FedEx robot improves parcel sorting at Cologne airport facility
A new robot that flips packages so labels can be scanned is helping FedEx more accurately sort packages at its Cologne, Germany, air station for final delivery.
Modern Shipper covers the gig economy, including same-day, on-demand, and last-mile delivery jobs and services. Readers will find current news on gig economy companies, gig economy workers, gig economy data and trends. In addition, Modern Shipper focuses on e-commerce, e-commerce platforms and companies, and e-commerce services and technologies.
A new robot that flips packages so labels can be scanned is helping FedEx more accurately sort packages at its Cologne, Germany, air station for final delivery.
Amazon’s air logistics unit has started flying internationally for the first time from the U.S. to help fulfill e-commerce orders in Colombia and is leaning on a U.S. cargo airline to fly the aircraft and a Colombian airline for revenue on the return leg to Miami.
DHL Express Canada will stop accepting shipments on Tuesday and suspend all operations on Friday in response to a work stoppage by 2,100 employees.
DHL has been expanding its Middle East presence in conjunction with the region’s economic development. The next evolution is a nearly $600M investment in facilities, equipment and technology in Saudi Arabia and the UAE over five years.
DHL Express Canada says it has taken steps to minimize any disruption from a lockout and strike over a contract dispute with union workers.
Project44 (P44) has a new business plan, and it’s remarkably ambitious. Jett McCandless, Project44’s founder and CEO, has a long-term vision to position Project44 as the operating system for the logistics industry, seamlessly integrating every component and shipment across a shipper’s network, all powered by AI. This vision extends far beyond visibility, which has become […]
Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are not giving an inch in their fight over a labor contract, with Canada Post showing frustration with union leadership and opposing its call for binding arbitration.
Transfix’s latest tools are designed to preserve strategic intelligence by embedding historical context directly into the workflow, helping brokers make more informed decisions and maintain continuity even as teams evolve.
DHL Express workers say they are willing to walk off the job in less than two weeks if a new labor contract isn’t in place by then.
The postal workers union is disparaging what Canada Post called an enhanced offer on Wednesday as the sides struggle to finalize a labor agreement after nearly 18 months of negotiations.
Canada Post’s financial troubles have been compounded by the ongoing labor dispute and the inability to generate more revenue from parcel delivery.
Veho, a tech-enabled parcel courier, is testing a delivery robot that can walk, climb and roll to customer doorsteps in cityscapes.
Canada Post workers backed away from going on strike, opting instead for a ban on overtime work. But the threat of a strike has already allowed competitors to take parcel business from the national post.
The CEO of Mercado Libre, the dominant e-commerce player in Latin America, has decided to turn control to one of his lieutenants and move to the board room.
Postal workers in Canada have threatened to go on strike Friday, which would shut down most delivery services and hurt businesses that depend on Canada Post to fulfill orders.
Waabi CEO Raquel Urtasun says autonomous truck developers should show their safety data rather than make opaque claims about their safety.
E-commerce logistics startup Stord has acquired Ware2Go from UPS.
From oversharing on socials to leaving systems unsecured, your data can smooth the path for freight fraudsters.
Overhaul’s CEO breaks down why today’s cargo theft crisis is less about missing locks and more about missing identities – and what the supply chain must do to fight back.
DAT is positioning itself not just as a load board, but as the freight industry’s central exchange through its acquisition of factoring and fintech provider Outgo.
The White House has temporarily relaxed duties on parcel imports from China that entered the country without duty prior to May 2, but efforts continue to eliminate the de minimis exemption altogether.
DHL continues to ramp up investment in the e-commerce space with a large stake in U.K.-based parcel delivery company Evri.
Flock Freight is positioning itself not as a competitor to procurement platforms, but as a specialized supplier that can solve a problem they cannot.
Amazon will outsource delivery of large packages to FedEx in a deal that should prove more profitable on a per-shipment level than shipments under the companies’ partnership that ended six years ago.
Fraud Watch also salutes a detective fighting cargo theft in Philly.
DHL has targeted e-commerce logistics as a primary growth area. On Tuesday, it acquired Indiana-based specialist IDS Fulfillment.
Amazon is investing heavily in rural last-mile delivery as a hedge against Walmart, a prominent analyst says.
Amazon contract carrier Sun Country Airlines says finding parts is slightly slowing deployment of new Amazon freighter aircraft.
DHL Group is trimming some airline partners to reduce excess capacity in its air network as part of an effort to maintain growth in a turbulent market.
Amazon officials said on Thursday tariffs are creating uncertainty for global online retailers.
Here’s a sector-by-sector breakdown of how major players are reacting to the mounting pressure of tariffs and retaliatory trade measures.
UPS is downsizing its workforce as it pulls back from delivering packages for Amazon, its largest customer.
The freight arm of Uber Technologies shares growth plans for its carrier base at the company’s 2025 Carrier Summit in Atlanta.
DHL said it is resuming deliveries of B2C shipments over $800 after U.S. authorities relaxed rules that had increased red tape for processing medium-value shipments.
Chinese sellers are now forced to play by the same rules as U.S.-based vendors.
The air cargo industry could see revenues cut by billions of dollars and China-US air rates plunge by 30% or more when the Trump administration revokes duty-free treatment for small e-commerce shipments, according to one logistics expert’s scenario modeling.
A UPS white paper promotes the benefits of traditional express carriers over gig logistics providers, but the TD Cowen/AFS Logistics Freight Index shows why businesses might like the lower prices from newer last-mile providers.
Despite processing over 3 million tasks with generative AI, C.H. Robinson’s stock continues to face pressure amid a sluggish freight market and investor caution.
U.S. parcel volumes hit a record in 2024, but new competitors like Amazon, Walmart and OnTrac are eroding the market share of FedEx and UPS, a new report says.
The upgrade of a critical tax credit and federal grants were in focus at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association conference.
A long-promised service has launched out of a Walmart Supercenter in Mesquite, Texas: Zipline drone delivery.
Low-value shipments from China to the United States are expected to plunge in May when their eligibility for duty-free status ends and new tariffs of 104% are applied to e-commerce orders.
While some progress has been made, 16% of respondents still rely on rudimentary tools including Excel spreadsheets and manual phone calls, indicating a gap in digital adoption.
Amazon has restructured its air network to accommodate the need for fewer short-haul package flights and a new clientele of shippers with heavy freight.
The Trump administration is ratcheting up regulation of e-commerce shipments from China by removing a pathway for duty-free, expedited entry that critics say has been exploited by drug gangs and counterfeiters to smuggle illegal products into the U.S.
FreightWaves sat down with Ventagium’s founder, Arturo Torres Arpi, to explore barriers preventing companies from embracing data-driven strategies and solutions that can drive operational excellence.
Choosing the right TMS platform is not just a matter of convenience; it’s a strategic decision that can significantly impact a trucking company’s bottom line.
Coinciding with $400 million funding rumors, Agility Robotics has announced a series of enhancements to its flagship humanoid robot, Digit.
For years, the narrative around freight brokerage technology has centered on automation freeing up employees to focus on relationship-building and high-level tasks. But what does that mean in practice?
FedEx is simplifying returns for merchants and consumers with a new tech-enabled service that doesn’t require a box or shipping label.
Real estate investment trust Prologis said the need for more e-commerce fulfillment space is growing.
Carriers in the Powerloop dedicated tours program commit to at least a two-week period of hauling freight using Powerloop trailers. But they can select specific loads within a tour or haul their own loads using a Powerloop trailer.
FedEx reported higher revenue and operating income in the third quarter than last year but says shipping business could slow this quarter because of weakness and uncertainty in manufacturing.
Emails sent to select carriers introduce Walmart’s new brokerage program and outline the benefits of participation.
Intangles digital twin technology can not only help in proactive maintenance but prove that over-the-road trucking fleets uphold high safety standards as well.
U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has outlined DOGE’s scope of work at the Postal Service in a letter to lawmakers, including how existing assets can support the logistics needs of other agencies.
According to a SnapFulfil survey, 56% of respondents expect their warehouse automation levels to increase somewhat over the next two years, while 23% foresee a significant increase.
A performance analysis by Orderful of different equipment types highlights strengths and challenges across the market.
Many major retailers are sounding the alarm about the potential impact of tariffs on their businesses and consumers, but some hope for benefits from the trade disruption.
With the integration of SONAR’s market intelligence into project44’s Freight Procurement Analytics, shippers can access data that enables more informed and agile procurement decisions.
The launch of project44’s Freight Procurement Analytics marks a major step forward in optimizing carrier networks and rate negotiations
Flexport founder Ryan Petersen and FreightWaves discuss the reasoning behind Flexport’s massive product release, the role of AI in global logistics and the evolving landscape of international trade regulations.
The U.S. Postal Service said it is moving ahead with a transportation streamlining initiative, which requires changing the frequency of truck connections between remote post offices and regional processing centers.
DHL e-Commerce is gaining a foothold in the Saudi Arabian market with a partial acquisition of Ajex Logistics Services.
Rivian Automotive is expanding its commercial electric van sales to all U.S. businesses, a shift in the company’s strategy more than a year after Rivian ended its exclusivity deal with Amazon.
President Trump is ready to unilaterally put the U.S. Postal Service under White House control, in what would be an unprecedented move to control the nation’s primary mail delivery provider, according to The Washington Post.
Cargojet is focusing more on charter business as e-commerce retailers and other companies seek dedicated airlift, which helped boost revenue more than 30% in the fourth quarter.
U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy has expressed a desire to transition out of that role. The Postal Service’s board will soon start looking for a successor.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro says the Trump administration has retreated from removing a lucrative tariff exemption for low-value e-commerce goods made in China. In its haste to crack down on duty evasion and fentanyl smuggling, the White House made the situation worse, she says.
Sun Country Airlines expects robust growth in cargo revenue as it begins to receive eight more 737 freighter aircraft for its Amazon flying business.
TRC Cos. recently announced it has surpassed $2 billion in funding for client projects supporting clean commercial transportation and renewable energy initiatives across North America.
The cross-border e-commerce logistics ecosystem, including cargo airlines, is bracing for a downturn in business after the U.S. moved to ban low-value Chinese imports from qualifying for zero duties.
FreightTech could contribute to a digital transformation in vehicle logistics, and Detroit-based Auto Hauler Exchange and its investors are betting on it.
“We’re partnering with over three times the number of freight forwarders that we [anticipated] by this time,” said Bryan Lacaillade, co-founder and CEO of Freightmate Ai.
Autonomous yard operations leader Outrider recently announced an industry-first deployment of advanced reinforcement learning (RL) techniques across its customer sites.
Seven-year-old electric vehicle startup Canoo has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and announced an immediate halt to operations weeks after it furloughed its remaining workers and idled its Oklahoma factory.
An autonomous railcar pilot program involving Parallel Systems’ self-propelled, battery-electric container cars will be conducted on two Genesee & Wyoming short lines in Georgia.
Following up on earlier action this week aimed at controlling the influx of unidentified e-commerce shipments from China, U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Friday proposed that low-value imports no longer qualify for duty-free entry if the products are subject to tariffs or other national security restrictions. The proposal could result in higher consumer prices […]
Amazon has announced its largest-ever order of electric heavy goods vehicles, acquiring over 200 eActros 600 vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
“In mature markets like the U.S., data accuracy and completeness are critical to building trust and delivering value,” said Shippeo co-founder Lucien Besse.
As the first president of Armada Sunset Holdings, Chris O’Brien sees strong potential for technologies such as AI and machine learning to drive innovation in supply chain management.
Warp and Talon Logistics ask the industry to help support the LA area with relief efforts.
As the global supply chain becomes more volatile, more companies are opting for 4PL services.
This week in Borderlands: Mexican government aims to regulate Asian e-commerce imports; Emerson Electric plans $22.5M factory in Chihuahua; Chinese firm plans $20M machinery factory in Mexico; and Investment firm constructing logistics center in Laredo, Texas.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has issued a decree that effectively ended the popular “border-skipping” strategy many U.S. e-commerce sellers used to avoid tariffs on Chinese goods.
Houston-based e-commerce provider Cart.com acquires fulfillment operations firm OceanX.
Steve Blough, a co-founder of MercuryGate International Inc., speaks about how companies can use AI to strengthen decision making.
FreightWaves got an inside look at DHL Express’ big parcel center at Miami International Airport as the global logistics integrator prepared for the holiday shipping season, when volumes are 40% to 50% higher each day than the rest of the year.
The National Retail Federation forecasts containerized imports to continue to surge through U.S. ports ahead of a possible longshore strike and tariffs planned by the Trump administration.
A federal court upholds an order requiring China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok or face ban in the US.
The air cargo market will double in size over the next 20 years, and express will be the industry’s main growth engine, Boeing said in a new forecast.
Some Amazon employees are preparing to strike or protest on Black Friday as part of the “Make Amazon Pay” demonstrations against alleged labor abuses.
KF Aerospace is swapping out old Convair cargo planes for more modern ATRs that will fly packages for Purolator in British Columbia.
Last-mile solutions provider OneRail has raised $42 million in venture capital backing to streamline the last mile of the delivery process.
The FreightWaves FreightTech 25 list shows some of the most cutting-edge technology in the industry and identifies several trends that could disrupt the sector moving forward.
Smitha Raphael, chief product and delivery officer at SnapFulfil, highlights why flexibility and seamless integrations in warehouse management tech are now top priorities for 3PLs and B2C companies.
Amazon has added 21 Air to its roster of air cargo transport providers.
Amazon is promising logistics companies that use its air cargo airline that their shipments won’t get left behind when e-commerce parcel volumes are high.
After Uber recently announced bookings growth, the company has launched a broker offering that could help support future shipment growth and brokerage penetration.
Orderful has raised $15 million with NewRoad Capital Partners to help expand Orderful’s offerings, including self-service EDI tools for small and midsize businesses.