DHL eCommerce, the U.S. unit of logistics giant Deutsche Post, is investing more than $300 million in facilities and automation over the next five years, increasing its square footage here by 70%, automating distribution centers and upgrading IT systems. This includes dedicated export gateways in New Jersey, Illinois and California.
While UPS buys its way into last mile and on-demand delivery with Roadie, the U.S. Postal Service is piloting a same/next-day delivery service in Texas, geared toward local business-to-consumer orders that companies bring to a local USPS office to get a discounted rate. Experts questioned its value and market relevance.
UPS announced it was acquiring last mile platform Roadie for an undisclosed sum, thrusting it front and center into a space that has spiked in the pandemic era, providing a way to service demand that doesn’t fit into its existing network, including groceries and bulky items. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
Major 3PL and freight forwarder Geodis has signed a five-year lease on an air freighter to deliver extra capacity for its shipper clients heading into the peak season as space continues to tighten up on air freight due to the ongoing delays in ocean freight out of Asia.
The carrier capacity crunch is real, and these LTL capacity issues aren’t going anywhere soon. The only answer for shippers to manage their transportation is to turn to dynamic solutions and lean on technology that is rapidly evolving to meet evolving supply chain and transportation network needs.
Now that we’re looking toward a fast-approaching peak and 2022, what has changed about last mile constraints, and how can supply chains retain a competitive advantage through last mile operations? Here are some thoughts, looking at the issue through the lens of spend management, cost to serve and capacity constraints.
Smart warehouse technology powered by 5G, combined with the sensor- and data-driven Internet of Things (IoT), will be as transformative for logistics and supply chain as the Ford assembly line in 1913, attendees were told during a presentation at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021 in Nashville.
For the logistics industry, historically heavily reliant on a checks and cash economic system, converting to consumer-like electronic payments similar to Venmo or Paypal was fast-tracked for many out of a necessity to limit exposure to the coronavirus. It also proved to be a revelation of unrealized, long-lasting advantages.
Hard to believe it, but it’s here! Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021 is kicking off this Tuesday, Aug. 17 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, and we have lots of great things on tap for you as we regather in person as a community of ecommerce/DTC operations and fulfillment professionals.
Israel Maynard, Senior Director of International Logistics and Fulfillment for outdoor gear and apparel retailer Burton, has been busy working with vendors overseas and partners here to get everything stocked and set for his peak season. We discuss all this in our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast.