Startup pallet maker NextPallet has developed a new hybrid wood/corrugated pallet that supports 2,400 pounds. Weighing 26.5 pounds, the heavyweight version of the NextPallet hauls and racks like much heavier wood pallets. (To support that claim, the company notes that test results from Gaynes Labs are available at https://www.pipallet.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/GaynesTesting-6-4-18.pdf.)
The basic structure is a wood skeleton with recycled corrugated material wrapped around it. The materials are bonded with an industrial adhesive, a hot-melt glue. The unit is both reusable and recyclable, the manufacturer says.
The company also offers lightweight and standard versions of the pallet. (NextPallet)
International container tracking: Project 44 has announced the addition of "ocean visibility" to its Advanced Visibility Platform. The new feature enables shippers, beneficial cargo owners, freight forwarders, and third-party logistics service providers to track North America-bound container shipments as they arrive in port for shipment, travel across the ocean, and are discharged from vessels for transfer to rail or trucks. Users have access to real-time container-level tracking from departure through arrival.
According to the company, the ocean visibility feature is a comprehensive solution for international shipments that enables next-level operational efficiency and an improved customer experience. Ocean visibility includes direct connections to over 75 ports and terminals; live vessel tracking to all containerized ships around the globe; shipment details, including location, ETA, and container status; and direct API (application programming interface) integrations to ocean carriers. (project44)
Export-grade pallet:
Pallet supplier Litco International Inc. has introduced the Exporter, an engineered molded wood pallet unit-load solution for one-way and export shipping.
During the manufacturing process, the pallets are heated to more than 350 degrees Fahrenheit to eradicate insect pests and contaminants. Because the Exporter is considered "processed wood"—meaning it's approved for export as-is per IPPC-ISPM 15 (International Planet Protection Convention, International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15)—shippers avoid additional costs to heat-treat wood pallets and the need for a license stamp to demonstrate compliance.
According to the company, the Exporter contains 86 percent less moisture than new traditional hardwood pallets and has a higher resistance to mold, moisture-sensing insects, and bacteria in high-humidity, low-air-flow environments such as overseas shipping containers and tropical destinations.
Litco's Exporter pallets are available in 10 sizes and up to five different weight-bearing options. (Litco International Inc.)
Refrigerated container monitoring: Orbcomm Inc., a provider of machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, has launched its next-generation solution for remote monitoring and control of refrigerated containers traveling by land, rail, or sea for uninterrupted visibility of operations, improved efficiency, and reduced costs. Orbcomm's CT 3000 series provides wireless connectivity through its ruggedized hardware and a cloud-based analytics platform and information management engine for asset management and utilization.
Orbcomm's CT 3000 series solution supports built-in and external sensors, cellular connectivity, and wireless technologies to deliver data on asset location, status, performance, cargo-area temperature, and more. The new series comes in two variants: the CT 3100 and the CT 3000. The CT 3100 can be temporarily installed to monitor assets for a specific duration while on a trip, aboard a vessel, or at a terminal, while the CT 3000 is permanently installed on an asset for continuous tracking.
This next-generation container monitoring solution connects directly to the reefer to enable real-time alerts and two-way control, allowing operators to react to discrepancies and remotely adjust temperature and humidity levels to ensure temperature compliance and minimize spoilage. In addition, Orbcomm's refrigerated container solution automates pre-trip inspections to facilitate quicker turn times, lower operational expenses, and reduce safety risks to personnel. (Orbcomm Inc.)
Portable cooling containers: Coldtainer USA, a maker of portable containers that can be used for temperature control in any transportation application, has introduced its standalone Coldtainers. According to the company, Coldtainers don't require insulated vans or trucks, reducing fleet owners' capital costs and improving resale values because non-converted units appeal to a wider range of used-vehicle buyers.
Available in front-opening or top-loading models in a range of capacities and with numerous cooling, freezing, and heating options, Coldtainers can use battery, shore, and solar power sources on vehicles and at facilities to operate on AC (alternating current) or DC (direct current) power. Equipped with refrigeration units designed to withstand vibrations related to vehicle use, the standalone containers are made from durable molded polyethylene and food-grade materials, are easy to clean, and are in compliance with health and safety standards, the manufacturer says.
All Coldtainer temperature-controlled container models feature an integrated battery monitor and a user-friendly digital display to view temperature and status, and for precise temperature set-point control. The portable cooling containers also record temperatures and have a mobile Bluetooth capability for downloading data for recordkeeping purposes. (Coldtainer USA)
Supply chain planning (SCP) leaders working on transformation efforts are focused on two major high-impact technology trends, including composite AI and supply chain data governance, according to a study from Gartner, Inc.
"SCP leaders are in the process of developing transformation roadmaps that will prioritize delivering on advanced decision intelligence and automated decision making," Eva Dawkins, Director Analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, said in a release. "Composite AI, which is the combined application of different AI techniques to improve learning efficiency, will drive the optimization and automation of many planning activities at scale, while supply chain data governance is the foundational key for digital transformation.”
Their pursuit of those roadmaps is often complicated by frequent disruptions and the rapid pace of technological innovation. But Gartner says those leaders can accelerate the realized value of technology investments by facilitating a shift from IT-led to business-led digital leadership, with SCP leaders taking ownership of multidisciplinary teams to advance business operations, channels and products.
“A sound data governance strategy supports advanced technologies, such as composite AI, while also facilitating collaboration throughout the supply chain technology ecosystem,” said Dawkins. “Without attention to data governance, SCP leaders will likely struggle to achieve their expected ROI on key technology investments.”
The British logistics robot vendor Dexory this week said it has raised $80 million in venture funding to support an expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) powered features, grow its global team, and accelerate the deployment of its autonomous robots.
A “significant focus” continues to be on expanding across the U.S. market, where Dexory is live with customers in seven states and last month opened a U.S. headquarters in Nashville. The Series B will also enhance development and production facilities at its UK headquarters, the firm said.
The “series B” funding round was led by DTCP, with participation from Latitude Ventures, Wave-X and Bootstrap Europe, along with existing investors Atomico, Lakestar, Capnamic, and several angels from the logistics industry. With the close of the round, Dexory has now raised $120 million over the past three years.
Dexory says its product, DexoryView, provides real-time visibility across warehouses of any size through its autonomous mobile robots and AI. The rolling bots use sensor and image data and continuous data collection to perform rapid warehouse scans and create digital twins of warehouse spaces, allowing for optimized performance and future scenario simulations.
Originally announced in September, the move will allow Deutsche Bahn to “fully focus on restructuring the rail infrastructure in Germany and providing climate-friendly passenger and freight transport operations in Germany and Europe,” Werner Gatzer, Chairman of the DB Supervisory Board, said in a release.
For its purchase price, DSV gains an organization with around 72,700 employees at over 1,850 locations. The new owner says it plans to investment around one billion euros in coming years to promote additional growth in German operations. Together, DSV and Schenker will have a combined workforce of approximately 147,000 employees in more than 90 countries, earning pro forma revenue of approximately $43.3 billion (based on 2023 numbers), DSV said.
After removing that unit, Deutsche Bahn retains its core business called the “Systemverbund Bahn,” which includes passenger transport activities in Germany, rail freight activities, operational service units, and railroad infrastructure companies. The DB Group, headquartered in Berlin, employs around 340,000 people.
“We have set clear goals to structurally modernize Deutsche Bahn in the areas of infrastructure, operations and profitability and focus on the core business. The proceeds from the sale will significantly reduce DB’s debt and thus make an important contribution to the financial stability of the DB Group. At the same time, DB Schenker will gain a strong strategic owner in DSV,” Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz said in a release.
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.
Meanwhile, TIA today announced that insider Christopher Burroughs would fill Reinke’s shoes as president & CEO. Burroughs has been with TIA for 13 years, most recently as its vice president of Government Affairs for the past six years, during which time he oversaw all legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and the federal agencies.
Before her four years leading TIA, Reinke spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corporation.
Serious inland flooding and widespread power outages are likely to sweep across Florida and other Southeast states in coming days with the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which is now predicted to make landfall Thursday evening along Florida’s northwest coast as a major hurricane, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
While the most catastrophic landfall impact is expected in the sparsely-population Big Bend area of Florida, it’s not only sea-front cities that are at risk. Since Helene is an “unusually large storm,” its flooding, rainfall, and high winds won’t be limited only to the Gulf Coast, but are expected to travel hundreds of miles inland, the weather service said. Heavy rainfall is expected to begin in the region even before the storm comes ashore, and the wet conditions will continue to move northward into the southern Appalachians region through Friday, dumping storm total rainfall amounts of up to 18 inches. Specifically, the major flood risk includes the urban areas around Tallahassee, metro Atlanta, and western North Carolina.
In addition to its human toll, the storm could exert serious business impacts, according to the supply chain mapping and monitoring firm Resilinc. Those will be largely triggered by significant flooding, which could halt oil operations, force mandatory evacuations, restrict ports, and disrupt air traffic.
While the storm’s track is currently forecast to miss the critical ports of Miami and New Orleans, it could still hurt operations throughout the Southeast agricultural belt, which produces products like soybeans, cotton, peanuts, corn, and tobacco, according to Everstream Analytics.
That widespread footprint could also hinder supply chain and logistics flows along stretches of interstate highways I-10 and I-75 and on regional rail lines operated by Norfolk Southern and CSX. And Hurricane Helene could also likely impact business operations by unleashing power outages, deep flooding, and wind damage in northern Florida portions of Georgia, Everstream Analytics said.
Before the storm had even touched Florida soil, recovery efforts were already being launched by humanitarian aid group the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN). In a statement on Wednesday, the group said it is urging residents in the storm's path across the Southeast to heed evacuation notices and safety advisories, and reminding members of the logistics community that their post-storm help could be needed soon. The group will continue to update its Disaster Micro-Site with Hurricane Helene resources and with requests for donated logistics assistance, most of which will start arriving within 24 to 72 hours after the storm’s initial landfall, ALAN said.