them , but when someone else thinks they want them ,” he observes . “ We just assume everything must be delivered next day . Not necessarily . I call that the ‘ Amazon Trojan Horse .’ Amazon made retailers think that their advantage over them was their ability to get virtually anything to the consumer in two days . This concept tricked retailers into believing they had to do ecommerce through multiple fulfillment centers like Amazon ’ s . It worked . Walmart spent billions of dollars trying to copy Amazon . The fact is that consumers don ’ t need everything in two days or the next day . If we want to be smart , we will tackle this unnecessary rushing . Amazon is already experimenting with the idea of offering prime customers the option of getting multiple orders with one delivery . UPS is also testing ‘ day of the week delivery ’ in certain markets . This is not a new idea . Think back to the days of the milkman . You knew you ’ d get your milk on a particular day of the week . And you used it until the next time it came around .”
The Myth of the Driver Shortage
Jindel also tackled what he called “ The Myth of the Driver Shortage .”
“ We don ’ t have a driver shortage . We have a driver efficiency shortage . We are not using our drivers resourcefully ,” he said . He offered this example : “ A driver goes for a seven- hour run during his ten-hour shift . When he ’ s done , he ’ s still got three hours available , but he can ’ t work them because all his dispatcher has for him is a six-hour run . He can ’ t put in six hours , so they give the delivery to someone else . If we start matching those empty driver hours with the right jobs , we won ’ t have the kind of shortage we ’ ve been talking about . We need to have a more efficient network . One where there is visibility to every driver and one that facilitates matching them with the correct load to take advantage of a full ten-hour shift . With the right kind of data visibility , analytics and artificial intelligence we can use all of a driver ’ s hours productively and use fewer drivers to get the jobs done .”
Keep Track of Your Carbon Footprint Today or Lose Business Tomorrow
These changes can have a positive effect on the carbon footprint of delivery companies . It ’ s an issue that is fast becoming a critical one for everyone in the supply chain . And one that ’ s not top-of-mind for some in the last-mile sector . “ Many don ’ t see this as that important right now ,” Jindel acknowledges . “ They see it as a ‘ someday ’ issue . Not a ‘ today ’ issue . But they are wrong ,” says Jindel . “ I ’ m hearing from shippers every day that this is significant for them . Their customers are demanding a full accounting of the carbon footprint of their supply chains , right down to the final mile . These shippers need to show their customers what their emissions are to compete with their competitors . That ’ s the conversation in boardrooms where directors are asking CEOs , ‘ What are you doing to show you ’ re being responsive to environmental concerns ?’”
“ We don ’ t have a driver shortage . We have a driver efficiency shortage . We are not using our drivers resourcefully ”
Jindel concedes that this may not be top of mind for many CLDA members . “ They think it doesn ’ t concern them right now because they are smaller . They may not need to focus on it right now , but they will have to in a year or two . They need to be ready for that day because it ’ s coming sooner than they think ,” he said . “ They must prepare for it today or lose business tomorrow .” CLDA
14 customized logistics & delivery Magazine I spring 2023