The e-commerce industry has seen a dramatic shift in recent years toward more rapid customer deliveries. Amazon took the lead early on with 2-day shipping for Prime members, and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated demand for home delivery services. For third-party logistics providers (3PLs), this has presented some unique challenges for fulfillment and tracking.
Many logistics managers are now looking for additional ways to improvelast-mile delivery，这是从配送中心到客户的运输的移动。鉴于客户交付变得如此重要，物流循环的最后一条尤其至关重要。在这篇文章中，我们将讨论六个重要的趋势，这些趋势正在塑造最后一英里的交付和跟踪。在选择任何规模的车队的技术和服务改进时，了解这些市场需求可能会有所帮助。
1.外包第三方交付
许多企业，尤其是在foodservice industry，正在与3PL和社交交付网络（例如Doordash，Grubhub和Uber Eats）签约。此举使这些公司可以改善其核心业务，而无需雇用自己的送货员。在电子商务业务中也发生了重大的推动力，亚马逊有助于创建大型third-party carrier network用于本地交付。实际上，根据DCL，亚马逊现在是世界上最大的第三方物流提供商。
For some fleet managers, this represents an opportunity to add additional capacity to support these local needs. In other cases, logistics managers have created hybrid networks with a combination of in-house fleet vehicles and third-party transportation. In order to properly管理交货with a high degree of transparency, these companies and their partners must align their electronic跟踪系统。
2. Prioritization of Same Day Delivery
客户期望交货时间更快，这在不久的将来不太可能发生变化。由于某些公司现在提供当天或第二天的交付，因此这种趋势对某些运营商的最后一英里交付产生了巨大影响。为了跟上竞争对手，其他公司遵循诉讼以维持其市场份额。这样的快速周转需要零售商，仓库和物流提供商之间的仔细协调。跟踪数据应通过供应链和物流过程中的所有重要步骤从订单输入到交付。
3.实时完整的递送数据
Many consumers today have adopted more flexible work schedules and have unique delivery requirements. This situation has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s difficult to predict whether these changes will remain permanent. Last-mile tracking has become particularly important as customers would like to know exactly when their shipments will arrive. This is also important for warehouses and fulfillment centers that are receiving goods from carriers. A reliable schedule is necessary to ensure that work processes and resources can be planned effectively.
4. No Contact Delivery
另一个主要趋势是上升no contact delivery services。这不仅有助于保护大流行期间的人，而且还成为以安全方式交付包裹的有效方法。这些服务通常需要电子交付证明（E-POD）来验证包裹是否存在。运营商需要评估这些技术，并确保它们具有正确的功能和移动连接，以允许这些验证。
5. Smart Technology
Technology has advanced to the point of offering real-time location data for shipments. In addition to等级板和nameplates舰队车辆和零件管理舰队维护并确保法规合规性可能需要这是必需的，物流提供商现在正在使用GPS devices, RFID tags, andbarcode labels改善traceability of packages in their care. This helps reduce the likelihood of lost shipments and allows companies to use advanced analytics to better understand their workflows. Soon, IoT devices such as autonomous vehicles, robots, and drones may be able to complete last-mile delivery while providing additional data.
6. Omnichannel Fulfillment
Customers enjoy the convenience of receiving packages at a location of their choosing. This has led to the creation of omnichannel fulfillment offerings at many retail and e-commerce companies. Some examples include in-store pickup, curbside pickup, and other locations such as Amazon lockers. This has increased the number of potential delivery addresses associated with each order and requires a more agile delivery approach. As more urban fulfillment centers are built to bring products closer to consumers, this also creates an excellent opportunity for 3PL providers. Businesses must rely more heavily on the support and infrastructure of their partners to fulfill these orders.
The车队管理行业正在迅速适应这些新兴的消费者偏好，并利用新技术来改善实现。为了保持竞争力，这些公司将需要与供应链合作伙伴紧密合作，以使跟踪技术和发货交接保持一致。随着客户越来越习惯于接收实时更新和更准确的交付时间，对最后一英里跟踪的关注只会成为更多的必要性。
