Presently in 2018 there are a record number of technology innovations that are disrupting markets around the globe. Take for instance Uber and Lyft with the taxi industry. These companies provided 5.5 million rides a day. Every day! We’ve done the math for you—that’s 4,000 rides per minute happening around the world, by non-professional drivers.
How about all of the services delivering groceries, meals, and… packages? Many apps like Postmate, Instacart, and UberRUSH are geographically limited; they aren’t able to expand to the service areas comparable to UPS, FedEx, and USPS. However, it’s only a matter of time. They are striving to make big changes in the shipping industry by lowering costs and improving shipping efficiency—especially when it comes to what most call the “last mile”.
It’s notable that 56% of millennials expect same-day shipping—no thanks in part to the “Amazon Prime Age”. Retailers are looking to compete with this shipping mogul and need a better way to get ahead of the game.
The Last Mile of any delivery is often where the most problems lie. Package delays, multiple stops, and slow overall times are complaints from consumers every day. Crowdsourced delivery or shipping connects businesses with non-professional couriers in the same way that Uber connects consumers with non-professional drivers. Crowdsourced shipping tasks someone local with picking up the package and delivering it directly to the consumer to expedite shipping and elevate customer satisfaction.
The trend may sound outlandish for now, but businesses should keep an eye out as the crowdsourced shipping apps will begin popping up in the future. When viable for more businesses, it will be imperative to keep up with the competition and the speedy shipping on which they’ll rely.
To combat this disruption, we predict that shipping companies will make some major changes in the coming years. As always, DIM Weight Solutions is here to help our clients find the best solutions that make the most sense for their business when it comes to packaging and shipping.