18 DC VELOCITY SEPTEMBER 2018 www.dcvelocity.com
newsworthy
Project44 releases software
module for global parcel tracking
Supply chain technology vendor project44 has unveiled a
software module that supports international and domestic
parcel tracking and address validation, continuing the firm’s
expansion into the burgeoning e-commerce sector.
Chicago-based project44’s platform allows shippers, carriers, and third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) to
automatically exchange data by integrating application programming interfaces (APIs) into their software instead of
depending on third-party interfaces like e-mail or formats
like electronic data interchange (EDI).
The company has already released units supporting less-than-truckload (LTL), truckload, rail, and what the firm
calls “volume LTL,” a segment that includes freight shipments occupying between 12 and 28 linear feet of a
trailer. While those previous capabilities are typically applied to business-to-business (B2B) or DC-to-DC shipments, the latest module is
a response to growing market demand for real-time
visibility that spans every mode of shipping, project44
CEO and founder Jett McCandless said in an interview.
That demand comes as project44’s customers are looking for ways to control costs, gain visibility, and automate
their operations. Those customers include both traditional
Fortune 5,000 retailers and the increasing number of manufacturers and distributors that are reinventing themselves
to provide direct-to-consumer (DTC) service, McCandless
said.
Project44’s parcel solution connects those users to more
than 115 carriers in international markets, including FedEx,
UPS, the U.S. Postal Service, DHL, Royal Mail, Hermes,
and Deutsche Post. Additional parcel capacity providers can
become integrated with the network for no charge within
two weeks, the company says.
Creating a uniform data platform spanning multiple
countries “was definitely a heavy lift” for project44, as the
company had to “normalize” data from a wide variety of
languages and nomenclatures, McCandless said. The platform offers a single system that combines data drawn from
sources such as electronic logging devices (ELDs) on trucks
and enterprise resource planning (ERP) and transportation
management system (TMS) software from various vendors.
To support its launch of that new technology, project44
plans to hire some 200 people over the next 18 months,
which would triple the size of the 100-person company in a
short period, McCandless said.
The firm’s fast growth follows news in April that the
company had landed $35 million in funding and unveiled
a software module to support the North American parcel
supply chain.
Power Packaging, a DHL company and contract manufacturer of food and beverage
consumer packaged goods, has celebrated its
50th anniversary. … Crown Equipment Corp.,
a material handling equipment manufacturer, has welcomed Canadian dealer Electro
Mechanical Services to its global service and
distribution network. Crown has also opened
a new sales and service location near Grand
Rapids, Mich. The expanded facility replaces
the previous location. … Conveyor systems
manufacturer Dorner has completed a major
expansion of its facility in Germany, a project that has doubled its production space
and added jobs. … Konexial has donated truck driving simulators along with its
My20 electronic logging devices (ELDs) and
GoLoad dynamic load-matching technology
platform to the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville Haslam College of Business for use
by students in the supply chain management
program. … Toyota Material Handling U.S.A.
has launched an e-commerce website for
equipment sales at toyotaforklift.com/shop.
… Barcoding Inc., a reseller and integrator of supply chain data-capture solutions,
will hold its 8th Executive Forum conference on Oct. 2 at the Turf Valley Resort
in Ellicott City, Md. The event is designed
to give attendees the opportunity to network with their peers and hear from supply
chain experts during breakout sessions. …
Bastian Solutions, a global material handling and robotics systems integrator, has
opened its newest office in Tampa, Fla. …
LoadDelivered, a third-party logistics firm
specializing in food and beverages, has been
acquired by Capstone Logistics, a provider
of outsourced supply chain solutions to DCs
in the grocery, foodservice, retail, and other
industries. … Software developer WiseTech
Global has acquired Taric, a customs management solutions provider in Spain. … In
observation of National Forklift Safety Day
in June, battery charging solutions provider
Ametek Prestolite Power provided guidance
to material handling industry participants at
all levels on how to put safety first in their
forklift fleet operations, including activities
associated with their batteries and chargers.
short takes
