Dive Brief:
- Delta Cargo has partnered with last-mile delivery provider Roadie to offer door-to-door, same-day, cross-country delivery in some cities, the companies announced this week.
- Delivery is available for packages originating in Atlanta, a Delta hub, with the option of 55 destination cities. The service, called DASH, plans to add "dozens" of cities before the end of the year. It can be used for packages less than 100 pounds and less than 90 linear inches, but TSA Known Shipper status is needed for packages over 16 ounces.
- The service is targeted at "time-critical shipments in industries including medical, manufacturing, automotive, industrial parts and more" and will be available 24/7, according to the press release.
Dive Insight:
Delta and Roadie have been working together since 2015 to reunite travelers with lost luggage. The companies are now expanding on this experience to simplify same-day, cross-country delivery.
Roadie is an app-based delivery service that allows drivers to pick up packages that are along the current route they are traveling. It has marketed itself as a way for shippers to reduce carbon emissions while booking on-demand last-mile service.
In the new scheme, a Roadie driver will pick up packages and drive them to the airport where the cargo will be loaded onto a Delta plane. This plane will then fly to the city where the package is being delivered. A second Roadie driver will then pick up the package from the airport and dive it to its final destination.
DASH rates start around $99 including any tariffs and fees, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which cited Delta.
Roadie says its fleet of 150,000 drivers makes it the largest local same-day delivery operation in the country, able to reach 89% of the U.S. Adding Delta to the mix means this same-day offering is not limited as a regional offering. FedEx and UPS offer various same-day delivery options.
