Why does the last leg of package delivery pose such a challenge? Initially, package delivery might not seem like a complex issue. However, as is often the case, the devil lies in the details. It's time to delve into these specifics.
21 billion packages in Europe
Let's begin with the staggering statistics. Approximately 21 billion packages were delivered across Europe last year. That's a monumental figure that's difficult to comprehend. How many packages does that entail?
Let's consider that the average package is equivalent to the size of a shoebox. If we were to stack all these packages atop one another, the tower would reach the moon. And not just once, but seven times over.
Still not grasping the scale? Let's try a different approach. In Germany alone, about 14 million packages are delivered daily. When lined up, these packages would span an area equivalent to 120 soccer stadiums.
600,000 packages daily in Berlin, Germany
Now, let's take a closer look at a city like Berlin, with a population of approximately 3.8 million. Here, around 600,000 packages are delivered each day - almost matching the number of apartment doors. To manage this influx, roughly 3,000 delivery vehicles navigate the city's streets. To put this into perspective, Berlin's public transportation system (BVG) boasts only 1,500 buses in its depots