The Last Word in Last Mile Logistics

When you think about the supply chain process, it’s easy to imagine it as a single, unbroken entity starting in the warehouse and ending at the customer’s doorstep. However, there are several critical pieces of the logistics puzzle that — while making next-day delivery seem effortless to the customer — must work together in perfect synchronicity. Truth is, it’s the step known as the “last mile” that can often bring about the greatest logistical difficulties and create the largest inefficiencies. At LEGACY Supply Chain Services, we feel strongly that the key to increased growth and profitability in distribution, fulfillment and eCommerce across the supply chain starts and ends with the last mile.

How Last Mile Works

For those new to supply chain logistics, the last mile is the final journey a package or piece of freight makes. For example, let’s say a customer in Jackson, Tennessee orders a pair of running shoes from an eCommerce website. In this example, the shoes are stored at the retailer’s warehouse (or third-party logistics distribution center) in Phoenix. Workers or machines pick and pack the shoes where they’re loaded onto a truck, which delivers them to the Phoenix airport onto a cargo plane. They then fly overnight to Memphis and are transferred to their next-to-last stop, technically the “last mile,” or the short distance to the customer’s doorstep. Although it’s only a little over an hour’s drive from Memphis to Jackson, this is where the supply chain often breaks down with less reputable logistics providers. With so many potential players involved — from the postal service to UPS to questionable third-party delivery drivers — the situation is rife with potential for problems to arise. If you’ve ever tracked a package online only to watch it take a head-scratching, circuitous route or get stuck in limbo, you’ve experienced this very phenomenon.

Trends in Last Mile

Time after time, market research has shown that increasing on-time delivery boosts customer satisfaction and builds brand loyalty. To this end, many logistics companies are looking to cutting-edge technology and best practices to maintain their edge. Some examples include Internet of Things (IoT) smart sensors to track packages at a granular level; big data analytics; and even automated vehicles to speed up the delivery process. Whatever tools the future brings, they promise even faster and more precise delivery experiences for both retailers and customers alike.

The Olive Branch Solution

With all this in mind, it’s clear that delivering on-time and as expected is job number one for retailers. That means the partners you team up with for your logistics solutions matter now more than ever. With our distribution hub in Olive Branch, Miss. and greater DeSoto County, LEGACY provides the following services:

• Outstanding last mile service throughout the region
• Direct-to-consumer eCommerce fulfillment
• Direct-to-store order replenishment
• Big box retailer compliance
• Center-to-center returns management
• Reverse logistics

Thanks to the region’s strong network of river, air, rail and foreign trade zone infrastructure, DeSoto County is truly a place unlike any other in the United States, making it the perfect hub for your distribution needs, whether it’s the last mile or for each step of the supply chain. The area features overnight service to more metro markets that any other U.S. region and has one of the nation’s largest inland ocean ports. It’s also only 15 minutes away from the largest cargo airport in the world and boasts easy access to national truck lines and Class I railroads. On top of that, the area has implemented many business-friendly tax incentives and features a strong local labor pool.

LEGACY’s Olive Branch location is home to a 450,000 square-foot Class A, racked, move-in ready Third-Party Logistics distribution center powered by Manhattan SCALE WMS, which is a customizable Tier 1 technology platform for all your logistics needs. Our dedicated customer service team and well-established strong local management will ensure your shipments are our top priority. Strategically located, the Olive Branch center allows for late FedEx pickup and allows us to leverage international and domestic transportation brokerage as well as customs brokerage services.

How LEGACY Supply Chain Services Can Help

For nearly the last 40 years, LEGACY has brought logistics solutions to customers across the United States and Canada. By partnering with the Tunica and DeSoto county economic development commissions, we’ve brought a new level of service to our Southeastern customers, including satisfying on-time delivery with exceptional service. Whether you need last mile distribution or full service 3PL, LEGACY Supply Chain Services provides an unparalleled experience for your business needs.