Has your company wver left it until the last minute to send a parcel, and then found that the cost of next-day delivery is extortionate? A new app and website are in the works to rectify that problem. They will connect customers with cheap professional or aspiring delivery drivers, or just people who love of the open road and want to make some extra cash. The aim is to facilitate parcel delivery at a third of its current price.
The system, known as the Personal Dispatch Network, works by providing drivers with a map displaying all available parcels to deliver, so that they can choose which jobs they want to take on. This means that they can plan their routes so that they are capable of delivering more than one package without having to go miles out of their way. This is a more environmentally friendly way of doing things than the current system, as vehicles are able to minimise the length of their journeys.
All drivers will go through a verification process in order to ensure that parcels arrive safely at their destinations. The Personal Dispatch Network promises not only to improve delivery costs, but also to enable any trustworthy, competent vehicle owner to become a delivery driver. Its creator, Jarek Samol, is currently attempting to raise funds for it via the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. If he’s successful, it could spell the end of rip-off prices for parcel delivery forever.
