The pressure facing last‑mile networks in U.S. e‑commerce is often mischaracterized. Capacity constraints and delivery speed expectations are part of the picture, but they are not the primary issue. The more fundamental challenge is structural. Many networks in operation today were designed for stability in an environment that no longer behaves predictably, and that misalignment is becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

Cross‑border e‑commerce continues to reshape how demand moves across regions, how inventory is positioned, and how quickly operating conditions shift. Volume patterns now change faster than traditional planning cycles can absorb. Carrier capacity fluctuates materially by region and season. Returns increasingly influence both margin and inventory velocity. Long‑standing assumptions—predictable lanes, static partner models, linear flows—are no longer dependable. In this context, last‑mile performance cannot be corrected at the edge. It is determined upstream by the structure and adaptability of the network itself.

This reality became clear at the Cross Border E‑Commerce Logistics Summit I recently spoke at where operators from across Asian markets described operating models designed to function under continuous change. The advantage they described was not acceleration for its own sake, but networks designed to reduce the distance between decision and execution. As volatility becomes a constant rather than an exception, the implication for North American logistics leaders is clear that the network can no longer be treated as background infrastructure. It is a strategic asset that directly shapes outcomes.

A different operating rhythm

Last‑mile networks in North America operate within a distinct set of constraints. Parcel capacity remains fragmented. Service quality varies significantly by region. Labor availability fluctuates. Return rates are structurally high. Stability has long been the organizing principle, supported by standardized processes and fixed plans intended to reduce operational risk at scale.

However, as cross‑border flows, fulfillment patterns and customer expectations shift more frequently as stability without flexibility introduces new forms of risk. Reliable last‑mile performance increasingly depends on how effectively the broader network can adjust when conditions change rather than on adherence to fixed plans or escalation through manual intervention.

External comparisons occasionally emphasize speed, but the more relevant distinction lies in operating rhythm. In several Asian markets, planning and execution are closely linked by design. Decision authority is clearly defined. Handoffs are limited. Systems are structured to accommodate adjustment rather than resist it. North American networks face regulatory, labor, and legacy constraints that prevent direct replication, but the underlying principle remains applicable. Performance gains come less from faster execution and more from shorter decision paths, clearer ownership, and infrastructure that supports timely response.

The network is no longer just infrastructure

Across the industry, the shift underway is structural rather than incremental. Logistics leaders are placing less emphasis on optimizing individual lanes or nodes and more on understanding how the network performs as an integrated system. Inventory placement, fulfillment strategy, transportation planning, and last‑mile execution are increasingly evaluated together rather than in isolation.

This movement from optimized components to designed systems has material consequences. Last‑mile performance reflects upstream choices whether they are made intentionally or not. When inventory is mispositioned, data is fragmented, or flows are poorly coordinated, the cost appears downstream through service variability, expediting, elevated return volumes, and operational inefficiency.

At Maersk, network design is treated as a strategic capability because it creates options as demand and external conditions change. Integration across ocean, air, inland transport, fulfillment, and last mile enables the network to absorb variation rather than amplify it. In an environment where uncertainty persists, optionality is no longer insurance. It is a requirement.

Why reliability is replacing speed

Speed remains relevant, but it no longer defines success on its own. Customers across North America increasingly prioritize predictability over best‑case delivery times. Consistent outcomes allow for better planning and reduce friction across the supply chain. Achieving this level of reliability at scale is inherently complex in a fragmented last‑mile environment, where carrier performance varies and regional expectations differ.

Reliability emerges only when inventory placement, fulfillment locations, transportation partners, and data operate in coordination. It should also be evaluated in financial terms. Predictable networks reduce expediting costs, stabilize inventory turns, and limit margin erosion caused by exceptions and rework. They also reinforce customer trust, particularly in categories where return rates are high.

Visibility underpins this reliability. Not visibility achieved by owning every asset, but by maintaining a consistent, shared view of the full flow. Integrated data and common platforms allow teams and partners to intervene earlier, align decisions, and prevent localized issues from becoming systemic failures.

Partnerships as part of network design

Partnership expectations are evolving accordingly. Conversations are becoming more operational and less transactional, with greater focus on how performance is achieved rather than simply how capacity is secured. In North America, last‑mile networks rely on partnerships by necessity, but the structure of those relationships now directly affects outcomes.

Contracting for coverage is no longer sufficient. Partners must align on data standards, decision rights, and exception management processes. This is particularly critical in cross‑border e‑commerce, where regulatory requirements, transit times, and demand patterns change quickly. Limited transparency introduces delay and cost. Shared visibility enables coordination and responsiveness.

At Maersk E‑Commerce, this perspective informs how we work with carriers, technology providers, and fulfillment partners. The objective is not growth for its own sake, but coordinated scale that preserves reliability as volumes and complexity increase.

Designing for returns, not reacting to them

Returns are no longer a peripheral consideration. In North America, they materially affect both customer experience and network efficiency. Treating reverse logistics as an afterthought constrains inventory velocity and introduces avoidable disruption.

Networks that design return flows into their operating model improve data quality, accelerate inventory reallocation, and support customer confidence. With return rates remaining high across categories, the impact on working capital and operational stability is significant. Reverse logistics has therefore moved from being a cost discussion to a design decision.

This is why returns remained a focus area at Home Delivery World 2026 where I spoke on the subject. It is not because returns are new, but because network design around them is changing.

Where this leaves North American leaders

The current environment is defined less by uncertainty than by reassessment. Logistics leaders are revisiting long‑established assumptions and testing new network designs. For those accountable for last‑mile performance in North America, sustainable improvement will not come from incremental capacity additions or more aggressive exception management.

It will come from networks designed to adapt, remain reliable, and scale with minimal intervention. As cross‑border e‑commerce continues to evolve, the organizations that succeed will be those that treat the network itself as a strategic capability, shaped intentionally and governed accordingly. When volatility becomes a constant, the network no longer supports the strategy. It defines it.

About the expert

These insights reflect the experience of Maersk’s E Commerce leadership, who are driving new standards in flexibility and performance across the parcel ecosystem.

Prashant Shah

Prashant Shah serves as Head of E-Commerce, North America for Maersk, where he leads the region’s e-commerce logistics strategy, operations, product growth, and commercial performance across parcel, fulfillment, transportation, and last-mile solutions. With nearly two decades of leadership experience across supply chain, logistics, e-commerce, and operations, Prashant has led large-scale transformations and growth initiatives for both high-growth and enterprise organizations. Prior to Maersk, he held executive leadership roles across the logistics and consumer sectors, including serving as Chief Supply Chain Officer at SwagUp and leadership positions supporting operational scale, network optimization, and customer experience initiatives. A former U.S. Marine with global operational experience, Prashant is recognized for building scalable logistics networks, driving operational turnaround strategies, and helping organizations align supply chain operations with broader business growth objectives.

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