OTA Dispatch Issue 4, 2020

18 Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch e-Commerce, cont. cities. Smart locker systems, for example, are just one example of helping increase efficiency. Trucking companies, like FedEx and UPS, can deliver to a centralized location and individuals can access the lockers to pick up their packages. It can reduce congestion in densely populated areas, help the environment, and eliminate contact, which is important for many consumers during the pandemic. New technology and modes of delivery are always under discussion. Drones in the air dropping packages. Robots walking the streets, going house to house. Will these ever mean the end to trucks in the delivery equation? Probably not. What will this “Black Friday” look like for carriers? It may all come down to customer service, which is incredibly important in staying competitive. As carriers hire temporary drivers to keep up with demand, training, and setting customer service expectations and goals is imperative. Some carriers, are even assisting shippers with returns, going that extra mile for the consumer. FedEx is partnering with an organization to offer box free returns with quick refunds. Merchants continue to evaluate relationships with their carriers to ensure capacity, using technology to determine inventory, sales channels and shipping methods. The more value carriers can add, the more likely they are to retain and grow their businesses. Way back when (well, the 1990s, anyway), there were likely some people who predicted the explosion of e-commerce. Carriers and delivery companies that were caught flat-footed saw their businesses shrink, at best, or were swallowed up by the new, more nimble competition. We’re currently operating with a lot of unknowns when it comes to the long-term effects of the pandemic. Is this shift of people shopping exclusively online for anything and everything here to stay, even once COVID-19 is gone? Or, will people be so ready to leave their houses, interact with other live human beings—and support local businesses— that they’ll be happy drive a few miles and wait in line? Only time will tell. For now, the American consumer should be more than grateful for the service that our carriers provide, gathering the goods and dropping them off at home so the rest of us don’t have to.  OTHER E-COMMERCE TRENDS: ` E-commerce will be at a record high this year —more people are shopping online and don’t plan to spend less than they did last year on holiday gifts. ` Holiday peak season will be longer than previous years — many retailers announced starting sales early. ` Historical data will not be as reliable as it was in the past — with so many factors at play (the pandemic, election, potential stimulus package, etc.) retailers aren’t as concerned with predicting demand. So, what are people buying, anyway? Besides the obvious grocery deliveries, here are some of the other hot commodities since the start of the pandemic:  Fitness equipment and accessories  Outdoor gear  Household goods  Technology  Pet products