Amtrak’s new weightlifters boost home delivery services

Amtrak Express Parcels has marked an important change in the home delivery market by offering a new express service for goods that are too heavy to be carried by traditional parcel services. The heavy lift ‘two-man’ delivery service will be of particular appeal to retailers who need to deliver popular items such as plasma and LCD TV’s, as well as a whole range of other electrical goods and home appliances. The new service gives retailers and e-retailers the scope to sell a wider range of products for home delivery with the convenience of a single carrier. Amtrak is the first express parcel carrier to offer the capability, which can eliminate the need for dedicated owner or contractor fleets that may be uneconomic. The service, which requires two personnel to carry the items, gives Amtrak an important advantage as a one-stop-shop able to deliver both large and small consignments overnight. The Amtrak two-man lift service is for large items between 35 and 75 kilos. Service options include next day or evening, and a special service for fragile items that includes a ‘shock watch’ to ensure careful handling and additional peace of mind. Amtrak has backed up the service with IT developments to ensure full integration with Amtrak’s existing services. These include standard track and trace with proof of delivery, full web booking using the online NetDespatch service and useful ‘last mile’ routing for deliveries.
“We realised that our customers were having to arrange separate deliveries for heavier items. With different booking, despatch and transport, this is both inconvenient and inefficient. It was therefore a natural progression for us to expand our services so customers can get Amtrak to deliver everything” says Jerry Kane, Sales Director of Amtrak Express Parcels.