As delivery services are becoming increasingly important to the success of more and more B2C businesses, one aspect of shipping logistics is getting extra attention: last-mile deliveries.
While last-mile delivery service poses some unique challenges to the shipping industry, it also offers some great opportunities, especially when you hire a third-party contractor.
What exactly is last-mile delivery? What are the advantages of using a last-mile delivery contractor?
What Is a Last-Mile Delivery Contractor?
In today’s complex, always-moving shipping industry, most cross-country deliveries are coordinated into larger shipments and taken to regional distribution centers. In these central hubs, packages are loaded into smaller vehicles and then sent to their final destination — typically individual customers.
These last-mile deliveries are an integral part of our freight networks. They make it possible for shipments to be made more quickly, but they can also be more costly. The “last mile” leg of a delivery typically makes up more than 50 percent of the total cost of shipping.
As companies look to find ways to reduce their shipping costs, one of the more popular solutions is hiring a third party to handle the last leg of the journey. These last-mile delivery contractors provide significant benefits, including higher customer satisfaction, cost savings, and more flexibility.
The Benefits of Using a Last-Mile Delivery Contractor
Last-mile delivery contractors specialize in delivering packages directly to customers’ homes or businesses. Whether you’re a business shipping large volumes of packages or a freight company looking to partner with contractors for the last-mile segment of your shipments, you can take advantage of several key benefits by hiring a last-mile delivery contractor.
Improve Customer Satisfaction
A last-mile delivery contractor can help improve your customer satisfaction levels by providing a dedicated team of drivers and vehicles to handle your deliveries. Their professional and efficient delivery services can help improve your company’s image, ensuring your customers that their packages are in good hands.
Using a third-party courier service for your last-mile deliveries gives your business a competitive advantage by ensuring your shipments are delivered to the right place on time. Plus, the contractor’s team will be able to provide additional support during the shipping process.
Save Costs
Maintaining your own fleet of vehicles and drivers across the country can get extremely expensive. A last-mile delivery contractor can save your business money on shipping costs by coordinating delivery schedules more effectively and maximizing transportation more efficiently. By consolidating multiple shipments into one delivery, you’re able to share the delivery costs with other businesses.
Enjoy Flexibility and Convenience
Last-mile delivery contractors can provide businesses with a wide range of services, including same-day and next-day deliveries. They’re able to provide a highly targeted delivery system that can get your packages exactly where they need to be when you need them to be there.
Reduce Environmental Impact
With so many deliveries being made every day, the use of resources and energy is steadily climbing. By taking advantage of a last-mile delivery contractor, your packages can be loaded into more energy-efficient vehicles, saving fuel and other resources.
In addition, by using smart technology to coordinate deliveries, individual parcels spend less time on the road and find a more direct route to their destination. This network helps reduce traffic congestion and pollution by keeping deliveries off the road during peak driving hours.
Try Service Express for Your Last-Mile Deliveries
Service Express offers a variety of courier services including last-mile delivery. Our clients appreciate our focus on reliable service and our logistics expertise regarding any leg of the shipment process.
When you hire Service Express as your last-mile delivery contractor, you can rest assured that your packages will arrive on time, in perfect condition, and performed to your customers’ high standards.
Contact us today to get a free estimate on your next last-mile delivery.
