OneRail, an Orlando-based startup with software that optimizes last-mile deliveries, has raised $33 million in a Series B round to further develop its platform and bring in new talent to fuel its growth, with plans to launch an extension for SMBs on Shopify in 2023.
Companion bills in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate aim to amend the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, removing the overtime exemption for truckers. Predictably, it’s opposed by shippers and rail carriers, and supported by unions, trucking associations and safety groups. A spokesman for a major auto carrier explains why he supports it.
Instacart and the attorney’s office for the city of San Diego have reached a settlement over charges it misclassified its delivery drivers as contractors, a heated and ongoing issue in California and elsewhere that challenges the economics of last-mile delivery companies using the pervasive gig model.
UPS is projecting its holiday returns volume as millions of packages make their way back to retailers and manufacturers. See how the major carriers handled the shipping crush, and what FedEx in particular did to keep its seasonal shipping spike low.
Cyber Weekend 2015 is in the books, and Multichannel Merchant’s editorial staff put a wrap – and a bow – on Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday. Watch as Chief Content Director and Publisher Ellen Shannon, Managing Editor Tim Parry, Senior Editor Mike O’Brien and Content Producer Daniela Forte share their insights and impressions of Cyber Weekend.
Given the 2013 holiday shipping debacle, UPS and FedEx have taken great pains to ensure there isn’t a repeat performance this season.
But it does not appear to be the result of shippers pushing that last-chance offer as close as possible to Christmas.
Ecommerce grew 30% year over year during the 2013 holiday season, but Forrester principal analyst Sucharita Mulpuru doesn’t expect history to repeat itself in 2014. Here’s why lofty delivery expectations taxed the carriers this holiday season.