The postal service is facing all the difficulties your common carrier does and then some. The additional difficulties arise from the need to radically restructure from a service to a business model. Unlike the 80s or even the 90s, it is no longer the dominant provider of delivery services, and the gap is constantly increasing.
The main reason for this of course is the rising and energetic competition from newer more modernised businesses. Every one of which endeavours to do the same only better and cheaper. Innovation however, can work both ways and contactless smart lockers are one such way to turn the tables.
Contactless Lockers in Toronto reducing Costs and Margins for Delivery Services
The idea has been around for a very long time but really gained prominence in the past two COVID years. The benefits were always obvious but the investment could be a cause to pause. During the pandemic the touchless locker became a life saver, literally and metaphorically.
They essentially allow the direct delivery of goods to the recipient without anyone actually delivering them. They are safe, contact-free and save a lot of money for the service provider. For these reasons and many more which we will touch on shortly, contactless parcel lockers Montreal and other big cities have sprouted like mushrooms after rainfall.
Postal Networks Worldwide Using Contactless Smart Lockers
Leading the list of postal companies using this innovative solution are German National Post (Deutsche Post managed by DHL), Australia Post (fully national) and of course the USPS. They now have tens of thousands of free to use 24/7 parcel lockers across entire countries. They are dispersed among post offices, supermarkets, train and bus terminals and residential blocks.
Contactless lockers in Toronto are a vast and growing trend mostly used by private delivery carriers but the potential is glaringly obvious.
But let’s give some specifics. How is this technology useful? The costs of last mile services have been increasing in the past few decades due to fuel and labour costs. This has been pushing national post carriers to the margins.
This leads us to the simple conclusion that last mile delivery automation is the key to improve performance. Among the three that come to mind, i.e. drones, autonomous vehicles, smart lockers, the latter solution is easiest and cheapest to implement.
Out of those three, contactless parcel lockers Montreal are the only viable solution, given the weather conditions and topography for example.
And they do their job magnificently. Instead of delivering items door to door (and risking theft) at a huge expense, one drop-off hub is created and does the rest. Items are dropped off there in their designated lockers and are left for people to come by and pick up at their leisure.
The result is a whole list of benefits, such as:
- Touchless Delivery
- Less sorting, logging, and managing work
- No costs related to doorstep delivery
- Efficient use of staff to serve more territory
- Reduced carbon footprint and fuel costs
- No losses related to theft or mishandling
- Two-way live tracking and pickup confirmation
Basically, for the postal services to keep up with the growing competition, one solution may be the key. For more information about contactless smart lockers, their potential uses, costs and models, visit our website.
