Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Inbound

Small pallets can make a big impact

Deploying durable reusable pallets can help users meet ESG targets, vendor says.

Small pallets can make a big impact

The humble pallet may not seem like an engine of social change, but according to one pallet vendor, that basic platform can help companies achieve ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) goals. In a posting on its website, pallet provider RM2 of Orlando, Florida, notes that simply deploying reusable pallets can help a company reduce its environmental impact.

As an example, RM2 points to its reusable fiberglass composite pallets, which it says are durable enough to support more lifetime uses than traditional wood or plastic pallets can, while embedded tracking and condition sensors help cut equipment losses.


RM2 also says its lightweight pallets cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing shipment weight. And once their useful life is over, the company adds, the pallets can be recycled into cement "clinker," an ingredient in many cement products, to avoid clogging landfills. While these might sound like small "wins," the benefits add up quickly, according to RM2. Taken together, those modest improvements to energy-intensive material handling operations can help users take small but important steps toward reaching ESG targets, the company says.

The Latest

More Stories

port of oakland port improvement plans

Port of Oakland to modernize wharves with $50 million grant

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.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

screen display of GPS fleet tracking

Commercial fleets drawn to GPS fleet tracking, in-cab video

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
forklifts working in a warehouse

Averitt tracks three hurdles for international trade in 2025

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of trucking conditions

FTR: Trucking sector outlook is bright for a two-year horizon

The trucking freight market is still on course to rebound from a two-year recession despite stumbling in September, according to the latest assessment by transportation industry analysis group FTR.

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of robot use in factories by country

Global robot density in factories has doubled in 7 years

Global robot density in factories has doubled in seven years, according to the “World Robotics 2024 report,” presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

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.

Keep ReadingShow less