Seize the large goods delivery market! UPS Roadie launches same-day delivery service for oversized items!

It is learned that UPS Roadie launched a local same-day delivery service for oversized items last week.

Through RoadieXL, items over 60 pounds will be delivered by certified drivers with large vehicles and carts, and no packaging is required, according to the crowdsourced delivery platform's website.

The retailer’s customers are asking for big-ticket items like TVs and grills to be delivered the same way as smaller items, Roadie Chief Operating Officer Dennis Moon said in an interview. While Roadie has been delivering larger items “for quite some time,” it had yet to apply the necessary technology to scale further.

With RoadieXL, Roadie's technology connects retailers with drivers who have the right vehicles, such as vans or pickup trucks, as well as equipment ranging from furniture dollies to blankets, to handle bulky items. Drivers can travel up to 100 miles from the pickup point, according to a post on the Roadie website.

Roadie's website says its platform has more than 200,000 drivers nationwide, covering more than 20,000 ZIP codes. Moon said its new RoadieXL product provides more opportunities for people with larger vehicles such as pickup trucks to participate in gig delivery work.

The bulky items that RoadieXL targets are often the target of high surcharges from traditional parcel carriers. According to Roadie's website, RoadieXL's base delivery fee is determined by the size of the item. Surcharges and other fees don't stack up, so shippers only have to pay one fee for a delivery - including shipping items over 60 pounds and deliveries that require a driver with a trailer.

Roadie is expanding its product lineup to grow its customer base. In September, the company announced a partnership with online sportswear retailer Fanatics to provide local next-day delivery.

Moon said that in a soft demand environment, Roadie aims to grow by acquiring new customers rather than relying solely on expansion of its existing shipper base.

“We fully expected very high levels of growth, but we won’t see that from existing customers,” Moon said.

Other companies have also beefed up their big, bulky delivery options. UPS rival FedEx announced in November an expansion of its FedEx Freight Direct service, which offers home deliveries of large items. Also last year, Instacart launched same-day and scheduled delivery services for bulky items.

Editor ✎Estella/

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