To address the safety issues in chocking trailer tires, Rite-Hite has released a Global Wheel Chock that, when paired with Approach-Vu, audibly and visibly alerts personnel that a trailer is approaching. The chocking system integrates with the Dok-Lok Style Light Communication System and is available with Rite-Vu auxiliary communication lights, approach detection system, and camera engagement verification to improve loading dock safety.
The Kalmar ChargePod charges electric forklift trucks inside a standard 20-foot container. Users can charge two sets of forklift truck batteries simultaneously, and the container is insulated to make it suitable for use in both cold and hot climates, with AC cooling available as an option.
Sonoco ThermoSafe’s new Pegasus ULD is the world’s first passive bulk temperature-controlled container for pharmaceutical use that is a Federal Aviation Administration-approved unit load device. Engineered with composite materials, the Pegasus ULD is lighter and more damage-resistant than traditional metal containers. The FAA approval allows the container to quickly and economically move through international ground handling and customs processes.
RFID tag maker Confidex’s new Carrier HF 25x25mm RFID label is designed for use on washable, returnable transport items. The label withstands washing processes and can be printed and encoded with standard RFID printers or be ordered pre-personalized.
Protective packaging provider Storopack introduced FOAMplus 5504RC packaging foam, a lightweight polyurethane foam with renewable content. Weighing 0.30 pounds per cubic foot, the foam consists of a sugar-based material and expands and takes the shape of the packaged goods as it hardens to provide shock absorption, cushioning, and void filling for heavy goods.
DeltaTrak’s enhanced FlashLink Dry Ice USB PDF In-Transit Logger can record in a -82°C (-115.6°F) environment and is designed for dry ice shipments of time- and temperature-sensitive materials. The loggers continuously monitor and record temperature conditions during shipping, storage, and handling throughout the cold chain.
Autonomous mobile robot maker Geek+ introduced the S100C large-size package sorting robot, which has high-speed control belts to process two items in one go. It can handle a variety of goods, making it ideal for distribution centers and cross-docking facilities. Equipped with an independent rotating control chassis and collision avoidance, the S100C can navigate narrow spaces.
ORBIS’s new Odyssey plastic pallet is designed for heavy-duty racking applications. The 40-by-48-inch Odyssey pallet can rack loads up to 2,800 pounds in unsupported racking and provides stability with design features such as optional steel reinforcements and molded-in frictional elements.
Technology
6 River Systems (6RS), part of Shopify, has enhanced its fulfillment solution to help warehouse operators improve site management and gain transparency across multiple sites. To provide visibility, 6RS developed The Bridge, a tool that connects warehouse data operation to a cloud-based control center.
Cargo shippers can now connect their operating platforms directly to Delta Cargo using the air carrier’s new free API. This connective technology lets shippers book and track their shipments from their own platforms, sending and receiving real-time requests directly to Delta.
Transflo partnered with InMotion Global, the provider of AscendTMS, to deliver enhanced digital capabilities to SMB shippers through the Transflo app. Transflo customers receive a full subscription to AscendTMS at no cost for 90 days.
The SAP Logistics Business Network added new over-the-road and ocean visibility capabilities, improving end-to-end supply chain visibility for shippers and logistics service providers. The enhancements, resulting from the partnership between SAP and visibility solutions provider project44, expand B2B connectivity for truckload and less-than-truckload freight contracting.
WMS provider SnapFulfil lets shippers “go configure” with SnapBuddy, a digital adoption platform. The integrated platform provides guidance on how to perform key processes within the WMS, as customers work on a live system without loss of productivity.
Air-City and SEKO Logistics now offer shippers fully trackable, 20-22 day, door-to-door deliveries across the United States for inbound ocean shipments from China, Asia, and Australasia that qualify under the $800 de minimus threshold. SEKO Logistics runs Air-City, which launched the international parcel delivery service after gaining approval from U.S. Customs & Border Protection to process ocean imports through SEKO’s container freight station in Long Beach, California.
Distribution and warehouse facilities have a way to address the surge in bulky, irregularly shaped items: The new Hyster T7ZAC Heavyweight Handler. The truck simplifies the unloading and transportation of flat-pack and odd-shaped items by using a ground-level platform that slides under items in tandem with a long, tilting load backrest to pick up and support items during transport.
Packaging and crating technologies manufacturer PACT launched Thermo Shield, a paper-based, fire-resistant shipping wrap designed to prevent battery explosions during transport. Thermo Shield utilizes a new technology that actively cools the internal environment of a corrugated container. The 100% recyclable protective product prevents damage to the outside shipping container, suppresses fumes or gases, and limits external oxygen supply.
Services
Ingram Micro Commerce & Lifecycle Services added seven warehouses to its 3PL network to bolster order fulfillment services for retailers in vertical markets including consumer electronics, nutrition, health & beauty, beverages, and fashion.
LTL provider Southeastern Freight Lines launched final-mile service across 89 service centers via a fleet of more than 350 trucks. Southeastern’s final-mile trucks are the smallest in its fleet, offering delivery to residences, freestanding retail stores, strip malls, and locations where a dock is not available.
3PL Langham Logistics is opening a new cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) warehouse facility in Phoenix, Arizona, to be available to life sciences companies beginning January 2021. The 151,000-square-foot space offers 3,500 controlled-room-temperature pallet spaces, 1,000 spaces at 2°C to 8°C (35.6°F to 46.4°F), and 100 spaces for ultra-low freezer temperature ranges.
Transfesa Logistics launched a weekly route to transport olive oil to Belgium from two points of origin in Spain: Seville and Malaga. The company’s road and rail network supports the door-to-door service.
Expedited transport provider time:matters Americas added 11 airports to its U.S. domestic same-day air network, bringing the number of available stations to 100. Served by carriers such as American Airlines and United Airlines, the service offers transit times of 45 minutes and upward for shipments weighing up to 200 pounds.
LTL services provider Dayton Freight Lines opened a service center in Elgin, Illinois, alleviating freight constraints at surrounding centers located in Des Plaines, Joliet, and Rockford. The 99,640-square-foot facility, built on an 18-acre lot, supports increased demand from shippers in the Chicago market.
Transportation
DHL Global Forwarding launched an airfreight charter connecting Asia Pacific to Europe and the United States to meet demand from shippers in the technology, manufacturing, and life sciences and healthcare sectors. Managed by StarBroker, DHL Global Forwarding’s in-house charter team, the twice-weekly charter originates from Chongqing, China, and flies to Amsterdam, Netherlands; Chicago; and Incheon, South Korea, before returning to China.
Yang Ming Marine Transport expanded its Intra-Asia service network by extending its Japan—Taiwan—South China Express (JTS) service to Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The upgraded JTS service began Oct. 21, 2020, and employs four 2,800 TEU class vessels on a 28-day roundtrip schedule.
ZIM entered the Australian market with a fast service connecting China with major ports in Australia. The new China Australia Express service offers an 11-day transit time from South China to Sydney, calling on Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
cargo-partner expanded its LCL services from Asia to Europe by adding a call at the Mediterranean port of Koper. The new routing via Koper improves connections from India, Thailand, and Vietnam to Europe, allowing containers to be shipped directly without reloading and providing time savings for shipments to Southern Europe.
To enhance its network coverage in China and India, OOCL added port calls to Xingang and Busan to its China India Express 3 (CIX3) service. The revised CIX3 now directly connects major ports in China, India, and Southeast Asia.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo extended its cargo-only network to Italy, launching twice-weekly services connecting London Heathrow and Milan. The airline runs Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 flights from London every Thursday and Sunday offering approximately 55 tons of cargo capacity per flight to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport.
