At Airship Logistics, we encounter a lot of clarifying questions whenever we explain our business. One of the most common questions we get from people who are not in the industry is “Are you like Grab?”
Airship is a software that enables companies manage their last-mile deliveries, specifically those who have their own fleet of riders to manage. Currently we find next-day deliveries to be the most efficient delivery model.
Types of Delivery Models
1. Next Day Delivery or Express Delivery
This model is built for big volumes, it’s the most efficient amongst the delivery models and is usually used for parcel delivery.
Riders are usually concentrated on smaller zones or areas, and are familiar with their zones like the back of their hand. They’ll concentrate on going to addresses within the scope of their zone.
At the end of the day, they’ll go back to the Hub to surrender the packages they picked up. These packages will be sorted and will be distributed to the riders according to the receiver’s address.
Each rider can usually delivery 40 packages in a day, up to 100 packages if the zones are smaller.
2. Same Day Delivery
It works similar to next day delivery where riders are assigned to zones. But to achieve same day, the consolidation of packages should be done in the middle of the day instead of the end of the day.
So pick ups can be done in the morning, they get consolidated in the middle of the day, but to save on time of going all the way back to the Hub, the Hub can be a mobile truck that goes near the rider’s zones.
Riders can then get the deliveries picked up this morning, and deliver it in the afternoon while sticking to their zones.
This model is actually less efficient that next-day delivery.
3. Point-to-Point Delivery
The point-to-point (P2P) model is done by Grab Express and Lalamove, and is usually the familiar model to most people. It’s the least efficient because each rider can only do a few trips a day.
But why do couriers offer this? The cargo is either easily perishable or needs a lot of space like groceries or food delivery.
With point-to-point, there’s no concept of hubs. It’s simply picking up from one location and delivery to the destination.
Summary
| Next-Day | Same Day | P2P | |
| ETA | 2 Days | 1 Day | Few hours |
| Companies | Ninja Van J&T LBC | Mr. Speedy | Grab or Lalamove |
| Challenges | Light load only | Need a large network of riders to make it work | Few trips per rider |