A Framework to Model and Compare Rest Break Policies in Logistics Industry

Abstract

Carriers and postal companies are under increasing pressure to reduce their operating costs and increase efficiency. One way to reduce costs is to improve the utilisation of drivers’ working hours by employing more efficient rest break policies. A rest break policy is a set of rules consistent with (but more restrictive than) national regulations for Hours of Service (HOS). We develop and test a novel framework to model a class of these policies that concern the location of the rest breaks. In particular, we compare two representative rest break policies using data from a major Australian postal carrier. The first policy imposes no restriction on the location of a rest break. The second policy requires the driver to return to a depot for rest taking allowing time for socialising with others and making use of full amenities at the depot. Our numerical experiments focus on investigating the impact of each policy on postal delivery services in Sydney Metropolitan Area. Our analysis arrives at some interesting managerial insights and identifies important directions for future research in this area.