Advancing technology assisting Couriers in every day life.

In a world that almost everything is connected Couriers and haulage companies have adapted the way they operate in such a way that the end customer has benefited hugley.

I see this as being broken down into a few key items.

SatNav units

Now I will admit that I have actually no clue to where I am going most of the time when out driving. I have even been known to get in a muddle with Sat Nav units which has caused numerous arguments. However I will admit they are brilliant and as long as the developers who create the software that runs them they can improve the way packages are transported around the country. The beauty with the Sat Nav systems now is that they can also optimise the route as you drive, thus avoiding traffic jams, accidents and general slow down in traffic.

My personal favourite is Google Navigation. Getting the in flight option to take a faster route and updates about issues ahead is in my eyes brilliant. The two other providers out there are Garmin and TomTom, both of which I have had previously and have served me well.

Live Proof of Delivery.

In the days of old it was very much required that you had a number of different pieces of paper to be signed to say that an item has been delievered. With the advent of technology this has allowed signatures to be captured upon delivery and virtually as soon as the button is pressed to complete delivery a notification is sent to the the customer and/or client in some cases. This is a brilliant piece of technology in that it allows quicker payment as lost paperwork in the past has meant delays in being paid.

Online booking. As technology has evolved it has been become quicker and easier to book a courier online. We now only have to enter, here in the UK, a postcode and house number and most online booking forms will complete the rest of the address in accordance to the Royal Mail postcode database.

For me Amazon has made booking a item to be delivered via their fleet of couriers very easy and this is how it should be. What's more the customer can now see the full operational transaction taking place with their package. The tracking of a package from initial collection, transportation to the transfer hub and then out for delivery is now becoming the norm. Courier companies are seeing the benefits of allowing customers to view this as it, unless told differently, reduces the number of calls. It also gives great piece of mind when seeing this. In the fast paced world of Same Day couriers this defiantly expected.

What does the future hold in this. Well as we are essentially tracked now where ever we go I would see 'dynamic' deliveries, small parcels initially, where the courier is dynamically updated upon your whereabouts so as to time their delivery so you are never out when they call. Image all that paper and fuel being saved!