Uber Eats cyclist delivery location tracking feature

Delivery Location Tracking Is Lacking

| Gaurav Deshpande

In 2023, why is delivery location tracking for a $10 meal better than for a $3,000 couch? Nearly everyone has become accustomed to real-time location tracking and updates thanks to apps like Lyft and DoorDash, so the generational gap in expectations is closing. Location services have become a must-have instead of a nice-to-have capability.

USPS DDU exterior feature

USPS Parcel Volume Drops, Revenue Increases

| Mike O'Brien

Pricing increases on parcel delivery helped the U.S. Postal Service in Q1, as parcel volume declined 3.5% to 70 million pieces, while parcel revenue gained 2.4% to $8.84 billion. Overall revenue increased 1% to $21.5 billion, with a net loss of $1.03 billion, an improvement over $1.55 billion a year earlier.

FedEx Ground stepvan feature

FedEx Ground Cuts Back Sunday Delivery

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx Ground plans to cut back Sunday delivery from 80% U.S. coverage to 50% starting in March, as it faces lower volume and the high cost of service on a light day. The company initially cut back Ground service on Sunday to 50% coverage from 95% in August, citing a focus on “improving efficiency and reducing costs,”

gig workers bike delivery feature

Gig Workers Change Considered by DOL

| Mike O'Brien

Last month, the Department of Labor proposed a change to the way it determines the classification of independent contractors. If it eventually becomes law, the rule change would have a lasting effect on the gig economy and gig workers. Kashyap Deorah, CEO of HyperTrack, talks about the balancing act in front of the DOL.

FedEx driver holiday snow feature

One FedEx Ground Contractor Group Disbands, Another Forms

| Mike O'Brien

After making a lot of noise this year with a list of grievances including poor management practices and bad peak season forecasting leading to the brink of insolvency for many, an association of FedEx Ground contractors has disbanded, taking a shot at the founder on the way out the door.

FedEx Ground stepvan feature

FedEx Ground to Contractors: Expect Lower Peak Volume

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx Ground told its base of 6,000 contractors that domestic peak season volume is expected to be lighter than previously reported, as the company battles headwinds a year after package flow fell below forecasts, causing pain and outcries from contractors who invested heavily in trucks and drivers.

FedEx ground stepvan

FedEx Suspends Sunday Delivery in Some Markets

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx is suspending Sunday delivery for its Ground network in some lower-density markets starting Aug. 21, citing a focus on “improving efficiency and reducing costs,” the move coming amid calls from contractors for relief from high costs, including elimination of Sunday service.

USPS Oshkosh delivery van feature

USPS Revises Vehicle Plan, May Add More EVs

| Mike O'Brien

The USPS plans to update its environmental impact statement related to the mix of electric vs. gas-powered vehicles, saying it’s driven by its delivery network improvement plan and unrelated to lawsuits favoring an all-electric fleet. The mix may change due to aggregation of carrier operations affecting its delivery route structure.

smart loading zones Automotus

Smart Loading Zones Program Moves Ahead

| Mike O'Brien

A pilot program creating smart loading zones for last-mile deliveries in Pittsburgh is seeing progress in terms of easing congestion from double-parked vehicles, and will expand next to Omaha, with four other sites being selected for launch later this year.