Warehouse automation is your best defence against supply chain chaos, writes Mats Hovland Vikse (pictured), Chief Executive Officer of AutoStore.

Since 2020, supply chains around the world have been pushed to their limits. From pandemic lockdowns and overloaded ports to conflicts overseas and heightened geopolitical risks, businesses have faced the perfect storm of disruption. On top of that, economic challenges like inflation, fluctuating interest rates, and changing trade policies are driving supply chain executives to rethink their approach – not just to streamline their operations, but to build lasting resilience.

In this volatile environment, automated warehousing solutions have become a game-changer. What was once primarily about speeding up processes now serves as a critical foundation for navigating uncertainty, safeguarding service quality, and enabling businesses to pivot quickly in today’s unpredictable world.

How Supply Chains Are Evolving

Global disruptions continue to reshape how businesses manage their operations, forcing a fundamental shift in supply chain strategies. In light of recent U.S. tariff changes – including a new trade agreement imposing 15% tariffs on European exports to the U.S. – many companies are shifting away from “just-in-time” inventory models in favour of “just-in-case” approaches.

In fact, nearly a third (28%) of industrial manufacturing supply chains have or are planning to move production closer to end markets. Stockpiling inventory domestically ahead of potential tariff increases has become a widely adopted tactic – creating a pressing need for increased storage capacity and greater warehouse density, challenges that traditional warehousing struggles to address efficiently.

At the same time, labour shortages in the warehousing sector are intensifying. High turnover rates and lengthy onboarding processes add operational strain, making it difficult for businesses to maintain consistent service levels. To overcome these hurdles, companies are turning to automation solutions that minimize reliance on manual labour while delivering scalable, reliable performance.

Driving Resilience Amid Uncertainty

Automation has become more than just a productivity booster – it’s a vital strategy for cutting costs and building resilience. Gartner highlights that companies turning to automation are positioning themselves to navigate uncertainty and maintain a competitive edge.

Automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) are at the forefront of this shift. These solutions dramatically increase storage capacity within existing warehouse spaces and offer the flexibility to scale throughput up or down based on fluctuating demand. This adaptability is crucial for implementing a just-in-case inventory strategy, allowing businesses to keep more products closer to customers and respond quickly to sudden demand surges or supply chain disruptions. In short, automation transforms warehousing from a static cost centre into a flexible, resilient engine for growth.

The pandemic served as a clear dividing line. Organizations that had already embraced automation – leveraging ASRS, goods-to-person (G2P) technologies, and agile warehouse management systems – were able to ramp up order fulfilment and manage labour shortages with far greater ease than those relying on manual operations. This experience has solidified automation’s role as a foundational driver of warehouse efficiency and business continuity.

Automate Now To Thrive Tomorrow

Uncertainty isn’t a temporary challenge, it’s the new business climate. Between ongoing global disruptions, rising logistics costs, and ever-increasing customer demands, supply chains are being stretched to their limits. For leaders navigating this landscape, standing still is the biggest risk of all.

To stay competitive, companies must now assess their level of automation to optimize costs, boost productivity, and build resilience. Postponing this decision doesn’t just delay progress – it risks entrenching inefficiencies that become harder and more costly to unwind over time.

Traditionally, warehouse automation came with steep upfront capital requirements, placing it out of reach for many. That paradigm is shifting. Flexible, as-a-service models are breaking down those barriers and accelerating adoption across the industry. These models allow businesses to pay for what they use, adjusting storage and throughput as needed. With no large capital outlay and all-inclusive pricing that typically covers maintenance and integration, businesses gain immediate access to automation without the financial strain.

Crucially, this model allows for dynamic scaling. Companies can adjust capacity in real time to meet demand, avoiding the risks of overbuilding or inventory shortfalls. The result? Reduced financial exposure, faster ROI, and greater control over their operations.

In a climate where disruption is constant, warehouse automation is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s a strategic imperative. It offers not only protection against uncertainty but also a platform for long-term growth and adaptability.

Patrick Bion, CEO & Co-Founder of Minimal, said: “Commercial freight creates 25% of London’s emissions, and this continues to rise. The legacy logistics systems that bring millions of vans into our cities every day simply aren’t fit for the changing demands of these areas. Minimal exists to address this, to let anyone moving goods in built up places to easily plan and deploy the most efficient logistics for their operations. Our new headquarters gives us a platform to grow, launching operations rapidly with customers in London and across the UK.”

Gillian Scarth, Senior Leasing and Development Director at Prologis UK, said: “London needs sustainable, city-ready logistics and Minimal is leading that charge. Their decision to base their headquarters at Park Royal shows the role intelligent real estate can play in tackling some of the capital’s biggest challenges.”

Through Prologis Essentials, the unit has been equipped to maximise space and functionality with racking and mezzanine infrastructure. Its private and secure yard provides valuable space for testing and storage.

As the global supply chain faces unprecedented challenges, the ability to anticipate, adapt, and recover have become requirements in order to survive. However, if you want to compete and thrive in today’s non-linear supply chain, one-way container leasing specialist, OVL Container, stresses the pivotal role of collaborative models and strategic network management.

From linear supply chains to resilient networks

Recent studies show how traditional, linear supply chains have become inadequate for today’s world of global shipping and trade. Instead, a network-based approach – emphasizing interdependencies, collaboration, and flexibility – will enable businesses to proactively manage disruptions.

In fact, according to Cinti et al. (2025) , companies that proactively manage their supply networks are better positioned to maintain continuity, reduce costs, and recover quickly from shocks – as seen recently with the disruptions on Asia-Europe routes, stressing the value of flexible container networks.

“Network management is no longer just an operational concern; it is a strategic imperative for supply chain-resilience. Freight forwarders and shipping managers are increasingly leveraging one-way leasing to build supply chains that are not only more responsive, but also more robust in the face of disruption”, says Rami Keränen (pictured), Commercial Director at OVL Container.

Building the future of resilient logistics

It was not only happening in Europe and Asia, however. Globally, we have seen disruptions such as port congestion and equipment shortages. According to Mincinaukas, this underlines the need for a shift towards strategic network management – and one-way container is facilitating this shift.

This would explain why, since 2024, more and more freight forwarders are utilizing one-way leasing as part of a strategic supply network approach with the goal of bypassing bottlenecks and ensuring critical goods reached their destinations despite widespread blank sailings, according to Cinti, et al.

“The global supply chain is no longer linear, and securing resilience now lies in embracing networked solutions and collaborative models, including partnerships. One-way container leasing is a proven enabler of this transformation, offering both operational flexibility in terms of freight and shipping flows as well as strategic advantages such as resource sharing among partners”, adds Keränen.

eFREIGHT Autonomous, a consortium of experts in commercial vehicles and automotive technology, has secured funding and support from the UK Government and industry through the CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies (FS) Competition delivered by Innovate UK and Zenzic.

One of 14 projects selected through the competition, eFREIGHT Autonomous will explore the role of autonomous heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in the UK from the perspective of fleet operations.
By evaluating today’s technology and understanding the direction of future developments, the study aims to identify potential use cases, assess commercial viability, and examine the infrastructure and legislative frameworks required to enable autonomous trucking in the UK.

Led by EV charging specialists, Voltempo Group, developers of the British designed and manufactured electric HGV megawatt charging system, the consortium includes Berkeley Coachworks, designer of the innovative, lightweighted Berkeley Bulldog e-trailer, and data and research partner, Connected Places Catapult. Chairman of the consortium is Sir Vince Cable (pictured), former Liberal Democrat Secretary-of-State for Business, Innovation and Skills who gave the green light to the UK’s first tests of driverless technology in 2014.

Sir Vince Cable said: “We are delighted to have been selected to take part in the CAM Pathfinder feasibility study to research, evaluate and help shape the future of UK freight transport from the perspective of fleet operators. Autonomous technology offers a chance to unlock innovation across transport, strengthen the UK supply chain and rethink logistics that are cleaner, greener and better for local communities and better for business”

Michael Boxwell (pictured with Cable), CEO of Voltempo said: “Autonomous vehicles are already in everyday use in parts of China and the US, and trials here in the UK, such as self-driving shuttles in Birmingham and autonomous buses in Scotland, are paving the way for wider adoption by 2027 with the full implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act. For freight operators working on tight margins, this is a chance to understand this transformational technology, help shape its future rollout and explore the real cost-saving opportunities it can deliver for the UK supply chain through improved efficiencies.”

Mark Cracknell, Programme Director at Zenzic, said: “We are thrilled to announce the eFREIGHT Autonomous project, spearheaded by Voltempo, Connected Places Catapult and Berkeley Coachworks, as one of the fourteen exciting CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies taking place across the UK.

“The deployment of Connected and Automated Mobility solutions holds incredible promise – enhancing accessibility, reducing emissions, and fostering a transport network that is both reliable and inclusive. The eFREIGHT Autonomous project will serve as a pivotal example in showcasing those benefits. We are looking forward to working with the project consortia as they further develop their business case, demonstrate the commercial readiness of the service, and provide vital insight into the opportunities presented by the deployment of CAM solutions in regions throughout the UK.”

At the end of the project, eFREIGHT Autonomous will produce reports and briefing documents for government and industry that outline the roadmap for autonomous heavy road freight vehicles, identifying potential opportunities, risks, costs and timescales for autonomous vehicles for the road freight industry.

In parallel with the study, consortium member Berkeley Coachworks plans to develop autonomous HGVs at its manufacturing site and test track in Trecwn, Pembrokeshire. Following the publication of its reports, eFREIGHT Autonomous plans to examine the opportunity to create real-world trials with autonomous HGVs, running on UK roads, with the potential is to have autonomous HGVs operational by the end of 2027.

Work on the eFREIGHT Autonomous feasibility study project will begin summer 2025, with results delivered early 2027.

The founding members of the eFREIGHT Autonomous consortium, and Chair, Sir Vince Cable, are also members of eFREIGHT 2030, part of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstration programme funded by Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. eFREIGHT 2030 is currently rolling out electric HGVs and the first phase of an eHGV charging network across the UK, learning how electric trucks can work within real world environments.

Global logistics and customs brokerage provider, CCL, are highlighting the significant opportunities that cross-border logistics can create amidst increasing value in China to UK imports.

In spite of current global market uncertainties and tariff concerns, China – UK trade remains strong. According to the Department of Business & Trade, total UK imports from China amounted to £70.8 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2025 (a 5.4%, £3.7 billion increase compared to the same period in 2024).

With China-UK import value rising, cross-border logistics companies, including CCL, are highlighting the opportunity to capitalise on this momentum and further enhance trade through seamless cross-border logistics and customs clearance.

“The continued resilience of China-UK imports is a clear indicator of market growth, also underscoring the vital role the logistics industry plays in getting goods from A to B. With rising trade value, now is the ideal time for businesses to engage trusted cross-border customs clearance and freight forwarding partners, seizing opportunities in emerging markets while further strengthening global supply chains,” says Stuart Campey, CEO at CCL.

Since 1999, CCL have provided a comprehensive solution for eCommerce retailers and delivery providers seeking to simplify and expedite their shipments into and out of the UK and Eurozone. In line with recent Department of Business & Trade insights, the company is seeing a positive upturn in trade between China and the UK.

“We’re seeing growing demand from Chinese exporters looking for reliable and efficient access to UK markets. Our tailored solutions and customs expertise remove import and export friction, while helping businesses benefit from reliable shipping and a seamless post-purchase experience that keeps customers coming back” adds Campey.

With integrated services, global connections and a strategically located ETSF (External Temporary Storage Facility) warehouse, CCL can provide bespoke logistics solutions for cross-border eCommerce goods entering Europe via air, sea, road and rail.

To further support their Chinese clients and the China-UK supply chain, CCL has established a commercial presence in Shanghai, opening a local office and joining the Shanghai British Chambers of Commerce.

“Our expanded presence in China is a key step in our commitment to global connectivity and trade. At CCL, we’re proud to support internationally trading businesses and we look forward to continuing our contribution towards the trade growth between China and the UK” concludes Campey.

Mosca GmbH, a manufacturer of straps, and twelve other European companies in the ‘Project Alliance Strapping’ (PAS) are warning of potential risks when reusing strapping. Reuse can lead to significant material weakness, particularly at welded joints, which directly affects transport safety on european roads. This has been confirmed by recent independent studies. In light of the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the alliance is calling for an exemption for strapping materials to promote sustainable recycling strategies without jeopardizing transport safety.

The EU Commission is currently discussing a potential exemption for strapping materials via a delegated act under the PPWR, which took effect in February. The PPWR aims to reduce packaging waste and promote circular economy through recycling. It also includes mandatory reuse quotas for strapping materials. In response, Mosca and the straps project alliance submitted a comprehensive, independent position paper to the EU Commission containing detailed study results. “We support the goals of the PPWR, but the safety of transported goods and the stability of supply chains must be ensured. This is not the case with multiple use,” explains Dr. Martin Bussman, Vice Chairman of the board of straps project alliance and Director Material Innovation at Mosca. “The position paper provides a reliable, factual basis that the EU Commission should definitely consider into the exemption.”

The PAS is an association of 13 leading European companies in strapping industry, including Mosca, Teufelberger, Fromm, Sekisui, Messersi and others.

Technical studies prove safety risks during reuse and multiple use

Independent technical tests, carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS at the Mosca Tech Center in Waldbrunn, provide the scientific basis for this requirement. The focus was on mechanical and thermo-mechanical testing according to international standards. This included the horizontal force test according to the EUMOS 40509 standard, the ISTA 1E inclination and vibration test, and tensile tests on various belt areas, particularly on the critical weld seams.

The results are alarming: After just one use, the welds on polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) strapping are at 47 to 60 percent of their breaking strength on average. With repeated use, the tensile strength of PP straps decreases by up to 34 percent. Additional thermal stresses caused by temperature fluctuations between 40°C and -30°C further weaken them. This further compromises the integrity of the material during its practical application. It is particularly problematic that such stresses cannot be documented under real transport and storage conditions.

“These data make it clear that reuse poses considerable safety risks to goods and people”, explains Bussmann. The project alliance therefore favours a pragmatic regulatory solution. Rather than relying on potentially dangerous reuse, the use of high-quality post-consumer recyclates should be strengthened, and strapping material should be exempted from general reuse quotas of PPWR regulation. This is the only way to ensure permanently safe, resource-conserving transport packaging. “Additionally, the more frequently transport packaging is reused, the more often it needs to be inspected and maintained. This is not technically feasible or economically advantageous.”

Reusable solutions often less sustainable than expected

From an ecological standpoint, blanket reuse is not a viable solution either. A second study shows clearly the limitations of current reusable strap systems. The study analyzed standard market alternatives, such as mesh boxes with straps, tension straps with tarpaulin, and straps with tension clips. All alternatives were compared in the categories of safety, reusability, environmental impact and cost-effectiveness.

Technically, the alternative variants revealed significant weaknesses. Strapping material with clips, as the closest alternative to disposable straps, lost significant tensile strength and elasticity after just two cycles in reuse. These are key properties for load securing and transport safety. Tension straps with tarpaulin achieve 50 to 150 cycles depending on use, but they are highly susceptible to UV radiation and wear out quickly if you use them incorrectly. Mesh boxes with tension straps can withstand 200 to 300 cycles.

However, they are heavy and bulky in handling. Both aspects make them unsuitable for recurring applications. On top they would require extensive maintenance and documentation of each reuse cycle.
Additionally, the return transportation of reusable components must often be shipped over long distances within Europe, resulting in considerable logistical costs or local storage. This includes additional transportation distances and result in increased greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO₂ emissions. In addition to that higher storage and personnel costs occur and the need to provide replacements in the case of loss or defects. In heterogeneous supply chains with changing customers, setting up a functioning reusable system is nearly impossible to realize this concept. “The results clearly show that the effort involved is in no proportion to the gained benefits,” explains Bussmann.

Disposable strap is often more advantageous in terms of sustainability

A life cycle analysis also shows that disposable straps have a better carbon footprint than reusable alternatives in many cases, even though they are used only once. Its low material usage, light weight, and high recyclability make straps an environmentally friendly packaging material, especially when made from post-consumer recyclate.

“It’s crucial to consider these facts when we talk about ecological responsibility,” Bussmann continued. “Token politics won’t help. We need solutions that are practicable, safe, and demonstrably sustainable.”

The PAS’s will be continue it’s work towards a sustainable circular economy. Next step to take will be the increased use of post-consumer recyclates in straps. The alliance is working to close material cycles and significantly reduce resource consumption, such as energy and plastics. “The PAS stands for practical solutions that combine safety and sustainability,” says Bussmann. “We will continue to contribute with our expertise in the future – in dialogue with politics, industry and society. Only an evidence-based approach will enable us to design the truly sustainable packaging solutions of the future.”

By 2030 AI will make supply chain planning jobs more powerful, writes Jonathan Jackman (pictured, below), Regional VP at Kinaxis.

Forget the doomsayers. AI is going to make supply chain planners’ jobs simpler and more strategic.

AI is transforming supply chain planning. Yet what does this mean for the planners? Will they be replaced by ever more sophisticated technology? Or will they be able to harness AI to make their roles simpler and more creative?

Some companies will scale their workforce to achieve more. Others may reduce headcount. AI enables both paths.

Yet for planners work is going to change significantly. Their jobs will shift from repetitive, manual tasks to focusing far more on strategic responsibilities. After all, nobody became a supply chain planner to chase down late suppliers or crunch Excel sheets all day. Intelligent AI-powered platforms are already automating much of the grind – from exception alerts to those mind-numbing follow-ups – allowing planners to do what they were meant to: think smartly and make high-impact decisions.

We’re entering a new era powered by increasingly autonomous AI systems. This is reaching a new level with Agentic AI systems that not only automate but can reason and adapt too. They can perceive, plan, and take action to achieve goals. These technologies are beginning to elevate supply chain planning to new heights. Imagine AI handling the transactional sludge in real time while you focus on risk, relationships and resilience. That’s not job elimination – it’s a serious upgrade!

The role of human oversight

The big myth about AI, especially around emerging forms of Agentic AI, is that it will run supply chains on autopilot. But the reality is that AI still needs some degree of human oversight. It can surface insights and take actions, but there are times when it needs to be augmented by a human to fully interpret real-world nuance.

The most effective supply chains of the future will not all be ‘driverless.’ Instead, they are likely to rely on a continuous feedback loop between humans and intelligent systems. Even in autonomous environments that run simple tasks, organisations will require clear escalation paths and strategic oversight to ensure AI aligns with business outcomes.

There are times when it may flag potential shortages and propose a response – but only a human planner can assess in full context whether to switch suppliers, expedite or take another route.

In this future, it isn’t AI vs. humans – it’s AI and humans. The planner takes on the role of orchestrator, steering AI, validating recommendations, and ensuring outcomes align with business priorities. They will oversee fleets of AI agents acting as demand forecasters, inventory optimisers, and scenario simulators. As organizational charts evolve, these agents may occupy formalized roles—requiring human planners to shift into meta-management positions, orchestrating collaboration between human teams and autonomous AI counterparts.

AI brings unprecedented new levels of speed, scale, and intelligent predictive power; humans continue to bring empathy, creativity, ethics and expertise.

Tomorrow’s supply chain manager: more strategist, less firefighter

So, what might the role of the planner of 2030 look like? With AI handling the mundane and routine, planners will shift to focus on what machines can’t do: building relationships, co-innovating with partners, influencing strategy and also managing the agents.

AI won’t read a room in tough supplier negotiations – but it will give planners the data they need to enter those discussions armed with the facts. It won’t grasp the political implications of a sudden trade disruption – but it will flag it instantly. And it won’t independently decide how to prioritise sustainability or manage risk – but it will give humans the visibility to act swiftly and confidently.

Planners will also play a critical role in shaping the very AI tools they use – training models, curating data, and ensuring outputs reflect reality. Over time, this human feedback loop will make the technology even more valuable.

One key evolutionary step that we are starting to see is the emergence of Autonomous Concurrent Orchestration. At the current time many vendors focus on agents automating existing siloed processes. In the future we will see more agents that synchronise planning decisions across functions – procurement, logistics, manufacturing – in real time. Instead of optimising each step sequentially, agents drive better trade-offs by modelling all variables concurrently. Agent-to-agent communication will also help to break down silos, enhance the decision-making process and speed up problem-solving.

Why AI can’t replace humans

The future isn’t artificial replacement – it’s augmented intelligence. AI will unlock insights and real-time decision-making that simply weren’t possible before. But the most resilient supply chains will always have a human in the loop – to manage, course-correct, and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

For planners, the message is clear: embrace the tools but never lose sight of your value. The future belongs to those who evolve alongside AI– shaping its direction, not just following it.

The planners who win in 2030 won’t fear AI. They’ll partner with it – and they’ll be all the more powerful because of it.

A new age of intelligence has dawned. First there was computation, then mobile communication, now AI. Will bots become experts at routing and inventory management? David Priestman attended Samsara’s Beyond event in San Diego to find the answer.

Regular readers will be familiar by now with Samsara’s IoT, AI, dashcam, asset tag and other leading-edge technologies that improve commercial vehicle (CV) fleet safety, driver training and management, as well as enhancing fuel savings, electrification, insurance risk mitigation, truck maintenance and more. The focus now is on adding further applications to the platform to save time and improve operating efficiency for commercial vehicle fleets.

Vehicle inspection checks and reports at the start of a driver’s shift is one such activity that can be streamlined. Via the Samsara App, drivers can now take photos of the truck and dictate any observable issues with it. AI transcribes this and submits the inspection report automatically to the fleet manager who, using the dashboard, receives AI generated fault codes and troubleshooting recommendations. No manual data entry is required. The objective is to provide end-to-end maintenance management via the platform.

Along the Road with Drivers

Route planning is now available directly in the Samsara platform, optimised based on the minimum running cost or for strategic prioritisation. Consumer maps, such as Google Maps and Waze, do not show commercial vehicle restrictions. Drivers want to use just one screen, with turn-by-turn navigation. Samsara’s maps now include height, weight, hazard and road restrictions appropriate to each specific vehicle, with live traffic information and audio instructions.

Bad weather causes one fifth of all traffic accidents, constituting a major hazard. The new ‘weather intelligence’ solution in Samsara informs drivers of public extreme weather alerts such as flood warnings and storms. Dashcam footage from CVs is put to good use. “By using our network of cameras from the Samsara community, which collectively is millions of vehicles, we have the ‘eyes’ to understand hazards. We can tap into it, while preserving privacy and data control, to see where drivers are headed and, if necessary, warn them and their fleet managers of how bad it is based on real footage from other drivers further ahead,” says Kiren Sekar (pictured, below), Chief Product Officer.

For the Deskless

With near real-time visibility like this the platform has ‘street sense’. AI strips out personal information and adds footage to the network. In very wet conditions it can see just how bad conditions are, enabling decisions to be made on alternative routes to keep drivers and cargo safe. A radar view captures alerts which, combined with the collective ‘street sense’, triggers in-cab audio spoken messages to the drivers. Samsara has invested in the start-up Happy Robot for this. The AI used by Happy Robot sounds truly human and provides the voice for logistics companies to advise customers of schedule delays due to unexpected events, rather than needing managers to make lots of customer service calls.

Another development is the ‘AI multi-cam’ set-up. This utilises 4 small, unobtrusive cameras to provide an HD 360-degree view of the whole vehicle. AI alerts the driver to any detected dangers, such as a pedestrian or cyclist close to the truck. AI actually warns the driver of a potential collision. The AI reports the driver’s action taken to the fleet manager, for example a defensive swerve to avoid an accident. This improves the driver’s safety score within the platform.

Not the Safety Police

I analyses all the driver footage. Managers can ask it questions on who is the safest driver and why, or why a safety score has gone up or down. This leads to identification of which driver has the highest risk of an accident, so an intervention can be made. Managers can send compliments, known as ‘kudos’ as well as rewards to good drivers, which helps retain them.

Finally, a new wearable driver safety device has been introduced. Featuring a panic button, audio for SOS events and GPS antennae, the wearable is connected both to the driver’s vehicle and the cloud, with no need for it to ever be re-charged. If the panic button has been pressed (a prolonged press to overrule accidental ones) the fleet manager is notified and can send help immediately, call the emergency services and also see the driver’s camera footage. All this functionality is in the driver’s mobile phone Samsara App. Samsara hardware that requires a license is covered under warranty for the full duration that customers maintain a valid license on that device.

Borderland Vehicle Gateway

To see Samsara’s tech in action I paid a visit to Mex-Cal Truckline in San Diego, a bi-national, cross-border, family-owned third-party logistics (3PL) provider specialising in high-value electronics and medical cargo. Samsung and Foxconn are among its customers. Due to its location, routing and the freight carried, safety is paramount. Real-time information needs to be shared with its customers. Margins are tough, with an annual fuel bill of $40m.

Mex-Cal operates 120 Freightliner trucks and over 700 leased trailers from yards in Tijuana and San Diego. All of them are fitted with Samsara devices and cameras. The 3PL firm uses an in-house TMS and is certified by the ‘Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism’ (CTPAT) voluntary supply chain security programme of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Tariff threats and uncertainty are causing irregular cross-border traffic movements, making it harder to plan and predict driver number requirements and more. The company operates point-to-point transport, with no cross-docking. Stateside destinations are mainly in California but also nationwide to geo-fenced DCs. CTPAT certification means the pre-approved trucks pass through the border in an hour and a half, rather than the three-hour norm.

Five years ago Mex-Cal invested in Samsara and are renewing now for a further three years. “Customers asked us for it,” stated Director General Yvette Guillen (pictured below, driving). The AI dashcams and engine immobiliser features have been especially helpful. Driver phone usage plummeted, hijackings are reduced and crashes are down too. “We use Samsara to measure the time of loading and unloading and the miles driven for accurate billing,” Gullien added. “We can see every stop that a driver makes to ensure he hasn’t been given any packages, to prevent drug trafficking.” Trip history is stored indefinitely by the Samsara API, if the fleet managers ever need to look back and check.

Diagnostics & Tracking

Maintenance of trailers and service schedules are managed by the platform, including tyre replacement. Drivers carry out a 21-point check of their truck at the start of every shift, with full inspections every ninety days. “Each accident cost lots of dollars,” Guillen points out. “If you have crashes you get Department of Transport visits to check records, so having cameras solved that.” 70% of problems are caused by phone usage. “We were using What’s App to message drivers, so we stopped that!” The driver self-training modules have helped, especially with the incidences of speeding. California’s HGV speed limit is 55 m.p.h., but 60 with cruise control so usage of that is encouraged.

Mex-Cal’s cargo is valuable, but not heavy and all full truck loads. Customers are responsible for filling the trailers, with a 2-3 day turnaround before re-collection. Just two members of staff are now needed to manage all the physical assets. “Samsara is easy to use and helpful,” Guillen continues. “The driver monitoring team is there to remind drivers if the self-coaching isn’t sufficient. There’s usually no need to look at the footage as the alerts do this for the managers.”

Virtual Coaching

If a Mex-Cal truck stops for more than 30 seconds near the border that looks suspicious. The company will then request that US Customs scan the vehicle. “We’re responsible for these rogue employees,” she points out. “Cartels can copy license plates to pass a vehicle off as a legitimate haulier but via Samsara we can prove which vehicles are ours.” The company also utilises a heatmap showing jamming detectors in troublesome areas.

The ’Vehicle Gateway’ is the main ‘brain’ of Samsara devices. Discreetly situated under the skin of the truck it pings 4 times per second to the platform, providing constant updates. Using dual sim-cards (AT&T and Vodafone) and an accelerometer, the Gateway is wired to the transmission to enable engine immobilization. The engine can be shut-down via the platform, providing the truck is not moving, of course. Dual-facing dash cameras are wired to the Gateway, checking for drowsiness, phone usage and much more. The AI in the camera can recognise objects (a phone, as opposed to a drink) and what a sleepy face looks like (rather than someone singing). It has a speaker for audio communication and a panic button. The driver can press ‘auto-record’ for 30 seconds. If there is an accident managers can ‘live stream’ the footage to check on the driver. All very reassuring.

Driver Engagement

To get a user perspective from the other side of the pond I met with British food supply chain Delifresh’s Transport Shift Manager, Andrew Sharp. His business, with 400 staff including 150 drivers, takes inbound raw food ingredients into five hub facilities, with Bradford being the headquarters. Delifresh does all the kitchen preparation, before delivering ready-to-cook products to restaurants, hotels, schools, arenas and other catering venues that typically need four or five deliveries per week.

Sharp manages 1500 delivery drops per day, a mixture of close proximity routes and longer distance drives. He is an ex-HGV driver himself and so completely understands the role and the challenges of night-driving. The fully refrigerated fleet combines 3.5t Mercedes Sprinter vans, 7.5t trucks and 4t HGV lorries for trunk routes. The company commits to rectifying any order mistakes the same day, which is crucial for restaurants needing everything for their lunch and evening dining customers. “At proof-of-delivery, if there are issues with missing or damaged products, we now have live intelligence on what’s been delivered to check for mistakes,” Sharp tells me.

Delifresh is not only committed to food compliance but dedicated to its drivers too. Shifts start between 3 a.m. and 6a.m. for nine hours on the road. Since adopting Samsara aggregate mileage has fallen by 15000 p.a., with a 54% reduction in unnecessary miles, which also lowers risks. “We’ve haven’t lost any drivers since using Samsara, other than retirees,” Sharp points out. “I joined a user group and saw the benefits and potential. We’re not just scratching the surface, we’re intrigued to understand more, such as the ‘Connected Training’ modules.” Sharp asked his drivers how they wanted to work. The answer was to have self-awareness and to save lives. “They like working but are not alone. Samsara’s nudges and supports are like a co-pilot for them.”

How’s Your Driving

With all this road safety assistance is there any need for suitably equipped vehicles to still have ‘how’s my driving?’ stickers on the trailer or rear? Feedback from other road users is unnecessary as the platform self-manages driver behaviour. From my experience the worst CV driving is by unmarked vans and trucks – those without corporate livery and no reputation to maintain. Strong leadership on fleet management creates a safety culture, which leads to appropriate systems being adopted to improve behaviour and get better results. Samsara’s technology nudges its users to drive safety ever further. Amen.

The world’s petrochemical industry is in a time of transition. Facing the worst business downturn in a generation due to overcapacity and the stalled global economy, nearly every major petrochemical producer in Europe is reviewing assets for closure. For an industry navigating the transition away from fossil fuels and managing the trade volatility created by the US government, there is enormous pressure to squeeze as much value from existing assets as possible.

That means, despite the significant performance improvements associated with the development of greenfield sites, there is little justification for this level of capital investment. So how can petrochemical companies achieve more efficiency from existing production sites? Wouter Satijn, Chief Revenue Officer, Joloda Hydraroll Group, explores the value of automated loading in reducing cost and risk and improving agility in the petrochemical market.

Volatility in a Challenging Market

Geopolitical turbulence combined with the pressure of transitioning away from fossil fuels is creating unprecedented uncertainty for petrochemical companies globally. Strategic decisions are required that will influence the profitability of businesses for years, even decades to come. Yet alongside vital decisions regarding future low carbon options and exploring raw material innovation, companies must also urgently review current operational processes.

This is an unpredictable market, inspired not only by changing demand patterns but also a US administration creating volatility over trade and decarbonisation policy. To counter this volatility and safeguard margins, petrochemical companies require new levels of efficiency and productivity as well as operational agility. To date, most investment has been focused on manufacturing productivity gains, leveraging automation and digital transformation to improve operational production processes.

However, investment in improving manufacturing performance is not being fully realised in many cases due to the constraints of existing facilities, especially the inability to add loading docks when it comes to ongoing transportation of petrochemical granules, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). With unloading and loading processes still predominantly manual, companies are reliant on a dedicated workforce using forklift trucks to move heavy and dangerous items, including toxic, corrosive, or flammable substances.

Unprofitable Cost Model

Legacy processes using forklift trucks can require 45 minutes or more to load each pallet. As a result, loading docks cannot cope with additional volume, creating both bottlenecks in the enhanced production process and adding safety risks for workers responsible for loading trailers. Additional product throughput, combined with the pressure to manually load ever greater volumes puts pressure on space, raising the risk of accidents, especially with dangerous forklift trucks.

For the vast majority of sites, the existing buildings simply cannot be expanded to add loading docks. And while sites can operate 24×7, using as many as five different shifts, recruiting and retaining these staff remains a serious challenge. Staff shortages continue, while companies are also facing the additional cost of employment.

Furthermore, petrochemical is a high risk industry. From chemical exposure to fire and explosion hazards, as well as the issues created when working in confined spaces, including the chances of puncturing Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), the additional risks facing workers in this environment add further complexity and cost to recruitment and retention.

Strategic Drive for Automated Loading

With the move to a greenfield site not an option, petrochemical companies need to make better use of the existing facility. Having enhanced manufacturing processes, the focus has now turned to the enormous loading productivity gains that can be achieved through automated loading.
Replacing existing slow, expensive and high-risk manual loading with automated solutions transforms efficiency, improves worker safety and reduces costs. Trailer loading can be achieved within minutes, with minimal loading staff – and no forklift truck drivers. This improves product throughput, improving end-to-end supply chain performance. The eradication of forklift trucks not only reduces driver costs but also maintenance costs, adding further bottom line benefits.

Critically, automation transforms employee safety. Eradicating the reliance on forklifts avoids human error, cutting the chance of accidents that could lead to exposure to hazardous materials. By minimising the need for employees to handle dangerous loads, companies can both safeguard the workforce and reduce the chance of product damage, with the associated impact on the supply chain. Further cost benefits can be achieved by minimising recruitment requirements: with no need to struggle to recruit skilled forklift drivers, petrochemical companies can instead upskill existing staff to undertake added value activities.

Adding Buffering to Fully Automate

Automation in loading is a strategic move to ensure predictable, high-throughput operations that reduce bottlenecks and maximise asset utilisation. Better control, certainty and reducing the risk of product damage during the loading and unloading processes is transformative. The additional inbound and outbound loading certainty can feed into greater productivity throughout the manufacturing process, ensuring companies maximise the investment in manufacturing digital transformation.

Automatic loading solutions can also include buffering to further optimise outbound material flow. Using buffering, the loading process is executed on a load-by-load basis, automatically taking production unit loads and efficiently preparing optimal truckloads across one or multiple loading bays. Connecting load buffering solutions with any upstream manufacturing or warehouse pallet flow, such as production line pallet conveyors, ASRSs and AGVs, as well as integration to any major ERP or WMS, creates a fully automated approach, with goods automatically and optimally handled directly from production through to load.

Full automation further improves the working environment. In addition to eliminating the risk of injury, the addition of load buffering and end-to-end integration reduces workplace stress and makes an otherwise complex, sometimes unpredictable environment, much easier to manage.

Leveraging Insight to Drive Continuous Improvement

In a volatile petrochemical market, cost management and operational agility are now paramount. Full loading automation improves business agility, adding significant throughput while simplifying loading, enabling petrochemical companies to effectively manage both changes in demand and any evolution within production processes. Furthermore, with the real-time insights delivered by automated loading, petrochemical companies can improve traceability and decision-making, supporting continuous improvements.

Automatic loading is part of broader digital transformation. It delivers long-term value not only in performance, reliability and reduced operating costs, but in creating a foundation for the greater agility and responsiveness required to safely manage market volatility.

British workwear and PPE supplier Workwear Mallusk has selected Forterro’s Orderwise Cloud ERP solution to power the next stage of its growth journey and drive ecommerce integration.

Orderwise Cloud will replace legacy systems with a scalable, future-proof platform designed to streamline operations, reduce manual tasks and integrate seamlessly with ecommerce channels.

Headquartered in Country Antrim, Northern Ireland, Workwear Mallusk has built a strong reputation for high-quality PPE and workwear products, serving a growing number of customers across the UK. With continued expansion and new contract wins, the company found that its previous system was no longer keeping pace with operational demands.

This was holding the company back by creating increased manual tasks, due to the limited integration to its website. As order volumes grew, the existing system became unmanageable and unable to keep up with demand, so they turned to Orderwise.

“Orderwise came highly recommended by others in our sector and immediately stood out for its flexibility and ease of use,” said Gavin Kane, IT Manager, Workwear Mallusk. “We needed a solution that could grow with us and help us reduce the volume of manual tasks holding us back. The ability to integrate with our online channels and introduce handheld scanners into the warehouse was also a major factor.”

By moving to Orderwise Cloud Growth Platform, Workwear Mallusk will gain full visibility across its operations, enhance stock control and reduce reliance on manual processes. The move will enable the company to focus more on winning new business and expanding its already strong product offering.

“Workwear Mallusk is a great example of a business ready to embrace digital transformation in order to scale successfully,” said Tom Price, Director, Forterro. “Orderwise Cloud gives them a connected, modern solution that streamlines ecommerce integration, improves warehouse accuracy and sets them up for future growth.”

Built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Orderwise Cloud offers a secure, fully integrated platform for distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers. It connects core business functions into a single, easy-to-use system that reduces complexity, increases automation and supports digital maturity.