As the demand for local delivery has spiked due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, logistics-tech companies are stepping up to help small businesses roll out delivery options quickly. Two examples from recent startups:

OneRail, an Orlando-based “final mile delivery orchestration and fulfillment platform,” launched QuickStart, a new service available to retailers needing to immediately find more final mile delivery capacity to support the eCommerce demand spike caused by COVID-19.

“OneRail’s clients have seen over a 700% increase in delivery fulfillment volume over the past two weeks,” said Jeff Flowers, OneRail COO.

QuickStart is compatible with all enterprise eCommerce platforms, according to the company, and can be implemented in under 48 hours at no cost to retailers. Once a delivery order is received by OneRail, it is sized and automatically dispatched to one of OneRail’s more than 75,000 couriers. Dispatch is determined by the OneRail Delivery Cloud based on distance, capacity, weight, and delivery time. Once a delivery order is matched and dispatched to a Courier, OneRail’s platform provides all delivery tracking and data for its Retail Clients, and to Consumers.  

Cincinnati-based Frayt, which provides instant scheduling of deliveries to businesses and consumers, is scaling up its delivery network to provide same-hour services of goods in the Midwest as companies work to get their products to customers even as their retail locations have shuttered.  

Founded in 2018 by expedited shipping expert Lawrence McCord who serves as CEO, Frayt offers an on-demand shipping and delivery platform that connects shippers directly with drivers to get purchased goods delivered on the same day. It has more than 3,000 professional drivers spanning 13 U.S. markets.

Frayt’s services, which are priced by mileage instead of weight, are popular with businesses that provide construction or home improvement goods like tile or paint, but in the current market, consumers are using the app to procure their own goods, from hard drives to groceries. 

“Instacart waits in some markets can be days, but we can get a driver in an hour in most cases,” explained McCord. “Our website visits have increased 250% as businesses and consumers look for other options.”

Frayt provides contactless deliveries and all employees follow strict guidelines for maintaining a sanitized environment for customers and drivers. They are also certified to transport medical supplies.