Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.
Semiautomated truck caravans could be plying American highways by 2020—and completely unmanned trucks could join them by 2025—if technology continues to evolve at current rates, according to a study by the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.
These driver-assisted—or eventually driverless—trucks could help logistics and fleet-management professionals deliver valuable loads with lower costs and improved safety, thanks to faster reaction time for collision-avoidance situations, the firm said.
However, planners face several challenges first, such as installing sensors and networks into a "smart driving environment" and developing reliable vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, according to the report titled "The Future of Mobile Robots in Logistics."
"All of this is a possible reality because we are seeing a lot of development in deploying intelligent traffic management systems," Archana Vidyasekar, the team lead for Frost & Sullivan's Visionary Innovation Research Group, said in a webcast last week. "We're seeing cities and urban areas taking concrete steps toward creating some sort of essential operating platform to control every aspect of the city, especially traffic and vehicles."
The foundation for autonomous trucks is being laid in warehouses as logistics companies find increasing applications for robots, she said. Current examples include the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) seen following preset magnetic tracks through many warehouses and the bright-orange drive units made for Amazon.com Inc.'s distribution centers by Kiva Systems, the company Amazon acquired in 2012 for $775 million and recently rebranded as Amazon Robotics.
Most current autonomous truck applications operate at the semiautomated grade, the first of three automation levels, Vidyasekar said. This "level one" semiautomation relies on familiar 21st-century automotive technology such as keyless entry, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electric power steering, braking systems, parking brakes, and throttle control.
Highly automated "level-two" vehicles will add a suite of capabilities, such as redundant computer backup to ensure network connectivity, basic self-driving capability, and adaptive cruise control that could slow down the vehicle when its intersection assistance program detects merging traffic lanes.
Several companies are experimenting with using level-two automation. These include the fleet of Google Inc. cars navigating the streets of Mountain View, Calif., and the "Freightliner Inspiration Truck," a self-steering 18-wheeler prototype unveiled in May by Daimler Trucks North America LLC. Caravans of these level-two trucks could be cruising U.S. roads as soon as 2020, using vehicle-to-vehicle communications and radar-based active braking systems to follow one another very closely.
To ensure safe operations, the entire chain of trucks could stop very quickly because they would all apply their brakes automatically the instant the lead vehicle detected any sort of collision or obstacle—slowing down more quickly than human perception and reaction time allow, Frost & Sullivan says.
The final step will be "level-three" automation, relying on a fully autonomous vehicle that is capable of performing all trucking functions without a human on board at any point.
"For level three to work, we need not only the vehicle technology but also the communication networks to talk to each other, with a convergence of vehicle technologies like assisted driving with vehicle-to-vehicle communication infrastructure," Vidyasekar said in the webcast.
This full autonomy could be achieved in 10-15 years if current trends continue. Those trends include sophisticated vehicle technologies, the communication infrastructure, the availability of geographic information systems (GIS), and wireless connectivity.
"If there is a clear path for these technologies to develop and for these driving assistance systems to merge with these infrastructure systems, I think automated trucks and automated fleet-management systems could very well be a reality," Vidyasekar said.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Aptean said the move will add new capabilities to its warehouse management and supply chain management offerings for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and 3PLs. Aptean currently provides enterprise resource planning (ERP), transportation management systems (TMS), and product lifecycle management (PLM) platforms.
Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Durham, U.K., Indigo Software provides software designed for mid-market organizations, giving users real-time visibility and management from the initial receipt of stock all the way through to final dispatch of the finished product. That enables organizations to optimize an array of warehouse operations including receiving, storage, picking, packing, and shipping, the firm says.
Specific sectors served by Indigo Software include the food and beverage, fashion and apparel, fast moving consumer goods, automotive, manufacturing, 3PL, chemicals, and wholesale / distribution verticals.
Schneider says its FreightPower platform now offers owner-operators significantly more access to Schneider’s range of freight options. That can help drivers to generate revenue and strengthen their business through: increased access to freight, high drop and hook rates of over 95% of loads, and a trip planning feature that calculates road miles.
“Collaborating with owner-operators is an important component in the success of our business and the reliable service we can provide customers, which is why the network has grown tremendously in the last 25 years,” Schneider Senior Vice President and General Manager of Truckload and Mexico John Bozec said in a release. "We want to invest in tools that support owner-operators in running and growing their businesses. With Schneider FreightPower, they gain access to better load management, increasing their productivity and revenue potential.”
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Mode Global said it will now assume Jillamy's comprehensive logistics and freight management solutions, while Jillamy's warehousing, packaging and fulfillment services remain unchanged. Under the agreement, Mode Global will gain more than 200 employees and add facilities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland, and Ontario to its existing national footprint.
Chalfont, Pennsylvania-based Jillamy calls itself a 3PL provider with expertise in international freight, intermodal, less than truckload (LTL), consolidation, over the road truckload, partials, expedited, and air freight.
"We are excited to welcome the Jillamy freight team into the Mode Global family," Lance Malesh, Mode’s president and CEO, said in a release. "This acquisition represents a significant step forward in our growth strategy and aligns perfectly with Mode's strategic vision to expand our footprint, ensuring we remain at the forefront of the logistics industry. Joining forces with Jillamy enhances our service portfolio and provides our clients with more comprehensive and efficient logistics solutions."
In addition to its flagship Clorox bleach product, Oakland, California-based Clorox manages a diverse catalog of brands including Hidden Valley Ranch, Glad, Pine-Sol, Burt’s Bees, Kingsford, Scoop Away, Fresh Step, 409, Brita, Liquid Plumr, and Tilex.
British carbon emissions reduction platform provider M2030 is designed to help suppliers measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions. The new partnership aims to advance decarbonization throughout Clorox's value chain through the collection of emissions data, jointly identified and defined actions for reduction and continuous upskilling.
The program, which will record key figures on energy, will be gradually rolled out to several suppliers of the company's strategic raw materials and packaging, which collectively represents more than half of Clorox's scope 3 emissions.
M2030 enables suppliers to regularly track and share their progress with other customers using the M2030 platform. Suppliers will also be able to export relevant compatible data for submission to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global disclosure system to manage environmental data.
"As part of Clorox's efforts to foster a cleaner world, we have a responsibility to ensure our suppliers are equipped with the capabilities necessary for forging their own sustainability journeys," said Niki King, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Clorox Company. "Climate action is a complex endeavor that requires companies to engage all parts of their supply chain in order to meaningfully reduce their environmental impact."
According to New Orleans-based LongueVue, the “strategic rebranding” brings together the complementary capabilities of these three companies to form a vertically integrated flexible packaging leader with expertise in blown film production, flexographic printing, adhesive laminations, and converting.
“This unified platform enables us to provide our customers with greater flexibility and innovation across all aspects of packaging," Joe Piccione, CEO of Innotex, said in a release. "As we continue to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of the industry, we look forward to delivering exceptional solutions and service."