As fast, affordable shipping demand skyrockets across the logistics industry, shippers are turning to the middle mile for savings. Learn more now.
As fast, effective delivery demand continues to grow; businesses are working to make their deliveries more efficient. As ModernShipper reported in late 2021, “…consumers define “fast” delivery as same-day delivery.
Additionally, 43.6% of consumers want free two-day shipping, and nine out of 10 said on-time delivery is important.”
As businesses work to meet the sky-high demand for fast logistics, the same-day and parcel industries continue to grow. As highlighted by 2020 data from Statista, “China was the biggest market for parcel volumes, while the United States remained the largest by parcel spend ($171.4 billion of $430 billion globally).
The world’s three biggest markets – China, the U.S., and Japan – accounted for 85 percent of global parcel volumes and 77 percent of global parcel spend in 2020.”
The volume of parcels and packages in the U.S. and abroad only continues to increase, working to meet ever-growing customer demand for faster, more affordable shipping.
With these competing forces in play, how can shippers stand out in a logistics industry dominated by fast-shipping giants?
Increasingly, shippers are turning to technology to answer this question. As ModernShipper reported, “consumers are learning they have control over how they shop, whether in-store, online, curbside pickup or any number of delivery options available today.”
Tech-savvy shippers are learning that fully customizable delivery, offered through an easy-to-use API (Automatic Programming Interface), can provide customers with easy access to tools like instant communication with logistics partners and cross-platform order tracking, and on-demand delivery.
These tools meet customers’ growing demand for maximum transparency in shipping and help shippers cut down on costly missed deliveries.
What Is Middle Mile Tracking?
Though shippers often focus on the last mile, which represents 53% of the total shipping cost, this can lead them to neglect their middle mile shipping strategy, leaving them vulnerable to inefficiencies in logistics. This costly sacrifice can easily lead to higher prices and missed deliveries.
Middle mile tracking is a tech-enabled technique of logistics tracking, focusing on transporting goods from one logistics facility to another.
Usually, this transportation sees the freight moving from a distribution center to a logistics hub, the facility that will send the shipment directly to the customer.
Using GPS (Global Positioning Systems), tech-savvy shippers can track their shipments in real-time as they move through this often complicated logistics process.
Though many courier services have offered last-mile shipping for some time, middle-mile tracking represents a new frontier in logistics transparency.
An interview with logistics expert Brent Beabout, hosted by Logistics Management, highlighted that “e-commerce is going to continue to grow to the point that it will be 50% of sales for almost all retailers… the days of big stores with lots of inventory is over. How retailers make transportation effective when 75% of their sales goes out of a D.C. and not a store will be the challenge for the next few years.”
In other words, e-commerce is a growing industry that’s here to stay. By investing in cutting-edge logistics management strategies today, such as middle-mile tracking, shippers can work to maintain an advantage in a market dominated by fast-shipping giants.
Why Benefits of Middle Mile Tracking Are Worth the Investment
For too long, shippers have been operating in the dark. With little to go on but BOLs (Bill of Lading), shippers had to rely on manual processes–lengthy phone calls and endless email chains–to understand their logistics process.
These clunky processes often resulted in expensive missed deliveries, a costly proposition that can quickly erode a customer base.
With tech-enabled tracking, shippers can maintain instant access to the visibility they need to maximize their logistical efficiency.
These strategies inevitably help shippers get deliveries out faster and more effectively, but they can go a long way in bolstering a bottom line. Shippers are in the driver’s seat with easy-to-use, cross-platform middle mile tracking.
On-Demand Access to Status Reports and Notifications
Automatic notifications can help ensure that shippers stay in the know. These notifications, offered through an integrated API, can tell shippers and customers alike when a delivery is on its way.
This allows the shipper to focus on a specific delivery asset, ensuring they avoid the logistical snags associated with the last-mile and middle-mile delivery environment while allowing the customer to prepare to receive their freight. It’s a win-win, resulting in smoother logistics for shippers and fewer missed deliveries for customers.
Faster and More Reliable Response to Disruptions
Things happen. Whether it’s potholes or parades, the local last-mile and middle-mile delivery environment is rife with hazards that can slow logistics down and result in costly missed deliveries.
With automated notifications, shipment tracking, and integrated communication, shippers can maintain the visibility they need to respond to logistics disruptions efficiently.
Better Scalability and Flexibility Within Volatile Markets
As “major companies around the globe, including Amazon, have re-focused their efforts on improving last-mile services during times of grand disruption,” according to SupplyChain247, shippers need to compete in the last mile to maintain a reliable customer base.
With easily scalable APIs, shippers can address their current shipping needs while preparing for a future dominated by e-commerce and last-mile delivery.
Improved Relationships With Carriers and LSPs and 3PLs
Enhanced transparency in the middle mile means that shippers can get the most out of their relationships with 3PLs (third-party logistics providers). By utilizing an on-demand, 3PL courier service, shippers can build the connections they need to survive and thrive in a competitive logistics marketplace.
Enhanced Services Aimed at Boosting Profits and Lowering Costs
By offering a wide range of services, such as white-glove and furniture delivery, shippers can gain access to multiple industries and revenue streams.
Through a flexible virtual fleet partnership, shippers can access a wide range of freight assets without the hassle and cost of traditional fleet maintenance and staffing.
Partner With GoShare Today and Improve Middle Mile Logistics and Tracking Today
Shippers must get creative to meet the growing demand for fast, affordable logistics. By implementing API-enabled courier logistics platforms, shippers can offer their customers the flexibility and consistency they want while bolstering their bottom line.
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