Technology and the Future of Delivery Vehicles
How is autonomous technology going to affect delivery services?
During the last few years, the way technology is impacting delivery services has consistently made headlines across the globe. From the use of AI in warehouses and small autonomous delivery robots to drone tests and the idea of self-driving fleets and taxi services, technology is powering transformative change within the logistics sector.
But what does this mean for customers? And what kind of delivery vehicles can we expect to see in the future?
The demands of e-commerce
Like many other industries, technology has already created vast improvements in delivery services. This includes more specific and accurate delivery times as well as a
utomatic updates and notifications. However, the momentum is still growing and as such, the future of delivery vehicles is set to look very different from what we know today.
This is largely thanks to the continuing growth of e-commerce. As more people continue to shop online, the demand for better delivery services is rising. This change in customer demand has contributed to faster and more effective methods of last mile delivery, including automatic lockers and the introduction of GPS tracking. While many delivery companies are already utilizing technology to offer next- and same-day services, they are beginning to think about AI in order to further improve their services.
Increase in technology
While self-driving vehicles have been making news for some time — and not always for the best reasons — it is still largely regarded as a futuristic idea that will take many years to implement. However, autonomous delivery has now begun. As of this month, self-driving vans are delivering food to customers across Miami. While only a trial, this means we could see more self-driving vehicles and delivery services starting to appear.
Incentives for green deliveries
In addition to demand, governments are beginning to introduce incentives for greener delivery methods. This includes the UK, where logistics firms that use eco-friendly and zero emission 
vehicles could be financially rewarded with proposed grants and schemes. Not only could this benefit customers, but it is hoped that by introducing incentives for more environmentally friendly delivery vehicles, it could contribute to reducing pollution and meeting clean air targets.
What does the future look like? With self-driving deliveries now taking place and becoming more common, we can expect to see more logistics firms, like Whistl, utilizing technology in this way. This means your parcels could soon be delivered autonomously, either by drone or driverless car.
This is a collaborative article.
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