GoBolt Partners with WARP to Increase the Strength and Visibility of their Middle-Mile Offerings
GoBolt’s merchants will now gain better visibility into their freight as it travels the middle mile for store replenishment, inventory transfers, and injection into carrier networks - including across borders.
WARP, a tech-powered freight network specializing in middle-mile solutions, today announced that they are now providing GoBolt, a technology company on a mission to build the world’s largest sustainable, vertically integrated supply chain network, with their DirecTrack technology. GoBolt’s merchants, which include world-class eCommerce retailers and brands across Canada and the U.S., will now gain better visibility into their freight as it travels the middle mile for store replenishment, inventory transfers, and injection into carrier networks - including across borders.
Known for its electric vehicle fleet, GoBolt currently has a network of fulfillment centers across the U.S. and Canada. With WARP’s technology, GoBolt merchants will be able to track inventory moving throughout GoBolt’s network in real-time allowing them to see exactly where their freight is along the expected route. In return, GoBolt can provide merchants with brick-and-mortar locations better visibility including exactly where their product is at any given time. With more up-to-date information on where their stock is throughout the network, brands can make more informed decisions about when to reorder products, how much stock to hold, along with when and where to replenish inventory.
“At WARP we’re not only working to link the whole supply chain together, we’re also working to do that sustainably and GoBolt was a natural partner in this mission,” said Troy Lester, CRO and Co-Founder at WARP. “We’re currently piloting an emissions calculator on our platform in partnership with GoBolt, so customers can see just how much their journey produces in terms of emissions as well as ways to offset them.”
Together, WARP and GoBolt aim to provide shippers with visibility at not only a pallet or truck level, but on individual parcels as well. This means that when products are being transported from GoBolt’s fulfillment centers to other last-mile delivery partners, merchants will gain access to status events including the first parcel scan as well as injection time.
"Typically, the middle mile is a blind spot for 3PLs and that was our experience until we partnered with WARP,” said Jarrett Stewart, SVP, Commercial at GoBolt. “Since shifting the bulk of our mid-mile volume to WARP, we've seen improvements with our internal operations, our estimated delivery times, and gained visibility into the real-time location of freight that we can pass on to our merchants. Logistics can be complicated, but our goal has always been to make it as simple as possible for the brands and retailers that choose to work with us – our partnership with WARP directly supports that."
About WARP
WARP is a modern freight network bringing peace of mind to shippers founded by entrepreneurs Daniel Sokolovsky and Troy Lester. With its heterogeneous fleet of 53-footers, box trucks, and cargo vans, WARP offers customers the right vehicle for every load based on their speed, price, and service preferences. By pairing proprietary tech with a broad network of carriers and cross-docks, WARP automatically optimizes middle-mile routes through a single integrated platform, giving shippers unparalleled visibility of their loads. Whether it's a direct store delivery, warehouse-to-warehouse transfers, or linehaul injection into last mile carriers, WARP customers receive real-time tracking and status updates along with dedicated support every step of the way.
About GoBolt
Founded in 2017, GoBolt is a technology company building the first sustainable and vertically integrated supply chain network that partners with merchants to deliver a complete end-to-end customer experience. By operating as an extension of each merchant’s team, GoBolt provides reliable warehousing, pick and pack, shipping, and last-mile delivery. With a growing network of warehouses across North America and a suite of proprietary apps designed and supported by an in-house engineering team, GoBolt unlocks enhanced transparency and control for merchants. The company’s focus on customer-centricity is further driven by a deep commitment to sustainability. GoBolt’s investment in its electric vehicle fleet and sustainability partnerships is a testament to the company’s mission to provide carbon-neutral deliveries. For more information, visit GoBolt.com.
Supply chains are poised for accelerated adoption of mobile robots and drones as those technologies mature and companies focus on implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation across their logistics operations.
That’s according to data from Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, released this week. The report shows that several mobile robotics technologies will mature over the next two to five years, and also identifies breakthrough and rising technologies set to have an impact further out.
Gartner’s Hype Cycle is a graphical depiction of a common pattern that arises with each new technology or innovation through five phases of maturity and adoption. Chief supply chain officers can use the research to find robotic solutions that meet their needs, according to Gartner.
Gartner, Inc.
The mobile robotic technologies set to mature over the next two to five years are: collaborative in-aisle picking robots, light-cargo delivery robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for transport, mobile robotic goods-to-person systems, and robotic cube storage systems.
“As organizations look to further improve logistic operations, support automation and augment humans in various jobs, supply chain leaders have turned to mobile robots to support their strategy,” Dwight Klappich, VP analyst and Gartner fellow with the Gartner Supply Chain practice, said in a statement announcing the findings. “Mobile robots are continuing to evolve, becoming more powerful and practical, thus paving the way for continued technology innovation.”
Technologies that are on the rise include autonomous data collection and inspection technologies, which are expected to deliver benefits over the next five to 10 years. These include solutions like indoor-flying drones, which utilize AI-enabled vision or RFID to help with time-consuming inventory management, inspection, and surveillance tasks. The technology can also alleviate safety concerns that arise in warehouses, such as workers counting inventory in hard-to-reach places.
“Automating labor-intensive tasks can provide notable benefits,” Klappich said. “With AI capabilities increasingly embedded in mobile robots and drones, the potential to function unaided and adapt to environments will make it possible to support a growing number of use cases.”
Humanoid robots—which resemble the human body in shape—are among the technologies in the breakthrough stage, meaning that they are expected to have a transformational effect on supply chains, but their mainstream adoption could take 10 years or more.
“For supply chains with high-volume and predictable processes, humanoid robots have the potential to enhance or supplement the supply chain workforce,” Klappich also said. “However, while the pace of innovation is encouraging, the industry is years away from general-purpose humanoid robots being used in more complex retail and industrial environments.”
An eight-year veteran of the Georgia company, Hakala will begin his new role on January 1, when the current CEO, Tero Peltomäki, will retire after a long and noteworthy career, continuing as a member of the board of directors, Cimcorp said.
According to Hakala, automation is an inevitable course in Cimcorp’s core sectors, and the company’s end-to-end capabilities will be crucial for clients’ success. In the past, both the tire and grocery retail industries have automated individual machines and parts of their operations. In recent years, automation has spread throughout the facilities, as companies want to be able to see their entire operation with one look, utilize analytics, optimize processes, and lead with data.
“Cimcorp has always grown by starting small in the new business segments. We’ve created one solution first, and as we’ve gained more knowledge of our clients’ challenges, we have been able to expand,” Hakala said in a release. “In every phase, we aim to bring our experience to the table and even challenge the client’s initial perspective. We are interested in what our client does and how it could be done better and more efficiently.”
Although many shoppers will
return to physical stores this holiday season, online shopping remains a driving force behind peak-season shipping challenges, especially when it comes to the last mile. Consumers still want fast, free shipping if they can get it—without any delays or disruptions to their holiday deliveries.
One disruptor that gets a lot of headlines this time of year is package theft—committed by so-called “porch pirates.” These are thieves who snatch parcels from front stairs, side porches, and driveways in neighborhoods across the country. The problem adds up to billions of dollars in stolen merchandise each year—not to mention headaches for shippers, parcel delivery companies, and, of course, consumers.
Given the scope of the problem, it’s no wonder online shoppers are worried about it—especially during holiday season. In its annual report on package theft trends, released in October, the
security-focused research and product review firm Security.org found that:
17% of Americans had a package stolen in the past three months, with the typical stolen parcel worth about $50. Some 44% said they’d had a package taken at some point in their life.
Package thieves poached more than $8 billion in merchandise over the past year.
18% of adults said they’d had a package stolen that contained a gift for someone else.
Ahead of the holiday season, 88% of adults said they were worried about theft of online purchases, with more than a quarter saying they were “extremely” or “very” concerned.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are some low-tech steps consumers can take to help guard against porch piracy along with some high-tech logistics-focused innovations in the pipeline that can protect deliveries in the last mile. First, some common-sense advice on avoiding package theft from the Security.org research:
Install a doorbell camera, which is a relatively low-cost deterrent.
Bring packages inside promptly or arrange to have them delivered to a secure location if no one will be at home.
Consider using click-and-collect options when possible.
If the retailer allows you to specify delivery-time windows, consider doing so to avoid having packages sit outside for extended periods.
These steps may sound basic, but they are by no means a given: Fewer than half of Americans consider the timing of deliveries, less than a third have a doorbell camera, and nearly one-fifth take no precautions to prevent package theft, according to the research.
Tech vendors are stepping up to help. One example is
Arrive AI, which develops smart mailboxes for last-mile delivery and pickup. The company says its Mailbox-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform will revolutionize the last mile by building a network of parcel-storage boxes that can be accessed by people, drones, or robots. In a nutshell: Packages are placed into a weatherproof box via drone, robot, driverless carrier, or traditional delivery method—and no one other than the rightful owner can access it.
Although the platform is still in development, the company already offers solutions for business clients looking to secure high-value deliveries and sensitive shipments. The health-care industry is one example: Arrive AI offers secure drone delivery of medical supplies, prescriptions, lab samples, and the like to hospitals and other health-care facilities. The platform provides real-time tracking, chain-of-custody controls, and theft-prevention features. Arrive is conducting short-term deployments between logistics companies and health-care partners now, according to a company spokesperson.
The MaaS solution has a pretty high cool factor. And the common-sense best practices just seem like solid advice. Maybe combining both is the key to a more secure last mile—during peak shipping season and throughout the year as well.
The Boston-based enterprise software vendor Board has acquired the California company Prevedere, a provider of predictive planning technology, saying the move will integrate internal performance metrics with external economic intelligence.
According to Board, the combined technologies will integrate millions of external data points—ranging from macroeconomic indicators to AI-driven predictive models—to help companies build predictive models for critical planning needs, cutting costs by reducing inventory excess and optimizing logistics in response to global trade dynamics.
That is particularly valuable in today’s rapidly changing markets, where companies face evolving customer preferences and economic shifts, the company said. “Our customers spend significant time analyzing internal data but often lack visibility into how external factors might impact their planning,” Jeff Casale, CEO of Board, said in a release. “By integrating Prevedere, we eliminate those blind spots, equipping executives with a complete view of their operating environment. This empowers them to respond dynamically to market changes and make informed decisions that drive competitive advantage.”
Material handling automation provider Vecna Robotics today named Karl Iagnemma as its new CEO and announced $14.5 million in additional funding from existing investors, the Waltham, Massachusetts firm said.
The fresh funding is earmarked to accelerate technology and product enhancements to address the automation needs of operators in automotive, general manufacturing, and high-volume warehousing.
Iagnemma comes to the company after roles as an MIT researcher and inventor, and with leadership titles including co-founder and CEO of autonomous vehicle technology company nuTonomy. The tier 1 supplier Aptiv acquired Aptiv in 2017 for $450 million, and named Iagnemma as founding CEO of Motional, its $4 billion robotaxi joint venture with automaker Hyundai Motor Group.
“Automation in logistics today is similar to the current state of robotaxis, in that there is a massive market opportunity but little market penetration,” Iagnemma said in a release. “I join Vecna Robotics at an inflection point in the material handling market, where operators are poised to adopt automation at scale. Vecna is uniquely positioned to shape the market with state-of-the-art technology and products that are easy to purchase, deploy, and operate reliably across many different workflows.”