The impact on urban distribution operations of upstream supply chain constraints

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate and quantify the impact of delivery restrictions on costs and environmental performance for a distribution operation. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from a company and several scenarios with varying delivery restrictions were investigated. Findings The results show significant reductions in cost and environmental impacts are achieved when restrictions are relaxed. However, the research also highlighted the importance of adopting a supply chain (SC) approach to the removal of restrictions and the need for public/private sector cooperation. Research limitations/implications The case study is based on one company only. However, the company performs many trips each day to many different customers. Practical implications The paper provides insight into the scope for change in the SC decision‐making processes in order to reduce environmental impacts (and identifies limitations). Originality/value The paper is a contribution to better understanding the importance of logistics decisions and not only transport when considering urban freight problems.