Last-mile delivery

Drone delivery reached new heights in 2021, and as a result, there was no shortage of interest in the technology.

Veho, a crowdsourced e-commerce delivery platform, has raised $125 million to become last-mile delivery’s latest unicorn company.

The Bay Area-based autonomous vehicle maker received an investment from TDK Ventures, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational electronics company TDK Corp.

The instant delivery company could be valued as high as $40 billion after securing its latest series X funding raise.

Uber Eats will begin delivering from select restaurants in Santa Monica using autonomous vehicles provided by Motional.

FedEx Express has taken delivery of the first electric vans as part of a 500-unit order from BrightDrop. The vehicles are in operation in California.

Launched in April 2020, Uber Connect is now offering same-day local delivery to 6,000 cities across the country.

Technology platform Deliveright is expanding its services to include heavy-goods delivery in Canada.

The e-commerce shipping platform adds former Postmates and Pinterest executive Andreas Lieber to its leadership ranks.

According to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, the company’s delivery segment is poised for massive growth –– and massive profits.

Merchants Fleet is continuing its electrification efforts, announcing it will order EV step vans from Xos.

A zero-emissions delivery pilot in Seattle showed electric cargo bikes could potentially replace delivery trucks, but plenty of work remains to achieve that goal.

Ford owns 12% of electric vehicle startup Rivian, and while it is a direct competitor to Ford’s own ambitions of electric vehicle dominance, that stake could be the driving force in the automaker’s transformation.

AxleHire has expanded its final-mile delivery services for DTC shipper X Delivery with a Chicago service.

A legislative movement to give EU gig workers more protection could foreshadow a similar reckoning in the U.S.

DroneDek CEO Dan O’Toole spoke to Modern Shipper about his pleas to the FAA and how drones can solve the supply chain backlog.

Sources within Instacart revealed the company’s plans to offer 15-minute deliveries, while DoorDash announced its own 15-minute grocery delivery service in New York City.

Venture capital fund EQT Ventures is a backer of electric and autonomous vehicle maker Einride, but it is also a supporter of sustainable business models.

Instant-delivery firm Jokr announced it has reached unicorn status following a $260 million Series B funding round and is adding Boston to its service area.

Merchants Fleet is looking to expand access to information on fleet electrification, introducing a central hub of tools and research.

Robotic delivery firm Nuro will begin making autonomous deliveries for 7-Eleven in Mountain View, California.

Drone developer Wingcopter has received an investment from Japan’s Drone Fund as it nears announcement of a series B funding round.

As Christmas grows closer, these are the dates you should know while contemplating when to ship your gifts.

Last-mile logistics firm Sendle is rolling out a new program in nine states with shipping rates as low as $2.60 per item.

Shippers utilizing last-mile delivery providers face some level of risk due to claims, but some simple steps can help mitigate it.

“The most effective way to address supply chain congestion is to move inventory closer to the end customer,” said Deliverr co-founder and CEO Harish Abbott.

Fleet management company Merchants Fleet has reserved 5,400 of the EV410, a small electric cargo and utility vehicle being developed by BrightDrop.

AIT Worldwide is expanding its final-mile capabilities, acquiring New York-based Select Express & Logistics, adding 400 employees and 47 cross-dock facilities.

Ree Automotive has unveiled a blank-canvas autonomous vehicle design to last-mile delivery operations.

The Bay Area-based unicorn is investing in repairing America’s broken food supply chain.

Pure-play e-commerce brands are often saddled with higher shipping costs, but Via.Delivery is hoping to change that by offering consumers the choice to have shipments sent to physical store locations.

We’re currently in the midst of the Uberization of everything, including … laundry? Meet SudShare, the company that washes, dries and folds on demand.

As e-commerce goods move through the supply chain, many hands touch the shipments. Shippers that take the right steps can gain a level of control over this process.

AskWaves: The behemoths ordinarily shouldn’t be concerned about a national delivery network forged out of the OnTrac-LaserShip merger. But these are not ordinary times.

The food tech unicorn has now made over 30 acquisitions since 2019, but its purchase of Oakwood Transportation has a slightly different flavor.

The purveyor of wild-caught seafood avoids the use of airfreight, and relies on barge, truckload and parcel to hit its tight delivery commitments.

After reaching unicorn status earlier this year, Misfits Market finally taps into the massive California market.

Both Uber Eats and DoorDash surprised investors, but not in the ways one might think.

Rivian priced its IPO at $78 a share, turning early funding by Amazon, Ford and others into billions in returns on those investments.

Autonomous trucks hauling freight for Walmart are running with no driver in the seat in Arkansas, says autonomous vehicle company Gatik.

Proper delivery routing is often overlooked as a potential sales tool, but done right, it can lead to increased customer engagement and more sales.

The road ahead looks brighter than ever for the ride-hailing giant after posting an adjusted-EBITDA profit of $8 million.

Few people buy winter coats in May, but inefficiencies in e-commerce returns can mean a coat returned in January remains unsold months later.

Ulta Beauty is the latest brand to join DoorDash Drive, the food delivery company’s white-label last-mile fulfillment service.

The California-based robo-delivery company has reportedly reached a valuation of more than $8.5 billion.

Post-purchase experience technology firm Narvar is adding insights into retailers’ logistics networks with a real-time monitoring service.

When electric vehicle maker Rivian makes its public debut, perhaps as early as next week, it could be at a valuation that rivals Ford’s.

Bed Bath & Beyond continues its e-commerce evolution, making its home and baby product lines available for on-demand delivery through the Uber Eats app.

Modern Shipper spoke with several supply chain executives to get their takes on what could be the most chaotic holiday season in recent memory.

Beans.ai emerges from stealth with $17M in funding and plans to map the final foot of delivery.

Regional operator Mesa Air Group will begin testing last-mile drone delivery in a partnership with manufacturer Flirtey.

Wing, the drone delivery subsidiary of Alphabet, just announced a partnership with Walgreens to deliver in densely populated areas.

Azuga customer fleets of all sizes, from delivery companies to over-the-road trucking operations, can buy into a new carbon offset program to help them make their vehicles carbon-neutral.

Ryder has made an investment in and offered vehicles on lease to autonomous technology company Gatik to speed middle-mile autonomous deliveries.

Enroute AI believes granular delivery details such as which entrance to use can improve last-mile delivery, and it thinks its AI can delivery that granularity.

Representatives from both sides of the aisle and company executives convened in a webinar hosted by the Consumer Technology Association.

The e-commerce fulfillment company gets a nice raise to deliver on its promise of “instant commerce” in 20 minutes or less.

Saying the restaurants are the “heart of Main Street,” DoorDash launches a $1 million grant program to assist those that suffer business disruptions because of natural disasters.

Many shippers struggle to succeed at last-mile delivery, often at the mercy of a delivery partner. But getting a handle on the middle mile can improve the chances of last-mile success.

In this final Drone Disruptors, Modern Shipper spoke with Chairman and CEO Dan O’Toole of DroneDek, the maker of the mailbox of the future.

Some 1,500 supply chain professionals met at FourKites Visibility 2021 to discuss the present and future of visibility in supply chains.

Home Depot will become the first customer for Walmart’s new GoLocal delivery service, rolling out the service in select markets in the coming weeks.

As more Americans begin their holiday shopping earlier than ever, port backups and worker shortages could leave shoppers disappointed and brands with excess inventory in January.

The chaos in the supply chain has ripple effects down to the last mile. AxleHire Founder Daniel Sokolovsky is responsible for ensuring his company can meet those last-mile delivery demands.

Company takes no chances in keeping supply chain problems away from holiday deliveries.

FedEx Express has completed the first drone delivery as part of a monthlong test in Ireland, moving a package from Shannon Airport to Foynes Port in under 13 minutes and cutting nearly 40 minutes from a vehicle delivery route.

Amazon-backed EV maker Rivian makes big news with a public stock offer and beating its rivals to market with the first-ever electric pickup, the R1T.

Electric Last Mile Solutions has delivered its first Class 1 all-electric cargo van to a customer, beating a Q4 goal for the first delivery.

GM subsidiary BrightDrop said its EV600 electric cargo van is entering limited production. The company also announced a smaller EV410 version.

Middle-mile autonomous vehicle company Gatik will use Goodyear intelligent tire technology on its vehicles to collect and transmit critical tire data in real time.

After a big week for same-day delivery services, here’s a look at the past, present and future of the same-day market.

A new study has found that while online sales are driving up revenue for grocers, many are losing money on e-commerce and struggling with building a path forward.

To lower its insurance rates and protect its drivers and product, cannabis distributor Bloom Farms turned to Azuga’s dashcams and specialty insurer QuadScore.

GoFor’s new strategy will use carbon offsets, EVs, smart packaging and more to make delivery carbon-negative.

Bed Bath & Beyond said it has become the first home goods retailer to list its products directly on DoorDash Marketplace, giving it the opportunity to reach more potential customers with same-day delivery.

Jokr promises 15-minute grocery delivery. It has now added 3 more New York City boroughs to its delivery network.

DoorDash continues to expand its options with the addition of on-demand alcohol delivery in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Locus Robotics is acquiring Waypoint Robotics, adding industrial-strength mobile robot platforms to its portfolio.

Electric-vehicle maker Rivian is said to be looking for as much as $8 billion from its upcoming IPO, which would make it the fourth-largest U.S. IPO in the past 10 years.

The grocery delivery unicorn edges closer to an IPO and a seat at the table with Walmart, Instacart and Uber.

Walmart will begin offering delivery of groceries and other products via self-driving vehicles through a partnership with Ford and Argo AI.

The two companies are partnering on an integrated e-commerce and supply chain management platform.

Delivery drones could be damaged or even grounded by weather, including unseen winds aloft, leaving customers angry at missed deliveries and shippers scrambling.

PICKUP CEO Brenda Stoner said that in last-mile big-and-bulky delivery, it’s a combination of people and technology that makes it work.

UPS is buying Roadie, a same-day delivery firm, as it seeks to expand its package delivery options to customers.

Last-mile delivery has become such an important piece of the customer journey, but too many companies don’t listen to the customer and continue to deploy failing strategies.

The nationwide carrier knows that peak demand is on the horizon, and it’s in need of a bit of assistance.

Tight capacity, surcharges and customer demands are just a few of the pain points that continue to impact shippers heading into peak season.

Last-mile delivery firm AxleHire has tapped URB-E and Tortoise for nationwide pilots of zero-emission delivery programs.

Target has acquired tech companies and delivery providers, all in a quest to better manage its e-commerce logistics networks.

AxleHire is adding two new facilities in Newark and Philadelphia to bolster its East Coast presence.

Kiwibot is rolling out delivery robots in four new locations as it continues to expand its service area.

Middle-mile autonomous vehicle startup Gatik has announced an $85M Series B funding round and the start of operations in Texas.

Walmart’s new white label delivery service could have far-reaching implications for the last mile.

Ideanomics, which operates at the intersection of fintech and disruptive technologies, is acquiring electric vehicle maker VIA Motors in an all-stock transaction.

Electric vehicle maker Rivian has filed for an IPO that could value the company as much as $80 billion.

The online grocer is reducing food waste — and prices.

A2Z Drone Delivery is adding a dual-drop commercial drone to its tether deployment system, giving last-mile drone delivery a boost.

In 2014, Sendle sought to provide a package delivery alternative to the Australia Post. It is now in the U.S. taking on UPS and FedEx.

Pilot Freight Services took the unusual step of buying a trucking company to connect its e-commerce delivery services.