U.S. enterprises that have greater control over their last-mile network infrastructure and data are much better able to handle rising business pressures than their peers, according to a study from FarEye, a Chicago-based provider of delivery software.
The research examined how U.S. companies are responding to persistent delivery cost inflation, increasingly complex fulfillment networks, and changing expectations around speed, reliability, and control. In a paper titled “Eye on the Last Mile America 2026,” researchers gathered insights from more than 500 delivery operators across the U.S., generating over 3,000 data points across delivery economics, customer promise, network control, technology adoption, and operating models.
The results highlighted a significant divide between organizations that have greater control over their delivery networks and those that do not. Operators with the highest levels of network control report 95% on-time performance, compared with 65.5% among low-control operators. Their median WISMO rate—customer contacts asking “Where is my order?”—stands at 6.2% versus 20.8%, while median year-over-year delivery cost inflation is 8.3% compared with 14.5%.
The research also exposes what FarEye describes as a growing speed penalty. Operators that prioritize the fastest possible delivery report only 76% on-time performance alongside 24% median cost inflation. By comparison, operators prioritizing predictable delivery achieve 88.4% on-time performance with 10% median cost inflation, while those focused on real-time tracking visibility report 90.3% on-time performance and just 4.9% median cost inflation.
The comparison challenges the long-standing assumption that faster delivery automatically creates a stronger customer proposition. Within the survey, the operators most focused on maximum speed are experiencing both weaker reliability and more than twice the median cost inflation of those prioritizing predictability and nearly five times that of the visibility-first cohort.
These findings come as the broader economics of last-mile delivery remain under pressure. The median year-over-year increase in cost per delivery was 12% in 2026, matching the 12% increase recorded in 2025, and suggesting that elevated cost inflation is becoming a more persistent operating condition rather than a temporary spike. Sixty percent of respondents reported increases above 10%, while 20% reported increases above 20%.
The pressure is becoming structural: 88% of operators say delivery costs are growing at the same pace as revenue or faster, leaving just 12% in a position where revenue growth is outpacing delivery costs. For logistics leaders, the challenge is no longer simply to manage growth, but to scale delivery volumes and service expectations without allowing operating costs to rise at the same rate – or faster.
“In the U.S., last-mile delivery is no longer an emerging capability; it is a highly mature, highly competitive operating environment where the differentiator is increasingly the quality of orchestration,” said Kushal Nahata, CEO & Co-Founder, FarEye. “Retailers and logistics providers are managing multiple carriers, owned fleets, regional partners and increasingly complex service expectations, all while protecting margins. What this research makes clear is that investment alone does not create control. The leaders are the organizations that can translate visibility, governance and orchestration into consistent execution across the network.”
