BY GARY FRANTZ, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
PARCEL EXPRESS
TRANSPORTATION
COVID- 19 HAS SHOCKED THE PARCEL EXPRESSworld. As the pandemic slowly subsides and businessesbegin to reopen, albeit in phases with some restrictions,parcel carriers and their customers are all trying to figureout the path forward.
What will the “new normal” look like? How has the pandemic changed parcel network operations—and the mix ofbusiness that flows through them? How quickly will consumers reopen their wallets? How many of the thousandsof small businesses served will reopen—and what of thosethat do not?
It is a complex question for which parcel carriers, ship-
pers, and analysts all are searching for answers. Several
things are certain. Parcel carriers are an essential business.
They have made herculean efforts to adapt and respond to
the pandemic. They continue to make critical deliveries of
essential goods in an economy that has undergone unprec-
edented disruption. And no one has a crystal ball shedding
any reliable light on what the future has in store.
For virtually all parcel express operators, resilience in the
face of seemingly overwhelming challenge, a priority on
keeping employees and customers safe, and a focus on the
block and tackle of the business have been the emphasis.
“We’re still delivering. We still have planes in the air,
and we still have trucks on the road,” says Ryan Kelly, vice
president of global e-commerce marketing for Memphis,
PARCEL EXPRESS:
What will the “newnormal” look like?
From skyrocketing demand for same-day delivery to enhanced safety protocols, Covid- 19
has seriously upended parcel carriers’ operations. Now, carriers and their customers aretrying to figure out how much of the change will stick.
