More than one in five retail purchases in the US now happens online, and companies are looking for every possible way to stand out. The pressure is on to provide ever-faster delivery, with a massive 41% of consumers saying they’re willing to pay extra for same-day delivery.
That makes answering the question "How can I deliver packages faster?" essential for everyone involved in last-mile package delivery.
In this article we’ll explore three sets of answers:
- How drivers can deliver packages faster
- How to deliver faster as a business
- What customers can do to get their purchases faster
A. How delivery drivers can deliver packages faster
Delivery drivers literally keep the the wheels of the global economy moving. They might be working for a gig app like Instacart, a logistics organization like UPS, Fedex, or the Amazon Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program, or a local business. Whatever the job, achieving faster delivery means implementing smart strategies to optimize every part of the delivery process. Here are the top three:
1. Use a route planner or route optimization app
Everyone knows about using a navigation app like Waze or Google Maps to find the fastest route to your next stop. But when your day involves 15 or 50 or even more stops, you need a stronger route planning solution.
That’s where a proper route optimization app comes in. These apps let you upload a list of all your stops — sometimes all it takes is scanning a paper manifest with your phone! Then the app automatically plans the most efficient route around all those stops, and calculates drive time and ETAs. This has major benefits:
- Routes that are 15-20% shorter on average
- Less time on the road
- Less fuel used
- More deliveries per route
To learn which app is right for your, check out our reviews of the best driver apps for iPhone and Android.
2. Load your vehicle efficiently
A well-organized, well-maintained vehicle is your best ally on the road.
Start by loading your vehicle to save you time:
- Load packages in reverse order of your delivery stops, so the last stop goes in first.
- If you’re delivering lots of smaller packages and envelopes, use crates or bags to keep them organized.
- Keep notes of where each package is stowed (apps like Circuit make this easy).
This simple strategy can save you a lot of time at each drop-off, because you’ll know exactly where to find each package.
You should also regularly check your vehicle's essentials, like tire pressure and oil levels, to avoid any unexpected delays. A clean and well-maintained vehicle can help improve delivery efficiency, and also presents a professional image to your customers.
3. Plan your breaks
Working without a break feels like working harder, but that doesn’t mean you’re working effectively. Taking planned breaks to get a drink, eat, and use a restroom will help you stay sharp and focused through the day. That can actually increase your delivery speed – and it’s safer!
For maximum efficiency, check for break opportunities like rest stops and food places when you plan routes.
4. Get effective communication tools
Staying updated in real time is crucial for delivery drivers. Look for apps that offer real-time notifications and updates about traffic conditions, route changes, or specific delivery instructions. This is especially important for time-sensitive deliveries.
Many route optimization apps allow dispatchers to send instant updates directly to the app, ensuring you're always in the loop. Some let you communicate directly with the customer if needed, without anybody needing to give out their phone number.
You can also use a combination of apps to get the best features of each. For example, use a route optimization app to plan out your day and manage information about each stop. But for actual driving directions from one stop to another, it’s sometimes better to switch to Waze or Google Maps, because of their live traffic updates.
B. How to deliver faster as a business
The pandemic pushed a lot of business into offering deliveries when they never had before. Some customers will always prefer shopping in store, but for many the change has stuck: they love the convenience of ordering online at any time of the day or night. We have a bunch of srategies for how to make your deliveries happen faster — but first, let’s ask a really basic but important question:
Is speed really what your customer wants?
It might seem obvious that everyone just wants stuff faster. The main point of Amazon Prime, for example, is to offer free two-day shipping — there are other perks, but that’s the one everyone fixates on. Then there are all the ads yelling about overnight delivery and same-day shipping and on-demand delivery — it can seem like that’s the new standard every delivery business has to meet.
But is it? Here are some stats for you:
- 35% of consumers say the cost of delivery is the most important thing when they order online. 23% say speed is most important. Other important factors are convenient delivery, flexible returns and delivery tracking.
- There’a growing trend towards out-of-home delivery — that means options like buying online and picking up in store, or using a parcel locker. These options are most popular with younger, urban customers: 40% of Gen Z and 32% of millennials prefer out-of-home delivery.
- 46% of customers are willing to pay extra for same-day delivery and 28% for next-day delivery.
- When customers are asked to rank what would make them switch brands, all of these ranked higher than slow or late deliveries:some text
- High shipping costs
- Poorly packed or damaged products
- Lost packages
- Inconvenient returns policies
- Lack of convenient delivery options
On the other hand, 55% of customers expect delivery to arrive within 48 hours. And a free three-day or four-day shipping window is the slowest most consumers are willing to tolerate before they shop elsewhere.
The conclusion? Speed matters, but it’s not everything. You can take some of the pressure off the demand for speed by managing customer expectations, communicating clearly, and offering a range of different options that balance convenience, speed, and cost.
Having said all that, when you DO want to focus on speed, here’s our pick of strategies for delivering faster.
1. Optimize your packaging
The right packaging protects your products in transit, and also streamlines the delivery process and reduces shipping costs. The ideal packaging:
- Takes up less space
- Produces less waste
- Is lightweight
- Is eco-friendly
- Is cost-effective
Think compostable mailers, product packaging that’s designed for shipping without extra boxes, and reusable packaging. Investing some time in getting your packaging right can help you deliver faster and more efficiently.
2. Get delivery management software
Delivery management software can transform the last mile delivery process. With today’s apps you can:
- Upload orders from a spreadsheet or order management system
- Automatically create optimized delivery routes with accurate ETAs
- Dispatch routes to drivers
- Enable real-time delivery tracking
- Send customer notifications
3. Find great delivery services partners
If you’re not managing your own deliveries — for example if you’re shipping across long distances or prefer to outsource your deliveries — you need a reliable partner.
There’s a confusing variety of shipping options out there, so this decision is critical. Here’s how to manage it:
- Research the different types of shipping available.
- Do your homework about shipping costs and develop a pricing strategy.
- Choose a shipping platform that suits your business needs.
Most of the best shipping software for small business includes partnership with couriers, shipping companies, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers, so you can manage all these relationships from one place.
If you’re a purely local business working with a local courier, try to develop a relationship with their managers and dispatchers.
4. Choose key performance indicators (KPIs)
You won’t know how well you’re doing if you don’t measure your performance! Some of the key delivery metrics you should consider tracking are:
- Total number of deliveries: How many deliveries do you make per day, week or month? This is the base metric on which everything else is based.
- On-time deliveries: This is a good indicator of your overall delivery efficiency, including how accurate your planning is, how efficient your delivery routes are, and how well your drivers are performing.
- Average time per delivery: How long does it take for your drivers to make each delivery, from starting the journey to finishing the drop-off? Cutting time per delivery is an obvious way to cut inefficiencies.
- Average time at stop: This is how long it takes for drivers park, unload, drop off the order, get proof of delivery and return to their vehicle. If you can find ways to shorten this time, you can handle more stops per route.
- Average cost per delivery: Your total number of deliveries, divided by your total cost of making those deliveries. If this starts decreasing, it’s a great sign that your delivery process is getting more efficient.
How customers can get their packages faster
As a customer, there are a few things you can do to cut down the time you have to wait for your delivery orders:
1. Investigate your delivery options
Check out all the delivery options that the seller offers to find the one that suits you. These could include:
- Same-day delivery
- Next-day or overnight delivery
- Choosing a delivery time window
Delivery time windows, if the seller offers them, can make a big difference. A lot of us don’t live in places where it’s a good idea to leave a valuable package sitting out in public. That means someone needs to be home to receive the delivery — and that’s where a lot of fast delivery promises fall apart. if you’re not home to receive a package, or there’s some reason you don’t hear the doorbell, you’ll miss the delivery. Being able to choose a time window makes it much easier to plan — some retailers offer windows as short as one or two hours, but even a morning/afternoon/evening window helps.
All these delivery options come with different costs attached, so a lot depends on how much you’re willing to pay.
2. Ensure your delivery information is accurate and detailed
Double and triple-check your address and contact details when you place your order. If there are any extra details that would help a driver out, add them. Buzzer codes, parking spots, alternative delivery drop-off spots, and similar information can all help avoid missed deliveries.
3. Choose out-of-home delivery
It’s nice to buy from the comfort of your home, but you don’t always need stuff delivered to your doorstep. Depending on where you are, it might be cheaper and more convenient to:
- Pick up your purchase in store
- Have your order delivered to a parcel station or delivery locker.
4. Use tracking and notifications
This doesn’t really make things faster, but it does make the waiting easier! Sign up for notifications to get real-time updates on your package's journey, and use the live tracking links. This makes it easier to plan for the arrival of your packages and avoid missed deliveries.
Amber Young is a fictional character we use at Routific when our writers don't want a byline. Her photo is AI-generated but the copy is real!
