IN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions - Inbound Logistics

Transportation, Technology , Supply ChainProducts The new XG4 rugged mobile computer from Janam Technologies is designed for scan-intensive applications. The lightweight device is ideal for workers performing supply chain functions, including inventory management, stocking and replenishment, shipping, receiving, and cross docking. The OpteBulk from ORBIS consists of a pallet, sleeve, and top cap to keep product loads safe and secure. Allowing for maximum cube utilization, the collapsible bulk container is designed for lighter-weight loads. The sleeves can be fabricated from plastic corrugated materials. Services A&R Logistics opened a South Carolina facility to package, export, and import plastic resin and other products for chemical companies. Near the Port of Charleston, the 615,000-square-foot facility has two high-speed packaging lines, sea bulk operations, liquid transload capability, and rail service via CSX. Ocean shippers now have a range of services to help analyze their environmental footprint, use cleaner alternative energy sources, and offset emissions generated during goods transport through the newly launched ACT with CMA CGM+. The offering, which consists of four services, is available throughout the CMA CGM Group's shipping subsidiaries. AirBridge Cargo Airlines, a unit of Volga-Dnepr Group, now offers ThermoSafe's new Pegasus ULD bulk temperature-controlled container. Designed for pharmaceutical use, the passive bulk temperature-controlled container is an FAA-approved unit load device. Southworth Products' air cargo lifts speed and simplify the transfer of loads to and from transport vehicles to cargo terminals and off-site warehouse and distribution center facilities. Standard lifts have a load capacity of 15,000 pounds with higher capacities available and are equipped with inverted casters placed in a uniform grid pattern to allow cargo containers and unit load devices to be moved across the deck in any direction. Fetch Robotics partnered with VARGO, a provider of materials handling systems integration, warehouse execution software and equipment solutions, to launch an integrated fulfillment solution. The new offering combines Fetch's autonomous mobile robots with Continuous Order Fulfillment Engine, VARGO's warehouse execution system, to enable optimized piece, batch, and case picking workflows with payloads up to 1.5 tons for e-commerce, retail distribution, and omnichannel operations. Designed for high-density storage configurations in e-commerce warehouses, Yale Materials Handling's new narrow-aisle reach truck can lift heavier loads to greater heights and storage depths. Available in 3,000 to 4,500-pound load capacities with single or double reach capabilities, the Yale NR/NDR-DC/EC reach trucks use optical-based sensors, not pedals, to detect operator presence and let operators adjust their stance for increased comfort.Transportation Alaska Air Cargo introduced an in-seat package stowage system to allow full use of an Alaska Airlines passenger aircraft in a cargo-only configuration. As the North American launch customer for aircraft engineering service provider HAECO's design, Alaska Air Cargo can fill the main cabin passenger seats with an additional 13,500 pounds of cargo with the interior package stowage containers. ZIM launched a second China-to-Australia express line, which calls on major Australian ports. The new service, which commenced on Dec. 4, 2020, offers 11-day transit time from Yantian to Sydney for e-commerce shippers and deploys 6X2500 TEU vessels with capacity and plugs for refrigerated cargo. Union Pacific opened its Twin Cities Intermodal Terminal in Minneapolis in November 2020 and will launch intermodal service to the Minneapolis—St. Paul metropolitan area in January 2021. Letting shippers reach key Upper Midwest markets, the new domestic intermodal service connects the Twin Cities and Los Angeles. OOCL will expand its North Europe-Turkey (NET) service in January 2021. The updated NET rotation will include Felixstowe, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Piraeus, Gebze, Istanbul, Gemlik, Aliaga, and Valencia.Technology Schneider, a provider of transportation and logistics services, launched Schneider FreightPower, a digital marketplace that connects shippers with carriers through both an online portal and mobile app. Negotiation-free prices are published with available loads. Shippers can monitor the financial health of their supply chains with Avetta Financial Risk, a new tool from Avetta, a provider of supply chain risk management solutions. Integrated with the global information services company Experian, the tool provides a supplier risk rating, displaying financial insights on a dashboard. Digital freight network Convoy enhanced its drop-and-hook freight service, Convoy Go, to provide increased visibility into equipment availability. Convoy Go is available to shippers that move at least 250 full truckloads per year in the United States.