Modern Shipper

U.S. Bank’s Spend Index does include the price of fuel, which has helped to drive it higher.

The global supply chain visibility platform is seeking to take some pressure off carriers at the ports with more precise ETAs.

Cloud supply chain provider Stord is opening its fourth warehouse and second in Nevada: a 177,000-square-foot facility in Las Vegas to serve customers’ fulfillment needs.

Instacart’s partnering stores will now have access to smart carts and smart checkout counters from Caper AI.

SPS Commerce is collaborating with C.H. Robinson to open up new LTL capacity to retailers in need of space to move goods this holiday season.

The Singapore-based advanced aerial mobility company wants to fly humans around in autonomous, hydrogen-powered passenger drones.

Ryder has made an investment in and offered vehicles on lease to autonomous technology company Gatik to speed middle-mile autonomous deliveries.

Amazon’s seasonal demand dwarfs its competitors.

Online growth, higher inventory levels are trends that will likely last, Moghadam says.

A strike of Instacart shoppers led by the Gig Workers Collective will take place this weekend.

Enroute AI believes granular delivery details such as which entrance to use can improve last-mile delivery, and it thinks its AI can delivery that granularity.

News comes days before LaserShip’s private equity parent to announce $1.3 billion purchase of fellow regional delivery firm OnTrac.

Representatives from both sides of the aisle and company executives convened in a webinar hosted by the Consumer Technology Association.

Warehouse operators that wished their employees were a bit taller can now turn to robotics firm Geek+, which has introduced a 26-foot-tall robot for picking operations.

Does private equity see a future in a nationwide parcel network stitched together with regional players? The LaserShip-OnTrac deal may be the first step.

The e-commerce fulfillment company gets a nice raise to deliver on its promise of “instant commerce” in 20 minutes or less.

Saying the restaurants are the “heart of Main Street,” DoorDash launches a $1 million grant program to assist those that suffer business disruptions because of natural disasters.

The company is so new that there isn’t any earnings history to discuss yet, but that will change in a few weeks.

Many shippers struggle to succeed at last-mile delivery, often at the mercy of a delivery partner. But getting a handle on the middle mile can improve the chances of last-mile success.

The company moves its commitment times to noon from 10:30 a.m., effective Oct. 18.

Three British Columbia Uber drivers allegedly were fired after refusing to serve unmasked passengers who threatened violence and bad reviews.

As Halloween returns to a semblance of normal in 2021, more consumers than ever before will purchase candy, costumes and decorations online.

Some argue that Amazon lacks the integrated network to pull it off. But betting against the company has generally been a losing proposition.

In this final Drone Disruptors, Modern Shipper spoke with Chairman and CEO Dan O’Toole of DroneDek, the maker of the mailbox of the future.

The term edge computing scares many technophobes, but the technology is quickly becoming the go-to system for modern supply chains that depend on visibility through to the end consumer.

Australian startup Immertia ran a demonstration of its holographic packaging for pharmaceutical giant Bayer, and it looks the part.

Some 1,500 supply chain professionals met at FourKites Visibility 2021 to discuss the present and future of visibility in supply chains.

Walmart has expanded its academies training program to include a new focus on e-commerce fulfillment.

Home Depot will become the first customer for Walmart’s new GoLocal delivery service, rolling out the service in select markets in the coming weeks.

GXO will open a 715,000-square-foot distribution center in Arizona to handle distribution and e-commerce fulfillment for retailer Abercrombie & Fitch.

As more Americans begin their holiday shopping earlier than ever, port backups and worker shortages could leave shoppers disappointed and brands with excess inventory in January.

DHL Express is investing around the world in its international parcel network. A bigger Paris hub means faster package delivery.

The chaos in the supply chain has ripple effects down to the last mile. AxleHire Founder Daniel Sokolovsky is responsible for ensuring his company can meet those last-mile delivery demands.

The proposed $1 trillion infrastructure package includes a provision that would study the potential for a “driving tax” of 8 cents per mile.

Company takes no chances in keeping supply chain problems away from holiday deliveries.

FedEx Express has completed the first drone delivery as part of a monthlong test in Ireland, moving a package from Shannon Airport to Foynes Port in under 13 minutes and cutting nearly 40 minutes from a vehicle delivery route.

Amazon-backed EV maker Rivian makes big news with a public stock offer and beating its rivals to market with the first-ever electric pickup, the R1T.

In this week’s Drone Disruptors, Modern Shipper talked to Elroy Air CEO and co-founder David Merrill.

Barry Litwin has an up-close look at what the B2B customer is expecting from suppliers in today’s e-commerce-driven world. The CEO of Global Industrial Co. offers his thoughts in the first installment of Conversation with Dusty.

People hate doing things themselves. Today we have cars that are self-driving, microwaves that are self-cleaning, thermostats that are self-adjusting – even ​​sentences that are self-completing. Automation is just about everywhere, from the streets we drive on to the stores we shop at, but there’s still a long way to go before we reach the […]

With e-commerce continuing to grow, brands that make the returns experience easier and speed the refund process have a better chance at retaining that customer.

Electric Last Mile Solutions has delivered its first Class 1 all-electric cargo van to a customer, beating a Q4 goal for the first delivery.

Customers looking to return e-commerce purchases may now be able to do so at Staples locations. The retailer has partnered with e-commerce returns specialist Happy Returns.

The fintech company is tapping into a nationwide payments system infrastructure to get gig workers paid within seconds.

GM subsidiary BrightDrop said its EV600 electric cargo van is entering limited production. The company also announced a smaller EV410 version.

Middle-mile autonomous vehicle company Gatik will use Goodyear intelligent tire technology on its vehicles to collect and transmit critical tire data in real time.

After a big week for same-day delivery services, here’s a look at the past, present and future of the same-day market.

E-commerce growth and a shortage of workers have more warehouse operators looking toward automation, but adoption rates remain slow.

Modern Shipper spoke to Matternet CEO Andreas Raptopoulos about his vision to bring drone delivery to cities around the world.

The New York City Council is taking yet another step to improve the pay and delivery conditions for 80,000 third-party delivery drivers.

Trucks release a lot of data. Two attorneys from the Benesch law firm discuss the ownership of that data on this week’s podcast.

A new study has found that while online sales are driving up revenue for grocers, many are losing money on e-commerce and struggling with building a path forward.

Opponents of the legislation were particularly focused on a law known as PAGA.

Honeywell hopes its new robot will cut back on warehouse injuries while making case picking more productive than ever.

To lower its insurance rates and protect its drivers and product, cannabis distributor Bloom Farms turned to Azuga’s dashcams and specialty insurer QuadScore.

GoFor’s new strategy will use carbon offsets, EVs, smart packaging and more to make delivery carbon-negative.

FedEx doesn’t operate any 747 freighters itself but is hiring Atlas Air to use jumbo jets on its behalf.

On the heels of a short seller’s takedown, Workhorse halts electric van deliveries and recalls units already in customer hands.

Bed Bath & Beyond said it has become the first home goods retailer to list its products directly on DoorDash Marketplace, giving it the opportunity to reach more potential customers with same-day delivery.

Berkshire Grey has introduced a robotic shuttle put wall that it said will dramatically increase the capacity of warehouse operators to process e-commerce orders.

Hai Robotics, a warehouse robotics firm from China that recently entered the North American market, has announced $200 million across two funding rounds.

The company didn’t blindside anyone. But it didn’t please that many, either.

“With GCP as a partner, their strategic connections will allow us to build the technology that our FDPs are craving,” says the FRONTDoor Collective COO.

Jokr promises 15-minute grocery delivery. It has now added 3 more New York City boroughs to its delivery network.

In some big news for the rideshare giant, Uber on Tuesday revised its Q3 2021 outlook and now expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to be positive as early as this quarter. Shares of the company’s stock ended the day up about 11.5% on the news. In an SEC filing, Uber (NYSE: UBER) […]

Noncontract prices will climb by 5.9% for FedEx’s Express, Ground and Freight services.

Engineers and designers of the Wing delivery drone share insights into the aircraft’s development and the overall mission for the company in a new video.

Self-driving technology company Aurora said it will deploy a Toyota Sienna autonomous vehicle in rideshare service in the next six months.

DoorDash continues to expand its options with the addition of on-demand alcohol delivery in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Locus Robotics is acquiring Waypoint Robotics, adding industrial-strength mobile robot platforms to its portfolio.

In the second installment of Drone Disruptors, Modern Shipper sat down with Volansi CEO Will Roper.

Seasonal hiring begins as transportation providers plan for another big peak season. FedEx is looking to add 90,000 workers.

As companies struggle to ensure independent contractors are properly classified, many are missing out on the value technology can provide in the process.

The holidays are closer than you think, and gifts aren’t getting any easier to come by.

E-commerce is giving brands of all sizes the opportunity to grow, but without the right partner to make the shopping experience local, they are likely losing out on sales.

Electric-vehicle maker Rivian is said to be looking for as much as $8 billion from its upcoming IPO, which would make it the fourth-largest U.S. IPO in the past 10 years.

The grocery delivery unicorn edges closer to an IPO and a seat at the table with Walmart, Instacart and Uber.

Walmart will begin offering delivery of groceries and other products via self-driving vehicles through a partnership with Ford and Argo AI.

Workhorse decides to pursue alternative opportunities after ending its bid fight with the Postal Service.

Stord, the cloud supply chain company, has raised $90 million and reached unicorn status with a $1.1 billion valuation.

DHL Express is one of Atlas Air’s biggest customers. It just renewed leases for 20 planes.

The two companies are partnering on an integrated e-commerce and supply chain management platform.

Locus Robotics announced an additional $50 million investment in the company from Tiger Global Management just eight months after a $150 million Series E round.

Delivery drones could be damaged or even grounded by weather, including unseen winds aloft, leaving customers angry at missed deliveries and shippers scrambling.

Embark Trucks will use BYD electric trucks to cover 50 miles of HP printer loads, while its autonomous tractors take the middle segment.

Some large buy-now, pay-later providers are dropping fees for late payments, and they could be digging themselves into a hole.

PICKUP CEO Brenda Stoner said that in last-mile big-and-bulky delivery, it’s a combination of people and technology that makes it work.

3PL and e-commerce warehouse customers of Advanced Handling Systems can now choose robotic solutions from Berkshire Grey.

For this first installment of Drone Disruptors, a series about the movers and shakers in the world of drone startups, Modern Shipper sat down with Flytrex CEO Yariv Bash.

Uber Eats, Grubhub and DoorDash are seeking an injunction that would stop New York City from enforcing its commission caps for food delivery apps.

UPS is buying Roadie, a same-day delivery firm, as it seeks to expand its package delivery options to customers.

FreightWaves’ Brian Straight was at the big conference for home delivery in the city of brotherly love.

The financial analysis of Uber Freight does not yet include the impact of Transplace, which the digital brokerage is acquiring.

Zebra is now integrating FourKites’ Dynamic Yard into its MotionWorks Yard solution and selling it to select clients in North America and Europe.

E-commerce giant Alibaba unveils dropshipping, delivery tools for U.S. small businesses looking to grow their digital sales.

Last-mile delivery has become such an important piece of the customer journey, but too many companies don’t listen to the customer and continue to deploy failing strategies.

Most of the levies will fall within the range of 20 cents to 29 cents per package.

Cruise Automation and BrightDrop, two GM siblings, may find common ground in applying autonomy to electric van delivery.

The nationwide carrier knows that peak demand is on the horizon, and it’s in need of a bit of assistance.

Tight capacity, surcharges and customer demands are just a few of the pain points that continue to impact shippers heading into peak season.