For many if not most businesses these days, last mile (aka final mile) carrier problems can be expensive, difficult and disappoint customers. Speaking at the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/XPO 2022 conference in June, Gartner VP & Analyst Tom Enright said “53% of shipping costs and 41% of total supply chain costs are tied to the last mile.”
Like many costs faced by the logistics industry, last mile carrier costs are unavoidable. Customers shopping everywhere from Amazon.com to local small businesses have come to expect fast, on-time shipping with complete tracking information. Meanwhile businesses and entrepreneurs, faced with a marketplace dominated by fast-shipping giants, struggle to meet demand because shipping is complicated and maybe not part of their core business.
However, with this rise in demand, last mile carriers are becoming more technology enabled and helping to connect businesses to the reliable, cost-effective, and efficient last mile carrier solutions they need to survive and thrive in a competitive marketplace.
What Is a Last Mile Carrier?
A last mile carrier oversees the final miles of the logistics process. The final mile carriers travel from distribution hubs to customer doorsteps to provide excellent shipping service. These are the delivery drivers in our neighborhoods everyday and are the direct contact between a business and its customers. In that way, last mile carriers are the face of your business, and they leave an important lasting impression on your customer.
With this in mind, a final mile carrier interaction can have an outsize effect on customer experience. On the one hand, a bad experience can leave dissatisfied customers seeking alternatives. On the other hand, a great experience from DeliveryCircle and the professional last mile delivery drivers can make a customer loyal and repeat purchases.
Addressing the Last Mile Delivery Challenge with DeliveryCircle for Businesses
With final mile delivery costs consuming as much as 53% of total shipping costs, businesses are eager to rein in last mile and over-the-road spending. While there are some inherent difficulties to last mile logistics, as they occur in a customer environment, often on busy streets and highways, or in cities, DeliveryCircle helps clients manage their costs with scheduled delivery, smart routing and package tracking.
DeliveryCircle helps clients overcome final mile challenges everyday, especially those clients who delivery big and bulky items that are non-sortable and non-conveyable. Clients like that they can focus on their core business and outsource last mile headaches and concerns such as:
- Lack of truck/van capacity. Rising fuel prices and maintenance costs mean it is a challenge for businesses to keep vehicles on the road and out of the shop.
- Driver shortages. The struggle to find loyal, reliable drivers can make allocation impossible or make delivery times slow.
- Rising fuel costs and fleet maintenance. Final mile logistics are costing businesses so much money, as volatile fuel prices hurt margins. Increasing maintenance costs are also problematic, as skilled labor can be hard to find.
- Costs of equipment and tools. Inflation and employee turnover in traditional, sluggish supply chains can mean added difficulties and expenses for businesses trying to access the necessary tools.
- Traffic disruptions. Last mile delivery occurs where customers are so carrier drivers face traffic jams and slow-downs.
- Excessive packaging needs. Excessive packaging can prevent broken items, but often result in overly bulky shipments that complicate capacity and cost businesses too much money.
- Delays with loading and unloading. It is more complicated than ever for businesses facing staffing shortages to find reliable help at the dock.
If this is taking up more time than other areas of your business, the Sales Solutions Experts at DeliveryCircle can help.
Understanding the Value of Growing and Diversifying your Carrier Network
The increase in final mile carrier costs means businesses must find and implement creative solutions to provide efficient delivery. That means staying competitive as businesses nationwide work with new partners who focus on last mile logistics when they want top service that some of the larger industry incumbents cannot offer at competitive prices. Many clients immediately see this as they introduce DeliveryCircle to their roster of provides and automatically allocate to DeliveryCircle as we have strong value and performance.
Growing your carrier network with DeliveryCircle, who offers tech-enabled solutions to solve capacity issues, will delight your customers without adding the burden of the overhead of a traditional fleet. Indeed, we have saved our clients upwards of 30% on their existing solutions by using smart technology to efficiently route orders.
With dedicated drivers and mobile application enabled, DeliveryCircle's proprietary carrier matching gives businesses the right freight asset for their load. DeliveryCircle's Decios software application optimizes small loads can be transported by fuel-efficient sedans, while larger shipments can be moved using vans, trucks or box trucks using a lift gate if needed (aka straight truck). DeliveryCircle's specialized, custom transportation services accommodate oversized, hazardous, liquid, biological and temperature-sensitive loads without the expense or hassle of traditional parcel logistics. DeliveryCircle prides itself on quick turnaround times and competitive prices to help our clients grow without the guessing games of larger competitors who have a long decision making process with seemingly no one in charge.
By offering on-demand capacity solutions through Decios application reports and dashboards, the improving your businesses last mile carrier network has never been easier or better timing.
Planning for the Future of Last Mile Delivery With a Wider Final Mile Carrier Network
With customer demand for fast, affordable shipping increasing, now is the time for businesses to consider the advantages of a tech-enabled, on-demand carrier network.
- Streamlined Service. With responsive, on-demand carrier networks and account managers, shippers can access the capacity they need and get driver tracking and real-time update whenever they need.
- Limitless Personalization. Personalization like intelligent allocation, API integration, automation, and even brand customization within platforms mean businesses can provide the service their clients need.
- Intelligent Automation. Automated order processing means businesses focus on the big-picture: providing top of the line delivery service to their clientele.
By partnering with a technologically enabled, on-demand carrier network, businesses can provide cutting-edge service today while investing in tomorrow.
Streamline Last Mile Shipping and Personalize Delivery With DeliveryCircle's Custom Services
Last mile shipping will always be complicated and customer demands are only increasing. The solution is focusing on what each business does best, that is the core focus. Many of our clients want to focus on their core customer so that their delivery partner can do what they do best. Not all last mile couriers are equal, and DeliveryCircle focuses on scheduled, non-sortable delivery to have the best performance and value among our peer group. Many companies try to do it all, and that is why having options for your businesses last mile only benefits with a diverse carrier network. With DeliveryCircle, a tech-empowered last mile delivery solution, businesses can handle last mile delivery through a single, easy-to-use platform. Schedule a demo with DeliveryCircle today and begin your Ultimate Delivery Experience!
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