How Can You Address Today’s Delivery Challenges?
Both shippers and local delivery service companies are facing rising costs, new customer expectations, supply chain disruptions and other issues.
Here are some of the biggest issues:
1. Rising costs
Fluctuating fuel costs often increase transportation expenses, sometimes on a dime. Finding and retaining skilled drivers is tough, especially with increasing demand. Storage, handling, and last-mile delivery expenses continue to rise. Missed deliveries, package theft, and complex return policies increase costs.
2. Meeting rising customer demands
Consumers expect delivery as soon as possible–sometimes within hours-–putting pressure on retailers and couriers. Traffic and parking restrictions in cities slow down deliveries. Longer distances and lower delivery density make rural shipping expensive.
3. Supply chain disruptions
Many things can suddenly slow international shipping, including port congestion, container shortages and geopolitical disruptions. Bottlenecks in the supply chain can delay product delivery, making it difficult to meet fulfillment promises. Delivery schedules are also being affected by extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change.
4. Technology and infrastructure issues
Some companies struggle to provide expected real-time tracking, frustrating customers. Companies not leveraging AI and automation face slower processing and higher costs. Poor integration of technologies between retailers, carriers and warehouses causes inefficiencies.
5. Customer service and experience
Mishandled packages, delays or damaged items lead to complaints and having to spend manpower processing refunds. Processing returns efficiently is a major pain point, especially for large items like appliances. Negative delivery experiences can hurt customer trust and online reviews.
6. Regulatory and environmental pressures
Consumers and governments are pressuring businesses to cut carbon emissions and make their packaging more eco-friendly. When trade policies, customers regulations and environmental laws are changed, logistics can be negatively impacted.
What to do?
- Invest in AI and automation such as smarter routing, predictive analytics and autonomous delivery (e.g., drones, robots).
- Expand your delivery partnerships – Retailers are using third-party logistics (3PLs) companies such as Redkey Express to improve coverage and efficiency.
- Explore sustainable solutions – Electric delivery vehicles, carbon offset programs and optimized packaging are just three ideas many delivery companies, including Redkey, are implementing.
- Communicate better with customers through proactive tracking updates, flexible delivery options and improved return processes.
How your local delivery service is addressing shipping challenges
- For every delivery, Redkey chooses the smallest vehicle that can handle the load to reduce fuel costs.
- We keep our fleet in top condition to improve fuel-efficiency and reduce breakdowns.
- When schedules allow, we offer shared trucks that cut costs substantially.
- Being small and nimble, we can adjust quickly when demand fluctuates.
- We provide on-demand and hot shot delivery when time is critical.
Listening to customers
We listen first, then propose solutions. As a responsive, customer focus company, we can pivot quickly when a new approach is needed.
Using technology strategically
We are constantly investing in new technologies to provide faster, more reliable delivery to all our customers, including:
- logistics software
- systems for
- inventory management, order tracking and
- reporting
- route optimization software
- predictive analytics
- cybersecurity
Customers’ shipping needs change. That’s why Cincinnati delivery services like Redkey Express offer such a wide variety of services, all designed to balance speed, safety, affordability and reliability.
After all, if your cargo doesn’t arrive on time in one piece, we haven’t provided the customer service Redkey customers count on.