Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

newsworthy

UPS to fuel trucks with natural gas from landfills

Alternative fuel will power 140 trucks in Memphis, Tenn., and Jackson, Miss.

Looking to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce fuel costs in one blow, UPS Inc. will power two of its regional truck fleets with renewable natural gas (RNG) captured from decomposing landfills, the company said today.

Trucks from the Atlanta-based parcel carrier's fleet of renewable fuel vehicles in Memphis, Tenn., and Jackson, Miss., will burn the RNG instead of other alternative fuel designs in the UPS fleet, such as all-electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, or propane.


UPS will purchase an estimated 15 million diesel-gallon equivalents of RNG as part of a multiyear agreement with Memphis Light, Gas and Water and with Atmos Energy Marketing LLC.

RNG, also known as biomethane, is derived from sources such as decomposing organic waste in landfills, wastewater treatment, or agriculture. Distributors then pipe it through existing natural-gas pipeline networks before using it as either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG).

By capturing the methane gas emitted by decomposing landfills, UPS will gain a fuel source that powers trucks without creating greenhouse-gas pollution, and will also capture natural methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse-gas emission, Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice president global engineering and sustainability, said in a statement.

UPS will use the RNG to power more than 140 heavy-duty trucks in Memphis and Jackson, part of the company's global natural-gas fleet of 3,800 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. As part of its long-term sustainability efforts, the company has a goal of driving one billion miles with its alternative-fuels fleet—known as the Rolling Laboratory—by the end of 2017.

The Latest

More Stories

Robotic truck unloading, refined

Mujin's truck-unloading solution—TruckBot

Photo courtesy of Mujin

Robotic truck unloading, refined

Makers of robotic truck-unloading solutions are refining their offerings now that the technology is being used in many warehouses—and that means solutions are getting “smarter” and more adept at handling challenges that arise in real time. Increased handling capabilities, better dexterity, and even more autonomy are at the heart of the updates.

“There are certain behaviors you don’t see in the lab but you do see in the real world,” explains Pete Blair, vice president of product and marketing for Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Pickle Robot, which completed its first commercial installation in the summer of 2023 and now has roughly 12 truck-unloading robots up and running around the country. “We’ve been improving the system over that time period. Right now, [we’re] moving forward with the next generation of the robot.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

chart of ransomware paid after cyberattacks

Moody’s: Hackers target bigger game in their hunt for profits

Hackers are beginning to extend their computer attacks to ever-larger organizations in their hunt for greater criminal profits, which could drive an anticipated increase in credit risk and push insurers to charge more for their policies, according to the “2025 Cyber Outlook” from Moody’s Ratings.

In Moody’s forecast, cyber risk will intensify in 2025 as attackers switch tactics in response to better corporate cyber defenses and as advances in artificial intelligence increase the volume and sophistication of their strikes. Meanwhile, the incoming Trump administration will likely scale back cyber defense regulations in the US, while a new UN treaty on cyber crime will strengthen the global fight against this threat, the report said.

Keep ReadingShow less
image of forklift showing data collection

Supply chain managers point to data accuracy gap

Supply chain managers say one of their top headaches heading into 2025 is a data accuracy gap that leaves many struggling to find the level of insights and visibility required to respond quickly to market changes, according to a report from RAIN RFID and Internet of Things provider Impinj.

Even worse, many managers are overconfident in their data. The majority (91%) of supply chain managers believe they are equipped to drive accurate supply chain visibility, but the reality is that only a third (33%) consistently obtain accurate, real-time inventory data.

Keep ReadingShow less
NSU Tubarao sails in the ocean
Photo courtesy of NS United Kaiun Kaisha Ltd.

Cargo ships harness winds of change

As the old adage goes, everything old is new again. For evidence of that, you need look no farther than cargo ships, which are looking to a 5,000-year-old technology as an eco-friendly source of propulsion—the sail.

But today’s sails bear little resemblance to the papyrus or animal-skin sails used in ancient times or the billowing cotton or linen sails of 19th-century clipper ships. These are thoroughly modern, high-tech devices designed to reduce ship operators’ reliance on costly marine fuels and help curb greenhouse gas emissions—and they’re sprouting up on freight vessels around the world.

Keep ReadingShow less
new technologies illustration with lightbulbs

Supply chain startups get creative

When it comes to logistics technology, the pace of innovation has never been faster. In recent years, the market has been inundated by waves of cool new tech tools, all promising to help users enhance their operations and cope with today’s myriad supply chain challenges.

But that ever-expanding array of offerings can make it difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff—technology that’s the real deal versus technology that’s just “vaporware,” meaning products that don’t live up to their hype and may even still be in the conceptual stage.

Keep ReadingShow less