can yield this kind of savings for UPS, what can it do for the average person? How much fuel, time, and sanity might we save in a year of driving if we pre-planned errand-running to minimize (or even eliminate) left-hand turns?
From http://blog.wired.com/cars/2007/12/no-left-turn-so.html
Another link about this... New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/magazine/09left-handturn.html?ex=1354856400&en=c9a577b0fac3b645&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss)
Pretty cool stuff!
WriConsult
12-13-2007, 12:30 AM
I should probably give this more thought on my own errands. Left turns do seem pretty wasteful of time, and unlike other times when I'm sitting still for substantial periods, it's not very conducive to FASing so a lot of fuel is wasted idling.
Left turns are also hazardous. I'd be willing to bet that this has reduced UPS' collision costs measurably.
Vooch
12-13-2007, 12:50 AM
UPS is a runs a very tight ship, they spend a lot of time training their drivers - this left hand turn story indicates how much they have achieved so far in efficiencies - it means all the easy improvements have already been implemented.
lightfoot
12-13-2007, 06:26 AM
Wonder if the software incorporates an algorithm to determine how far out of your way it's worth going to avoid a left hand turn. In non-urban areas avoiding a left could add a lot of distance.
Next step might be to avoid trigger-activated stoplights at hours when there is not much traffic! And sets of non-synchronized traffic lights.
Then software which would continuously monitor fuel usage vs route (via GPS and telemetry) and keep tweaking the driver's route from day to day. The possibilities are endless!
Wonder if the software incorporates an algorithm to determine how far out of your way it's worth going to avoid a left hand turn. In non-urban areas avoiding a left could add a lot of distance.
That is true, but in non-urban areas left turns usually aren't much of a problem as you don't have to wait for traffic. I wonder if the program can designate heavy, medium, and light density traffic areas?
98CRV
12-13-2007, 08:25 PM
The only other person I heard about avoiding right hand turns was a guy who had an old Jaguar that would cut off when he made left turns. I guess he was hypermiling and didn't know it!
That is true, but in non-urban areas left turns usually aren't much of a problem as you don't have to wait for traffic. I wonder if the program can designate heavy, medium, and light density traffic areas?
a geographic information system can do anything you want it to!
number of lanes, where the stop lights/signs are, the average number of cars per day (on peak or off peak times), speed limit, etc...
(I don't have a clue as to what UPS is using, but I'd be willing to bet that their algorithms for determining the best routes for any given bunch of packages incorporates all the above and a whole other mess of data)
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