Transportation

Innovations in Last Mile Logistics

AI and human intelligence are a potent blend in route planning and optimization. BY MARY LOU JAY Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently in the hype stage of new technology adoption; some proponents see it as the answer to many problems, including, for the supply chain industry, last mile logistics. While AI does have potential for resolving some last mile issues, ...

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Driverless Supply Chains

After years in development, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles continue to tantalize with their potential to keep supply chains moving in the distribution yard and on the highway. That alluring promise appears closer than ever to being fulfilled, but how humans will figure into the equation remains to be seen. BY DAVID H. COBURN When MHI member Phantom Auto began developing ...

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Fast Track Fulfillment

Automating your DC to Speed Up Delivery BY LINDSEY ROONEY, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, MHI For retailers struggling to speed up the last mile of delivery, it could be productive to look backward. The so-called “middle mile of logistics,” where products travel from a factory or port to a distribution or fulfillment center, is ripe for the type of performance enhancements that ...

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Rail System Electrification to Reach Net Zero?

Sustainability Solution for Freight Rail Includes a Range of Technologies BY SHERYL S. JACKSON Electrification of rail transportation is one way to reduce greenhouse gases and meet the sustainability goals of regulators, rail industry members, manufacturers and customers. The call for rail electrification is spurred by growing interest in the reduction of emissions and mandates such as regulations passed in ...

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Electrifying Rail Freight

Of about 807,000 MILES of track worldwide, about 233,000 MILES are electrified. The U.S. freight industry is an $80 BILLION INDUSTRY, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Source: Association of American Railroads. 1% Percentage of U.S. railroad tracks that are currently used for electrified rail. 140,000 Miles of railroad track that are privately owned by railroads in the U.S., the ...

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New Approaches to Last-Mile Deliveries

Feature BY MARY LOU JAY Over the last few years, the definition of last-mile delivery has been expanded to encompass many different methods of getting goods to customers. These include delivery services dropping off packages at front doors, the white glove unboxing of large items like furniture inside a home, consumer pickups from lockers, curbside or retail store locations and ...

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Bringing Valuable Service and Innovation: Third-Party Logistics

Industry Focus BY TOM GRESHAM ISTOCK.COM/1933BKK The third-party logistics (3PL) industry is a complex and varied one that includes a wide range of operators. 3PLs serve as crucial partners in the supply chain for manufacturers who opt to outsource some, or all, of their logistics operations, such as warehousing, fulfillment and distribution. The role of 3PLs can differ greatly, but ...

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Port and Intermodal Freight Disruptions Continue to Impact Supply Chains

Industry Focus Widespread Supply Chain Congestion Has Practitioners Looking at New Practices to Ease Delays BY TOM GRESHAM POTOWIZARD/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM Ships sit for days offshore as they wait for an open berth at their destination port. Terminals and warehouses are stacked with containers with no one to pick them up. Shippers get turned away for service by overwhelmed, understaffed carriers. The ...

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