Ford Motor Company has partnered with British delivery company Gnewt by Menzies Distribution in a trial effort of a new digital parcel courier service designed to reduce congestion and help speed up deliveries. The next time that you order something online it might arrive at your doorstep thanks to a new “warehouse on wheels.” Gnewt is an award-winning sustainable urban parcel courier that specializes in zero-emission, last-mile delivery services.
The new service is in its trial stages in London, and according to Ford, has the potential to cut traffic, reduce emissions, and improve delivery times. Ford says that the growth of online shopping across Europe is expected to double in the next 10 years. Since many deliveries are fulfilled by vans, this trend will lead to escalating congestion in many cities. Carriers are under pressure to deliver more parcels at an increased rate, with less cost, all while ensuring employee welfare and environmental responsibility. Ford wants to help make all of this possible.
Ford, in partnership with Gnewt by Menzies Distribution will efficiently coordinate multiple modes of transportation including pedestrian and (eventually) bicycle couriers. Ford’s new cloud-based software identifies the optimum places for van drivers to pull over near multiple drop-off points where pedestrian and eventually bicycle couriers can take over and perform the last leg of delivery.
During the partnership trial, Gnewt’s “last-mile” delivery service will be driven by Ford’s intelligent cloud-based, multi-modal routing and logistics software MoDe:Link. This software manages every aspect of delivery from depot to doorstep. This partnership has the potential to help couriers, fleet managers, logistics, and food delivery companies optimize their business practices. It could also increase van utilization which could save both time and money while simultaneously boosting capacity.
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