6 Things to Consider When Designing an On-Demand Warehouse

| Chris Baxter

As the worldwide ecommerce market continues to grow, so does the need for additional fulfillment center space.
That’s where an on-demand warehouse comes in. Whether or not you’re using all the space of a warehouse you already own, or thinking about investing in one to rent out, here are some guiding design principles.

ab5 truck unloading

OnTrac Updates to Master Contractor Model in Wake of AB5 in California

| Mike O'Brien

The effects of California’s AB5 law are widespread, requiring thousands of gig workers and independent contractors to be reclassified as employees. This means delivery firms doing business in California are updating their operating models to adhere to the law. One such firm is OnTrac, going to a master contractor model.

UPS In Autonomous Vehicle Pilot with Waymo in Phoenix

| Mike O'Brien

UPS and self-driving technology company Waymo are running a pilot program for autonomous vehicle package pickup in the Phoenix area, using Waymo’s minivans to shuttle packages from UPS stores to a UPS sorting facility. Last year, UPS took a minority stake in TuSimple, an autonomous trucking company.

AMS Acquires EchoData, Expands Same-Day, Two-Day Fulfillment

| Mike O'Brien

Third-party logistics (3PL) provider AMS has acquired EchoData Group, a provider of omnichannel fulfillment services. The acquisition gives AMS greater ability to serve customers with same-day delivery in major population centers on both coasts, and adds two-day delivery coverage to 90% of the U.S. population.

7 Pitfalls to Avoid in Subscription Box Fulfillment

| Nicole Lee

Order fulfillment is one of the biggest challenges for subscription box companies. Peak order processing, unpredictable growth patterns, slim profit margins and high shipping costs are just a few of the most common pain points. Want to master subscription box fulfillment? Steer clear of these 7 common pitfalls.

Same-Day Delivery Not Seen as a Threat to USPS, Says IG in Report

| Mike O'Brien

The Office of Inspector General at the USPS found the USPS isn’t threatened by the rise of same-day delivery, determining it is a niche, costly model appealing mostly to urban millennials and only represented 2% of all parcel deliveries in 2018. The IG report also recommended the USPS continue to focus on next-day delivery services.

7 Steps to Analyze Your Peak Holiday Season Ecommerce Operations

| Brian Barry

Many ecommerce businesses realize 60% to 70% of their profits in the fourth quarter. For multichannel businesses and wholesalers, their peak season starts months earlier to supply retail and ecommerce. Take the time now to analyze your fulfillment successes and failures and develop an improvement plan for this Q4 using these 7 steps.

3PL DC exterior feature

Grocery Sector Outpaces Ecommerce in Major Warehouse Lease Deals

| Mike O'Brien

Fueled by continued growth in e-grocery and the sector overall, food and beverage saw more growth in terms of major warehouse leases in 2019 than did ecommerce, which slipped a bit, according to a report from CBRE on the 100 largest deals. The number of 3PL deals stayed the same, while the square footage dropped from 2018.

GlobalTranz Acquires Cerasis, 11th Acquisition in Three Years

| Mike O'Brien

3PL GlobalTranz Enterprises has acquired Cerasis, a provider of managed transportation and third-party multimodal logistics services, marking its 11th acquisition since January 2017. Cerasis has a managed transportation client base that uses its 3PL/4PL service offerings and technology solutions, including TMS.