Research on the Route Choice Behavior of Urban Freight Vehicles Based on GPS Data

Abstract

In order to provide urban freight vehicles with navigation routes that better align with their travel preferences, it is necessary to analyze the patterns and characteristics of their route choices. This paper focuses on freight vehicles traveling within the city and examines their route selection behavior. Through an analysis of the GPS data collected from freight truck journeys in Changchun, China, this study outlines the characteristics of freight vehicle travel within the city. Variables that may influence their route selection behavior are defined as feature factors. The study employs the DBSCAN algorithm to identify the hotspots in origin–destination pairs for freight truck travel in Changchun. It also utilizes Breadth First Search Link Elimination to generate a set of route choices and constructs route selection behavior models based on Multinomial Logit and Path Size Logit. Based on the research findings, during navigation within the city road network, these vehicles exhibit a preference for side roads, a tendency to favor right turns at intersections, and a propensity to choose routes with lower duplication compared to alternative options. The study’s conclusions offer theoretical support for guiding urban freight vehicle routes and planning and managing freight traffic within the city.