Modern Shipper

Motional, the Hyundai-backed autonomous vehicle developer, announced that it is now testing vehicles with no driver in the seat.

A $250 million e-commerce- and transportation-focused SPAC was filed Friday. Logistics industry veteran Dick Metzler is behind the deal.

While the opinion letters don’t have the force of law, they do suggest which way the new administration will go in classification of compensation issues

A test of drone delivery this week by manufacturer AgEagle and startup Valqari successfully delivered food and beverages to golfers while on the course.

Uber recently sent out a white paper on its views of compensation and other benefits for its drivers in Europe.

A former Jet.com co-founder is rethinking the way e-commerce orders are delivered — specifically, when orders are delivered and in what vessel they arrive at their destination. Nate Faust believes after 25 years of e-commerce, it’s time for a new way of imagining delivery.

On-demand driver platform Haul has attracted a diverse group of investors as it looks to disrupt the CDL staffing industry.

Walmart shares drop hard as investors focus on lower-than-expected fiscal year 2021 fourth-quarter results and uninspiring FY 22 guidance.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence in e-commerce, with companies utilizing the technology able to adapt quicker to changing consumer demands.

Demand for technology platforms that can automate the entire D2C experience is growing, and Pipe17 is the latest to secure funding to expand its solution.

This labor economy has historically dealt with an information deficit, which forces companies to overhire in order to find the correct employee for the job.

Several Latin America-focused freight and logistics-related startups have recently secured more funding, including Mundi, Jüsto and Valoreo.

anadian e-commerce firm Shopify continues to slowly ramp up its U.S. fulfillment network on the heels of record fourth-quarter financial results.

As more packages and groceries are being shipped to consumers’ front doors, the demand for systems that can secure and maintain the freshness of items is growing.

The rate increases could generate needed revenue and profits, but they may narrow the price-service gap between the Postal Service and its rivals.

Autonomous vehicle startup Gatik has announced it will deploy electric trucks as part of its autonomous testing in New Orleans with partner Walmart.

Amazon is an e-commerce rocket ship. Making those deliveries possible is Amazon Air, which is growing so fast it could make it possible for more people to receive orders within a day.

Amazon has acquired Selz, a provider of technology that allows sellers to build an online storefront.

As rideshare has plummeted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lyft has had to chart a new path forward in the next decade. That path features a reliance on autonomous vehicles and e-commerce deliveries.

How quickly drone package delivery becomes a reality is dependent on a couple of factors, perhaps none bigger than whether the public is ready to accept it.

Isuzu will launch new Class 6 and 7 low-cab-forward trucks later in 2021 with Cummins B6.7 engines.

We’ve long touted retail inventory restocking as a primary growth driver for the freight bull run, but apparel brands aren’t aligning with this thesis. Rather than reverting back to habitual overordering and year-end discounting, retailers are sticking with the conservative ordering tactics that helped them win the holiday season.

BrightDrop, a startup launched by GM, thinks that to solve last-mile delivery you need a provider that looks at the issues holistically — from vehicles to technology.

PICKUP’s white-glove delivery for big and heavy items transforms the last-mile customer experience.

Investments in its Eats and Delivery platforms have Uber on a path toward profitability as its Rides business recovers post-pandemic.

Hyundai’s concept vehicle TIGER represents the automaker’s vision of last-mile delivery in both urban and remote environments.

Commerce platform Fabric has leveraged market demand for its product to close a $43 million Series A round of funding just months after it secured its seed round.

A streamlined, automated and transparent approach has taken Airspace to the next level of modern shipping.

Lyft said it is investing in the business so it is positioned to benefit in an expected rideshare rebound, perhaps as early as Q2.

FreightWaves has announced the launch of Modern Shipper. The editorial brand will provide news and information about e-commerce, the gig economy and the important roles each plays in the supply chain.

Lyft reported a 45% decline in active riders and 44% decline in revenue in Q4 as the pandemic continued to affect ridesharing.

The agency’s revamp will likely include cost reductions, price increases and efforts to streamline what many consider a bloated organization.

A top FedEx reverse logistics expert says the online returns tsunami has just begun.

DoorDash is acquiring Chowbotics, hoping to leverage the firm’s salad-making robots to provide DoorDash partners new revenue opportunities.

Demand for its products skyrocketed, but port congestion and freight capacity constraints have prevented their delivery, and now Peloton is spending $100 million to try and fix its supply chain.

The gig economy grew at a 33% rate in 2020 as more workers looked for flexible work schedules and ways to supplement, or even replace, lost income during the pandemic.

President Biden has pledged to pump funding into state and local agencies in a bid to make last-mile freight delivery smarter and safer.

A new organization in New Jersey backed by app-based companies and community leaders is working to ensure gig workers can maintain their flexible and independent employment status.

Slync.io, a Dallas-based operating system for global logistics, announced the close of its $60 million Series B funding round.

SmartHop is more than just a freight dispatch; its “business-in-a-box” tools distinguish it as a comprehensive solution for over-the-road-trucking.

E-commerce sales for alcohol are outpacing overall online sales, and Uber is betting that will continue post-pandemic, paying $1.1 billion for on-demand delivery company Drizly.

Amazon announces a leadership shift as it crushes fourth-quarter 2020 estimates and reports $125 billion in revenue.

Scott Ruffin’s company is poised to exploit weaknesses in legacy delivery networks to take B2C share.

BrightDrop, the new General Motors business-to-business electric first-to-last-mile delivery subsidiary, will sell 12,600 of its vans to Merchants Fleet.

Uber will acquire Drizly, an on-demand alcohol marketplace, for $1.1 billion in cash and stocks.

As online sales of furniture and other heavy goods grows, smaller sellers have been at a disadvantage without a national logistics partner. Deliveright and Shopify are changing that.

EcoCart offers e-commerce consumers a chance to purchase carbon offsets at checkout to lessen the environmental impact of the order.

Grubhub will provide delivery of Girl Scout Cookies to customers using the Grubhub platform to place orders from local troops.

SamCart, an D2C e-commerce platform, has closed a $10 million Series A round of funding, led by TTV Capital.

Social Auto Transport aims to connect the gig economy with car dealers to help improve the customer service experience.

Grocery is the only retail segment that has maintained (and even grown) its e-commerce penetration since peak levels in March, indicating the new normal is already here. The new normal is a much higher level of online demand, and grocers are getting wise about their fulfillment methods.

Bringg is now offering its retail customers the ability to leverage Uber’s vast driver fleet to help fulfill e-commerce orders.

UPS takes part in a business panel on why Congress should support last-mile delivery and electric vehicles.

German drone manufacturer Wingcopter has raised $22 million, with plans to expand health care-related delivery programs and build a U.S. facility.

Retailers with physical footprints have been able to leverage new modes of fulfillment to pass increased costs associated with online delivery to consumers and their suppliers. But for digitally-native brands without access to physical stores, this could be painful should it become the new normal. If you ask FedEx, it already has.

Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce chief, Marc Lore, departs with the company well positioned, but with a mixed bag of results.

Instacart is cutting approximately 1,800 in-store shoppers nationwide as it moves to a technology-focused “Partner Pick” model.

The past 12 to 18 months have been nothing short of spectacular for Peloton. It has cemented itself as a prominent fitness brand with a base of fiercely loyal customers while growing revenues 233% yoy in Q3. But the company has outkicked its coverage and capped potential growth due to its supply chain constraints and lack of visibility.

A St. Louis restaurant is alleging that DoorDash purposely drove customers away from its location and to other area restaurants that used its services.

Walmart will begin using drones from Zipline International to run a pilot delivery program along the Arkansas and Missouri border this summer.

Despite losing momentum sequentially for the last three months of the year, holiday sales grew 8.3% year-over-year. The surprising data is further evidence of the resilience of the American consumer, and the ability for retailers to influence how and when people shop.

As global e-commerce soars, businesses are looking for solutions that enable seamless payment options designed for local markets. Payments technology firm PPRO just raised $180 million to help design local payment solutions.

Pitney Bowes’ Jason Dies said SMBs need not be sitting ducks for higher parcel-shipping expenses.

General Motors will spend $800 million to make a plant in Ingersoll, Canada the home of its first electric commercial delivery vans.

The FAA has given its first approval to a drone operator to fly autonomous drones outside the visual line of sight of the operator, moving the industry one step closer to potential drone deliveries.

The levy will apply to customers tendering 30,000 weekly parcels from Jan. 4 to Jan. 31.

Three-judge panel upholds determination by FMCSA that the agency preempts California’s meal/rest break rules

The California Supreme Court rules the ABC test can be a factor in new and old worker classification litigation. If AB5 is lifted in California, it will add to the growing role for the B prong in the state’s trucking sector

When he tried to sell GM’s iconic Hummer brand to the Chinese a decade ago, Jim Taylor never imagined he would import tiny electric delivery van bodies from China to finish in the plant that spawned the hulking SUV.

Recent analysis from Gartner shows retailers with more than 50% of revenue from the online channel have logistics costs as a percentage of sales that are almost double those of their store-focused counterparts.

As retailers faced a decline in customers during COVID-19 lockdowns, many turned to scanning applications to help meet a surge in online orders.

More people did their holiday shopping online, driving up global e-commerce transactions 24% in December compared to 2019, according to new data.

Walmart will test a temperature-controlled box from HomeValet that enables home deliveries of groceries while ensuring those products remain fresh and safe for consumption.

COVID changed consumer behaviors and the result has been a growing realization the supply chain is no longer proactive but rather reactive to quickly shifting consumer demands.

The growing e-commerce and shop-at-home categories are opening up new expansion opportunities for fulfillment companies like Amware Fulfillment.

General Motors has created a new battery-electric first-to-last-mile business eyeing an $850 billion delivery market. Following a second pilot program, FedEx Express is slated to get the first 500 units of the EV600.

French company Scallog is partnering with Bastian Solutions to bring “goods-to-person” robotics to North American e-commerce warehouses.
French company Scallog is partnering with Bastian Solutions to bring “goods-to-person” robotics to North American e-commerce warehouses.

This is an excerpt from Monday’s Point of Sale retail supply chain newsletter. The UK grocery supermarket sector was once highly oligopolistic, but in recent years, European brands have expanded […]

The Postal Service’s Priority Mail Cubic may be the best value in parcel shipping, for those who qualify for it.

Bed, Bath & Beyond reported EPS of less than half consensus estimates. CEO Mark Tritton pointed to tight shipping capacity and elevated freight costs for the miss. Get used to hearing this.

Owners of Chrysler, Ram and other FCA vehicles can now use a Grubhub app through their in-vehicle dashboards to place online food orders.

Canadian last-mile delivery company partners with California’s Royale EV to electrify vehicle fleets.

Traffic is expected to spike 23% compared to the highest-volume period in last year’s peak.

A rideshare drivers union that has helped push up wages and benefits for gig economy workers in New York City has expanded to Chicago.

Albertsons, subsidiaries turn to alternatives such as DoorDash

Workhorse Group booked its biggest order for its electric delivery vans, but the deal requires the company to come through on time starting this July — maybe.

FedEx Corp.had announced acquisition of e-commerce platform ShopRunner earlier this month.

UPS cuts parcel-induction levies much deeper than FedEx, starting mid-January.

Amazon had to close a facility in New Jersey when the COVID infection rate increased.

FedEx shares get hammered despite record performance at Express and LTL units. The focus is on lagging margins at FedEx Ground.

Shares take a hard hit in after-hours trade despite blowout fiscal second-quarter results across the board.

Business-to-business exemption may play key role if trucking falls under employee classification law

U.K.-based Arrival picks Charlotte, North Carolina, as its North American headquarters. It’s a 30-minute drive from its planned microfactory in South Carolina and close to UPS, a major customer for its electric vans.

Motiv Power is adding to its order book for medium-duty electrified chassis and generating revenue. Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) interest is growing.

The inside-out design of Canoo electric delivery vehicle means it could have many appearances as public trading for the $600 million SPAC-sponsored startup nears.

The legality of AB5 in the California trucking sector is hurtling down two tracks, but the fight against it has been set back

State laws are preempted by federal hours-of-service regulations, agency finds.

Electric delivery van maker Workhorse Group draws tough questions from analysts following battery supply issue and lack of deliveries to UPS.