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Convey’s Discover Provides Proactive Options for Retailers

discover

Convey’s Discover Provides Proactive Options for Retailers

Delivery management and visibility in delivery delays is taken to a whole new level thanks to a new solutions platform launched just in time for the holidays by Delivery Experience Management platform company, Convey.

Thanks to its predictive insights and precise delivery performance reporting, Convey’s Discover transportation analytics and insights software solution enables retailers to think ahead for the holiday season. Information released by Convey confirmed that Discover revealed unreported delays for 17 percent of retailer shipments.

“The ability to seek out and get ahead of delays for our customers is critical,” says Anthony Curreri, Senior Logistics Manager at Boll and Branch. “We were already using Convey to communicate and in some cases upgrade shipment service levels to keep the promises we’ve made to our customers. We’re excited to see the impact having early visibility into these delays will have for both our own operations and our customers’ experience. Our goal is to increase consumer confidence to buy and committing to meet delivery expectations is just one example of that.”

 Accessing real-time data and historical reporting that measures the consumer experience is a major plus provided by the software platform. Additionally, SLA performance, data quality, and benchmarking reports are provided by Discover through a combination of machine learning and out-of-box suite reporting capabilities. Retailers are now enabled to analyze a delay and determine the best route for optimization based on these reports, further enhancing the consumer experience involving all supply chain players.

“Our customers tell us what’s most important to them is really one thing — to make delivery promises that they can keep,” says Michael Miller, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Convey. “Discover is just one critical component to ensuring retailers are able to guarantee a perfect delivery. This holiday season has already proven what can happen when network congestion and weather combine to wreak havoc on the supply chain that serves e-commerce. Convey’s ability to give retailers the extra time and tools necessary to keep delivery promises is unprecedented in the industry today.”

chassis

CCM’s Chassis MandR System Raises the Bar for Handheld Device Management

When it comes to streamlining operations while keeping vital information close by, Consolidated Chassis Management’s newly launched Chassis MandR System application gets the job done while setting a new standard in the management and information process involving chassis repairs and maintenance. Other assets and equipment types can benefit from the mobile application’s management system capabilities as it provides users – including vendors and IEPs – full visibility to ensure the most cost-effective options at each location.

“It is a top priority at CCM to optimize supply chain fluidity and informational transparency helps us reach that goal,” says CCM VP of Management Information Systems Tom Martucci. “Smart devices have become essential tools for the modern workforce and are changing the way work gets done. Today, the ever-changing pace of business dynamics requires the ability to access and share accurate information. Utilizing the Chassis MandR system mobile application within the supply chain powers an ecosystem by accelerating the distribution of vital information and promoting collaboration at an industry-wide level.”

Taking the process beyond the desktop and providing quick, accurate, and reliable information while communicating about M&R estimates, job orders, and other chassis details further enhance a seamless and productive supply chain. An example of the application’s capabilities is found in its ability to decommission out-of-service units while in-gating and management of Driver Vehicle Inspection (DVIR) and Driver Vehicle Exception (DVER) reports and record a motor carrier’s pre-trip and/or post-trip.

“The industry requires tools that can easily and readily share information relevant to the health and status of intermodal equipment,” adds CCM VP of Management Information Systems Tom Martucci. “Greater emphasis is being placed on creating systems that exchange information flexibly and efficiently between all industry stakeholders. This was precisely our philosophy when we developed the Chassis MandR system as well as our other management systems in the Chassis Management Application Suite, and it’s further strengthened with our recent deployment of our mobile application,” says Martucci.
dachan

DaChan Bay Announces Shore Power Advancements

South China’s DaChan Bay officially announced its position as the first to boast container terminals with shore power capabilities in all berths for the region.

“We are proud to have such an achievement which marks a milestone in our continuous efforts to help protect the environment,” Brian Yeung, Managing Director of DaChan Bay Terminals. “We are committed to sustainability and will continue to introduce new initiatives to enhance our performance in this aspect.”

The Modern Terminals Ltd. business unit recently concluded the second installation of its shore power project that kicked-off in February. Since then, the project received preliminary acceptance as of September and was recently confirmed for acceptance in a meeting that included:

Transportation Bureau of Shenzhen Municipal, Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, Transportation Bureau of Bao’an District, Ecology and Environment Bureau of Bao’an District, Development and Reform Bureau of Bao’an District.

Dong Yanze, Director of Port and Shipping Administration of Transportation Bureau of Shenzhen Municipal, added:

“Shenzhen port has the largest number of berths with shore power capability in China. The shore power project has the full support of Shenzhen government and we look forward to the participation of other terminals and relevant stakeholders in the development of the Green Port in Shenzhen, and vessels switch to shore power while berthing.”

A total of three test ships with more than 10-hour shore power deployments yielded satisfactory levels of stability, reliability, and safety standard. DaChan made mention of an incentive scheme to further efforts for shore power deployments among shippers.

veterans

UPS Celebrates Veterans this Holiday Season

UPS confirmed in an announcement this week that the company will be participating in this year’s Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery, aiding in providing support for the nonprofit’s annual wreath-laying and 2.5 + mile-long parade honoring our nation’s veterans. More than 50,000 wreaths are expected to be delivered and placed at the Arlington National Cemetery. This year’s Honor Trailer will transport the wreaths via vehicle and driver provided by UPS.

“Veterans bring an incredible wealth of experience and commitment to working together to achieve objectives,” said Lloyd Knight, Senior Director at UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Chairman of the UPS Veterans Steering Council, President of VETLANTA and Air Force veteran.

UPS is no stranger when it comes to supporting our nation’s heroes as seen with the original UPS Veterans Business Resource Group chapter close to a decade prior. To this day, 23 chapters exist for its employees in addition to the 299,000 volunteer hours invested by UPS employees and $7.1 million has gone towards veteran initiatives over the last few decades.

“These qualities are critically important to our company, and to our communities. Honoring those who have served, and helping to provide a pathway for their continued journey, are among the ways we can express our gratitude for their service,” Knight concluded.

This year’s Wreaths Across America takes place on December 14th and includes additional veterans-focused locations (including schools) in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C. To learn more about the event and UPS participation, visit the UPS press room.

holiday

UPS: “This Holiday Season, We’ve Prepared Like Never Before.”

Today marked the first day of the peak holiday season for 2019 and the beginning of increased holiday shipments and deliveries. UPS confirmed a 5 percent increase in package shipments from 2018 record is expected in addition to an estimated 32 million packages and documents per day during peak season, primarily stemming from UPS’s retailer and B2B-focused customers. This anticipated chaos doesn’t seem to be a problem for UPS, however.

“This holiday season, we’ve prepared like never before,” said UPS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David Abney. “UPS has invested billions in our facilities, our air fleet and our workforce.  We have the capacity for, and are committed to, serving the unique needs of all our customers. To our customers, I simply say: We’re ready, Let’s go! You can count on us to help you make the holiday season successful.”

UPS has prepared resources in the form of added space (five million square feet of highly automated facilities, to be precise), automated superhubs, 11 newly added aircraft (increasing payload by 2.5 million pounds), optimization technologies, and a robust employee network close to 100,000 seasonal workers.

“More than ever, the 2019 holiday season proves UPS puts customers’ needs first,” said UPS Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Warren. “That starts with eliminating residential peak season surcharges, and extends into a wide range of new services that complement our industry-leading portfolio of offerings.”

Additional service enhancements have also been added to further support the growing demand, including the fastest ground-service offerings to-date, commercial/residential weekend services for pickup and delivery for customers in the top metro areas, late-night pickups via UPS Extended Hours® to qualifying customers, and more.

“We have the right strategies in place to help our customers make the most of the holiday season, with extensive forecasting, expanded ground and air capacity, effective onboarding to bring an army of seasonal employees up to speed, and the products and services that help all our customers meet high expectations this time of year,” Abney said.  “We look forward to another successful peak season.”

Ports America IANA

Ports America Announces New Leadership for 2020

Modern Terminals Hong Kong managing director and CEO Peter Levesque was confirmed this week as the newly appointed president for the largest North American marine terminal and stevedore, Ports America. Mr. Levesque will step into the role starting in February 2020 bringing decades of experience and a proven track record of success.

“I am thrilled to have Peter be part of our leadership team of the Ports America platform. Ports America remains focused on providing best-in-class service to many of the world’s leading shipping lines as well as the work we have completed in improving workflow solutions to beneficial cargo owners to drive dramatic growth for the company,” said Ports America CEO Mark Montgomery.

Mr. Levesque brings more than 30 years of experience in maritime business, with nine years of leadership with Modern Terminals and spearheading the Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the company.

“Having Peter Levesque join Mark Montgomery, Rick Surett and Jim Pelliccio as a core part of the management team is central to the strategic growth plan for Ports America,” said Dave Starling,  company board chairman.

“Peter’s strong leadership, experience and success in building superior organizations gives the board the utmost confidence that this team will drive the continued success of the company.”

Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch Keeps Beer Deliveries “Green”

Emissions-free beer delivery is another eco-friendly accomplishment announced this week through a collaborative effort between Anheuser-Busch, Nikola Motor Company, and BYD. Bud Light brand beer was onboard the zero-emissions fleet which included a Nikola hydrogen-electric vehicle and an electric BYD vehicle from the Anheuser-Busch brewery to the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

“At Anheuser-Busch, we are continuously searching for innovative ways to improve sustainability across our entire value chain, progressing towards reaching our sustainability goals and driving our industry forward,” said Ingrid De Ryck, Vice President of Procurement and Sustainability at Anheuser-Busch. “No single company can build a more sustainable future alone but this zero-emission delivery has shown what is possible when we bring together the various strengths and assets within our supplier network to work towards a shared objective of a better world.”

Anheuser-Busch is dedicated to its 2025 Sustainability Goals which includes a 25 percent reduction in reducing carbon emissions by 2025. The company continues to maximize emissions-free efforts through partnership projects, including one with BYD that would add 21 BYD electric trucks as well as a 958.5 kW solar array vehicle charging to four of its SoCal distribution facilities.  Additionally, the company ordered 800 hydrogen-electric powered Nikola semi-trucks last year, adding more value to eco-friendly efforts.

“As the first commercial delivery of freight with our hydrogen-electric truck, this is an exciting time for both Nikola and Anheuser-Busch. This milestone will become an example for all other OEM’s to move away from diesel trucks and towards zero-emission vehicles,” said Trevor Milton, Nikola’s chief executive officer. “We look forward to helping the Anheuser-Busch team achieve their sustainability goals by leveraging Nikola’s zero-emissions technology. We are now preparing production vehicles for Anheuser-Busch and plan on delivering the trucks as fast as possible.”

“Partnering with Anheuser-Busch is a great opportunity to showcase BYD’s performance and reliability with an industry leader,” said Stella Li, President of BYD Motors. “Our dedication to innovation pairs nicely with Anheuser-Busch’s sustainability commitment.”

a&r logistics

OmniTRAX Joins with A&R Logistics at Atlanta Waterfront Terminal

OmniTRAX, Inc., one of the largest privately held transportation service companies in North America and an affiliate of Denver-based The Broe Group, and A&R Logistics, North America’s largest provider of integrated dry bulk logistics solutions for the chemical and plastic industries, are opening a new transload facility in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Waterfront Terminal, located adjacent to the Fulton County Railway (FCR) tracks southwest of downtown, will initially enable the contents of 10 rail hopper cars to be simultaneously offloaded to trailers, with expansion expected. A&R will use the depot to transfer plastic pellets shipped by rail from resin producers across the country onto specialized pneumatic trailers and then transport the product to extruders throughout Georgia and neighboring states.

“The new Atlanta Waterfront Terminal is a great location for A&R, complete with access to the interstate system and great opportunities for growth,” says OmniTrax CEO Kevin Shuba. “We look forward to working with the A&R team to ensure the facility safely reaches its full potential.”

“The key to the Atlanta Waterfront Terminal is flexibility,” adds Dan Jaworski, chief commercial officer at A&R, which provides a comprehensive suite of services including transportation, warehousing, packaging and fully outsourced logistics management. “The location allows our trucks to get anywhere in the metro Atlanta area quickly and efficiently, plus the site is expandable to fit our growing needs.”

humanitarian

Amazon, Total Quality Logistics Among 2019 Humanitarian Logistics Award Honorees

Amazon and Total Quality Logistics (TQL) are among the 2019 winners of the American Logistics Aid Network’s Humanitarian Logistics Awards.

Disaster Relief by Amazon earned the Outstanding Contribution Award for leveraging its extensive services, operations and logistics technology to help advance the cause of effective and large-scale disaster relief. For instance, in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, the Disaster Relief by Amazon team mobilized two Amazon Air flights, full of tens of thousands of donated relief items such as tarps, buckets and water containers.

Total Quality Logistics also received an Outstanding Contribution Award for Moves that Matter, a program that provides funding to help nonprofits and businesses defray the cost of humanitarian shipments, as well as for TQL Cares, an in-house initiative that raises millions of dollars and contributes thousands of volunteer hours to various compassionate causes each year.

Nezih Altay of DePaul University received the Research and Academic Contributions Award for being one of the first U.S. academics to recognize the importance of applying operations research and supply chain management to the challenge of disaster relief. His 2006 paper, OR/MS Research in Disaster Operations Management, was one of the first papers to spark research in humanitarian logistics and remains the most cited article in its field.

Author and supply chain resilience expert Phil Palin received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his ongoing work to help government and businesses develop greater alignment when providing disaster relief. Over the years, he has worked closely with federal, state, local and private sector leaders to prepare for and respond to complex wide-area catastrophic events and served in a variety of capacities, most recently as the FEMA team leader for the supply chain Ecosystem Assessment. He has also authored numerous books and articles about supply chain resilience, including Out of the Whirlwind: Supply and Demand after Hurricane Maria.

“Each of these recipients is living proof that humanitarianism isn’t just a one-time event–and that true service extends well beyond a single disaster,” says Mark Richards, board chairman of the American Logistics Aid Network. “It truly is part of their corporate DNA and personal passion. We’re grateful to them for the many contributions they have made, and we are proud to recognize them.”

pyle

Duie Pyle Partners with Oak Harbor Freight Lines to Expand Service to West Coast

West Chester, Pennsylvania-based A. Duie Pyle, a premier provider of asset and non-asset based transportation and supply chain solutions in the Northeast, recently partnered with Oak Harbor Freight Lines to expand its coverage area to the West Coast for the first time.

Founded in 1916, Oak Harbor has a footprint covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Nevada and just celebrated its 103rd year anniversary, while Pyle just celebrated its 95th anniversary. This is Pyle’s first foray into providing West Coast service and will improve transit times while reducing dock congestion and cost impacts upon customers, as the partnership opens up new opportunities to reduce service providers. Both companies share similar core values and are family-owned and operated, making the move an ideal match for providing coast-to-coast service.

“Being able to work with another family-owned and operated company who shares similar core values and service standards is something that is important to all of us at Pyle,” said John Luciani, COO of LTL Solutions at A. Duie Pyle. “With our similar business model and combined strength in the market, we are confident adding Oak Harbor Freight Lines to our elite partnership network is going to prove valuable for customers across the U.S.”

“At Oak Harbor Freight, we strive to invest in valued relationships that will continue to meet our customers’ needs,” says David Vander Pol, co-president and co-owner of Oak Harbor Freight. “This partnership with A. Duie Pyle reflects our company goals by gaining strategic partnerships that will allow our customer base to have a simple and uniform source for their transportation needs. We are excited to expand our services coast-to-coast and provide the best customer service possible.”