Is Hotshotting First-mile, Middle-mile or a Last-mile Service?

First-mile Logistics. It involves the initial stage of the supply chain, encompassing the movement of goods from the point of origin, often a manufacturer or supplier, to the transportation hub or distribution center. This crucial phase involves various processes like packaging, labeling, and transportation coordination to efficiently kickstart the delivery chain.

The primary goal of first-mile logistics is to ensure seamless and timely collection of products, optimizing inventory management and facilitating a smooth transition into the broader distribution network. By streamlining this initial step, companies can enhance overall supply chain efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction through faster delivery times and inventory availability.

Hot shot transport often involves filling this time sensitive gap in transportation. The goods must move by air, for example, and the supplier or manufacturer needs the product picked up quickly to make an outbound flight.

Hot shot advantage in the first mile is last minute availability and the ability to meet tight timelines.

Middle-mile Logistics. This refers to the intermediate stage in the supply chain, focusing on the movement of goods from distribution centers or hubs to regional centers or fulfillment locations. This phase plays a crucial role in consolidating and sorting shipments received from various origins, optimizing their arrangement for further distribution.

Middle-mile logistics also involves activities such as freight consolidation, sorting, and transportation coordination to efficiently transfer goods between hubs. The primary aim is to streamline the flow of products, ensuring cost-effective and timely deliveries while maintaining inventory integrity. Enhancing this segment of the supply chain can lead to improved route optimization, reduced transit times, and minimized handling, ultimately enhancing overall supply chain efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Initially a hot shot service does not fit this category however, due to human error and unforeseen occurrence, a hot shot can jump into this role and save the day.

Your middle mile transport company temporarily misplaces a vital shipment. A carrier’s truck breaks down. During peak periods the middle mile transporter suddenly has extended themselves too far. In these instances, we are called in to load specific goods from one of their terminals and take them to a distant terminal where their local truck can make the final delivery on time.

Last-mile Logistics. This the final leg of the supply chain, focusing on delivering goods from a distribution center or hub directly to the end consumer's doorstep. This phase involves intricate coordination and efficient routes to ensure timely and precise delivery. Last-mile logistics encompasses numerous activities like transportation scheduling, route optimization, and often employs specialized methods such as local delivery hubs, crowdsourced delivery, or even drone delivery in some cases. The primary goal is to overcome challenges like congested urban areas or remote locations, ensuring prompt and convenient delivery to the customer.

Enhancing last-mile logistics is crucial in meeting rising customer expectations for fast, reliable, and flexible delivery services, ultimately influencing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Hot shotting, by its dedicated time sensitive nature, often involves last mile service, in fact in probably half the instances hot shotting takes goods from their first mile to the last mile.

An LTL carrier brings goods in a cost-effective manner across a long distance; however, the final mile might involve more specific delivery options than the LTL carrier offers. We pick up from the middle mile carrier and deliver to remote, less trafficked areas like mines and off pavement.

We offer white glove service to receivers who may not have tools and ability to receive shipments and dispose of the packaging. We deliver to urban areas with limited space that large trucks cannot access. We deliver during hours traditional carriers are not operating such as weekends, holidays, and in the middle of the night.