DC Velocity - May 2020

Handheld computers, smartphones, tablets, and RFID (radio-frequency
identification) guns have become essential tools in warehouse and logistics
operations in recent years. But now, concern about the devices’ potential for
spreading pathogens has companies doubling down on their efforts to pro-
mote good “device hygiene.”
One such company is logistics services giant UPS Inc., whose parcel delivery
drivers rely on handheld “DIAD” (Delivery Information Acquisition Device)
mobile computers in their daily rounds. As part of its enhanced cleaning and
hygiene protocol, Atlanta-based UPS is now providing sanitizing supplies to
its drivers to keep both their DIADs and their vehicles clean, the company says.

Another is Lincolnshire, Illinois-based device maker Zebra TechnologiesCorp. Thorough disinfection of mobile computers, tablets, printers, scanners,and other devices is critical to infection control in workplaces and publicspaces, the company said in a recent blog post. Zebra is urging employers toenact a device-cleaning policy as soon as possible. “This will help to ensurethat employees are properly disinfecting mobile devices, scanners, printers,and more on a routine basis,” it wrote.

The Boulder, Colorado-based cellphone accessories maker PopSocketsphrased its hygiene advice a little more bluntly: “Clean your damn phone!”was the subject line of an email sent to customers recently by the company,which makes the coin-sized grips people affix to their phones. “It’s no secretthat germs live on phones. And since we touch our phones 2,000 times a day,you can imagine what that means for our hands,” PopSockets wrote. n

Location-monitoring systemvendor BlackBerry Ltd. willoffer an asset-tracking solution to railcar owners, operators, and suppliers througha new partnership with locomotive modernization solution vendor ZTR. By combining their platforms, the firms say they will addressan immediate industry need for a remote railcar-monitoring solution that canwithstand the rugged conditions of the railway, provide greater fleet insights,and operate with extended battery life.

Minneapolis-based ZTR offers railway industry expertise, technical support, and Internet of Things (IoT) experience, while Ottawa, Ontario-basedBlackBerry brings its communication technology, battery management, security, and hardware capabilities to the partnership. Together, the combinedservices create a digital monitoring offering that is an end-to-end solutionfor owners, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), lessors, shippers, andmanagers to achieve increased efficiencies, they said.

The platform is available now through an online dashboard, includinglocation-based services, utilization, motion, mileage, and cargo capacity forrailcars and other nonpowered railway assets. The partnership also extendsBlackBerry’s market, as the company was previously known for providing anasset-tracking solution for the trucking industry. n

NEWSMAKERS

Thomas Cummins has beennamed senior director of global procurement for Synovos, aprovider of MRO (maintenance,repair, and operations) supplychain management services.… Truckload freight marketplace operator DAT Solutionshas welcomed

Ken Adamo, former manager ofdecision scienceand innovationat FedEx CustomCritical, to thecompany as chiefof analytics. … The NuminaGroup, a supplier of automatedwarehouse execution and control systems, has welcomed BobFischer to its system engineeringand delivery team. … Iteris Inc.,a supplier of applied informat-ics for transportation and agriculture, has named Douglas L.Groves senior vice president andchief financial officer. … TheAmerican Waterways Operators,the national trade associationfor the tugboat, towboat, andbarge industry, has promotedJennifer Carpenter to presidentand CEO. … UPS has appointedWes Wheeler, formerly CEO ofUPS subsidiary Marken, as president of UPS’s global Healthcareand Life Sciences (HCLS) unit. …Berkshire Grey, a developer ofartificial intelligence and robotic solutions for e-commerce,retail resupply, and logisticsoperations, has appointed SteveJohnson president and CEO. …Truckload dry van carrier DartTransit Co. has welcomed DaveAbles as its new president andCEO. … Delmar International Inc.,a privately held Canadian-basedglobal supply chain company, hasappointed Daniel Richard Cutlerchief technology officer.