Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Delivery Clearing House

Standardised prices and central website
 
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There are lots of delivery firms, and lots of firms who do deliveries. It is now common to have a few lorries going on the same intercity route, all only partly full, filling various whimsical internet orders.

Where I live, taxi fares are standardised. It doesn't matter what taxi company you use, you pay the same rate measured by a meter based upon the distance you travel and various other parameters.

Enter the Delivery Clearing House. This website is a central location to which all retailers (etc.) who require point-to-point collection and delivery log the job they require. XML interfaces and route planning tools then allow licensed delivery companies to reserve and collect all the parcels going on a given route at once, and then get a standardised price for the job based upon the volumetric weight and mileage.

The delivery company gets a single monthly payment from The Delivery Clearing House who will then obtain payment by billing accounts or credit cards already uploaded each end customer. Deposit systems also possible.

Premium prices for guaranteed collection to delivery times etc. can still be agreed on top of the standard rates by particular retailers; cheaper prices may be secured by retailers who arrange their own transport to a major depot.

A retailer who maintains his own delivery service for his customers would be able to make additional money by carrying parcels for other retailers if they suited his route, enabling him to cut his delivery costs and become more competitive.

The world benefits as a whole because of the reduction in road vehicle traffic.

Finally, I anticipate delivery times to actually decrease as there will no longer be the need to wait quite as long for the next delivery to your town by a delivery service.

I suppose, even those who make regular commutes to work could take the odd package which needs to go the same way and cover their fuel, pending appropriate licensing and a security bond.

vincevincevince, Jan 04 2008

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       Most bus companies already do this.
xenzag, Jan 04 2008
  

       Do bus companies log on to a central website of all deliveries in the country for information about packages to be delivered on routes they intend to travel? I never knew that.
vincevincevince, Jan 04 2008
  

       I read that UPS has a giant warehouse somewhere, that receives, stores and ships products for a wide variety of firms. The packages never actually pass through the doors of the alleged sellers.
baconbrain, Jan 04 2008
  
      
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