Technology

Uber is in talks with Middle Eastern on-demand cab hailing rival Careem for an acquisition deal that is expected to be made public this week.

Big data is opening up opportunities for shippers of all sizes, and used properly, it can help reduce shipping rates and improve customer service.

Venture investing in autonomous vehicles continues to heat up, and as startups mature expect late stage investing to increase.

The contradiction between the federal and state regulations on growing and distributing marijuana could be alleviated by bringing trustability into pot supply chains. This can be done by adopting blockchain technology which can account for every step of the marijuana logistics process from the field to the consumer’s doorstep.

With widespread adoption and government backing, hydrogen fuel cells could be an economically viable alternative to bunker fuel in the maritime industry, especially after the IMO sulfur cap regulation kicks in by 2020.

Move latest push to expand e-commerce for B2B merchants.

The vehicle intelligence company, closed out the year with eight awards and significant year-over-year growth across transportation, fleet and franchise dealer business units.

Hong Kong-based Tigers, a global transportation and logistics company, is the latest member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). BiTA is developing blockchain standards for the global transportation/logistics/supply chain marketplace.

Kenya-based startup Lori has built a logistics platform that is revolutionising the cargo-transport value chain in Africa by seamlessly connecting cargo owners, shippers and transporters via a digital freight marketplace.

Kargo Technologies is an online freight logistics marketplace that connects commercial shippers with truckers across Indonesia.

Israeli-based maritime startup Orca AI provides uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to prevent ships from colliding with obstacles while at sea.

The BiTA Standards Council has ratified the Alliance’s first data standard in record time. Read about the standard and the foundational framework endorsed by the Council.

The autonomous truck company announced a new vision system that will allow vehicles to operate at night and in low light environments.

The vehicle adds to the increasingly crowded last-mile delivery vehicle space, now featuring robotic, bicycle and scooter entrants.

GT Solutions, a transportation solutions provider based in France, is the latest member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). BiTA is developing blockchain standards for the global transportation/logistics marketplace.

Hyundai, Kia and Ola will collaborate to develop fleet and mobility solutions, electric vehicles and infrastructure specific to the Indian market, they said in a joint statement. This is Hyundai’s and Kia’s biggest combined investment, and also is Hyundai’s first venture into fleet vehicles.

Bendix is now making its advanced safety systems available for retrofit for models where it was not factory-installed. Plus, U.S. finds little support for postal rate changes, detention time increasing and air cargo boom may be over.

As cities witness the steady rise in vehicle inflow on their streets, city administrations would have to contend with two primary issues – prevalence of parking spots and the regular occurrence of traffic jams. Traffic micro-simulation models suggest a new regulatory scheme that might offer some respite.

“It’s an elegant, beautiful, simple solution for storing energy, so much better than batteries. You break down water; you put it back together.”

I.D. Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDSY) announced its acquisition of Pointer Telocation Ltd. (NASDAQ: PNTR; TASE: PNTR) on March 14 in a transaction valued at approximately $140 million.

Through this acquisition, Omnitracs will work towards creating a truly unified driver experience through its next release Omnitracs One, expected to be unveiled late this year.

Uber and Waymo are admitting they don’t want to commit the resources necessary for autonomous tech to be commercially viable.

The Leaf platform allows shippers and carriers to enter into so-called “forward contracts” – the buying and selling of future transportation capacity.

Recently uncovered case files from the Waymo vs Otto trade secret theft case, reveal Uber’s optimism with self-driving cars in 2016, which included the company envision running 75,000 self-driving vehicles across 13 cities by 2022.

Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) has published its inaugural blockchain standards, with the consortium trusting the framework would act as a springboard for companies within the industry to develop blockchain-related applications.

Cities witness an increasing number of smart and connected vehicles on its roads, making it extremely crucial for the transportation ecosystem to wake up to the reality of auto cyberattacks.

The audience brought up ‘the trolley problem’ and the productivity gains of Level 4 autonomous trucks.

Volvo has started testing connected vehicle technology in California, plus Michigan governor pitches fuel tax hike, California legislator wants to phase out diesel engines and Alibaba buys into delivery company.

Bumble Bee Foods is now using the SAP cloud platform blockchain service to trace the journey of yellowfin tuna from the Indonesian ocean to the consumers’ dinner table.

Technology is quickly turning vehicles into mobile communications devices and that always-on connectivity is driving new efficiencies for fleets of all sizes.

MatchBack Systems provides an innovative approach to manage shipping container costs and improve efficiency optimization through the use of matchbacks.

Modern transportation management systems (TMS) have lowered the cost while increasing the power of the solutions, opening doors for shippers of all sizes to benefit.

The FinEst Bay Area has secured a $17 billion financing for the world’s longest undersea tunnel between Finland and Estonia from a large Chinese private equity firm. This is yet another example of the Chinese interest in European infrastructure, a possible extension to their grand OBOR initiative.

CargoX and dexFreight, the two blockchain logistics companies will collaborate in offering digital bill of lading solutions and cost-effective logistics operations.

Two days after a report concluded that none of the world’s 20 biggest publicly traded airlines is doing enough to tackle climate change, executives from Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines said the sustainable jet fuel supply chain has a long way to go before airlines could transition away from conventional energy sources.

Minnesota’s Tom Emmer sees blockchain hype giving way to reality and more widespread use of the technology taking hold – as long as Congress helps clear a path.

“The Marines have embraced this because it saves lives and makes them the most lethal, most effective fighting force the world has ever known.”

OLIMP is a platform that connects shippers and carriers to provide cross docking, on demand warehousing and last mile delivery. 

An Indianapolis construction fleet has leveraged Verizon Connect’s telematics solution to drive more efficiencies in dispatching, maintenance and fuel tax rebates for off-road diesel use.

International and Mack both announced new service offerings designed to improve the customer experience and operational effectiveness of their respective vehicles.

Aviation apps are gaining popularity among pilots, and the ForeFlight product has gained significant traction in business aviation.

Smaller fleets see best growth in driver capacity, but shippers only tap them once in a while, creating more volatility.

Asset Balance Solutions is the latest member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). BiTA just released the first blockchain standard for the freight/logistics/supply chain industries.

Last-mile delivery network aggregator Shipsi announced a new roster of ecommerce and retail partners across the U.S. to support and fuel its march towards the future of retail.

VayaVision, a startup that develops perception software for autonomous vehicles, today announced that they are the recipient of a €2.45 million SME Instrument Grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to support its expansion into the European market.

BLOC recently collaborated with mining company BHP, Japanese shipping company NYK, and biofuel company GoodFuels, to deliver sustainable biofuel to the BHP-chartered, NYK-owned bulk carrier – all via BLOC’s blockchain fuels assurance platform.

Innovations in last-mile delivery continue, but each faces challenges to widespread adoption, although UPS, which will trial Thor electric trucks, encourages fleets to test out new technologies.

KoBold Metals’ algos analyze geological data to find untapped sources of cobalt ore.

The China Post and Deppon Express will begin autonomous package delivery in April using technology developed by FABU, a self-driving startup based in China and the U.S.

Happy Returns has unveiled a self-service return solution that would allow shoppers to return items at the storefront – eliminating the need for them to return items through a laborious mail process that is the norm today.

Columbia Transport, based in Italy, joins the Blockchain in Transport Alliance.

Truck Spot is an app that helps truckers sub-lease parking spots on an hourly or daily basis and make sure they do not run out of options to park their trucks at the end of their HOS, or when they want to take a break.

Trucking-as-a-service is poised to break out into 5x growth over the next five years, says Frost & Sullivan.

Transportation-as-a-service will have a huge 2019, and Lyft is kicking it off.

Flashback Fridays previews the soon-to-open Freight Alley Haul of Fame and showcases four trucking companies that contributed to the history of trucking.

Technologies can help prevent rollovers, but a new startup company believes influencing driver behavior is the best approach to preventing rollovers.

Worklete helps frontline workers in the logistics ecosystem to avoid workplace injuries by focusing on their body movement and the way they interact with the environment.

The Nikola Motor Company announced that Mark Russell has joined its executive management team as president. According to Nikola’s press release, Russell will manage the company’s production of new zero-emission vehicles.

Dale Chrystie of FedEx was elected as the first chair of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) Standards Council (BiTAS), during its February Board of Directors meeting.

DAC, a Polish software development and hardware integration company, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), the largest commercial blockchain partnership in the world.

In partnership with Reliance Partners …Cargo theft is a threat for warehousing operations, and visualizing floor operations using 3D interactive maps could be a easier way out for security to pinpoint locations and movement of items in the warehouse space.

Scanlog, a Scandinavian logistics company will use ShipChain’s technology to improve visibility into its trucking operations, and plans to monitor up to a dozen Scanlog trucks by the end of the year.

dexFreight introduced the Early Adopters Program, through which companies that sign up will have exclusive access to early release versions of the dexFreight platform, and have the opportunity to interact with dexFreight’s development and product teams. 

Onfleet won the first annual RTech supply chain innovation award for its online dashboard application. The application’s software assists businesses to manage in-house deliveries, as well as managing outsourced last-mile deliveries.

Start-up is latest seeking to automate the fraught process of securing truck capacity with its test bed at busiest port in U.S.

Compliance issues can result in large fines for companies, which is why some companies find outsourcing compliance programs to experts can be a financial win.

As the U.S. government works to ease restrictions on where drones can fly, they could become an attractive target for hackers.

Project44 announced on February 25 that it had partnered with U.S. Bankcorp (NYSE: USB) to integrate its Advanced Visibility Platform into U.S. Bank’s freight payment solution. The announcement was made at the 2019 Link retail supply chain conference in Orlando.

Redwood Logistics spoke on the importance of technology in the retail supply chain at the 2019 LINK supply chain conference in Orlando.

Trella is a Cairo-based startup that is looking to optimize truckers’ routes so they’re no longer driving empty by connecting them with shippers across Egypt.

Crawford’s mission is to secure large enterprise customers, grow the company aggressively, and prepare for the next stage in the venture capital cycle.

Convey showcased its self-service delivery appointment scheduling platform at the 2019 LINK supply chain conference in Orlando.

The Motiv EPIC all-electric chassis will be installed on Ford F-59 glider chassis at a Detroit Custom Chassis plant. Also, Colorado passes bill lowering the commercial truck driving age and the Port of Long Beach sees near-record volumes.

Cold supply chains suffer from opacity in their operations, which could turn disastrous especially during handoffs – when products are left unattended and might slip out of the prescribed conditions it needs to be stored under. Technology like IoT sensors and blockchain could help companies to monitor their cargo movement better.

Sponsored by Redwood LogisticsThe deployment of technology solutions requires many steps, but using a provider that offers an open systems architecture approach can help ease the transition, eliminating both time and cost.

Worldwide customs and logistics software provider WiseTech Global has today announced the acquisition of Containerchain, a provider of a shipping container tracking and managing systems for AU$92 million (just over USD$65.8 million) in cash.

FreightWaves has closed $20 million in Series B funding from large strategic investors including Hearst Ventures, Prologis Ventures, and Revolution Ventures

Microdea is an Ontario-based company that digitalizes documentation and automates back office processes to make them more efficient, seamless, and less wasteful.

Now Group, an autonomous mobility services company created by a partnership between BMW and Daimler, is expected to shape the future of urban mobility and benefit from the opportunities offered by digitalization, shared services, and increasing mobility needs of consumers.

It is said that moving freight is all about relationships. If that is true, what value does a routing guide provide? A great deal, it turns out.

US Xpress (NYSE: USX) showcased its competency-aligned driver simulator program at the 2019 LINK supply chain conference in Orlando.

Today, everything about your business – your brand, all your customer sales and service interactions, your transparency and accessibility – are part of the consideration set of the customer, and that means a different approach to selling.

At least 40 percent of drivers are still using AOBRDs, and nearly 80 percent of those don’t plan to switch to ELDs until the second half of 2019, just ahead of the deadline.

Unpredictable demand, expectations of a high service level, and labor scarcity are the most significant challenges that face logistics today, and it is crucial for warehouses to face up to it by having the right mix of automation and human resources on its floor.

VC-backed freight forwarder wants to expand geographic coverage and add freight expertise after latest cash infusion.

Goods that are stuck at the borders would have to be declared at customs before entering the UK. The magnitude of the declarations would mean long queues at the port, and the U.K. government has reason to believe that blockchain could help avoid that.

Up-and-coming freight forwarder aims to flip script in how to reach customers and Japanese fund is on board for that.

Hong Kong-based Lalamove promises same-day deliveries in under an hour. The company has just closed a $300 million round of funding to expand its geographic footprint further.

Digital upstarts have scored a lot of downloads, but their apps still aren’t as sticky as the incumbents.

Hurricane Katrina was a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions during the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, but it also served as an early example of how useful crowd-sourcing and satellite imagery can be in disaster response.

Flexible automation in warehouses is about maintaining floor robots that are mobile, scalable based on demand volatility, and equipped to collaborate with humans for optimizing operations.

Sydney, Australia-headquartered customs and logistics software provider WiseTech Global yesterday released details of massive increases in revenues and profits. ASX-listed WiseTech reported that total revenues increased by 68 percent.

Pointivo, an Atlanta-based startup that makes artificial intelligence 3D analytics technology, has closed a Series A funding round of $7 million.

Ecommerce is revolutionizing the way supply chains work, with predictive analytics and warehouse optimization playing a huge role in keeping up with consumer expectations.

GreyOrange announced a AI-powered modular sortation system that provides flexible automation in modern distribution and logistics centers, and can sort close to 12,000 parcels per hour.

SIMBA Chain has raised $500,000 in a pre-seed financing round, according to PR Newswire. Backers of the round include Elevate Ventures, the Notre Dame Pit Road Fund, Tracy Graham (chief executive officer of Data Reality) and Hari Agarwal (chief executive officer of AECI International).

Shippers responded to tight capacity and high rates in 2018 by turning to managed transportation providers, and if the predictions for 2019 come true, they will likely continue down this path.

China leads the world in adopting futuristic transport technology and transit models – like electric vehicles and mobility as a service (MaaS). McKinsey believes that the trend would continue in autonomous driving niche as well.

When Daimler Trucks North America introduced its 2020 model year Freightliner New Cascadia. all attention was focused on the eye-opening headline: it is a Level 2 autonomous truck. While that is the sexy part of the truck, an even sexier headline for fleets should be the advances in fuel efficiency in the new model.

Haulynx adds the turn-by-turn navigation feature to its software app, integrating it with the smart load matching algorithm it was previously offering. Based on the available hours of service, geographic location, and truck type, Haulynx will suggest loads that can maximize truck capacity utility.