Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

newsworthy

Self-driving truck technology is outpacing legislation and regulation in many states, CSCMP panel says

Autonomous freight tech could be ready for highways by 2025, but rules and regs will slow its roll, experts say.

Self-driving truck technology is outpacing legislation and regulation in many states, CSCMP panel says

The technology that enables autonomous vehicles is developing so quickly that self-driving trucks could be ready to cruise down interstate highways by 2025, but legislation and regulatory issues will likely slow that release down significantly, according to a panel held Tuesday at the CSCMP EDGE 2019 annual meeting in Anaheim.

The specific timing of approval for autonomous operation in freight "strongly depends on legislation," Stephan Keese, a senior partner at Roland Berger LLC, said in a CSCMP session called "The Driving Force Behind Autonomous Fleets."


Despite those challenges, investors are rushing to pump money into the sector, as evidenced by the news Tuesday that San Diego-based autonomous driving tech vendor TuSimple had raised $215 million in "Series D" venture capital funding. The money came from SINA, a division of social media platform Weibo, as well as the logistics and transportation giant UPS Inc., CDH Investments, and tier-one automotive supplier Mando Corp.

The investment brings TuSimple's total funding to $298 million to date, and will be used to expand long-haul service for fleets and to co-develop a commercial self-driving truck with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, the company said.

TuSimple has already begun hauling commercial loads on U.S. highways in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas for clients including the U.S. Postal Service, according to TuSimple's head of public and government affairs, Robert Brown. However, the company is not planning to expand those routes anytime soon, since the rules and regulations for self-driving trucks in the other 48 contiguous states look like a patchwork quilt of various conditions, Brown said in the session.

The Latest

Artificial Intelligence

AI: Is it the real deal?

More Stories

Logistics economy picked up speed in January

Logistics Managers' Index

Logistics economy picked up speed in January

Economic activity in the logistics industry expanded in January, growing at its fastest clip in more than two years, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI) report, released this week.

The LMI jumped nearly five points from December to a reading of 62, reflecting continued steady growth in the U.S. economy along with faster-than-expected inventory growth across the sector as retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers attempted to manage the uncertainty of tariffs and a changing regulatory environment. The January reading represented the fastest rate of expansion since June 2022, the LMI researchers said.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Disrupting the furniture supply chain: An interview with Jay Rogers

Disrupting the furniture supply chain: An interview with Jay Rogers

As commodities go, furniture presents its share of manufacturing and distribution challenges. For one thing, it's bulky. Second, its main components—wood and cloth—are easily damaged in transit. Third, much of it is manufactured overseas, making for some very long supply chains with all the associated risks. And finally, completed pieces can sit on the showroom floor for weeks or months, tying up inventory dollars and valuable retail space.

In other words, the furniture market is ripe for disruption. And John "Jay" Rogers wants to be the catalyst. In 2022, he cofounded a company that takes a whole new approach to furniture manufacturing—one that leverages the power of 3D printing and robotics. Rogers serves as CEO of that company, Haddy, which essentially aims to transform how furniture—and all elements of the "built environment"—are designed, manufactured, distributed, and, ultimately, recycled.

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of GenAI effect on workforce

Gartner: GenAI tools create anxiety among employees

Generative AI (GenAI) is being deployed by 72% of supply chain organizations, but most are experiencing just middling results for productivity and ROI, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc.

That’s because productivity gains from the use of GenAI for individual, desk-based workers are not translating to greater team-level productivity. Additionally, the deployment of GenAI tools is increasing anxiety among many employees, providing a dampening effect on their productivity, Gartner found.

Keep ReadingShow less
warehouse worker driving forklift between racks

German 3PL Arvato acquires two U.S. logistics firms

The German third party logistics provider (3PL) Arvato this week acquired the U.S.-headquartered companies Carbel LLC and United Customs Services, saying the move would grow its client base, particularly in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle segments.

According to Arvato, it made the move in order to better serve the U.S. e-commerce sector, which has experienced high growth rates in recent years and is expected to grow year-on-year by 5% within the next five years.

Keep ReadingShow less
photo collage of warehouse tech

Supply chain pros are wary of inflation and labor woes

The top worries that supply chain leaders hope to address with new innovations this year include inflationary concerns (68%) and labor shortages (50%), according to a survey on innovation from the third-party logistics provider (3PL) Kenco.

And many of them will have a budget to do it, since 51% of supply chain professionals with existing innovation budgets saw an increase earmarked for 2025, suggesting an even greater emphasis on investing in new technologies to meet rising demand, Kenco said in its “2025 Supply Chain Innovation” survey.

Keep ReadingShow less