This week, innovation meets determination across the headlines.
We start with exciting OneRail news after receiving the Last Mile Company of the Year award at the 2024 SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards. Meanwhile, over in Baltimore, the Port of Baltimore springs back into action after an 11-week closure. On the legislative side, the recently introduced Warehouse Worker Protection Act could bring more safety and fairness to warehouse workers. Then, we swing by Target’s latest strategy session with the WSJ, which revealed pandemic-era secrets in turning crowded aisles into mini-warehouses for order fulfillment. And finally, we close things out with a look at returns and how clever data use helps. Let’s get this started.
OneRail Wins Big As Last Mile Company of the Year at 2024 SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards
Exciting OneRail news: We won the Last Mile Company of the Year award at the annual SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards for making last mile logistics more efficient and intelligent.
Setting the Standard in Last Mile Delivery
We were honored for our hard work in blending technological excellence with proactive problem-solving to turn complex delivery processes into a seamless, efficient operation. Our platform optimizes each step from warehouse to doorstep, using real-time data and automation to match deliveries with suitable drivers and vehicles within milliseconds. The end result is fewer delays and more predictability.
Pioneering Innovations That Reshape Retail and Wholesale Logistics
Our recognition is also due to our delivery services, which include providing detailed item and SKU-level visibility for inventory management. With our integrated network of over 12 million drivers across more than 350 U.S. cities with widespread coverage and availability, and our proactive 24/7 Exceptions Assist™ team which uses data to manage and resolve potential delivery issues in real time, our platform is able to reroute drivers around traffic or adjust for weather delays. Being able to change delivery outcomes in real time is at the heart of our innovation. It’s nice to see our hard work pay off.
Baltimore Port Back in Action: A Triumph in Resilience and Recovery
The Port of Baltimore is back! After a challenging 11 weeks following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Governor Wes Moore announced the full reopening of the Fort McHenry Channel on June 12. While it doesn’t yet amount to a full reopening, it’s certainly a welcome update to anyone personally impacted by the bridge disaster.
Restoring Flow, Rebuilding Confidence
When the bridge tragically fell, blocking a crucial artery for maritime traffic, Baltimore’s port faced unprecedented disruptions. An estimated 50,000 tons of debris had to be cleared, a task with a $160 million price tag. Now, with the channel restored to its full depth and width, shipping companies that had diverted their routes are expected to return. With normal operations penciled in to return by mid-July, the industry is eager — especially since Baltimore handles more cars and farm equipment than any other U.S. port.
The Impact on Local Jobs and Nationwide Supply Chains
The impact of the bridge collapse was felt far beyond the water’s edge, affecting thousands of jobs from dockers to truckers and local business owners. The state and federal response, which included opening portions of the channel in phases and setting up relief programs, was vital in keeping the economic fallout at bay. But now the hard part begins with the fully open channel: rebuilding the bridge and reinforcing Baltimore’s role in a highly competitive industry.
A Fresh Take on Warehouse Safety: The New Warehouse Worker Protection Act
Warehouse work can be tough, with tight quotas and even tighter schedules. But big changes might be on the horizon. Edward J. Markey, Tina Smith and Bob Casey, a bipartisan group of senators, just introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act to make these jobs safer and more transparent.
What’s New with the Warehouse Worker Protection Act?
This proposed law concerns setting limits on work quotas that push warehouse workers too hard. It’s pretty straightforward: No more quotas that mess with legal breaks or compromise health and safety. Employers must clearly spell out any quotas, including how they’re tracked and what happens if workers fall short. Plus, they’d need to give a heads-up two days before changing these quotas, giving workers a fair shake to adjust.
Will This Act Make It Through?
The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is just starting its road through Congress and could face some obstacles. However, it’s clear that there’s a growing push to make sure warehouse workers aren’t just cogs in the machine. The act calls for ergonomic standards and guarantees a paid 15-minute break every four hours. Big names like Amazon and Walmart have come under fire, and this act has the backing of major labor groups like the Teamsters.
Target’s Smart Pivot During the Pandemic: A Close-up from WSJ
The Wall Street Journal recently had an insightful convo with Target’s Chief Supply Chain and Logistics officer, Gretchen McCarthy, on how Target turned a huge challenge into a game-changing opportunity. The gist of it? How they turned crowded aisles in Target stores into mini-warehouses for fulfillment optimization.
Turning Challenge into Opportunity
With $13.9 billion worth of goods filling up space in early 2022, something had to give. McCarthy’s lightbulb moment? Use the stores themselves to handle the load. By early 2023, this strategy helped chop the inventory down to $11.9 billion and keep customers happy with faster, more reliable delivery right to their doorstep — or ready for pickup just around the corner — unified commerce as its finest.
Tech-Savvy Solutions Meet Teamwork
Target made some significant tech upgrades that also propelled them forward. One thing they did was introduce AI to predict better what items you might want before you added them to your cart. This intelligent move ensured that the items you desired were readily available whether you shopped online or in-store. It was a collaborative effort, with tech experts and store staff working together to make the shopping experience smooth and seamless, regardless of how or where you shopped.
Tackling Returns: Why Data Matters More Than Ever
Finally, the surge in online shopping has brought an unpleasant challenge: a high rate of returns. Yet with smart data usage, this issue can be turned into a retail opportunity.
The Real Cost of Returns
E-commerce has changed the game, and not just in sales figures. Since 2019, retail growth has seen wild fluctuations — from a steady 3.5% pre-pandemic to a high of 14.4% in 2021. But as sales normalize, return rates remain high. In 2023, returns stood at 14.5% of total sales, slightly down from the 16.5% peak in 2022. In other words, the habits consumers picked up during the pandemic aren’t going anywhere soon. Every billion in sales sees $145 million lost to returns, pointing to a pressing need for better inventory and returns management.
Turning Insights Into Action
Using data effectively is key to mastering the returns challenge. Predictive analytics help forecast future trends by examining past return reasons — fit, style or quality. More than just crunching numbers, this involves using insights to adjust inventory and improve customer satisfaction. Partnering with reverse logistics experts can also make a huge difference, helping streamline the returns process and efficiently reintegrate items into the sales cycle. Not only does it manage returns better, but it also turns them into opportunities for growth.
OneRail at the Wheel: Steering Logistics into the Future
This week’s whirlwind of breakthroughs and news was all over the place. Yet there’s one key takeaway: Innovative logistics will always win in the end. We’re thrilled to have been recognized as a key player in bringing unprecedented efficiency and reliability to last mile delivery, and we owe this success to the following solutions:
- Unparalleled Courier Network: Place your deliveries in trusted hands by tapping into OneRail’s massive national network, boasting over 12 million vetted drivers.
- OmniPoint® Platform: Leverage OneRail’s OmniPoint® Platform for automated rate shopping, smart matching and real-time visibility to guarantee timely and cost-effective deliveries.
- Exceptions Assist™: Benefit from proactive monitoring, with a dedicated team of logistics experts at the ready 24/7 to tackle any challenges and disruptions, safeguarding your on-time delivery rate.
No matter your industry, OneRail can transform your logistics strategy. Schedule a demo today to find out how.
