Last Mile Tech Research Snapshot: Driver Devices & Usage

Delivery drivers are the front line of customer service. They are the face of the delivery company and, in the case of e-commerce, the store.

A late parcel or a poor doorstep experience can define the customer’s perception of that transaction.

Implementing the right driver operations technology can distinguish between success and failure. It can keep track of deliveries, enable additional services, and ensure that drivers deliver to the recipient on time.

It can also make the driver’s job easier, boost efficiency, and increase employee satisfaction. This primary research asks the drivers for their views, to help last mile technology decision makers shape their strategy based on real insights from the frontline. Here see a snapshot of some key findings on driver technology.

We asked drivers: ‘Which of the following best describes the scanning device you use to track and register items for your delivery job?’

The smartphone is the most common device in use by the delivery drivers we surveyed. Over 80% say they use smartphones – provided by their employer or a personal device – as their primary driver operations tool.

Takeaways:

• Over 80% say they use smartphones – provided by their employer or a personal device – as their primary driver operations tool.
• 36% of drivers use their personal smartphones for work tasks via bring your own device (BYOD) model.

A common assumption is that gig workers use their own devices and full-time employees use company-owned smartphones or handheld computers as scanning devices.

But in reality the picture is more nuanced. Changing employment models, like the rise in gig working or people holding multiple jobs, have generated a shift towards accommodating flexible ways of working, which affects technology selection.

Takeaways:

• Under 50% of respondents are employed on a permanent contract and 38% have more than one job.
• Smartphones – employee or corporate-owned – are rapidly scalable and can simplify the onboarding process. They are cost effective, simple to deploy and intuitive, especially via a BYOD model where drivers simply download an app on their own device.

While a wide variety of camera-based smart devices are used in the last mile, there are two original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that dominate – Samsung and Apple.

Key takeaways:

• Our survey revealed Samsung is the most popular manufacturer with around half of smartphone-based drivers using its devices globally.
• There are exceptions, notably the US (41%) and Australia (45%), where Apple iPhones are the most widely used smartphones.

Last mile delivery companies are typically split between two smart device ownership models:

• Issuing a smart device (company-owned) to the driver.
• Allowing them to use their own smartphone with a company-app (BYOD).

Here, we examine the breakdown of device ownership models by country, investigate personal usage, and consider what drivers think of onboarding and application usability.

Key takeaways:

• The use of employee-owned smartphones is widespread globally. India, Brazil, and the USA are home to the highest numbers of BYOD users, approximately half of drivers. There is no direct correlation between contract types.
• In Europe, BYOD is less popular. Even in the UK, where gig drivers make up over 40% of the workforce, less than a third (30%) use their personal device.

Technology plays a crucial role throughout a driver’s delivery route.

The fact is all drivers will be carrying a smartphone to contact their office or customers. But it’s capable of doing much more. When it comes to dedicated devices, the most common use case is proof of delivery, age verification, and navigation.

We found 43% of respondents use a smart device for 1 or 2 tasks (in addition to scanning individual parcels) when it could take care of eight or more tasks. Smartphones possess an intuitive user interface (UI) and overall familiarity for drivers, especially with features like haptic feedback, which make them very versatile.

Here are some other examples where the majority of drivers could be using their devices, but currently aren’t.

Key takeaways:

• The right software can utilize modern smart device's HD cameras and powerful CPU and GPUs with proven smart data capture technology to help transform the ease and accuracy of these tasks.
• For example, automated ID verification or augmented reality overlays to load the van or locate the next package for delivery are examples of technology assistance that many drivers’ aren’t currently provided.
• When efficiency and driver experiences are more critical than ever, last mile businesses are missing out by not exploiting the untapped potential that is already in drivers’ hands.

There’s a lot of crossover between handheld computer scanners and smartphone users when it comes to what they would like in a device.

Many of these features – like multi-scanning – can be solved by deploying or integrating better data capture software into existing applications and unlocking more value from current devices.

Key takeaways:

• When it comes to driver operations devices (smartphones and dedicated scanners) annoyances and needs are remarkably similar.
• More can be done to improve performance as new advanced software scanning capabilities can be deployed across a range of smart devices.
• Implementing a simple and intuitive UI which specifically addresses different workflows or last mile scenarios, is something that most drivers have requested.

The good news is many last mile companies are well-positioned to meet current and upcoming challenges. The fact that, according to our research, most drivers are carrying a smart device and use one for most of the delivery route should be good news. However, it also shows they are not making use of all of its advantages.

When it comes to smartphones, the ability to link into so many driver operations tasks enables drivers to rely on just one device, creating efficiencies in both costs and workload. It is also clear that drivers like using smartphones – they are familiar with them, and the UI helps with the job.

But to do the job accurately, the right smart data capture software is needed, regardless of the device used. This is one of the reasons why Scandit has focused on providing the technology to make the most of today’s and tomorrow’s smart devices, including legacy handheld computers and the latest gen of smartphones. This includes advanced features like augmented reality, the ability to scan multiple barcodes at a time, ID verification, and much more.

Whether the delivery company chooses a corporate-owned device model or BYOD, Scandit can provide the technology to make a driver application work smarter. And it needs to. The competition for drivers is greater than ever, and—as shown in the previous report—the right technology plays a part in whether they decide to stay or move to another job.