Last-mile delivery

In last-mile electrification, Amazon sees another opportunity to dominate

Already dominant in cloud computing and online delivery, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is taking its market-moving mentality to another multibillion-dollar sector: commercial transportation electrification.

“Our approach is not to wait around and see what the [original equipment manufacturers] deliver but to share our vehicle requirements and influence product design to meet our needs,” said Maria Carne Lee, senior product manager, Global Fleet and Products, Strategic Initiatives at Amazon.

The path to...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/in-last-mile-electrification-amazon-sees-another-opportunity-to-dominate

How last mile has changed in the shadow of coronavirus

When the coronavirus first made its way across the U.S. this spring, consumers rushed to stock up on essentials, emptying store shelves in record time. Panic-buying has since slowed, but now shoppers — many of whom still remain in their homes most of the time — have taken to the internet to purchase everyday essentials and engage in a little pandemic-fueled retail therapy. The combination of these consumer behaviors has resulted in a swift uptick in parcel volumes. 

While some shippers were...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/how-last-mile-has-changed-in-the-shadow-of-coronavirus

Delivering envelopes to refrigerators, all in a few hours

Delivering envelopes to refrigerators, all in a few hours (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Since the rise of e-commerce, the last-mile delivery segment has evolved to become a distinguishing factor helping companies gain a strong foothold in the market. Though the pandemic has expectedly created chaos within last-mile delivery networks, they have largely refashioned to include social distancing in their processes and continued operations. 

Haultail, an on-demand delivery platform, seeks to continue delivering products in a matter of hours, even in the ‘new normal.’ The startup has...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/delivering-envelopes-to-refrigerators-all-in-a-few-hours

White Paper – Ryder Last Mile Delivery with White Glove Service

Whether you’re shipping furniture, appliances, electronics, or any other non-conveyable items, the in-home delivery of your products represents a very personal touchpoint for consumers. Ryder Last Mile Delivery helps create a positive lasting brand impression that turns into repeat business. Their innovative technology gives you and your customers real-time, end-to-end visibility and tracking into the transportation and delivery of orders.

This white paper reviews the levels of service Ryder can...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/white-paper-ryder-last-mile-delivery-with-white-glove-service

US Postal Service begins agency overhaul

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced an organizational realignment Friday to refocus its business, setting the stage for a long-anticipated overhaul to save the agency from financial collapse.

“To reach our full potential we need to be even better at everything we do well now, but we also need to recognize our issues and urgently embrace the changes required to unleash the full range of possibilities, and we need to start yesterday,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy, speaking this...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-postal-service-begins-agency-overhaul

GlobalTranz announces Final Mile offering for shippers

When GlobalTranz made Cerasis its 11th acquisition since 2017, part of the end goal was to leverage the expertise Cerasis had in freight movement.

Wednesday morning, GlobalTranz added a new service that builds off that January 2020 acquisition, announcing its Final Mile offering. It describes the new offering as an “intuitive, technology-enabled final mile solution that creates efficiencies [and] reduces accessorial charges.”

“As e-commerce continues to grow, the customer experience at the point...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/globaltranz-announces-final-mile-offering-for-shippers

Amazon delivery robots head south

Amazon Scout Atlanta

Amazon (AMZN) Scout, the e-giant’s electric autonomous delivery division, has expanded service to neighborhoods in Atlanta and Franklin, Tennessee, as a convergence of e-commerce, the pandemic and autonomous technology fuels interest in sidewalk delivery robots.

Scout, a six-wheeled robot, is already delivering packages in Snohomish County, Washington, and the Irvine-area of California. The expanded service, announced this week, will adhere to a similar schedule, delivering Monday through Friday...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/amazon-delivery-robots-head-south

The Daily Dash: Zero-emission truck push is on, C.H. Robinson & Microsoft team up, and the vision of Nikola Tesla

Freightliner eM2 electric truck

The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, 15 states are banding together to accelerate the adoption of zero-emissions trucks, plus C.H. Robinson and Microsoft team up to digitize the supply chain, and what did Nikola Tesla really know?

States band together to cut emissions

Fifteen states as well as the District of Columbia have banded together in a promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commercial vehicles. The plan, which calls for...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/the-daily-dash:-zero-emission-truck-push-is-on,-ch-robinson-&-microsoft-team-up,-and-the-vision-of-nikola-tesla

Walmart+ won’t make Amazon quake, but that could be beside the point

Walmart Inc.’s (NYSE:WMT) planned Walmart+ service, which reportedly launches later this month with a $98 annual fee for same-day deliveries of groceries and general merchandise as well as fuel discounts, may not rain on Amazon.com Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) parade. And that may not matter.

The subscription-based initiative, first reported earlier this month by the online publication Recode, would expand a pure e-grocery delivery initiative that Walmart launched late last year. The new service will...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/walmart-wont-make-amazon-quake-but-that-could-be-beside-the-point

Liftit raises $22.5 million to automate last mile in Latin America

Quito, Ecuador.

Last week, Liftit, the Colombia-based freight tech startup automating last-mile logistics in Latin America, announced that it had closed a $22.5 million Series B round led by Cambridge Capital, with participation from IFC, monashees, Jaguar Ventures, NXTP Ventures and others.

Liftit estimates that the “short distance trucking market” in Latin America is worth $100 billion and growing thanks to accelerating e-commerce penetration of Latin American retail. Liftit, founded in 2017, operates in 18...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/liftit-raises-22-5-million-to-automate-the-last-mile-in-latin-america

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