Ryder pumps up last-mile delivery network with facility expansions

Fleet management and transportation giant Ryder System Inc. on Wednesday said it is continuing its push into last-mile fulfillment, a red-hot sector that is at the locus of the e-commerce boom, by expanding its Ryder Last Mile division.

Ryder Last Mile is the firm's home delivery and white-glove installation solution division for big-and-bulky goods, now boasting facilities in 11 North American markets. Miami-based Ryder said the expansion strengthens its e-commerce fulfillment capabilities, reduces delivery timeframes, and brings appliance delivery and installation to new markets.

Specifically, Ryder is increasing the square footage at its last-mile fulfillment facilities located in Toronto, Atlanta, and Lathrop, Calif. and announcing partnerships in eight other U.S. cities. Taken together, the company's e-fulfillment network now includes 136 facilities covering 95 percent of the U.S. and Canada within a two-day timeframe, according to Ryder.

Ryder had only a modest share of the sector until April, when it paid $120 million to acquire The MXD Group Inc., an omnichannel fulfillment provider with a strong last-mile delivery presence. Now absorbed into Ryder's operations, MXD contributes its value as a non-asset-based provider with a network of delivery service contractors and 109 e-commerce fulfillment facilities across the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to its investment in those facilities, Ryder also supports its last-mile expansion with its RyderView shipment visibility technology, which allows customers to schedule and track orders with photo-capture digital proof-of-delivery and claims management services, the company said.

"We're getting closer to the consumer," Patrick Coughlin, vice president and general manager of Ryder Last Mile, said in a release. "By expanding our existing locations and adding new facilities, we continue to position our customers to meet - and even exceed - the ever-growing demands of e-fulfillment and the increasing expectations of their customers."