The last leg of a delivery, called the last-mile, is an expensive part of the shipping process which regularly comprises of about 28% of the total cost of delivering goods. A lot of businesses will try to save on this cost by managing same-day delivery internally. While this is a good idea that most will think of doing to save money, however, this may actually cost more and be a detriment to the day to day activities of your business. By working with a delivery service you can save big on costs that usually come with last-mile delivery. Here are some ways you can save time and money using a courier service that offers same-day delivery.
Vehicles & Drivers
If you’re a business owner and want to cut cost on last-mile delivery then you may be thinking of taking your deliveries internally. While this is a good idea, in the long run, it can actually not be as beneficial as once thought. When bringing in delivery internally you will need access to vehicles and drivers that are available at moment’s notice to provide this delivery service. With so many potential deliveries to be made each day, this could be very time to consume and costly for small businesses. With large businesses, bringing things internally can also be detrimental as they will need to manage these processes correctly so they won’t be strapped for drivers or vehicles during high-demand times. Large businesses could also lose money by paying drivers that are not doing work when there are no orders are to be delivered.
On top of making sure there are enough drivers and vehicles at the ready, the drivers will also have to be trained. This could lead to additional costs are businesses will end up paying for training, insurance, and potential overtime hours if deliveries are to be made after hours. By taking your same-day delivery needs to a service, businesses can have access to a large number of vehicles and drivers without the extra costs. The whole process is managed by the same-day delivery service company you choose allowing you to focus on the other activities needed to keep your business running day-to-day.
Technology Costs
If you are considering taking your deliveries in-house then there are other costs to think about aside from vehicle and driver cost. Another big factor that makes same-day delivery successful is using a technology platform that makes tracking items during the process easier and makes things transparent for the consumer. These platforms provide direct integrations with e-commerce systems and warehouse management software so orders can be processed, packed, and delivered all in one place. These expensive technology platforms can also assign delivery drivers that are available for deliveries and includes GPS capabilities for tracking at any moment. The transparency aspect comes from the fact that customers can seamlessly schedule their orders for delivery on your website as they check out the and the platform does the rest. To have this type of smooth operation will cost you big time, so instead of digging through your pockets, you should go with a third-party courier source for your same-day delivery needs.
If you would like to learn more about logistics management or would like a free quote on our delivery services, please feel free to contact us today!