The presence of COVID-19 has altered the landscape of ecommerce and the overall convenience of online shopping has seen a significant change in consumer behavior. This has caused a significant increase in demand and delivery standards that can be often hard to meet. Customers are expecting their orders to be delivered faster, whilst having full visibility from the driver’s departure to their arrival.
The last stretch of delivery is the part that counts and can be considered the most challenging to meet.
This article will explore the types of last-mile carrier tracking and its importance for both customers and businesses.
What Is Last Mile Delivery?
Last-mile delivery refers to the final stage of the delivery process from a warehouse to the final destination. A few examples include FedEx, UPS, and USPS which also ship items across the world on planes and boats. It’s the most critical part of the process as customers get angry should their order not arrive at the allocated time, storing items can also be expensive and labor and fuel costs always add up. Making customers happy and saving money is crucial for businesses.
Now we’ve covered what last mile tracking is, it’s important to know what the types are and their overall importance to businesses and customers.
The Types Of Last Mile Tracking
There are two main forms of last-mile tracking: last-mile tracking for customers and last-mile tracking for carriers.
Last Mile Tracking for Carriers
Businesses need full visibility of their carriers throughout the delivery process, especially during the last mile. Last-mile tracking for carriers can help increase profit margins by helping speed up operations, meaning more deliveries can be carried out.
Providing proof of delivery allows drivers to give customers evidence of their order’s arrival through photo confirmation and e-signatures. Every package can be accounted for and it is less likely that there will be fraudulent claims of lost deliveries.
Last Mile Tracking For Customers
Last mile tracking gives customers full visibility of their order as they can track the location of the driver until their arrival. It’s important to have real-time tracking as studies have shown that 82.4% of people want to track their delivery in real-time. This helps improve ETA’s so customers can know when their package is arriving and not have to wait hours in anticipation. Prioritizing your customers’ needs will increase the likelihood of them using your services again.
Why Last Mile Tracking Is Important
Last-mile delivery is the most important part of delivery as it’s the last stretch of the delivery process. It can be exceedingly challenging for businesses attempting to meet increasing demands because every customer wants their order to be delivered on time, without issue. Sometimes errors do occur and could potentially hurt the reputation of your business.
Last-mile tracking is about creating the best delivery experience possible. It gives your customers full visibility that allows them to anticipate their delivery, and businesses the knowledge of how to make their services more efficient.
How Locate2u Can Improve Your Last Mile Delivery
Using Locate2u is great for businesses looking to make their last-mile deliveries more efficient and cost-effective, whilst improving customer satisfaction. Locate2u improves ETA’s, giving customers live updates so that they can prepare for their orders’ arrival.
Customers also get the ability to rate their experience via SMS, sharing any information about their order arriving on time, being delayed, or ending up at the wrong location. This gives them a sense of empowerment as they are being listened to and every rating is being taken into consideration so that improvements can be made.
Click here to learn more about Locate2u and what we can do to help your business.
About the author
Founder and CEO at Zoom2u & Locate2u (ASX:Z2U). Steve has significant software development and entrepreneurial experience. Operating in the delivery space for more than 15-years, he actively contributes to the development of the industry. He has a strong focus on job management and job despatch systems.
