go figure …
3rd
The United States’ rank on DHL’s November “Global Trade
Barometer,” which ranks countries by projected trade growth
over the next three months. The U.S. trails India and South
Korea, but leads China, Japan, Germany, and the U.K.
SOURCE: DHL
XPO says LTL tech
initiatives could
generate $100 million
profit in two years
Transportation and logistics giant XPO
Logistics Inc. has announced four technology initiatives to optimize the flow of
its less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation network in a push to generate a $100
million incremental increase in operating
profit within two years, the company said.
Greenwich, Conn.-based XPO, which
is the second-largest LTL service provider
in North America by revenue—trailing
FedEx Freight and leading Old Dominion
Freight Line—calls the initiatives the core
of its “LTL 2.0 optimization plan.” The initiatives rely on computer algorithms and
artificial intelligence (AI) to squeeze inefficiencies out of the firm’s routes, loads,
and prices.
Two of the innovations are already in the
pilot stage, according to a statement from
XPO Chief Information Officer Mario
Harik. They include a linehaul bypass
model that uses algorithms to assemble
truckloads dedicated to direct movements
of LTL freight, helping trucks avoid making multiple stops at a single destination.
Also in pilot mode is an artificial intelligence tool that supports dynamic route
optimization for pickup and delivery by
setting the sequence of each LTL driver’s
pickups and deliveries, and then adjusting
those routes based on traffic conditions,
road construction, and other real-time
variables.
Next in XPO’s technology queue will be
a load-building application that applies AI
tools and computer vision sensors to help
cross-dock operators ensure that inbound
pallets are loaded into trailers in the optimal sequence to boost delivery efficiency
and limit damage.
Finally, XPO is developing pricing algorithms that will use machine learning
capabilities to predict LTL price elasticity,
allowing users to forecast market conditions for future dates based on current
supply and demand, historical data, and
XPO’s capacity levels.
Robot manufacturer Universal Robots (UR) said it will hire more
than 20 employees from its former competitor Rethink Robotics,
the maker of the “Baxter” and “Sawyer” collaborative robot (cobot)
models and which unexpectedly shut down in October.
Boston-based Rethink had landed high-profile customers like DHL
Supply Chain, which used the cobots for warehouse packing and
packaging. However, total sales fell short, according to published
reports, and the firm suddenly shut its doors two
months ago.
Denmark-based UR, a division of industrial
automation equipment vendor Teradyne
Inc., will now merge its Boston office with
Rethink’s former headquarters in the
city’s Seaport district.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed,
and UR declined to provide further
details. “We cannot comment on the
financial aspect of this,” a UR spokes-person said in an e-mailed statement.
“UR is acquiring Rethink’s human cap-
ital and its physical location, not its [intel-
lectual property] or any hardware/software.”
However, UR said it will offer a “future-proof roadmap” for cus-
tomers of Rethink’s Baxter and Sawyer models, and is ready to help
those customers transition to UR cobots. UR declined to comment on
whether the merger would affect its future product development
but said it did not plan to change the markets it targets.
“Rethink Robotics—along with Universal Robots—has been a
pioneer in driving and developing the collaborative robotics market
globally,” Universal Robots President Jürgen von Hollen said in a
release. “The company was always a good competitor, which helped
us drive cobot awareness worldwide, and we want to make sure
its customers can continue to fulfill their collaborative automation
initiatives.”
In addition to merging offices and transitioning customers, UR
says it will gain industry value by hiring the former Rethink employ-
ees, who include specialists in engineering, product development,
and customer applications.
Universal Robots acquires 20 employees of
shuttered Rethink Robotics
