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It's a difficult time for the trucking business in North America right now. Public health measures aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 across America have taken its toll on the economy, resulting in a sharp fall in the U.S. GDP and rising unemployment. It, in turn, has resulted in fluctuating demand in the trucking industry: trucking volumes increased by 30 percent at the start of 2020 due to panic buying, then dropped sharply, and is now climbing back up again. Last-mile deliveries have also surged more than ten times over, but ocean and railroad shipping has declined up to 20 percent and has yet to recover.

With so much uncertainty and no clear timeline for the COVID-19 crisis in sight, many freight companies are implementing new practices and technology to create safe workspaces and adjust to the current demand. One such practice is contactless freight delivery.

What is Contactless Delivery?

Also known as "No Contact Delivery" or "Zero Contact Delivery," contactless delivery is essentially no contact between drivers, employees, delivery partners, and customers before, during, and after the delivery process. This novel practice aims to deliver essential goods and services in a safe and protected manner, alongside relevant best practices such as regular sanitation of buildings, vehicles, equipment, warehouses, employees, and packaged goods.

At the heart of the contactless delivery is giving the client the ability to choose remotely when and where their goods will be delivered. This helps ensure social distancing when delivering items to customers and reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19. Following this new normal, clients can have their orders delivered at a specific location as well as at a specific time and will be notified via text message, call, or email once the delivery is underway or has arrived. Also, payment is made through a website or a third-party app, further reducing interpersonal contact and ensuring a safe and convenient transaction for everyone involved.

How Does Contactless Freight Delivery Work?

The procedure for contactless delivery varies from one service provider to another, but it usually involves using an app or at least an online website. Customers must register on the app/website, provide relevant information, and confirm their details. Once registered, the app or website will provide a suite of features that may include the following:

• Real-time tracking: Using the app or website, customers can track shipments in real-time via GPS. This service is a key feature in contactless delivery services and begins once the shipment is dispatched to the driver. This provides the customer with the benefit of real-time knowledge of packages' location and gives fleet managers and owners added visibility over their trucks.
• Mobile signature and proof of delivery: Instead of writing in their signature by hand, drivers can use the app to either take a picture of the signed bill of lading or collect a digital signature wirelessly from the consignee. This information is then uploaded in real-time to the company's TMS, ensuring a clear digital paper trail over the shipment.

Aside from greatly reducing risk and avoiding liability issues, mobile signatures can also serve as a powerful delivery management tool that helps drivers manage stops and shipment instructions more efficiently.

• Live updates from drivers: Many contactless delivery apps also enable drivers to provide real-time feedback, internal and external notes, status updates, and other information for shipments. They can also use the app to inform dispatchers or brokers of any potential delays such as road accidents and mechanical breakdowns, which help reduce liability issues from missing or delayed shipments as well as help the TMS identify problematic routes.

What Are The Benefits Of Contactless Delivery?

While it does require some time, manpower, and a significant amount of cash to set up properly, a contactless freight delivery system does provide many benefits to drivers and fleet managers alike:

• Health and safety: Both the driver and customer are less likely to be exposed to COVID-19 during the delivery process as they're not required to be in close proximity to one another. This is further magnified if the contactless delivery is part of a protocol that also includes regular sanitation of vehicles and equipment, routine health check-ups, and training to drivers and employees.
• Trust: With our normal lives changed by the crisis, it's harder for people to trust anyone. But with zero-contact delivery services, customers are given the impression that their health is a priority without compromising the quality of their service. This, in turn, creates an environment of trust, generating customer loyalty and allowing the company some leeway to implement further adjustments such as automation of the work process and preparing employees for the new normal.
• Transparency: Digitizing the touch-points of the delivery process promotes timely and transparent communication with customers and enhance their experience overall. Updating customers with proactive notifications, messages, or phone calls, especially if done consistently and courteously, also helps build long-term trust. Just make sure that front- and back-end functionalities are prepared to meet the demand.

Contactless Freight Delivery Best Practices

• Contactless delivery should always be done in tandem with regular sanitation of vehicles, facilities, and employees. High traffic-surfaces such as touchscreen tablets and door handles in particular need to be cleaned as they are being touched multiple times a day.
• Training staff for contactless delivery is of utmost importance, especially on the type of services provided in the app and how to execute them properly. It is also recommended to practice creating an environment where the driver and other employees maintain a distance of at least six feet from others while performing their duties as necessary.
• Health should always be a priority. Make sure that there is always an adequate number of disinfectant wipes and other cleaning supplies on hand. If minor symptoms related to COVID-19 appear, self-quarantine must be followed as soon as possible.
• Make sure to inform customers of the details of the contactless delivery service. This can be done through the company website, social media, or offline marketing materials such as posters in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.