Did you know that the last mile on delivery can chew up more than 50% of the total shipping costs? It’s a brutal gouge on both time and profits. With how crucial it is, it’s not something that you can ignore.

Delivery is more important than ever for the customer, and it can make a difference in keeping them loyal. Unfortunately, when we talk about the problems with last mile delivery, there is a litany of issues will come to mind.

The good news is that there are solutions to some of these issues. We will look at a few of those solutions and see how they can help us alleviate some of those last mile pains.

The Issue of Cost

This problem is the toughest nut to crack out of all the issues facing last mile delivery. The reality is that there’s no easy solution, but there are ways to see where the bulk of the costs occurs.

If it’s not something you already use, a software solution to help track shipments will make the difference. Last mile delivery tracking allows you to see exactly where the most time disappears, and this is where money vanishes during shipping.

Having all of the data in an easy-to-assess fashion will allow you to improve your organization and craft a more cost-effective delivery strategy.

The Time Frame of Last Mile Delivery

One of the most frustrating thorns of these last mile delivery problems is all about timing and communication. There’s no use in making it to the destination or customer if nobody can receive the delivery.

By keeping a transparent timetable open to the customer and communicating the delivery details, you save any return trips. Even more important is the fact that you preserve the reputation of your business by making deliveries on time and on schedule.

Make Sure You Know Your Route

It’s no surprise that route planning can be a challenge since there are so many moving parts at play. A failure to plan routes correctly will exacerbate both of the above-mentioned problems, however.

It’s a careful balance of both planning out the route and optimizing it to fit in with other deliveries. These issues can be trouble for a smaller business since you might not have enough deliveries in an area to justify an awkward route.

You can also look to freight moving companies for help with last-mile delivery solutions, which will have a wealth of experience in last-mile logistics.

Keep Your Business Moving

Like with freight and last mile delivery, it’s important to keep your business moving forward towards its destination. There are hurdles along the way, and not all of them will have solutions like the ones we presented.

Even if there aren’t any immediate solutions, you never know if the solutions of tomorrow might be around the corner. The best way to keep track of that is to follow our blog, where we’ve got more articles like this one every day.

So keep reading, and help your business go all the way, just like the deliveries!

Jane