The last mile decides two things: whether your shipment reaches the recipient on time — and whether it was economical. Over 50% of the logistics cost of an e-commerce parcel arises on the last mile. Anyone running standard here loses margin.
Why national giants often struggle in the Ruhr region
Hub-and-spoke models work on the long haul. As soon as the shipment leaves the last hub, the real problem begins: inner-city deliveries with no-stopping zones, industrial estates with gatekeepers, private households with "not at home" cards. Large carriers optimise for volume, not for the recipient.
Regionally rooted carriers have three advantages:
1. Knowing the recipients
We know that the gatekeeper at the works address in Dortmund-Hörde takes a break from 2 p.m. We know that the online retailer in Bochum city centre prefers delivery via the yard entrance. A central dispatch desk cannot map such details.
2. Shorter distances
From our hub in Holzwickede we are in Dortmund in 18 minutes. Hamm in 28 minutes. Bergkamen in 22 minutes. These distances make direct drives without transshipment worthwhile — other carriers first have to bring the shipment to a sorting hub.
3. Direct dispatcher contact
You speak to the person who plans your tour. No call centre, no hotline, no ticket system. A short-notice change — different address, different time, an extra shipment — is a 30-second phone call.
When does regional fit, when national?
If you need a single shipping label per item and track-and-trace all the way to Hamburg: a national carrier.
If you have daily volume into the Ruhr region, with specific recipients and specific cut-off times: regional. You save costs, gain trust, and your recipients thank you for it.
Over 90 vehicles, 15 years of experience and a hub in Holzwickede — at HTS-Logistik you get exactly that.