Packaging materials distributor Uline needed help designing a new lighting solution for its Washington warehouse. Cree Lighting was able to illuminate the path forward.
Diane Rand is Associate Editor and has several years of magazine editing and production experience. She previously worked as a production editor for Logistics Management and Supply Chain Management Review. She joined the editorial staff in 2015. She is responsible for managing digital, editorial, and production projects for DC Velocity and its sister magazine, Supply Chain Quarterly.
If you’ve ever worked in a shipping room, you’re probably familiar with Uline and its famous 800+ page catalog. Based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, the company describes itself as North America’s leading distributor of shipping, industrial, and packaging materials. It currently carries more than 37,500 products, ranging from strapping tape and mailing tubes to hand soap and crowd-control barriers.
Last year, the well-known distributor found itself on the other end of the buyer/supplier equation. The company needed a new lighting solution for its 800,000-square-foot warehouse in Lacey, Washington. Specifically, it was looking to replace its metal halide lighting with something brighter, with the end goal of making pickers’ and packers’ jobs easier and ensuring accuracy. Basically, what it wanted was a system that would provide the maximum lighting output allowed by the Washington State Energy Code.
For help with the project, Uline turned to its long-time partner Cree Lighting, a specialist in commercial, industrial, and residential LED lighting. But the two companies quickly realized there would be more to the project than simply choosing replacement lights. They also needed to figure out the advanced controls capabilities. For that, Cree Lighting enlisted Synapse, one of its lighting controls partners, to design wireless controls for its client’s facility.
THE RIGHT LIGHTS
By moving from metal halide luminaires to Cree Lighting's KBL Series units, Uline has saved 50% on its energy output.
The solution they came up with features Cree Lighting’s KBL Series high-bay luminaires integrated with Synapse’s SimplySnap controls. Over the course of the project, a total of 3,014 of the luminaires were installed throughout the facility.
As for their choice of luminaires, the KBL Series units offered advantages on a number of fronts, according to the manufacturer. For one thing, they’re energy-efficient, producing more light while consuming less energy than traditional metal halide fixtures. “The amount of light coming from the KBL Series luminaire sets it apart from other high-bay fixtures on the market,” said Ryan Loggins, project manager for Cree Lighting, in a release. But the light is neither harsh nor blinding, he noted. “Even though [the KBL luminaires are] producing an abundance of light, people working underneath [them] still experience visual comfort in a properly illuminated space that doesn’t cause headaches and is glare-free.”
For another, they’re convenient. The luminaires feature an instant start, so they turn on when needed without delay and have dimming capabilities straight out of the box. They’re also easily customizable: More levels of control—such as occupancy detection, daylight harvesting (which dials back the electric lights when daylight is available), scheduling, and alerts—are available with a wireless control platform to manage the luminaires’ operation.
As for the controls system, Uline had sought a solution that could tie the lighting system into the main building systems and would provide simple easy-to-use controls. The SimplySnap system—a scalable platform that can control up to 10,000 lights, manage multiple gateways from a single user interface, and integrate with a building management system—is designed to do just that.
MULTIPLE BENEFITS
Since installing the new luminaires, Uline has realized several tangible and intangible benefits. For starters, the new lighting system has delivered on Uline’s original goals, improving visibility, accuracy, and quality control, the company says.
Then there are the energy savings. By moving from metal halide luminaires to the KBL Series units, the company has saved 50% on its energy output. It has realized an additional 30% energy savings due to the occupancy-detection feature and another 5% from daylight harvesting. As a result, it is now able to run the facility at approximately 20% of its former operating cost, all while meeting the stringent Washington State Energy Code.
Uline reports that the project went off without a hitch. “The collaboration between the Cree Lighting and Synapse teams has been outstanding,” Mike McConnell, Uline’s director of engineering, said in the release. “They worked together to fine-tune the way in which the Synapse controls are integrated into the lighting product. We’re here today with a partnership that positions us well for the future.”
That future may have already arrived. Based on the Washington project’s success, Uline has since installed Cree Lighting luminaires integrated with Synapse SimplySnap in several other locations, including the warehouse at its Wisconsin headquarters facility.
The Port of Oakland has been awarded $50 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) to modernize wharves and terminal infrastructure at its Outer Harbor facility, the port said today.
Those upgrades would enable the Outer Harbor to accommodate Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs), which are now a regular part of the shipping fleet calling on West Coast ports. Each of these ships has a handling capacity of up to 24,000 TEUs (20-foot containers) but are currently restricted at portions of Oakland’s Outer Harbor by aging wharves which were originally designed for smaller ships.
According to the port, those changes will let it handle newer, larger vessels, which are more efficient, cost effective, and environmentally cleaner to operate than older ships. Specific investments for the project will include: wharf strengthening, structural repairs, replacing container crane rails, adding support piles, strengthening support beams, and replacing electrical bus bar system to accommodate larger ship-to-shore cranes.
Commercial fleet operators are steadily increasing their use of GPS fleet tracking, in-cab video solutions, and predictive analytics, driven by rising costs, evolving regulations, and competitive pressures, according to an industry report from Verizon Connect.
Those conclusions come from the company’s fifth annual “Fleet Technology Trends Report,” conducted in partnership with Bobit Business Media, and based on responses from 543 fleet management professionals.
The study showed that for five consecutive years, at least four out of five respondents have reported using at least one form of fleet technology, said Atlanta-based Verizon Connect, which provides fleet and mobile workforce management software platforms, embedded OEM hardware, and a connected vehicle device called Hum by Verizon.
The most commonly used of those technologies is GPS fleet tracking, with 69% of fleets across industries reporting its use, the survey showed. Of those users, 72% find it extremely or very beneficial, citing improved efficiency (62%) and a reduction in harsh driving/speeding events (49%).
Respondents also reported a focus on safety, with 57% of respondents citing improved driver safety as a key benefit of GPS fleet tracking. And 68% of users said in-cab video solutions are extremely or very beneficial. Together, those technologies help reduce distracted driving incidents, improve coaching sessions, and help reduce accident and insurance costs, Verizon Connect said.
Looking at the future, fleet management software is evolving to meet emerging challenges, including sustainability and electrification, the company said. "The findings from this year's Fleet Technology Trends Report highlight a strong commitment across industries to embracing fleet technology, with GPS tracking and in-cab video solutions consistently delivering measurable results,” Peter Mitchell, General Manager, Verizon Connect, said in a release. “As fleets face rising costs and increased regulatory pressures, these technologies are proving to be indispensable in helping organizations optimize their operations, reduce expenses, and navigate the path toward a more sustainable future.”
Businesses engaged in international trade face three major supply chain hurdles as they head into 2025: the disruptions caused by Chinese New Year (CNY), the looming threat of potential tariffs on foreign-made products that could be imposed by the incoming Trump Administration, and the unresolved contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), according to an analysis from trucking and logistics provider Averitt.
Each of those factors could lead to significant shipping delays, production slowdowns, and increased costs, Averitt said.
First, Chinese New Year 2025 begins on January 29, prompting factories across China and other regions to shut down for weeks, typically causing production to halt and freight demand to skyrocket. The ripple effects can range from increased shipping costs to extended lead times, disrupting even the most well-planned operations. To prepare for that event, shippers should place orders early, build inventory buffers, secure freight space in advance, diversify shipping modes, and communicate with logistics providers, Averitt said.
Second, new or increased tariffs on foreign-made goods could drive up the cost of imports, disrupt established supply chains, and create uncertainty in the marketplace. In turn, shippers may face freight rate volatility and capacity constraints as businesses rush to stockpile inventory ahead of tariff deadlines. To navigate these challenges, shippers should prepare advance shipments and inventory stockpiling, diversity sourcing, negotiate supplier agreements, explore domestic production, and leverage financial strategies.
Third, unresolved contract negotiations between the ILA and the USMX will come to a head by January 15, when the current contract expires. Labor action or strikes could cause severe disruptions at East and Gulf Coast ports, triggering widespread delays and bottlenecks across the supply chain. To prepare for the worst, shippers should adopt a similar strategy to the other potential January threats: collaborate early, secure freight, diversify supply chains, and monitor policy changes.
According to Averitt, companies can cushion the impact of all three challenges by deploying a seamless, end-to-end solution covering the entire path from customs clearance to final-mile delivery. That strategy can help businesses to store inventory closer to their customers, mitigate delays, and reduce costs associated with supply chain disruptions. And combined with proactive communication and real-time visibility tools, the approach allows companies to maintain control and keep their supply chains resilient in the face of global uncertainties, Averitt said.
Bloomington, Indiana-based FTR said its Trucking Conditions Index declined in September to -2.47 from -1.39 in August as weakness in the principal freight dynamics – freight rates, utilization, and volume – offset lower fuel costs and slightly less unfavorable financing costs.
Those negative numbers are nothing new—the TCI has been positive only twice – in May and June of this year – since April 2022, but the group’s current forecast still envisions consistently positive readings through at least a two-year forecast horizon.
“Aside from a near-term boost mostly related to falling diesel prices, we have not changed our Trucking Conditions Index forecast significantly in the wake of the election,” Avery Vise, FTR’s vice president of trucking, said in a release. “The outlook continues to be more favorable for carriers than what they have experienced for well over two years. Our analysis indicates gradual but steadily rising capacity utilization leading to stronger freight rates in 2025.”
But FTR said its forecast remains unchanged. “Just like everyone else, we’ll be watching closely to see exactly what trade and other economic policies are implemented and over what time frame. Some freight disruptions are likely due to tariffs and other factors, but it is not yet clear that those actions will do more than shift the timing of activity,” Vise said.
The TCI tracks the changes representing five major conditions in the U.S. truck market: freight volumes, freight rates, fleet capacity, fuel prices, and financing costs. Combined into a single index indicating the industry’s overall health, a positive score represents good, optimistic conditions while a negative score shows the inverse.
Specifically, the new global average robot density has reached a record 162 units per 10,000 employees in 2023, which is more than double the mark of 74 units measured seven years ago.
Broken into geographical regions, the European Union has a robot density of 219 units per 10,000 employees, an increase of 5.2%, with Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia in the global top ten. Next, North America’s robot density is 197 units per 10,000 employees – up 4.2%. And Asia has a robot density of 182 units per 10,000 persons employed in manufacturing - an increase of 7.6%. The economies of Korea, Singapore, mainland China and Japan are among the top ten most automated countries.
Broken into individual countries, the U.S. ranked in 10th place in 2023, with a robot density of 295 units. Higher up on the list, the top five are:
The Republic of Korea, with 1,012 robot units, showing a 5% increase on average each year since 2018 thanks to its strong electronics and automotive industries.
Singapore had 770 robot units, in part because it is a small country with a very low number of employees in the manufacturing industry, so it can reach a high robot density with a relatively small operational stock.
China took third place in 2023, surpassing Germany and Japan with a mark of 470 robot units as the nation has managed to double its robot density within four years.
Germany ranks fourth with 429 robot units for a 5% CAGR since 2018.
Japan is in fifth place with 419 robot units, showing growth of 7% on average each year from 2018 to 2023.