The drones are here

[vantexan]

In a large part of the country, terminals would be too far for a drone flight to get to the delivery location. But drones could make it more reasonable to set up locations wherever there is a small airport and fly drones from there. I'm thinking of one of my old service areas about 50 miles from the terminal that had a small airport, and most of the deliveries outside the town itself required maybe 10 miles of driving each on average, and as much as 1 hour or much more between stops. I could manage an average of maybe 40-50 stops while driving 350 miles, in about 9 hours of driving after a couple years learning all the back roads, logging roads, forest service roads and unnamed, unmaintained private roads.. When I left, my replacements kept getting fired for maybe doing 25 a day including the 10-20 in town deliveries on a daily basis. Most of those rural deliveries were withing a 10 mile radius of the airport, but would require a lot of driving. Frones would probably be cheaper, as long as GPS was decent. It is easily possible that even after paying for the drone, a contractor could save money 4-5 drones at the airfield could do the work twice as fast.

I'm thinking they'll do deliveries from UPS buildings in large metro areas, and that'll be the bulk of it. Too much liability in having drivers launch drones from trucks.

 

[Fred's Myth]

I'm thinking they'll do deliveries from UPS buildings in large metro areas, and that'll be the bulk of it. Too much liability in having drivers launch drones from trucks.

Have you not seen the prototype?

 

[It will be fine]

I'm thinking they'll do deliveries from UPS buildings in large metro areas, and that'll be the bulk of it. Too much liability in having drivers launch drones from trucks.

You think liability is lower using drones in populated metro areas as opposed to out in the sticks flying over corn? Might want to think that through again.

 

[vantexan]

You think liability is lower using drones in populated metro areas as opposed to out in the sticks flying over corn? Might want to think that through again.

I'm thinking dozens of drivers launching drones greatly increases the chances of doing themselves harm, causing damage to private property, holding them up from doing other deliveries. Meanwhile a trained team can be launching dozens of drones continuously all day long from the company building. Less vehicles, less fuel, less cost.

 

[vantexan]

Have you not seen the prototype?

No, going on what Amazon demonstrated awhile back.

 

[oldngray]

Have you not seen the prototype?

The one with a drone on the roof of a package car?

 

[Fred's Myth]

No, going on what Amazon demonstrated awhile back.

 

[vantexan]

Looks like they have put a lot more development into it than Amazon. I wonder with the trucks how long until they break even with costs?

 

[Cactus]

Notice in the drone video the weather is perfect. Rainstorms, high winds, heavy snow and ice will make that all a real challenge in the real world.

 

[oldngray]

Notice in the drone video the weather is perfect. Rainstorms, high winds, heavy snow and ice will make that all a real challenge in the real world.

The stops per hour for a drone would be really funny.

 

[Cactus]

The stops per hour for a drone would be really funny.

Then we’ll see which drone gets the first OLCC.

 

[Fred's Myth]

The stops per hour for a drone would be really funny.

Concept is for the drone AND the driver to make simultaneous deliveries, with the drone reacquiring the truck wherever the driver is, reload, recharge, and repeat.

Assuming the drone makes it back to the truck.

And yes, @Cactus, the weather is always perfect, just like the leisurely belt speed in the FedEx videos.

Welcome to @59 Dano's reality.

 

[bacha29]

Notice in the drone video the weather is perfect. Rainstorms, high winds, heavy snow and ice will make that all a real challenge in the real world.

Express might be using these after awhile but don't expect to see Ground using them because they're much closer to the day when they're hooking towmotors on the back of contractor owned vehicles much in the same way building material companies do.

 

[oldngray]

Concept is for the drone AND the driver to make simultaneous deliveries, with the drone reacquiring the truck wherever the driver is, reload, recharge, and repeat.

Assuming the drone makes it back to the truck.

And yes, @Cactus, the weather is always perfect, just like the leisurely belt speed in the FedEx videos.

Welcome to @59 Dano's reality.

Sounds like the organic drones UPS already uses.

They are called helpers.

 

[burrheadd]

I'm thinking they'll do deliveries from UPS buildings in large metro areas, and that'll be the bulk of it. Too much liability in having drivers launch drones from trucks.

Then you would be thinking wrong

 

[vantexan]

Then you would be thinking wrong

We've clarified that already.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Driver was written up today for using the drone to pick him up and fly him above a nude beach on his lunch break .

 

[Fred's Myth]

Driver was written up today for using the drone pick him up and fly him above a nude beach on his lunch break .

Do you plan to contest it?

 

[Indecisi0n]

Do you plan to contest it?

Company says it's a misuse of company equipment but they don't have a leg to stand up since it's not addressed in the contract .

 

[59 Dano]

Concept is for the drone AND the driver to make simultaneous deliveries, with the drone reacquiring the truck wherever the driver is, reload, recharge, and repeat.

Assuming the drone makes it back to the truck.

And yes, @Cactus, the weather is always perfect, just like the leisurely belt speed in the FedEx videos.

Welcome to @59 Dano's reality.

I said earlier in the thread that people were overthinking this, and they continue to do so.

Drone deliveries can be useful (read: cost effective) in some scenarios. They will be used in those scenarios. LOL @ the derpy LOOK I DUN THUNK UP A SITCHY-ASHUN WHUR THAY DONT WERK WHY DUZ THEY THANK THAY CAN DO THIS crap.