DC Velocity - June 2018

inbound

Here’s a deceptively simple question: What is your vision for the future of delivery, and how must transportation management systems (TMS) evolve to keep up?

TMS provider MercuryGate International Inc. recently posed that puzzler to graduate and undergraduate supply chain students at more than 60 colleges and universities, offering prizes to top finishers in its “University Future of Delivery” essay contest. The contest was open to students at schools that participate in the MercuryGate University (MGU) program, an initiative that provides colleges and universities with free access to MercuryGate’s software for classroom and research purposes.

When all the entries were in, Danielle Hadre, a Maine Maritime Academy graduate student, was declared the winner, claiming the top prize of $5,000. Brittany Gardner of Texas A&M was named runner-up and took home $3,000. Both authors were lauded for their answers to the essay question, which also asked them to include an analysis of the forces and technologies that are likely to shape the supply chain, logistics, and transportation fields over the next 10-plus years.

“[The winners’] essays and the many others we received exemplify the next generation’s profound understanding of the speed at which technology is evolving and how our world is changing,” MercuryGate CEO and co-found-er Monica Wooden said in a statement. “Autonomous vehicles, drones, 3-D printing, and the Amazon effect on the supply chain were all dominant topics in the work that was submitted, reflecting the students’ awareness of key factors shaping the future.”

Students predict future of transportation
industry

Whether it’s a humble cardboard carton or a sophisticated temperature-controlled case, product packaging rarely gets its day in the sun. Now, one provider is looking to give packaging its proper due by hosting a photography contest of snapshots showing its products in use.

Pelican Products Inc., a maker of high-performance protective cases and temperature-controlled packaging solutions for professionals and outdoor enthusiasts, has invited its customers to enter its Ultimate Photo Contest.

Contestants are asked to submit pictures
showcasing Pelican products in several different categories, including “Best On
the Job Image” and “Best Adventure/Travel Image.”
Fan voting will determine each month’s winner of a $1,500 prize bundle,
while the grand prize winner will win $2,500 worth of Pelican gear and have
his or her photo published in a Pelican ad in Outside magazine. Check out the
company’s website ( www.pelican.com) to view a gallery of submissions and
vote for your favorites.

Packaging takes center stage

One of the prime directives given to truck drivers is to safeguard your cargo. Most of the time, that simply entails following safe driving practices and remembering to lock up the vehicle at rest stops.

However, an Oregon trucker went above and beyond expectations when he recently became lost in the woods outside Pendleton, Ore., for four days after an errant GPS led him off course. Despite being stranded in a remote location without food or water, the driver never touched his tasty freight—a load of potato chips, according to published reports.

Truck driver Jacob Cartwright’s adventure began in April when he was forced to abandon his truck after it skidded dangerously close to an embankment, according to the reports. Figuring it was unsafe to try to move the vehicle, Cartwright, a 22-year-old employee of La Grande, Ore.-based Little Trees Transportation, got out and walked.

Over the next three days, he trekked 21 miles through the woods, sleeping on the ground and crossing mountain peaks to reach the nearest major road— Interstate 84. Once he reached the highway, he was able to hitchhike home. Cartwright’s truck was later recovered with its load intact.

Asked by his boss why he didn’t eat some of the chips for sustenance, the driver said he relied on his upbringing. “That stuff’s worth something, that’s the load—I’m not gonna touch it,” trucking company owner Roy Henry said Cartwright told him. “That’s the way he was raised, that stuff’s not yours, you don’t touch it.”