XPO Logistics, the largest last mile provider for heavy goods in North America, has added extensive last mile capabilities on its XPO Connect digital freight marketplace.
Launched in April 2018 in North America and extended to Europe last month, XPO Connect is a cloud-based, fully digital freight marketplace developed with multimodal, self-learning architecture. Customers have comprehensive visibility into freight movements, including geo-location, weather conditions, traffic and other factors relevant to shipment status.
The US company has now extended XPO Connect to its last mile business unit which specializes in the delivery of heavy goods, many of which require assembly and installation inside the home. In 2018, the company arranged approximately 40,000 last mile deliveries per day on average.
The benefits of the new technology are widespread, according to the logistics operator:
* XPO’s customers and independent contractors have deeper visibility into the last mile process and more control over the consumer experience.
* Retailers and e-tailers gain actionable business intelligence and capabilities for digital scheduling, geo-tracking, delivery exception monitoring and claims processing.
* Independent service providers can view available offers, geo-monitor tendered routes, track payments and see their performance metrics.
* The company best leverages its 85 last mile hubs in North America and their integration with the XPO Direct shared-space distribution network.
Mario Harik, chief information officer for XPO Logistics, said: “We’re empowering our customers with an expansive suite of digital tools to manage growing demand for last mile services. At the same time, we’re supporting the service providers who represent our customers’ brands. XPO Connect has opened the door to widespread efficiencies across our transportation network.”
XPO said it expects to invest approximately $550 million in technology this year across its global operations.
