According to data from Statista Research, Amazon’s shipping expenses for 2017 exceeded $21 billion. Yes, you read that number correctly. That is over 21 billion U.S. dollars in shipping costs for just one e-commerce retailer and that number does not include fulfillment expenses, which exceeded $25 billion. When you combine this statistic with research from Deloitte indicating that freight moved by trucks is expected to grow by 27 percent by 2027 while using fewer trucks to do so, you realize the huge potential of last-mile delivery services. Whether it is B2B wholesalers getting products to retail suppliers on a same-day delivery basis or e-commerce shoppers expecting two-hour delivery of their latest online purchase, last-mile delivery is set to transform the logistics space.

Enterprise-level companies, small businesses and end-user customers are seeing the benefits of quick, on-demand logistics services. From food deliveries and e-commerce purchases/returns to same-day delivery services for large organizations wanting to fuel business growth, the desire for on-demand delivery services is disrupting the transportation sector from China to the United States (China shipped over 31 billion units in 2016 alone).

Unfortunately, with the rising desire for last-mile delivery services, costs for these services are rising along with the popularity of immediate shipping. Middlemen are taking a cut of each shipping transaction, adding to the price paid by end users and shippers. Not only are prices rising due to the exploding popularity of last-mile delivery, so too are frustrations with less-than-stellar service by last-mile delivery providers. Check Twitter comments for popular food delivery startups or ride-sharing services offering on-demand deliveries and you will uncover a myriad of unhappy customers. It is because of the rising costs and frustrations associated with last-mile delivery services that the potential of a blockchain-based logistics platform is so promising.

Building a global logistics platform, like Serve, using open source, decentralized, immutable blockchain technology allows shippers and end user customers to take advantage of a trust network based on accountability, reputation and smart-contract enabled transaction data. With the global blockchain technology market expected to exceed 2 billion U.S. dollars by 2021, Serve is proud to be part of the ecosystem adapting traditional industries using the power and promise of blockchain technology.

We hope to transform the logistics industry for everyone from ride-share transportation providers and shipping companies to gig-economy freelancers and travel influencers. Using a blockchain-enabled tokenized platform to build trust and reputation for transportation providers, Serve will meet the needs of everyone from enterprise corporations to customers wanting to benefit from last-mile delivery services. With both an API and a SDK available, Serve can be used to create a white-label delivery service just as easily as it can be used by a last-mile delivery provider to build their own reputation-endorsed social network for their services.

If you are intrigued by the future of a blockchain-powered logistics industry, check out Serve’s white paper for a sneak peek at the future of transportation. We think you will be as excited as we are to be a part of forever altering how the logistics industry operates.

Join our Telegram community to talk with the Serve team and stay up to date with the latest Serve news!

We are here to Serve!