Research interests Tom’s key research interests include i) understanding and improving the distribution of goods and the management of freight vehicles in urban areas, including the supply of goods to hospitals and the use of consolidation centres; ii) how optimisation techniques can be used to improve system efficiency and in what ways Intelligent Transport Systems (smart tagging of assets and the use of smartphones) can improve operating efficiency; iii) approaches to more effectively collect and manage the movement of waste in terms of both household domestic waste collection strategies, Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) management and joint domestic/commercial waste collection strategies. Main research areas include: More effectively collecting and managing the movement of waste. This is in terms of both household domestic waste collection strategies, Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) management and joint domestic/commercial waste collection strategies. He has worked on a number of research projects in these specific areas: (Department for Transport grant PPAD 9/142/034, ‘Optimising vehicles undertaking waste collections' GR/S79626/01, SUE project 55 ‘Transport and Logistics'; EP/D043328/1, ‘Green Logistics'. Using smartphones to manage transport operations. This has developed a prototype app for Oxfam to help them better visualise where their paid and volunteer drivers are, and allow communities of shop managers and their volunteers, area managers and drivers communicate through a social network. Using smartphones to manage transport operations. This has developed a prototype app for Oxfam to help them better visualise where their paid and volunteer drivers are, and allow communities of shop managers and their volunteers, area managers and drivers communicate through a social network.