Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

CSCMP EDGE 2023

Fueling up on RNG

Industry panel explains the benefits of renewable natural gas as a potential source of energy for decarbonizing supply chains.

In the search for affordable and effective ways to decarbonize the supply chain, shippers and transportation providers may want to consider solutions that utilize biofuels in the transportation process.


That was the message from one panel of industry experts on the first full day of the CSCMP EDGE conference, being held in Orlando this week. In "Driving Toward a Greener Future: Decarbonizing Transportation with RNG," panelists from renewable natural gas (RNG) provider Clean Energy, truckload carrier Paper Transport, and consumer packaged goods company Unilever talked about how they have collaborated on a project to reduce transportation emissions by using RNG-powered trucks for a Unilever dedicated fleet operation in Jacksonville, Fla.

RNG is a transportation fuel made from organic waste. Proponents of the technology say it reduces carbon emissions by an average of 300% compared to diesel, and at a fraction of the price. And unlike conventional natural gas, RNG is not a fossil fuel and does not involve drilling.

The Clean Energy/Paper Transport/Unilever project is one more step in Unilever’s efforts to reduce its emissions, and the company continues to work on projects that convert diesel operations to RNG, according to Andrew Sylling, head of procurement, logistics-North America for Unilever. The project involved a dedicated fleet of four trucks from Paper Transport, utilizing Clean Energy’s network or RNG fueling stations in the Jacksonville area.

The Latest

More Stories

ITS Logistics truck carrying Sherwin Williams products
ITS Logistics

Transportation challenges, solved

Sometimes, all you need is the right partner to solve your logistics problems.

In 2021, global paint supplier Sherwin Williams faced driver and hazardous material (hazmat) capacity constraints: There simply weren’t enough hazmat drivers available in its fleet to maintain the company’s 90% fleet utilization rate expectations for key partner store deliveries while also meeting growing demand for service. Those challenges threatened to become even more acute in the future, as a competing paint supply company began to scale back its operations in the Pacific Northwest, leaving Sherwin Williams with an opportunity to fill the gap.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

drone flying through warehouse

Robotic revolution

Robots are revolutionizing factories, warehouses, and distribution centers (DCs) around the world, thanks largely to heavy investments in the technology between 2019 and 2021. And although investment has slowed since then, the long-term outlook calls for steady growth over the next four years. According to data from research and consulting firm Interact Analysis, revenues from shipments of industrial robots are forecast to grow nearly 4% per year, on average, between 2024 and 2028 (see Exhibit 1).

market forecast for industrial robots - revenues graphEXHIBIT 1: Market forecast for industrial robots - revenuesInteract Analysis

Keep ReadingShow less
Freight Science dashboard screen
Freight Science

High-tech solution helps truckload carrier drive change

The trucking industry faces a range of challenges these days, particularly when it comes to load planning—a resource-intensive task that often results in suboptimal decisions, unnecessary empty miles, late deliveries, and inefficient asset utilization. What’s more, delays in decision-making due to a lack of real-time insights can hinder operational efficiency, making cost management a constant struggle.

Truckload carrier Paper Transport Inc. (PTI) experienced this firsthand when the company sought to expand its over the-road (OTR), intermodal, and brokerage offerings to include dedicated fleet services for high-volume shippers—adding a layer of complexity to the business. The additional personnel required for such a move would be extremely costly, leading PTI to investigate technology solutions that could help close the gap.

Keep ReadingShow less
indigo software screenshot WMS

Aptean adds British WMS vendor in latest acquisition

The Georgia-based enterprise software vendor Aptean today said it had acquired Indigo Software Ltd., a British provider of purpose-built warehouse management and logistics software solutions.

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
schneider app screenshot for owner operators

Schneider seeks more business with owner-operators

Transportation and logistics service provider Schneider National Inc. is reaching out to owner-operators, encouraging them to do more business with the Wisconsin company using an updated digital platform.

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.

Keep ReadingShow less