from internal combustion vehicles . “ These solutions are expensive but necessary to relieve the congestion and pollution from the traditional ways of delivering in high-density areas ,” he says . “ We ’ ve made substantial investments in this , but governments must offer some financial help if they want other carriers to make the switch .” In 2025 , he expects governments to offer some form of financial relief for the investments needed in the logistics industry to bring on more planet-friendly equipment . “ EVs , e-bikes , e-trikes and quads are expensive ,” he says . “ I ’ ve been pushing hard for incentives to purchase micro-mobility equipment . Every time I sit in front of a Department of Transportation , a senator or a congressperson , I remind them that if I buy a Tesla , I get A $ 7,500 rebate . My company has spent millions of dollars on zero-carbon equipment with no rebates . By the end of next year , we ’ ll see some financial assistance from the government to encourage more companies to adopt them . Some states have already done it . I hope to see more in 2025 .”
Lingering Effects of the Work-From-Home Trend
According to Fernandez , one trend that will continue to affect those delivering in urban environments is work-from-home : “ Like the rest of the world , we thought once pandemic restrictions were lifted , everybody would return to their o ! ces . They didn ’ t . The largest thing I ’ ve noticed in my business is the lasting effect of working from home , relating
to volumes for corporate same-day and on-demand business-to-business deliveries . Currently , 70 to 80 % of our work is retail home and final-mile deliveries . Before the pandemic , 70 to 80 % of my business was doing same-day , on-demand work . That volume has been reducing by five or 10 % yearly as more people work from home and businesses have switched to alternatives , transitioning things over to digital . The pandemic accelerated this trend exponentially . I don ’ t think that work will be coming back .”
Congestion Pricing in More and More Cities ?
Fernandez expects the issue of congestion pricing to come under discussion in more and more cities in 2025 . “ I think it ’ ll probably gain traction in liberal cities like San Francisco , Portland and Seattle ,” he forecasts . Overseas , cities like London , Singapore , Stockholm and Milan , among others , have implemented congestion pricing systems
fall / winter 2024 I customized logistics & delivery Magazine 39