The last mile is the vitally important final step in the context of the wider supply chain.
For the consumer, it has the potential to make or break their shopping experience; for the business selling its goods or services, it can have a significant impact on revenue – either directly or indirectly.
What’s certain is that organisations must enlist the services of a reliable last-mile delivery firm to ensure customer satisfaction remains high and long-term loyalty is maintained.
Here, Supply Chain Digital takes a look at the top 10 companies in this space which are continually producing the goods.
10. Yamato Holdings
Revenue: US$12.5bn
Employees: 220,000
CEO: Yutaka Nagao
Founded: 1919
Founded in 1919 with just four vehicles and 17 employees at its disposal, Yamato Holdings began by distributing goods for Japan’s largest department store chain.
Soon, the company had established a national transport network, before developing its famous Ta-Q-Bin service for door-to-door deliveries.
Fast forward more to the present day and Yamato’s black cat logo is recognised around the world as a symbol of outstanding service.
In the late-1980s, the organisation expanded into the European logistics market and now has branches all over the continent.
9. Royal Mail
Revenue: US$16.2bn
Employees: 157,000
CEO: Emma Gilthorpe
Founded: 1516
Royal Mail started life more than 500 years ago as a postal service exclusively for the King and his Court.
Today, the brand offers a renowned international delivery service, while its delivery teams cater to 32 million homes across the UK, six days a week.
In light of the parcel delivery boom brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal Mail has been optimising its network in a bid to compete with other couriers. This effort included opening two new, state-of-the-art parcel hubs.
8. TFI International
Revenue: US$7.5bn
Employees: 25,000
CEO: Alain Bedard
Founded: 1957
TFI International is a recognised North American leader in transportation and logistics, partnering with a diverse group of customers in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Its vast e-commerce network spans more than 80 cities across the continent.
TFI’s integrated network is driven by almost 100 operating companies and more than 25,000 employees who work alongside independent contractors – each with rich industry experience.
The organisation assists customers across a broad range of verticals, including retail, energy and food and beverages.
7. Poste Italiane
Revenue: US$12.9bn
Employees: 119,000
CEO: Matteo Del Fante
Founded: 1862
With its rich history, 12,800 post offices, 119,000 employees and 35 million customers, Poste Italiane is a clear standout in the market when it comes to size, reach and customer loyalty.
The organisation looks after the largest distribution network in Italy, covering logistics, letters and parcels, while also offering financial and insurance services and telecommunications.
What’s more, the group recently entered the energy market, solidifying its status as a key reference point for Italian families across numerous specialist areas.
6. ZTO Express
Revenue: US$5.4bn
Employees: 19,000
CEO: Lai Meisong
Founded: 2002
One of the younger companies on our list, ZTO Express was founded as recently as 2002 but had grown rapidly to become one of the leading express delivery companies in China in terms of parcel volume, with a 20.4% market share as of 2020.
ZTO is both a key enabler and direct beneficiary of China’s booming e-commerce market, establishing itself as a trusted express delivery partner for millions of commerce customers.
These include online merchants and consumers selling and buying products on leading Chinese e-commerce sites like Alibaba, PDD and JD.com.
5. SF Express
Revenue: US$36.5bn
Employees: 177,000
CEO: Dick Wang
Founded: 1993
Established in 1993, SF Express is the fourth-largest integrated logistics service provider in the world and the biggest in its homeland of China.
The organisation is not one to rest on its laurels and has consistently built on its service capabilities, diversifying into seven segments:
- Time-definite express
- Economy express
- Freight
- Cold chain and pharmaceutical
- Intra-city on-demand delivery
- Supply chain
- International business, including express freight and supply chain
Leveraging its leading technology research and development capabilities, SF strives to create a digital supply chain ecosystem and become a front runner in the global smart supply chain.
4. Japan Post Holdings
Revenue: US$78.6bn
Employees: 232,000
CEO: Hiroya Masuda
Founded: 2006
Headquartered in the capital city of Tokyo, Japan Post Holdings consists of three subsidiaries: Japan Post, Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance.
The former was established in 2012 following the merger of Japan Post Service and Japan Post Network.
Japan Post utilises its resources, including post offices and delivery networks, to reach every corner of the country, providing safe, reliable and fast services tailored to the needs of each unique community.
Meanwhile, Japan Post Bank claims to be “the most accessible and trustworthy bank in Japan” and is constantly innovating to improve management and business activities in response to input from customers and changes in market conditions.
3. DHL Group
Revenue: US$88.9bn
Employees: 594,000
CEO: John Pearson
Founded: 1969
DHL Group is home to two strong brands.
DHL itself offers a comprehensive range of parcel, express, freight transport and supply chain management services, as well as e-commerce logistics solutions.
In Europe, Deutsche Post is the region’s largest postal service provider and the market leader in the German mail market.
Overall, the group is split into five operating divisions:
- Express
- Global Forwarding and Freight
- Supply Chain
- eCommerce
- Post & Parcel Germany
Each division is managed by its own headquarters and sub-divided into functions, business units or regions for reporting purposes.
The sheer scale of DHL Group is demonstrated by the fact it serves more than 220 countries and territories across the globe.
2. FedEx
Revenue: US$90.2bn
Employees: 575,000
CEO: Raj Subramaniam
Founded: 1971
FedEx is dedicated to connecting people and possibilities through its worldwide portfolio of shipping, transportation, e-commerce and business services.
The logistics giant offers integrated business applications through its collaboratively-managed operating companies, which collectively deliver an industry-leading standard of service to customers.
FedEx has consistently been ranked as one of the world’s most admired and trusted employers, inspiring its global workforce of more than 575,000 employees to stay focused on safety, high ethical and professional standards, and the needs of customers and communities.
In recent years, the company has been taking steps to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of residential deliveries, thus improving the safety and sustainability of its last mile.
1. UPS
Revenue: US$91bn
Employees: 500,000
CEO: Carol B. Tomé
Founded: 1907
It seems scarcely believable that United Parcel Service began with two American teenagers and a US$100 loan.
Today, UPS is the world’s largest package delivery service and a leading provider of global supply chain management solutions, supported by its own airline and a huge fleet of alternative fuel vehicles.
The sheer scale of UPS’ vast operation is perhaps best demonstrated by the numbers. Each business day it delivers packages for 1.6 million shipping customers to 10.2 million customers in more than 200 countries and territories. In 2023, the business delivered an average of 22.3 million packages per day, totalling 5.7 billion packages throughout the year.
UPS has been harnessing the immense power of AI for fleet management, inventory distribution and orchestration, ensuring its last-mile operations are as sustainable and efficient as possible.
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