Perhaps you’ve heard the term “mid-mile” as a hot topic of discussion in how delivery companies like FedEx, UPS, and Amazon move goods from Point A to Point B. But what does “mid-mile” (or “middle-mile”) logistics actually mean?
The “middle‑mile” technically refers to the unseen movement of goods that happens after the first-mile pickup from the seller and before the last-mile delivery to the buyer.
Long haul shipping of goods in quantity to distribution warehouses is streamlined, relatively fast and efficient. However, daunting logistical challenges remain on the delivery side from these middle mile warehouses to the last-mile delivery to the customer: this is the “middle-mile” we are focused on today.[1]
Delivery companies expand their air fleets in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic
As airliners have experienced a squeeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping and delivery companies have expanded their air fleets and ground vehicle fleets.[2] UPS added five new MD-11 cargo planes to its fleet. Amazon’s own airline flies forty-three 737 or 767 passenger planes that have been converted for freight hauling.
More gas and diesel-powered trucks and planes: at what cost to the planet?
Gas- or diesel-powered truck fleets and cargo planes pose a serious threat to our global climate. While it’s true that a number of delivery companies are looking to electric, energy-efficient alternatives to replace existing truck fleets—in September 2019, Amazon announced its plan to purchase 100,000 electric vehicles from Rivian, a Michigan-based electric commercial vehicle manufacturer[3]—there has been little published progress to address the polluting and unsustainable air-freight service component. What’s more, this commitment to electric vehicles still fails to address the impact that these fleets have on roads and traffic congestion. These are issues that concern all of us, every day.
The good news is that a solution is currently being developed that can figuratively kill two birds with one stone. Imagine an energy-efficient, sustainable method of delivery that’s both affordable and faster than you can imagine. It is a solution that also drastically reduces ground traffic congestion and the costly wear-and-tear on roads.
Meet Metro Hop
Metro Hop Inc., a Northern California-based start-up with a satellite office in Munich, Germany, has developed an all‑electric advanced air mobility (AAM) solution that completely transforms the way we think about mid-mile logistics.
By using all-electric, short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) cargo planes, Metro Hop sees a future where mid-mile logistics isn’t restricted to drive times or traffic congestion. Instead, using its fleet of all-electric cargo planes, Metro Hop makes a world where delivery time and distance are measured in distance as the crow flies, direct from distribution warehouses to last-mile delivery vans.
This means that you can order what you need on Monday morning and receive it on Monday afternoon, at half the price of current overnight delivery solutions.
The goal of these fast—250 mph fast—all‑electric Metro Hop planes is to provide logistics companies with speedy, efficient, economical alternatives to contemporary methods of transporting goods. Metro Hop is leading the mid‑mile transportation mission with a system that is lightning fast, emissions free, and eases traffic burdens by reducing the number of trucks on the road.
References
[1] LLC, Advanced Training Systems. 2020. "Middle-Mile Logistics Play Evolving Role in U.S. Consumer Supply Chain." Supply & Demand Chain Executive. June 23. Accessed 10 30, 2020. https://www.sdcexec.com/transportation/press-release/21137985/advanced-training-systems-llc-middlemile-logistics-play-evolving-role-in-us-consumer-supply-chain.
[2] Riva, Alberto. 2020. "Flying high: Cargo airlines are expanding their fleets during the pandemic." The Point Guy. May 24. Accessed 11 1, 2020. https://thepointsguy.com/news/cargo-airlines-pandemic/
[3] Downing, Shane. 2020. "8 electric truck and van companies to watch in 2020." greenbiz.com. January 13. Accessed 10 31, 2020. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/8-electric-truck-and-van-companies-watch-2020