Maximizing Delivery Vans for Last-Mile Delivery

As online orders grow, optimizing the delivery process becomes essential. Specifically, more orders mean more delivery vans need to run efficiently. Read on to learn more about how you can maximize your delivery vans for last mile delivery and improve your e-commerce delivery process.

What Is Last-Mile Delivery?

There are many steps in the supply chain, and last mile delivery is the last leg of that chain. This type of delivery is when the product is delivered to the end customer. Consider last mile delivery as the final step of the supply chain.

This style of delivery is one of the biggest factors of customer satisfaction — and the most expensive part of the shipping process. It takes several moving parts to deliver packages to customers on time. Today, consumers have higher expectations than ever for speedy deliveries. If you want to compete with companies that offer reliable two-day shipping, you need to have efficient and consumer-friendly delivery services that will make your customers happy.

Why Is Last Mile Delivery Important?

Ultimately, last mile delivery is the most important part of the supply chain. There's no point in the rest of the delivery process without last mile delivery — it's the final piece of the puzzle that gets your customers their orders. Getting products to consumers is the final step that completes the overall process.

Amid COVID-19, e-commerce — and subsequently last mile delivery — has grown rapidly worldwide. Now more than ever, customers are placing orders online, and they expect them to arrive at their doorsteps without delay. As a delivery company, you must find ways to boost your fleet's efficiency to meet today's ever-growing demand.

What Are Last Mile Logistics?

The logistics of last mile delivery can be complicated. Figuring out how, when and where to get a package from point A to B is already a challenge without adding hundreds of thousands more packages that need to be delivered at the same time.

To complete last mile delivery, you need to make strategic decisions to make delivery more streamlined and effective. These are last mile logistics. A few elements that make up last mile logistics include speed, visibility and efficiency:

• Speed: If a company can't get a package to a customer quickly, they may pass on their purchase. It's a company's responsibility to get its products to consumers as quickly as possible.
• Transparency: Because consumers want to know where their packages are at any point in the last mile delivery process, you must include tracking information with each delivery.
• Efficiency: This part of last mile logistics can cost you money. Poor efficiency means delivering fewer packages to fewer people, leading to unhappy customers, lost customers and wasted resources. Therefore, last mile logistics should involve planning effective driving routes, maximizing package loads in vans and pairing appropriately sized vehicles with specific loads.

1. Choosing the Right Vehicles

Selecting the right delivery vehicles is essential for the success of your last mile delivery process. There are numerous kinds of delivery vehicle sizes available, so you should choose them carefully depending on the size of your average package loads and vehicle routes. While choosing a delivery vehicle that's too large wastes resources, picking a delivery vehicle that's too small may require multiple trips to and from your packing facility, wasting time and money.

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Additionally, what's inside the delivery van is just as important as the capacity and size. Creating a better driving experience leads to happy, productive employees. These vehicles may include navigation systems, comfortable seating, Bluetooth and park assist. Further, fold-away shelving is an excellent feature to include because it makes navigating the van easier for the driver and can lead to more efficient loading in the delivery vehicle.

2. Vehicle Health Monitoring and Telematics

When monitoring a delivery vehicle's health, prevention is more critical than a reactive response. If delivery vehicles break down or have problems, it can be much more expensive to fix them after the fact than beforehand. Plus, vehicles breaking down wastes drivers' time and delays package delivery, costing businesses more money.

A vehicle telematics system sends messages to the company with updates on the vehicle's health. This reporting leads to a more efficient last mile delivery process and increases driver safety. Consider installing telematics to ensure you're aware of each delivery vans' current condition. As a result, you can ensure your fleet is always in working order — and you can continue to meet consumer demand.

3. Driver Training

If your company performs last mile delivery, your drivers should be trained to be more efficient to gain an advantage over your competitors. It's important to educate them about idling, which wastes company resources and money and is harmful to the environment. When idling for long periods of time, drivers end up wasting gas and time — and that affects your business negatively in a few crucial ways.

It's also beneficial to require your drivers to obtain specific certifications and take certain courses to make sure they understand their part in the big picture. Putting time and effort into training employees is always rewarding. With proper training, your employees will be able to perform their jobs better and more independently, and you can ensure a more successful business.

4. Route Optimization

This process involves finding the most effective and efficient route for delivery. This route will typically be the shortest, most cost-effective route possible. Many variables can go into route optimization, so you may want to have a designated route optimization process for your facility.

A few of the most essential factors of route optimization include stops and package loads. The number and location of delivery stops will determine which route to take and how to take it. The package load will help determine vehicle size. By putting planning into the routes your drivers take, you can ensure customers get their packages on time, which is the end goal for last mile delivery.

Prep Your Delivery Vans for Last Mile Delivery

Now that you know everything about last mile delivery, you can prep and maximize your delivery vans for last mile delivery. Whether that means optimizing your route, monitoring your vehicles' health or installing fold-away shelving, Advantage Outfitters, LLC can help your work vehicles work better.

Contact Advantage Outfitters today to learn more about how we can help you be successful.

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