Turning your car into the ideal parcel pickup location

As many of us start to return to our workplaces, we may find ourselves missing crucial package deliveries again. Even those who are still at home may prefer not to interrupt a conference call to answer the door.

We have worked with Hermes UK to come up with a solution – deliver parcels to your car where they will be safe and dry and can be picked up at your convenience.

 

Launched in selected areas of the UK this month, the Secure Delivery to Vehicle pilot project enables parcels to be delivered directly to vehicles located at the driver’s home address.1

 

The project also speeds up deliveries by saving drivers from having to knock on doors, climb stairs or find a neighbour to take the parcel when you’re not home.

 

The delivery-to-vehicle option is offered to customers with the FordPass app and comes at no extra cost.2 Once the delivery driver is within 300 metres of their destination, the exact location of the customer’s vehicle is displayed on the Hermes app.

 

Within 50 metres, the driver scans the barcode on the customer’s parcel to create a one-time unlock token for the vehicle. This enables the driver to unlock the boot and securely deposit the package.3

 

For added security, if the delivery driver fails to lock the vehicle after making the delivery, the vehicle locks automatically within a set time period.

 

As the pilot expands, Ford and Hermes UK hope to increase the number of participants and broaden the project’s scope, such as by offering “returns” from the vehicle and enabling vehicle deliveries at other locations, for example at the customers work address.

Mark Harvey, Director, Enterprise Connectivity, Ford of Europe

“Together with Hermes, we are looking at more secure and efficient ways to deliver parcels, to match the increasing demands coming from online purchases. Turning the vehicle into a delivery point is extremely convenient for the customer. It puts them in control, to ensure their parcel is where they want it when they want it.”

 

Lynsey Aston, Head of Product, Innovation and Onboarding, Hermes UK

“We’re committed to exploring innovative delivery methods that provide maximum convenience for our end user customers and we’ve been excited to start this trial as we see big potential. This new delivery option sits alongside existing choices such as delivery to home, another address, office or to a Hermes ParcelShop or Locker whilst supporting our ongoing Covid safe contactless deliveries.”

1The service is currently not available for multi-storey carparks or gated parking areas.

2FordPass App, compatible with select smartphone platforms, is available via a download. Message and data rates may apply. The app enables a range of connected services, including checking on vehicle health, fuel levels and range, plus the remote locking and unlocking of doors.  

3 To ensure vehicles remain secure, the delivery driver is the only one who can unlock the vehicle, and can only do so using the one-time token via the Hermes app.  

 

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