FedEx is expanding its e-commerce service portfolio with more home deliveries of bulky goods in the USA, new locations for its cross-border e-commerce logistics operations, and tests of delivery robot Roxo in the UAE.
The company’s North America trucking division, FedEx Freight, is broadening its FedEx Freight Direct service to more than 80% of the contiguous U.S. population following a pilot in select markets earlier this year. The new e-commerce solution offers delivery of bulky items such as furniture, TVs and exercise equipment by FedEx Freight team members into residences and businesses.
FedEx Freight Direct, available from 173 service centers, is the first standardized FedEx service to make deliveries through the door and into homes and will enhance delivery into businesses with new options. The service incorporates technology to increase shipment visibility, give consumers enhanced delivery choices, and offer exceptional convenience, according to the company.
There are three service levels:
- Standard: customers select delivery times; two-hour delivery window; proactive delivery notifications; delivery into the first room of convenience
- Premium: 2-person delivery to room of choice and optional packaging removal
- Basic: to door deliveries
The growth of e-commerce is rapidly changing customer expectations, creating new opportunities in the less-than-truckload (LTL) market, FedEx explained. This includes an increase of inbound freight to distribution centers as e-commerce companies build more centers closer to their end customers, as well as deliveries of bulky items to customers who purchase larger items online and expect delivery inside their homes or places of business.
“Today’s consumers are just as comfortable purchasing a television or sofa online as they are groceries or books,” said Brie Carere, FedEx executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer. “We’re seeing more oversized items move through our global network. FedEx Freight Direct is critical to addressing these challenges as part of our growing e-commerce portfolio.”
FedEx Freight President and CEO, John Smith, added: “We are proud to offer this innovative, e-commerce residential and commercial delivery service that leverages the speed and reliability of FedEx Freight’s leading nationwide LTL network to move these larger items safely into consumers’ homes and businesses.”
The company said Freight Direct delivery vehicles have been specially designed for areas with restricted access, such as residential neighborhoods, while delivery staff have undergone extensive training to provide exceptional customer service.
More FedEx Cross Border locations
Meanwhile, FedEx Cross Border has expanded its global e-commerce business to new locations in Saddle Brook, New Jersey; Fontana, California; and Venlo, The Netherlands.
The new locations give business-to-consumer merchants convenient and cost-effective transportation solutions to access shoppers globally. These include flexible delivery options, end-to-end tracking, commercial and postal import clearance options and a portfolio of final mile delivery solutions. In the U.S., there are also technology solutions for different payment methods, currency conversion, regulatory compliance information and payment fraud protection.
“This expansion enables FedEx Cross Border to help more merchants reach new customers in over 200 countries and territories around the world, increasing our ability to capture more of the growing global e-commerce market,” said Carl Asmus, president & CEO, FedEx Cross Border. “We continue to invest in the transportation and technology solutions our customers want and expect, strengthening an already robust e-commerce portfolio.”
Roxo rolls into the UAE
Finally, FedEx Express is taking the company’s new delivery robot Roxo to Dubai for its first international appearance as part of operational tests in the emirate. The robot, already being tested in several U.S. cities, is an autonomous delivery device, designed to travel on sidewalks and along roadsides, safely delivering smaller shipments to customers’ homes and businesses.
FedEx will collaborate with local companies in Dubai in several segments to help assess their needs and opportunities. Future local assessment would operate similar to the testing currently underway in the United States, with selected customers providing insight and advice on their needs and requirements.
Roxo’s features include pedestrian-safe technology from the iBot, plus advanced technology such as LiDAR and multiple cameras, allowing the zero-emission, battery-powered bot to be aware of its surroundings. These features are coupled with machine-learning algorithms to detect and avoid obstacles, plot a safe path, and allow the bot to follow road and safety rules. Proprietary technology makes it highly capable, allowing it to navigate unpaved surfaces, curbs, and to even climb some steps for an extraordinary door-to-door delivery experience, FedEx explained.
“Roxo is currently testing in the U.S. and will play a new role in the last-mile delivery market, one that is not currently addressed by any other automated service or technology. Feedback from customers will ensure that real-use conditions are taken into consideration as early as possible during the on-going development of Roxo’s capabilities,” said James R. Muhs, Regional President for FedEx Express in the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa.
“The FedEx SameDay Bot is an innovation changing the landscape of on-demand hyper-localized delivery, and we are excited for Dubai to be the first international city to host an appearance by Roxo. The UAE is recognized internationally as a future-forward city, with a positive regulatory framework, world-class infrastructure, and a fertile environment for the testing and adoption of robotics, and we look forward to testing Roxo here in the future,” he continued.
