The growth of e-commerce is transforming the last mile at a rapid rate. Start-ups such as Deliv, Roadie and Instacart, along with Amazon’s own logistics network build-out, have caused a shakeup in the traditional hub-and-spoke system that FedEx and UPS spent years building. As a result, the Big Two have become reactive by raising rates and increasing surcharges to maintain market position while investing in infrastructure to meet changing needs. -Paul Steiner, Vice President of Strategic Analysis, Spend Management Experts
The Trump administration wants to overhaul the longstanding food stamp program, replacing it with a box of canned goods that it has likened to Blue Apron — a high-end meal kit service.
Omnichannel fulfillment has been increasingly adopted by big-box retailers and other outlets with large brick-and-mortar footprints. Online sales of large bulky items, such as furniture and kitchen appliances, are a rapidly growing segment as shown by the growth of white glove delivery companies such as XPO Logistics. Reliance on these last-mile delivery companies and the physical nature of bulk size items will push omnichannel fulfillment adoption at an increasing rate. -Paul D'Arrigo, Vice President of Information Technology, Spend Management Experts
Airbus is enthusiastically pushing into the drone segment — the company showed off its Alpha One drone taxi earlier this month
— and now it has for the first time demonstrated drone-based package deliveries.
Trucking fleets are charging higher prices to move freight around the country. But it is an open question whether the companies or their drivers will reap the windfall.
Aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing has unveiled a prototype drone that it says will be used as a base for its future developments of unmanned and autonomous air systems.
