Last-mile delivery—the final leg of a package’s journey from a transportation hub to its destination—is a logistics minefield. Traffic congestion, narrow delivery windows, and rising customer expectations can be tough to deal with.
But thank goodness there is modern technology providing companies in the logistics space some help
Let’s unpack how you, as a logistics company owner or delivery business operator, can solve the traffic puzzle with smart solutions.
Buckle up; it’s going to be an interesting ride.
What if you don’t use last-mile delivery software?
Picture this: You’re managing a fleet of trucks delivering goods across a bustling city. It’s peak traffic hour, and your drivers are stuck at a standstill.
Your phone rings with a flood of complaints: missed delivery windows, frustrated customers, and a stressed-out team.
As a former logistics, I understand what traffic can do to a cargo delivery.
If it’s perishable goods, you need to make sure that the final mile is almost perfect. Last-mile delivery software can put your delivery driver on the best route. This means your driver skips the traffic.
Imagine not having this software on your team:
- Your customers receive spoilt cargo due to extended travel time.
- Customers lose revenue because spoilt cargo can’t be salvaged or sold.
- Your business suffers reputational damage – and possibly a lost customer.
How last-mile delivery software helps your logistics business
Whether you are an experienced logistics professional or new to the game, technology can make your job easier.
Countless times throughout my own logistics career, I wished I had technology on my side.
Here’s what last-mile delivery software does for you:
Route optimization gets you on the right road
The software calculates the most efficient routes, avoiding traffic hotspots and shaving precious minutes off delivery times.
I once had a truck transporting cargo for a retail store. There was an unfortunate car pile-up.
Three hours in traffic.
This cargo was time-sensitive. Sadly, our company missed the deadline and the retail store actually had to purchase stock from another similar store in the area.
A delivery software tool literally would have solved my “traffic puzzle” and rerouted the truck on to a better path.
Real-time tracking keeps you informed of the delivery route
Your logistics operation is no longer in the dark with real-time tracking.
You can track your fleet in real-time and get updates on their exact locations.
The moment your cargo leaves the warehouse for delivery, you can keep your eye on the driver. What’s more, your customer can track it too.
Imagine the smile on the customer’s face when their cargo arrives on time.
One satisfied customer – and possibly some great industry referrals.
Last-mile delivery software makes scheduling easier
This technology allows your business to automate and fine-tune your delivery schedules to match customer preferences and avoid those dreaded missed windows.
- You don’t have to spend endless hours looking at spreadsheets.
- Your team doesn’t have to struggle to figure out how to schedule multiple deliveries.
- You and your team spend less time stressing over scheduling and spend more time focusing on other important tasks in the business.
How to avoid a crisis in last-mile delivery
This one time in logistics, a truck driver ended up delivering to the wrong address because of a typo. Something so small turned out to be a disaster.
Last-mile delivery software can fix this.
Let’s recap: Last-mile delivery software solves the puzzle
As a former logistics specialist, I can tell you there is nothing worse than a missed delivery due to traffic, or worse, cargo spoilage because your driver couldn’t get to an address on time.
Your new software is a modern genius! It will allow your logistics company to stay in control of each cargo movement:
- Route optimization helps your drivers avoid traffic.
- Real-time tracking lets you know where each driver is all the time.
- Your customer can track the delivery – giving them great oversight on their cargo transportation.
About the author
Sharl is a qualified journalist. He has over 10 years’ experience in the media industry, including positions as an editor of a magazine and Business Editor of a daily newspaper. Sharl also has experience in logistics specifically operations, where he worked with global food aid organisations distributing food into Africa. Sharl enjoys writing business stories and human interest pieces.
