The most expensive stretch of many journeys is the final one. Last-mile delivery is the movement of goods from a local hub or depot to the end customer’s address.

Dense stop patterns, failed delivery attempts, and customer delivery-window preferences drive cost and complexity. Urban congestion and access restrictions add further constraints. Carriers experiment with lockers, pickup points, electric vans, and crowdsourced drivers to improve efficiency.

Visibility and communication with the recipient reduce failed attempts. For e-commerce, last-mile performance shapes customer satisfaction as much as product quality does. Optimizing this segment remains one of the hardest and most visible challenges in modern logistics.

• Final delivery leg from hub to customer
• High cost due to density and failed attempts
• Uses vans, lockers, and alternative models
• Strongly influences customer experience