1. FedEx Announces Deadlines for Holiday Shipments
FedEx has published dates that domestic packages must be sent by in order to arrive on or by Christmas Eve.
The cutoff dates for specific services are:
- FedEx Ground Economy: 12/13
- FedEx Ground (three-day): 12/19
- FedEx Ground (two-day): 12/20
- FedEx Ground (one-day): 12/21
- FedEx Home Delivery (three-day): 12/20
- FedEx Home Delivery (two-day): 12/21
- FedEx Home Delivery (one-day): 12/22
- FedEx Express (two-day): 12/20
- FedEx Express (one-day): 12/21, though can be shipped as late as 12/22 if Saturday delivery is arranged
Article from Mark Solomon, FreightWaves
2. Amazon Expanding Use of Delivery Drones
Amazon will soon integrate Prime Air drones at some of their U.S. same-day delivery sites. In the past, Amazon has operated them from standalone sites dedicated to drones.
For nearly a year, they’ve been using drones to deliver packages weighing up to 5 pounds in under an hour.
Amazon has a goal to eventually fully integrate them into their network to become a regular piece of fulfillment operations, and integrating them into existing facilities can help them scale quickly.
Amazon has worked with national regulators to develop the program, saying in a statement that they “have committed the necessary time and resources to build a safe and scalable service.”
Article from Max Garland, Supply Chain Dive
3. FedEx Expanding Use of Software That Reduces Air Fleet Inefficiencies
FedEx plans to expand its use of Mojix, an inventory tracking software system that helps reduce their air fleet’s downtime, and therefore, costs.
Mojix helps FedEx track aircraft parts in storage, reducing the time needed to locate and deliver parts needed for maintenance. Reducing aircraft maintenance and repair times, FedEx planes can spend more time delivering goods.
Planes are expensive assets, and expanding the use of Mojix to maximize their value is a piece of FedEx’s greater plan to make their global air fleet more efficient.
