White Paper
Last-Mile Delivery: On the Ground & in the Air
With the COVID-19 pandemic shifting how the world operated in 2020, many switched from shopping in person to online. E-commerce activity was up 40% in 2020, with 51% of companies adjusting their delivery services to offer same-day or next-day delivery. In addition, grocery and restaurant deliveries were up 30%. Although the pandemic was a unique situation, trends that were seen in 2020 are shaping the future for deliveries. The increase in e-commerce activity was met with an increase in last-mile technologies. Technologies are advancing on the ground and in the air. Closing in on the last-mile issue allowed for companies to provide consumers with the certainty of a quick delivery. While last-mile delivery is a largely a local and private issue, there are elements that would benefit though collaboration, support, and advice from TxDOT. This paper will discuss last-mile technologies, policies, and innovations that aided in mitigating increased deliveries, as well as the actions Texas can take to assist in the adoption of last-mile efforts.