The Last-Mile Delivery of Heavy, Bulky, Oversized Products: Literature Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Background: Last-mile delivery (LMD) is a challenging and costly supply chain process that involves direct customer interaction. In a recent study by the World Economic Forum, it was emphasized that last-mile logistics is an emerging research area. In particular, the European Commission Directorate General for Energy and Transport provides guidelines for abnormal road transport, such as heavy, bulky, and oversized (HBO) products. In the last few years, many research articles have been published on the topic of LMD. Several literature review studies from the perspective of different stakeholders have also been published. The delivery of HBO products is more challenging in many ways compared to parcel delivery. Although HBO products yield the most profitable sales, the LMD of HBOs is less studied compared to parcel deliveries. Methods: This research employed a descriptive review method to scan 195 published articles and reports related to LMD and HBOs. Results: Our results identified the challenges in the field and identified the need for separate approaches for different customer segments, such as rural and urban customers, as well as older and younger customers, when formulating delivery strategies. Conclusions: This paper highlights the research gap in this field by using a descriptive literature review methodology and presents academic contributions available so far, as well as challenges for further research.