What is final mile delivery? Why are shippers and truckers concerned about tracking final mile delivery trends, delivery rates and population percentages?
Final mile delivery focuses on the end-delivery logistics for parcel and truckload deliveries in its most simplistic form. Many factors can contribute to difficulties with the last leg of delivery, from local traffic and road conditions to driver error and missed delivery ETAs.
Role Customer Experience Plays in Consumer Shipping Choices
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that approximately 83% of people in the U.S. live in urban areas, and by 2050, that number is expected to be nearly 90% overall. This projection brings even more focus to freight management parties and their practices.
Technology Powering Final Mile Delivery Options
Benefits of a technology-backed approach to final mile deliveries can include:
- Ability to adjust final-mile shipping processes to account for volatile market trends.
- Easy scalability and effective capacity management with final-mile tracking numbers.
- White-glove delivery and final-mile tracking services for an affordable price.
- Capacity to address disruptions or delays and respond to complaints in real-time.
- Enhanced visibility and transparency into the final mile from start to finish.
- Reduced final-mile freight issues such as deadheading to boost overall profits.
- Ability to improve final-mile services with guaranteed on-time in-full delivery.
- Streamlined approach to truck fleet management and logistical planning.
- Optimized process to handle on-demand orders, reschedules, and final-mile logistics.
- Dynamic capacity and load planning options tailored with final-mile delivery in mind.
- Improved services, including scheduling, invoicing, and final-mile delivery tracking.
- Accounting improvements within budgeting, as well as freight settlements and payments.
Enhancing Final Mile Shipping with Analytics and Insights
Final-mile deliveries have rightly been called one of the most expensive parts of the fulfillment and delivery network. According to surveys and reports from AMCS in late 2021, final-mile delivery services account for 35-53percent of the total delivery costs shippers incur.
Freight costs to ship packages average $10, and with most shippers charging an average of $8 shipping to customers, it leaves the remainder falling on the shipper themselves to cover. And final mile transport for more oversized items, such as electric appliances, could hit $50 per package or more.
This is why a close eye on final-mile logistics and successful final-mile drop-offs are critical for continued growth and success for all shipping companies, regardless of their size. It all comes down to transportation logistics and creative innovation.
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Improve Final Mile Freight Transportation and Delivery With Innovative Insights from MercuryGate
Services such as final-mile delivery tracking, end-mile customized drop-offs, and real-time final-mile tracking number monitoring are some ways innovations impact shipping and delivery logistics. Integrated system insights and reliable tech make final-mile delivery faster and easier, regardless of company size or customer base.
Answer the question of what is final-mile delivery with our ebook on final-mile services, “Final Mile Technology: Improving the Customer Experience.”