5 Common Delivery Problems – Pro Tips to Solve Them

Explore 5 common delivery problems that are common but concerning. Avoid these challenges before they occur with the best last mile delivery software like TrackoMile!

Parcel delivered to wrong addresses…

Customers unhappy with delayed shipment…

Time-sensitive goods expired before arriving…

All the above phrases denote common but concerning delivery problems. It’s okay to have these instances once in hundreds of times. But not acceptable if delivery businesses are facing this on an almost daily basis.

No business would like to lose their clients just because they couldn’t perform timely shipments as they were too busy goofing up with carrier planning for deliveries (manually!).

Last-mile delivery is the final leg of the delivery chain that happens to be the most complicated and expensive part of delivery logistics. One goof up, and it can open a floodgate for financial losses.

Let’s unfold 5 common last mile delivery problems that delivery logistics businesses must stay away from by automating the process with last mile delivery software.

5 Common Delivery Problems Faced by Businesses – (Reality Check)

1. Late Delivery (More Time on the Road)

Late deliveries are very common but frustrating in the end. Most delays occur because of heavy traffic, extreme weather conditions, or route inefficiencies. A planned delivery timeline often sets certain expectations, which, when failed, can lead to huge disappointments.

While delays can occur possibly from any factors, it’s important businesses either plan efficient routes ahead or communicate about potential delays to their clients in advance.

2. Lost Package (No Consignment Arrived)

A lost package is a big nightmare for any dispatcher. Delayed shipment is alright but a lost package can throw water into the entire last mile delivery process. What are the common reasons for lost packages?

• Mismanagement in the sorting facility
• Tracking information was inaccurate or unavailable
• Someone maliciously robbed the fleet carrying a high-value consignment

A lost package can lead to distrust in the delivery service and put such delivery businesses’ goodwill in a pitfall. 

3. Damaged Goods (Expired Products Received)

When a fleet with packages reaches its destination, noticing damaged goods is not a rare sight. It could be caused due to rough handling during the last mile. This could be because of placing heavy items on top of fragile ones or simply not taking proper care during unloading. It could even be due to assigning/traveling down bad or poorly constructed roads.

This problem put a heavy dent in delivery businesses’ pockets. Imagine the number of returns and replacements, costing retailers money and customer satisfaction and time.

4. Wrong Address (Culprit? Manual Sorting)

First-attempt delivery success is the biggest achievement for logistics businesses. Delivering companies cannot afford to deliver parcels or packages to the wrong addresses. It’s a sin.

Wrong deliveries mainly happen when businesses go for manual entries which leads to error-filled or unclear address labels.

Packages, when delivered to the wrong addresses, cause delays and frustration for both delivery personnel and clients on the receiving end. Correcting this one of the modern delivery issues is very time-consuming. Plus, it could result in more financial losses.

5. Poor Packaging (Blame it on dispatchers)

Imagine your customers excitedly anticipating a package for a long time, only to have it arrive broken. That’s poor customer service! When goods are damaged in the last mile, poor packaging is usually the thing to blame.

Items made of fragile materials or covered with inadequate padding or protection casing can be easily damaged during transit. This issue is quite big as it affects the consumer experience and often results in refunds, further expenses, or in most cases bad reviews for services.

It’s high time to solve problems with delivery from roots by opting for advanced software solutions made to simplify, automate, and optimise last-leg operations. 

Solution for Delivery Problems – “Last-Mile Delivery Software”

1. Plan Most Efficient Delivery Routes

Last mile delivery software can help optimise delivery routes by factoring in 120+ variables such as traffic, distance, vehicle capacity, and time constraints. By doing so, any delivery business can:

• Reduce travel distances (less time on the road)
• Lower fuel consumption (fewer expenses)
• Minimize the chances of late deliveries (more happy customers)

All you need to do is, feed in the addresses and voila, the software automatically suggests the most optimised route with stop sequencing. It even gives the flexibility to plan deliveries as per users’ preferred time slots and route constraints.

2. Auto-Dispatch to Cut Labour Costs

Auto-dispatch algorithms in last mile delivery software makes it easy to match the right delivery driver with the order request — based on considering factors like their proximity and capacity. The software picks the available drivers and assigns them a task and the shortest route they need to travel to get to the destination.

TrackoMile ensures that your deliveries are evenly distributed and fulfilled in a timely manner. Without overburdening the drivers and chances of them missing their targets. 

What more auto-dispatch help with?

• It prevents you from accidentally assigning the same tasks to multiple drivers.
• It evenly distributes tasks to each driver, ensuring proper utilisation of resources or preventing burnouts.
• You can set a limit of tasks per driver to ensure timely and error-free deliveries.

3. Providing Real-time Tracking to Clients

To keep up with the expectations of customers or clients anticipating cargo, it’s a must to provide real-time delivery tracking links and numbers to them. Which TrackoMile provides effortlessly.

Doing so is needed as it will keep customers informed about their deliveries and know when exactly to expect them. 

4. Shake Hands with ePODs

ePOD unfolded as digital proof of delivery helps verify the fact the final parcel or cargo has safely arrived customer site without any issue. TrackoMile as a last mile delivery software, gives ample options to generate digital delivery proofs in the forms of e-signature, OTP, barcode scanning, and other custom forms.

The delivery agent while capturing photos automatically collects geolocation data, which verifies that delivery was successfully received at the client or end customer site only. This feature may seem small but it’s very significant in increasing accountability and removing any scope of  disputes related to undelivered shipments or damaged products. 

5. Carrier Management

Sometimes manual sorting or carrier management is the reason why delivery businesses end up with delayed shipments. This is where they need a last mile delivery software offering a flawless rule engine for carrier management. It automates the task of finding the perfect carrier match for orders on the basis of tons of factors like:

• Vehicle capacity, size and dimensions
• Traffic conditions
• Distance between dispatching and delivery destination.
• And 50 other custom rules.

Our software for last-leg operations ensures your deliveries are always on time, irrespective of the major rise or fall in order volume.

6. Rider Roster Management 

Mismanagement of rider scheduling and management could be another reason contributing to delayed or poor deliveries. Complete last mile delivery planning and optimisation is a failure if the rider roster is not properly managed. To streamline schedules and communication for riders, our software comes in sync with the exclusive rider app. 

The rider app makes it easy to:

• Assign delivery tasks to riders
• Accept and take orders
• Mark geo-sensitive attendance
• Generate reliable ePOD with bar code scanning and other formats.

It even helps riders or delivery agents maintain communication with end customers by sharing dynamic ETAs and real-time tracking links.

Final Thoughts

For any delivery business, its success in the logistics process is basically hinged on on-time, safe, and proactive deliveries. Common delivery problems such as late deliveries, lost shipment, or manual sorting and processing tarnish the goodwill of any business. No matter how big of a delivery giant it is!

Thus, it’s important for emerging or established delivery businesses to sign up for comprehensive last mile delivery software that could help solve challenges faced by delivery companies.

TrackoMile stands as the ultimate solution for reliable, swift, and secure deliveries. Whether handling complex logistics or managing heavy order volumes, our software guarantees precision and speed while redefining the last-mile delivery experience.

People Also Read:

How to Choose Best Last Mile Delivery Software?

Top 10 Last Mile Delivery Companies – Ensuring Best Services

How Last Mile Delivery Benefits Various Industries?

FAQs on Delivery Problems

• What causes delayed deliveries?

  Delayed or late deliveries are often caused by:
  1. Poor route management
  2. Manual carrier and dispatch management
  3. Inefficient rider schedules
  4. Poor communication with end clients

• How last mile delivery software can help combat challenges faced by delivery companies?

  Last-mile delivery software helps with route optimization, real-time tracking, and efficient carrier and rider management, which helps overcome delays and enhances customer satisfaction.