Product Overview of Roadie
Roadie, a subsidiary of UPS, is a crowdsourced delivery platform designed to facilitate local same-day and next-day deliveries across the United States. Here’s an overview of what Roadie does and its key features:
What Roadie Does
Roadie connects businesses of all sizes with a network of over 200,000 drivers to enable efficient and flexible delivery solutions. The platform allows drivers to use their own vehicles to complete deliveries, offering a flexible and scalable way for businesses to manage their logistics needs. Whether it’s delivering large items like TVs and ladders or handling last-mile shipping, Roadie provides a comprehensive delivery solution that covers urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Key Features and Functionality
Real-Time Tracking and Visibility
Roadie’s platform includes real-time tracking, allowing both senders and recipients to monitor the delivery process from any device. This feature also includes photographic chain of custody, enabling visual confirmation of order arrival and notifications when deliveries are left at the destination.
Batched and Routed Deliveries
Roadie’s algorithm optimizes batched and routed deliveries by grouping orders heading in the same direction and assigning them to a single driver. This approach streamlines the delivery process, reduces costs, and enhances efficiency. Senders can submit multiple orders via CSV files or API requests, and Roadie’s system will organize and optimize the delivery routes.
Optimized Routing
The platform uses advanced routing algorithms to create the most efficient delivery routes, taking into account factors such as delivery deadlines, location, order size, and potential traffic. This ensures faster and more cost-effective deliveries.
Flexible Delivery Options
Roadie offers same-day delivery up to 100 miles, a radius significantly larger than traditional couriers. This flexibility extends to 24/7/365 availability, allowing businesses to deliver orders at any time without strict pickup schedules or cutoffs.
Integration and Scalability
For businesses, Roadie provides seamless integration through its API, enabling quick launch and scaling of same-day delivery services. Features include Shopify integration, bulk upload capabilities, and delivery setup templates. Large enterprises can also benefit from contract pricing, advanced reporting tools, and dedicated account management.
Delivery Protection and Sustainability
Roadie offers automatic delivery coverage up to $100 (with options up to $10,000), providing peace of mind from pickup to dropoff. Additionally, by leveraging local fulfillment from stores and warehouses, businesses can reduce final-mile emissions by 17% to 26%.
Driver Flexibility
For drivers, Roadie offers the flexibility to choose when, where, and what they want to deliver. Drivers can earn an average of $13 per gig, with higher earnings for longer trips and oversized items. The Roadie Driver app, available on iOS and Android, allows drivers to find and claim gigs that fit their schedules.
In summary, Roadie is a robust and flexible delivery platform that leverages crowdsourced drivers, advanced technology, and optimized routing to provide efficient, reliable, and scalable delivery solutions across the United States.