Modern Shipper covers the gig economy, including same-day, on-demand, and last-mile delivery jobs and services. Readers will find current news on gig economy companies, gig economy workers, gig economy data and trends. In addition, Modern Shipper focuses on e-commerce, e-commerce platforms and companies, and e-commerce services and technologies.
Small and medium-sized businesses are rapidly restructuring sourcing and inventory strategies to mitigate the impact of tariffs.
Happy Returns, a unit of UPS, is adding 1,700 no-label, no-box returns locations to its network and looking to expand returns service for products that can’t be consolidated.
Home Depot has bought a warehouse automation firm to help speed item picking.
Uber Eats has added returns service for retail goods purchased through its app, becoming the first delivery app to do returns.
FedEx and UPS will not be major players in the B2C parcel market unless they strategically engage with an e-commerce marketplace, says commentator Satish Jindel.
Ace Hardware is now offering fast in-store delivery on the Uber Eats app.
Amazon continues to invest in faster e-commerce delivery capabilities and is ready to scale up 30-minute drone delivery this year, CEO Andy Jassy said.
Two trucks carrying $470K in stolen vehicles were intercepted, but the real risk is how they moved through legitimate freight channels undetected.
Two Boxes has raised $3.2 million to help scale its AI-powered returns platform as retailers grapple with rising fraud and costly reverse logistics.
DHL investments to create a unified parcel network between Deutsche Post and DHL Express have paid dividends during the Easter holiday shipping season.
Amazon this month has made several moves that appeal to customer expectations for fast, convenient delivery and put pressure on rivals.
FedEx is launching same-day delivery through a partnership with OneRail, a final-mile platform.
Amazon has taken the lead as the largest U.S. domestic parcel carrier and smaller independent couriers are also taking market share from the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS.
As global e-commerce logistics grows more complex, ePost Global and ShipWise are working to reduce friction with shipments and international returns.
FedEx is giving B2B shippers the option to use reusable boxes in distribution networks with predictable returns.
UPS is pulling back from its relationship with Amazon, undergoing a huge restructuring to prioritize healthcare, SMBs, and premium e-commerce customers.
Target is expanding its next-day delivery service to 20 additional cities.
Cart.com, an e-commerce services company, has raised $180 million in growth capital from Springcoast Partners.
Even with some tariffs struck down, small businesses say policy volatility — not clarity — is shaping their supply chain decisions.
Walmart has agreed to pay $100M to dismiss a lawsuit by the federal government and 11 states that it deceived app-based delivery drivers about pay they would receive.
Walmart’s e-commerce business, supported by its store-fulfillment and delivery services, grew 27% in the fourth quarter and has turned profitable.
When it comes to e-commerce delivery, FedEx only wants longer-haul, heavy and high-value parcels because operating as a local courier for small packages isn’t profitable.
The Federal Aviation Administration abruptly closed, then reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport due after drone incursions Tuesday evening.
Amazon continues to set the pace for parcel delivery expectations, rolling out same-day pharmacy delivery to another 2,000 locations this year.
Newbie parcel carrier Gofo stoked its big growth ambitions with the acquisition of Cirro E-commerce, an e-commerce logistics platform company, giving it better inroads to retail customers.
The U.S. Postal Service saw quarterly adjusted operating income tumble by nearly two-thirds as parcel volume fell by double digits and revenue contracted during the peak shipping season.
Amazon said its regionalized fulfillment network and expanding same-day delivery helped boost fourth-quarter results to $213.4 billion in net sales.
ShipTime Canada is expanding its last-mile virtual delivery network with the acquisition of on-demand warehouse platform Warehowz.
Logistics provider Stord continued its e-commerce expansion on Tuesday with a deal to absorb a warehouse and customers that American Eagle Outfitters is leaving.
The industry-wide push for better visibility has fundamentally reshaped the way freight moves. Freight visibility platforms have built networks with millions of users, promising real-time insights.
American Eagle Outfitters is closing down Quiet Logistics and Office Depot is cutting its logistics service subsidiary Veyer, demonstrating that sidelight businesses can be distractions from core retail execution.
Freight operators in 2026 are facing a different set of expectations than even a few years ago. Visibility, reliability, and resilience are no longer viewed as competitive advantages — they are increasingly treated as minimum requirements. As costs remain elevated and disruptions persist, the ability to see, anticipate, and respond across freight networks has become […]
Last-mile delivery technology platform FarEye has partnered with Amazon Key to address costly delivery failures stemming from access issues at gated communities and apartment buildings.
The U.S. Postal Service has launched a new platform for e-commerce retailers to submit bids for its last-mile delivery service.
Businesses are worried that they will incur higher costs to comply with a proposed rule from the U.S. Postal Service that would require submission of parcel dimensions for small packages.
Return fraud was supposed to be a cost of doing business. Instead, it’s becoming one of retail’s biggest margin threats. For years, retailers treated returns as a customer experience issue, an unavoidable side effect of e-commerce growth and the Amazon-fueled promise that anything could be sent back, anytime. But as return rates quietly climbed and […]
The TD Cowen/AFS Logistics index shows sharp rises in parcel delivery rates, spurred by strategic use of surcharges.
Temu has sprinted to the top of the leader board of e-commerce retailers selling in overseas markets.
The CEO of Tier 2 parcel delivery company OnTrac has resigned to become the head of a pest control company based in England.
E-commerce fulfillment provider Stord has acquired one its rivals from Ceva Logistics as it races to gain scale in the logistics sector.
Stord, which provides outsourced e-commerce logistics services, said it will lease a large warehouse in northern Kentucky and outfit it with the latest freight management technology and robotics.
What once felt like a seasonal novelty, insulated boxes of pears, steaks, or chocolates arriving just in time for the holidays, has quietly transformed into one of the most complex and consequential segments of modern e-commerce. The temperature-controlled shipping model popularized decades ago by brands like Harry & David and Omaha Steaks is no longer […]
Amazon has more than doubled its same-day delivery footprint for fresh groceries since the summer.
The big three domestic parcel carriers are consistently hitting on-time benchmarks even as holiday package volumes spike.
Bouqs has added same-day flower delivery in select markets with the help of Roadie, a UPS company.
Lean Solutions Group has spent the last decade building its reputation as a people-first partner in the logistics industry. Its embedded teams became fixtures inside freight brokerages, 3PLs, and carriers across North America, powering back-office operations and customer service functions with nearshore talent. But the company’s newest technology announcements, LeanTek AgentEdge and LeanTek Connect, signal […]
SpeedX has invested in a huge parcel center in Chicago as the arms race among parcel carriers to build competitive networks escalates.
Pallet just debuted the newest logistics series: Supply Chain Insiders. Leaders are getting candid about their real experiences and we got the inside scoop. “Supply Chain is built on the conversations that happen behind closed doors,” said Supply Chain Insiders host and General Manager at Pallet, Michael Burg. “We wanted to create a space where […]
Amazon is testing an ultra-fast delivery service in Seattle and Philadelphia, but in the United Arab Emirates shoppers the service is so fast shoppers can get orders within 15 minutes.
Amazon has closed a distribution center in Little Rock, Arkansas, so the building can be retrofitted to protect the structure from potential earthquake activity.
Walmart posted strong e-commerce numbers for the third quarter and is developing digital tools to make it even easier for customers to place online orders for delivery.
After the U.S. Postal Service deemphasized last-mile delivery service for parcel consolidators, the new chief now says workshare partnerships are a path to revenue growth.
The European Union is cracking down on the wave of low-value e-commerce shipments from China. Importers could soon have to pay duties on parcels that currently can enter the zone for free.
Uber Freight enters the last mile delivery market through an investment in technology platform Better Trucks.
UPS could unite management, its union workforce and the cost-efficient crowd-sourced delivery model by trying a new triple-win strategy centered on the UPS Store.
The Teamsters union plans to file a grievance against UPS over the use of non-union drivers by a UPS e-commerce subsidiary, FreightWaves has learned.
About 2,000 unionized delivery drivers accepted a buyout offer from UPS in the third quarter, according to an estimate by Satish Jindel, a long-time parcel shipping consultant and president of ShipMatrix. UPS CEO Carol Tomé said during Tuesday’s earnings briefing that the buyouts will cost the company $175 million. The Atlanta-based parcel logistics giant has […]
UPS wants to outsource final-mile delivery of its two economy parcel services to the U.S. Post Service, which is better suited to make residential drops because of its lower cost structure.
Last-mile parcel carriers Veho, SpeedX and Gofo continued to build out their capabilities, either through geographic expansion, hiring top executives or partnering with other vendors.
For the second time in the last two years, the transportation of bread will be the focus of a Supreme Court case involving the rights of the drivers who deliver those loaves and other baked goods. The case is also the second transportation-related case the Supreme Court has selected for review this term. It earlier […]
By Satish Jindel (The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.) In 2019, FedEx dropped Amazon as a customer for B2C parcels because the retailer was becoming a competitor, with its own last-mile delivery solution that mimicked FedEx Ground’s model for […]
The United Kingdom’s postal operator, Royal Mail, is putting its multi-channel parcel shipping strategy into overdrive, offering more out-of-home delivery options.
CSX reported third quarter adjusted net earnings of $818 million, or $0.44 per share, beating forecasts of $0.42 for the eastern railroad operator.
Australia Post is investing heavily in its e-commerce logistics business, including parcel hubs and local delivery stations.
A new Amazon fulfillment center near Portland, Oregon, is open for business and the retailer is ready to develop another facility in the Midwest.
Final-mile courier Frontdoor Collective is testing a fleet of Chevy electric vans on delivery routes for Target.
Veho is continuing its rapid growth in the parcel delivery industry by expanding warehouse infrastructure in multiple markets to support rising parcel volumes.
The latest AAR analysis offers a cautious outlook after September rail volumes reflect the uneven pace of the U.S. economy.
A group of New York City retail stores that offer parcel pick up and drop off counters is adding parcel lockers from GoLocker to increase convenience for online sellers and shoppers.
Startup e-commerce logistics companies Gofo Express and Veho have invested in new high-capacity sortation centers to help speed deliveries for retail customers.
Walmart is investing $300 million in a huge fulfillment center near Gastonia, North Carolina.
DoorDash on Tuesday unveiled a fulfillment service for retailers, a road-capable delivery robot, an autonomous delivery platform and a smart-scale device to ensure order accuracy.
DHL eCommerce is expanding its footprint in Poland with an agreement to buy the remaining shares of its parcel locker partnership.
Parcel carriers like FedEx and UPS are implementing peak season surcharges to recover costs when there isn’t a spike in volume to gear up for, leaving frustrated customers looking for alternative providers.
Deutsche Post and Australia Post are among the first postal operators to restart parcel shipments to the U.S. after the duty-exemption for low-value goods was terminated last month.
Target is offering next-day delivery to 35 major cities by the end of October after tweaking its stores-as-hubs logistics model.
Amazon is expanding its multi-channel fulfillment service to merchants on three major off-Amazon platforms.
DHL Express and Singapore Post are partnering to facilitate parcel shipping through the postal network.
Regional parcel carrier Veho has begun offering retailers last-mile delivery in the Los Angeles area as it continues to grow.
The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled in favor of Motive, rejecting Samsara’s claims of patent infringement.
U.S.-based Cerberus Capital Management and HD Hyundai of South Korea announced an investment partnership in the American maritime sector.
Ajex Logistics acquisition boosts DHL’s presence in the Middle East e-commerce market.
In an environment where volatility is the only constant, simply tracking shipments isn’t enough. Supply chain professionals have outgrown passive visibility. They need systems that do more than just show them where a truck is. They need systems that help them decide what to do next. That’s the shift project44 is taking on. Its Movement […]
Outpost has announced the launch of its gate automation platform using AI and computer vision technology to improve security and reduce costs
Amazon is scaling up same-day delivery for fresh groceries, giving it the ability to capture more of the online grocery market.
The FedEx Dataworks unit provides deep insight into parcel shipping operations. The best value play is to sell it.
UPS is closing a shift in Texas and a facility in North Carolina as part of network reconfiguration, which will cost dozens of workers their jobs.
Amazon’s second quarter earnings beat Wall Street expectations, but the company provided mixed guidance for the third-quarter.
The Teamsters union says the UPS offer to buy out delivery drivers from their contract is a slap in the face.
Many businesses are diverting parcel shipments to cheaper carriers as FedEx and UPS hike rates and surcharges, according to the latest TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index.
Cold and frozen eCommerce brands get the reliability needed to better serve customers.
Australia Post is responding to e-commerce growth by building dedicated parcel post offices and rolling out an ultra-low cost shipping option aimed at small retailers.
International mail systems grew revenue in 2024 as e-commerce shipments negated a downward trend in letter mail.
FedEx is cutting hundreds of jobs in North Carolina, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas.
Poland-based InPost continues to implement its pan-European expansion strategy with the acquisition of Spanish parcel operator Sending.
Regional courier service Deliver It has gone out of business.
A bevy of new final-mile delivery companies is eating into the market share of FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. The competition is keeping a lid on rates to the benefit of e-commerce shippers.
DHL Parcel in Germany is looking to expand use of parcel vending machines.
UPS will offer an early retirement package to drivers as it looks to cull 20,000 workers amid slower parcel growth.
FedEx will soon provide a single pricing structure for parcel pickups to coincide with restructuring of Express and Ground networks into a single network.
