[ProShip ParcelCast] Episode 34: Shipping Smart: Navigating FedEx's Ground Economy Transformation

As the transportation and supply chain industries continue to evolve, one prevalent theme has been the increase of diverse choices and customized services to meet the unique needs and requirements of shippers. As industry giants like Amazon set a high bar, offering essentially free shipping in two days or less, customer expectations have shifted dramatically. Adapting to these changing customer demands requires careful consideration of several factors in order to optimize your transportation strategy.

FedEx understands the importance of meeting those evolving customer demands and the individual needs of their shipping customers. As a result, they’ve worked at expanding their portfolio of services to better align with the changing needs of shippers and consumers alike. [Read more about FedEx and how they award their partners for customer compatible solutions.]

In this month’s episode of ProShip ParcelCast, we’ve brought together three supply chain experts from ProShip and FedEx: Justin Cramer, Co-Founder at ProShip, Bill Schroeder, President at ProShip, and Tom Thornton, Technical Principal at FedEx Services. With an impressive and lengthy combined tenure including Bill spending time working at FedEx, the[KS2]  three discuss the recent rebranding of FedEx’s SmartPost to FedEx Ground Economy and what this change is providing for shippers and their customers across the country.

The episode begins with a brief history of FedEx’s portfolio of service offerings and an overview of what sparked FedEx’s rebranding of SmartPost to FedEx Ground Economy. The three then move into a conversation about the differentiators between Ground Economy and home delivery or a standard ground service. Some of these differences include variables such as cost, tracking, and which days of the week they deliver. Bill then explains the role and importance of multi-carrier shipping software in facilitating the adaptation and adoption of new delivery solutions to optimize your shipping operations.

As the episode continues, the conversation shifts in the direction of technology. More specifically, the group touches on the importance tech and why it matters when it comes to making data-driven decisions. To conclude the discussion, each expert shares their final thoughts, covering key points on carrier rationalization, the importance of partnership, and how innovation and change aren’t going away.

Want to know just how much a FedEx customer using ProShip’s MCSS solution saved on per unit delivery costs? Tune in to find out!

Be sure to tune into the next ProShip ParcelCast episode to learn more about modern logistics technology and trending supply chain topics!