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.
Instacart and the attorney’s office for the city of San Diego have reached a settlement over charges it misclassified its delivery drivers as contractors, a heated and ongoing issue in California and elsewhere that challenges the economics of last-mile delivery companies using the pervasive gig model.
Clevon, maker of autonomous vehicles designed to run on city streets instead of sidewalks like many others, has opened up a U.S. office in Fort Worth, TX to launch its planned expansion here, with a number of big-box retailers and delivery providers interested, according to its CEO. The company has been running EVs in Europe since 2020.
GoBolt, a white glove last-mile delivery service focused on carbon neutrality use electric vehicles and carbon offsets through a technology partnership, has launched parcel delivery in several U.S. and Canadian cities by leveraging an acquisition, with plans to expand as demand and adoption dictate.
Paris-based major 3PL Geodis is acquiring Need It Now Delivers, adding last-mile delivery principally on the east coast, a capability that was lacking for the contract logistics, freight and fulfillment provider as it looks to ramp up its penetration into ecommerce and omnichannel companies.
Ten months after joining forces, regional carriers LaserShip and OnTrac have launched a transcontinental home delivery network linking east and west coasts, with plans to expand to Texas in early 2023 and other markets thereafter, offering shippers an alternative to FedEx and UPS.
Digging out a few more shovelfuls to deepen the Prime moat, Amazon is now offering same-day delivery for subscribers in 10 metro areas, who can shop retailers including PacSun, GNC, SuperDry and Diesel and either have the order delivered or picked up in store.
Onfleet, provider of a last-mile route optimization platform for grocers, restaurants, food service and pharmacies, has raised $23 million in a Series B round to hire engineers, enhance its platform and expand into retail and enterprise accounts while looking to create a European presence in 2023.
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.
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.