Amazon's logistics arm delivered an estimated 6.7 billion parcels in 2025, compared to 6.6 billion for USPS, 4.4 billion for UPS, and 3.6 billion for FedEx.

As consumer expectations rise and volatility persists, retail and e-commerce brands must rethink speed, cost, data and reliability when selecting last-mile partners. 

Secretary Duffy says eVTOLs & advanced air mobility aircraft will radically redefine personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, emergency medicine and much more.

Retail and e-commerce brands must rethink speed, cost, data and reliability when selecting last-mile partners.

Making the right decision on parcel and freight movements is a lot more complex than some shippers realize, says Melanie Burns, senior director of parcel strategy with Transportation Insight.

Large, national carriers aren’t automatically the most reliable anymore. Today, the best last-mile delivery results come from carriers that use technology and local expertise to deliver more consistently, with smarter routes, better tracking and tighter control. 

Like other carriers, FedEx often acts as an importer of record, but it passes along charges for the duties paid to the customers and companies that purchased the goods.

The latest plaintiffs to sue for refunds included FedEx Corp., which didn’t specify how much the company had paid in levies.

A federal judge last week directed the Trump administration to send the funds to Gateway.

In an environment where volatility has become the norm, parcel pricing can no longer be managed reactively. This report equips supply chain leaders with the visibility and context needed to challenge assumptions, anticipate cost impacts, and build more resilient, margin-aware parcel strategies for 2026 and beyond.