Why the last mile is so expensive
Money is rarely lost in one place. It leaks through small gaps:
- routes built by hand;
- vehicles that run half-empty;
- statuses that get lost in chats;
- failed deliveries that have to be made a second time.
Each of these is small on its own; together they decide whether a run is profitable.
8 ways to cut delivery costs
- Optimize routes automatically. Dense routes without extra trips cut mileage and fuel on every run.
- Load vehicles more fully. A half-empty vehicle costs almost as much as a full one. Planning around capacity cuts the cost per delivery right away.
- Reduce failed deliveries. Take delivery windows into account when planning and watch for delays on the day’s schedule so you can warn the customer in advance.
- Switch to digital proof of delivery. A photo, signature and geolocation on the driver’s phone settle disputes on the spot, without paper delivery notes.
- Remove manual coordination. An order is entered once and everyone sees the same thing, without retyping and “where’s the vehicle?” calls.
- Keep your GPS trackers. Wialon, Teltonika, Sinotrack and GT06 connect without buying new hardware.
- Measure the right unit. Look at the cost per delivery and the cost per route, not at total spend.
- Choose software whose price doesn’t work against you. Paying per driver or per delivery eats up the savings as you grow. Pricing by fleet size is more predictable.
Which numbers to track
| Metric | How to calculate | What affects it |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per delivery | Daily costs / number of deliveries | Routes, vehicle loading, failed deliveries |
| Cost per route | Fuel, driver and vehicle per run | Mileage and time on the route |
| Vehicle load | Cargo volume / capacity | Planning around capacity |
| Failed delivery rate | Failed / all deliveries | Delivery windows, status control |
Try it on your own addresses
Load deliveries from Excel and get your first optimized route within 24 hours. 14 days free.
How the methods reinforce each other
Dense routes, full vehicles, proof of delivery and one system instead of spreadsheets and chats work together: each next step makes the previous one pay off more.
In Fleetika it’s one platform: the route optimizer, the dispatcher portal, F-Driver with proof of delivery, and integrations, priced by fleet size.
