From 2021 to 2031, it’s estimated the final mile delivery market will grow from $131.5 billion to $288.9 billion – a 119% increase. Businesses big and small are exploring the best, most reliable ways to procure, store and deliver inventory. This process is not one without complexities. To meet your customers’ expectations – and maximize sales – your entire supply chain must operate seamlessly across each phase.

How will your business continue to thrive and serve your loyal customers – while also attracting new customers? Do you have a reliable partner who can help? The right logistics partner can help ensure your success in this area. It’s important though that they have the right balance of assets, technology and regional capacity to help your business keep product moving all the way to your customers’ doorsteps.

From services to capabilities, here are the most important qualities to look for in a top-tier regional logistics partner.

Expansive, Modern Fleet

What good is a logistics partner if their vehicles can’t keep up with delivery routes all day, every day? To maintain a top-notch fleet, it’s necessary to regularly introduce new equipment as older pieces are retired.

Hilldrup is continually investing in new trucks to support our growing pool of award-winning drivers and delivery teams. Our Sentry Leasing and Rental division, which sells light-, medium- and heavy-duty used trucks, further augments our ability to quickly source new vehicles as customer needs rise. New trucks also mean fewer repairs needed and less downtime, benefiting our customers with a quicker service delivery.

Expanding and upgrading our fleet and equipment ensures that our clients’ appliances, big and bulky purchases and other belongings requiring final mile delivery are loaded onto only the best and newest trailers in the industry. Altogether, Hilldrup maintains an owned fleet of more than 750 trailers, forklifts and more.

Locations, Warehouses and Capacity

No matter where your customers are located or where their delivery is coming to or from, it’s critical to utilize a partner that has multiple locations and serves major metropolitan areas. This importance is accentuated during times of inclement weather, sidelining providers with a limited footprint – not to mention peak shopping seasons like the holidays – to ensure that delivery dates are upheld for customers.

With Hilldrup, our 10 locations service seven of the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast’s major metropolitan markets.

Here’s a closer look at our best-in-class warehouses and unmatched capacity:

• Ten full-service office and warehouse facilities that ensure administrative and operational support and success.
• Our best in the industry facilities provide 1.5 million square feet of secure storage; 262,000 square feet of which is climate-controlled for customers’ temperature-sensitive items.
• Expansion of our Orlando and Raleigh-Durham branches support various warehousing and logistics services thanks to new technology and added square footage.

Customer-Centric Technology

The extent to which technology has reshaped the logistics industry is virtually impossible to overstate. Customers demand clear line-of-sight for their deliveries, and retailers must know exactly what they have available in their warehouse to adequately meet demand. Just as important as trucks and warehouse space, a logistics provider’s technology platform, and subsequent offerings, cannot be overlooked.

Hilldrup’s utilizes a Warehouse Management System for all warehousing projects and home delivery orders. This technology allows greater visibility of what’s in our warehouse, its exact location in the warehouse and the details surrounding its inbound and outbound status. This platform benefits both our teams accessing the items as well as you and your customers as we serve them with greater speed and precision. In addition, our delivery visibility and optimization tools ensure your customers have up-to-date information on the status of their item delivery and receive their items promptly as our teams optimize their delivery routes to be most efficient throughout the day.

White Glove Delivery

According to a 2021 survey, nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) bought a big and bulky item in 2020 – with 45% indicating they planned to continue buying such items online indefinitely.

Given the heavy lift, complicated setup and excessive packing material that accompanies these types of purchases, white glove delivery services also have been on the rise.

White glove delivery services go above and beyond simply getting an item to its destination. While the details of these services range from company to company, they generally include the delivery team bringing the item into a specific room of a home or business, removing any packaging material and setting up the item, should setup be required.

Only a reliable company should be trusted with the highly anticipated delivery of a customer’s furniture or appliance into their home. That’s where Hilldrup comes in.

Every day, Hilldrup provides our clients with the white glove delivery service they’re looking for – from the training of handling items, to the soft skills of our teams interacting with your customers. In fact, we have successfully fulfilled more than 100,000 in-home deliveries across the U.S. – and counting!

A Trusted Reputation, Recognized Nationally and Locally

More than a third of consumers believe courteous delivery teams are key to a good customer experience. Any final mile home delivery logistics company can tell you that they’re great. But what do their customers and clients have to say? Whether on a local or national level, one thing about Hilldrup is clear: we might not always be the biggest, but we are the best. Our success is driven by our outstanding professionals who support our winning culture.

It’s clear our clients and fans think we are – Hilldrup is consistently voted the best moving services company throughout our footprint across the Mid-Atlantic.

Year after year, Hilldrup is voted as the best moving, storage and logistics company in the markets we serve. In fact, in February 2023, we were recognized as a 27-time Honoree of UniGroup’s Customer Excellence Award – presented to the organization with the highest customer service scores.

Hilldrup Does Regional Supply Chain Logistics

As a fourth-generation family-owned company, we understand that service and attitudes matter in business. It’s why we take great pride in our professionals who not only ensure a seamless delivery but also provide a personable experience to customers while doing so. We use our company-owned assets to offer appliance and big-and-bulky delivery, among other final mile delivery types, with this reality in mind: your customers are our customers, too.

Whatever logistics needs and challenges you might be foreseeing in 2023 and beyond, let Hilldrup be a trusted partner to you and your brand. We look forward to all that this year has in store! Learn how we can help by contacting us today.

Charlie McDaniel Author