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Mapbox, the location data platform, has announced the public preview launch of a new doorway-level entrance data capability. The feature is designed to guide drivers to specific building entrances rather than generic street addresses, addressing a critical inefficiency in the delivery, logistics, and ride-hailing sectors.
The new data layer covers more than 100 million addresses in the United States, enabling routing accuracy to within five meters or less of a specific entry point.
Addressing the ‘Final Meters’ Cost Drain
The launch targets the "final meters" problem—a significant source of operational waste in last-mile logistics. According to Mapbox analysis, nearly 70% of failed deliveries in the last 100 meters of a trip occur during the final 10 meters.
Furthermore, citing McKinsey research, Mapbox notes that inefficient drop-off locations can account for up to 19% of logistics costs. These costs stem from:
Driver dwell time (searching for entrances).
Lost packages.
Missed pickups and redeliveries.
Increased customer support requests.
Cherie Wong, SVP of Location Services at Mapbox, commented: "Instead of ending navigation with just 'you have arrived,' companies can guide drivers to the right spot—the door that actually matters."
Operational Impact: Early Results
dlivrd, a delivery management solution, has been utilising the technology with measurable success. Chris Heffernan, CEO at dlivrd, reported tangible efficiency gains:
"Entrance data has saved our drivers time. They spend less time searching and more time setting up. Delivery times are down 7%, support questions are resolved 25% faster—and many never reach us at all."
Technical Implementation for Developers
The new capability is integrated directly into the Mapbox Geocoding API via a new entrances parameter. When developers convert an address into geographic coordinates, the API returns precise building entrance locations.
This allows navigation apps to:
Power turn-by-turn guidance that accounts for which side of a building to approach.
Indicate exactly where to stop.
Visualise entrance locations on the map interface to assist drivers in complex urban environments or large corporate campuses.
