Small Parcel Auditing Fixes Typical Package Shipping Concerns

If things go as planned, package shipping, or at a minimum package deliveries, may be performed by an unmanned drone. Just how close is this automated parcel shipping future? It's not just an idea, nor a story from an Isaac Asimov book but package shipping is going to enter into a new age of technology.

UPS, along with FedEx, DHL and other key players in the package provider market are undoubtedly keeping up on the age of package shipping technology Darwinism. Not long ago, UPS took their step into the future flying an unmanned drone from one of their trucks about a quarter-mile from a farm in Florida. After successfully dropping off a package, the drone travelled back to the UPS vehicle which was, by that point, 2000 feet further away.

The latest launch was to assess how UPS can cut package shipping costs and parcel delivery expenditures to locations that are hard-to-reach. UPS could save on work and fuel prices by employing a drone rather than traditional UPS package shipping vehicles. Package carriers, parcel shippers, and the ecommerce shipping business may gain from automated parcel delivery.

The drone launch means a very good future for United Parcel Service Inc., although UPS drones aren't going to replace the uniformed service providers and the main use of drones is to assist with small parcel shipping when necessary. The actual ability of drones to scale back UPS driver's mileage has not been properly tested yet.

By experimenting with drone deliveries UPS is showing they're serious about changing parcel shipping service in the near future. Besides the major changes that must be made with logistic management, there are regulatory hurdles to jump before these methods of parcel shipping can be normal. Right now drones can't be out of sight of the operator and they can't fly over people in accordance with U.S. regulations. With the existing 200 feet altitude of UPS parcel shipping drones, deliveries would be impossible for the time being. The projected guidelines by the Federal Aviation Administration were meant to be unveiled at the conclusion of last year, but certain security issues stretching the delays. Regular operations with shipping drones aren't likely to be used until later this year.

Workhorse Group Inc. that produces the electric package shipping vehicles for UPS is enlisted to build a rolling warehouse system in which a drone could be deployed from a UPS van and fly at an altitude of around 200 feet and UPS Octocopter to Deliver Your Package deliver the package at the destination. Upon delivering the package, the drone will return to the UPS shipping vehicle.

The UPS driver will use a street view map to pinpoint precise areas for where to drop off the small package, and the drone is capable of shipping packages of up to close to 10 pounds. The drone must drop packages a ways from the door, because package shipping drones won't be able to deliver underneath structures.

UPS is currently running several tests for drone-delivered packages.

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