Last-mile delivery (LMD) is crucial in modern logistics, impacting operational costs, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. A recent paper reviews optimization techniques in LMD, emphasizing AI-driven decision-making, IoT-enabled real-time monitoring, and hybrid delivery networks.
Integrating AI and IoT enhances predictive analytics, dynamic routing, and fleet management, though scalability and regulatory challenges remain significant. Hybrid models incorporating drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ground robots, and traditional vehicles improve energy efficiency and expand delivery reach, particularly in urban settings. Sustainable logistics solutions—such as electric vehicle fleets and shared delivery infrastructures—also offer the potential to reduce environmental impact.
However, economic feasibility, legal considerations, and infrastructure readiness continue to shape large-scale implementation. This review highlights evolving trends in LMD and underscores the need for regulatory adaptation, technological innovation, and interdisciplinary strategies to develop cost-effective, resilient, and environmentally sustainable logistics systems.
The paper also looks at emerging trends that will shape last-mile delivery mechanisms soon. The logistics industry, facing increasing demands for transparency, efficiency, and scalability, is seeing the emergence of technologies such as blockchain, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and automation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) as some of the most important contributors.