Last Mile

How this simple, sustainable solution could ease the problem of double-parked delivery vehicles.

A change at the top is coming for Greeneville, Tenn.-based asset-light freight and logistics services provider Forward Air, with the company announcing today that company Chief Executive Officer and President Tom Schmitt has left the company. The company added that Schmitt is also no longer a member of the company’s Board.

Three of our top parcel industry sources offer their respective takes on the most consumer-facing segment of freight transportation and logistics parcel and last-mile delivery. Even though pandemic-related conditions have changed, high pricing remains, which is increasingly putting shippers in the position of carefully considering their options.

The report, entitled “Making it Count”: Big and Bulky Last-Mile Delivery in the United States,” is the result of a partnership between Armstrong and the National Home Delivery Association (NHDA) and focuses on various trends and themes, including: the usage of independent contractors compared to employee drivers; customer and revenue trends by vertical industry; and the growing use of freight brokerage to source last-mile carrier capacity.

For Atlanta-based Roadie, an on-the-way delivery service with the nation’s largest local same-day footprint, and subsidiary of UPS, there is always a heightened focus on final-, or last-, mile logistics. That is especially true at this time of the year, to be sure. LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently caught up with Roadie Senior Marketing Manager Will Walker to learn about how the company approaches the busiest time of the year.

The role of the final mile market and where it fits in to the overall logistics landscape were key themes at the “Final Mile Issues and Opportunities” session at the CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals) EDGE conference last month in Nashville.

While there have been recent changes in temperature-controlled logistics, known as “cold chain,” there are many of the same players remaining in the sector, but with some new people skills, processes and technologies.

Atlanta-based Nolan Transportation Group (NTG), a provider of non-asset, tech-enabled logistics and brokerage services, and a subsidiary of Transportation Insight, and San Francisco-based freight forwarding and customs brokerage services provider Flexport, said they are collaborating on a strategic partnership focused on integrating their respective technologies, with a focus on “greater visibility across supply chains.”

65% of consumers are willing to pay more for faster delivery. Read the full report to understand how consumer's needs and expectations have changed in the Last Mile - #1 on their list: Faster Delivery!

A new report by Chicago-based Bringg, a data-led delivery and fulfillment cloud platform provider highlighted how logistics services providers are approaching their last-mile operations, with a focus on things like: growth strategy, bridging the gap between growing delivery trends; and current capabilities supported by technology in order to fuel and sustain long-term growth.

Earlier today, global technology giant Google said it has rolled out two new offerings—entitled Cloud Fleet Routing API and Last Mile Fleet Solution— which focus on helping logistics and retail fleet operators to see gains in delivery success and optimizing fleet performance through what it described as an integrated suite of mapping, routing and analytics capabilities.

Omnitracs One Last Mile Solutions can give your operation a better path forward. All the tools you need on a single platform.

Three of our top parcel industry sources offer their respective takes on one of the most ubiquitous parts of freight transportation and logistics—parcel and last-mile delivery. With providers and carriers continuing to have the upper hand over shippers, they suggest to leave no stone unturned when it comes to carrier selection and leveraging partnerships.

Check out this eBook: Logistics in the Last Mile, to see key areas Omnitracs can help bring agility to your trucking fleet.

Maersk officials said that the purchase price is $1.68 billion (USD), adding that the acquisition is subject to regulatory review and approval, which it expects to be obtained by the second quarter, with both Maersk and Pilot operating as independent businesses until the acquisition is made official.