What is the difference between first mile and last mile?

The first mile collects goods from the shipper and takes them to the first hub, terminal or port. The last mile takes them from the final hub to the consignee's door.

What is the first mile in combined transport?

In EU rules, the initial road leg to the terminal or port; Directive 96/53/EC's definition of an intermodal operation by water requires it not to exceed 150 km in the Union.

Term

First mile

The first mile is the first leg of a shipment: collecting goods from the shipper and moving them to the first hub, terminal, port or railhead. India's government says improving the first and last 50 km of a 600 km journey can significantly lower total logistics cost.

Also called first-mile logistics, first mile pickup, first-mile delivery, first and last mile, collection legUpdated 14 October 2026

Where the first mile ends

There is no single official definition. The US Postal Service's Office of Inspector General describes the first and last mile as collection and delivery, with the processing and transport in between as the middle mile. The US Department of Transportation's 2022 freight assessment found that many intermodal connectors to ports and rail facilities are in poor condition and contribute to performance challenges in first- and last-mile movements.

In Europe: the combined-transport road leg

EU rules treat the road legs around rail or water as the first and last mile of an intermodal move. A definition in Directive 96/53/EC, quoted by the EU Agency for Railways, counts container transport by water as intermodal provided the initial or final road leg does not exceed 150 km in the territory of the Union.

In India

Launching the National Logistics Policy in 2022, the Prime Minister set the aim of bringing logistics cost from 13–14% down to single digits; a November 2025 government report put it at 7.97% of GDP for 2023–24, on its own method. The same release says improving the first and last 50 km of a 600 km journey can significantly lower total logistics cost, and Indian Railways says 25 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals in 2025 strengthened first- and last-mile connectivity.

Worked example: 600 km by rail

Shipper → 50 km by truck → railhead · 500 km by rail · railhead → 50 km by truck → consignee · the two road legs are a sixth of the distance, but carry the pickups, handling and waiting at each end

The 50 km and 600 km figures are the Indian government's example; the split by mode is illustrative.

The mistake people make

Planning the main leg and leaving the first mile to chance. A cheap rail or sea rate is only as good as the truck that gets the goods to the terminal on time, and a missed cut-off at the start costs a whole sailing or train.

FAQ

First mile: common questions

What is the difference between first mile and last mile?: The first mile collects goods from the shipper and takes them to the first hub, terminal or port. The last mile takes them from the final hub to the consignee's door.
Why does the first mile matter for logistics cost?: Because short road legs carry the pickups and handling. India's government says improving the first and last 50 km of a 600 km journey can significantly lower total logistics cost.
What is the first mile in combined transport?: In EU rules, the initial road leg to the terminal or port; Directive 96/53/EC's definition of an intermodal operation by water requires it not to exceed 150 km in the Union.