Connect with us

Freight Forwarding

CEVA Logistics, Kodiak Robotics launch autonomous freight deliveries; complete first ever autonomous trucking delivery in Oklahoma

Published

on

CEVA Logistics, Kodiak Robotics launch autonomous freight deliveries; complete first ever autonomous trucking delivery in Oklahoma. Image: CEVA Logistics
CEVA Logistics, Kodiak Robotics launch autonomous freight deliveries; complete first ever autonomous trucking delivery in Oklahoma. Image: CEVA Logistics
Listen to the story (FreightComms AudioPost)

 

CEVA Logistics, a global leader in third-party logistics, announced it has teamed up with Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leading self-driving trucking company, to deliver freight autonomously between Dallas Fort-Worth and Austin; and Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. Through this partnership, Kodiak and CEVA have become the first-ever companies to deliver freight autonomously in the state of Oklahoma. This partnership is a critical step towards the companies’ long-term goal of integrating Kodiak’s technology into CEVA’s North American truck fleet.

“CEVA is committed to working alongside leading automation and robotics suppliers – like Kodiak with its proven autonomy technologies – to unlock value for our customers’ supply chain operations,” says Shawn Stewart, President & Managing Director, North America, CEVA Logistics. “At CEVA, we define innovation as the implementation of new ideas with business impact, and our partnership with Kodiak will deliver more business value to our customers, especially in light of the current supply chain crisis and the ongoing driver shortage.”

CEVA delivered its first load with Kodiak in November 2021 and is moving goods weekly on the 200 mile freight lane between Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, Texas. The companies expanded the partnership in February 2022 with a new route between Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City on the freight-rich Interstate 35 corridor. This route runs 200 miles between a CEVA facility in Dallas and the delivery point in Oklahoma City. On both routes, a Kodiak autonomous tractor pulls a CEVA trailer filled with consumer products.

In addition to these two lanes in connection with CEVA, Kodiak Robotics has been delivering freight daily between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston since mid-2019. Since mid-2021, Kodiak Robotics has also been delivering freight weekly between Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio.

“CEVA is at the forefront of global logistics innovation and has recognized early on that the trucking industry will see the first widespread adoption of self-driving technology,” said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak. “Kodiak and CEVA are focused on serving Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and Oklahoma City, because they cover some of the richest freight corridors in the U.S. As Americans grapple with pandemic-related supply-chain issues and the long-term truck driver shortage, CEVA is leading the industry in adopting new technology that will benefit its customers.”

As a global leader in third-party logistics, CEVA has vast experience in integrating automation and robotics into both its contract logistics and freight management operations. The company has a consistent approach to technology integration to keep customer success at the forefront of every decision. With more than 2,449 drivers in its North American fleet, CEVA is committed to the benefits of autonomous technology to alleviate the strain on its existing workforce.

Kodiak is developing the Kodiak Driver, the company’s self-driving technology, to make trucking safer and more efficient. The Kodiak Driver, which is purpose-built for long-haul trucks, incorporates Luminar’s Iris LiDAR, ZF Full Range Radar, Hesai 360-degree scanning LiDARs, as well as a range of cameras to capture and process hundreds of megabytes of perception data each second. These sensors allow the truck to “see” long-range and all around the vehicle in a wide variety of weather conditions. This enables safe operation at highway speeds. Kodiak’s self-driving technology will improve road safety for everyone, ultimately saving lives, increasing network efficiency, reducing costs and emissions, and enhancing truck drivers’ quality of life.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Freight Forwarding

Kuehne+Nagel acquires South African freight forwarder Morgan Cargo

Published

on

Kuehne+Nagel acquires South African freight forwarder Morgan Cargo. Image: Kuehne+Nagel
Kuehne+Nagel acquires South African freight forwarder Morgan Cargo. Image: Kuehne+Nagel
Listen to the story (FreightComms AudioPost)

 

Kuehne+Nagel signed an agreement to acquire Morgan Cargo, a leading South African, UK and Kenyan freight forwarder specialised in the transport and handling of perishable goods. During 2022 the company handled more than 40,000 tonnes of air freight and more than 20,000 TEU of sea freight globally, managed by approximately 450 logistics experts.

The acquisition of Morgan Cargo ideally complements Kuehne+Nagel’s perishables logistics service offering, while improving connectivity for customers to and from South Africa, the UK and Kenya, which includes state-of-the-art cold chain facilities.

Yngve Ruud, Member of the Management Board of Kuehne+Nagel, responsible for Air Logistics, commented: “With Morgan Cargo, we acquire a reliable logistics service provider for the benefit of our customers. Expansion in high-growth markets such as Africa clearly ties into our Roadmap 2026 and reinforces our commitment to the Middle East and Africa Region. We have been active in Africa for many years, but this acquisition is an ideal addition to our regional presence.”

Schalk Bruwer, CEO of Morgan Cargo, added: “We wanted to expand our successful family-owned business and took the opportunity to become part of one of the world leaders in logistics. This new development will provide greater opportunities for our customers in terms of global reach and allow our team to advance their careers beyond the realm that was previously possible. Morgan Cargo is extremely excited to become part of Kuehne+Nagel.”

Closing of the transaction is expected during the third quarter of 2023 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including clearance by the competent merger control authorities.

Continue Reading

Freight Forwarding

Yusen Logistics partners with Toyota Motor to accelerate decarbonization

Published

on

Yusen Logistics partners with Toyota Motor to accelerate decarbonization. Image: Yusen Logistics
Yusen Logistics partners with Toyota Motor to accelerate decarbonization. Image: Yusen Logistics
Listen to the story (FreightComms AudioPost)

 

Following on from last week’s press release Toyota to decarbonise its logistics activities in Europe, Yusen Logistics Europe partners with Toyota Motor Europe in this proactive approach to alternative powertrain development.

Together with VDL Special Vehicles, Yusen Logistics is honored to be part of the team to help accelerate the decarbonization of Toyota’s logistics network with the use of hydrogen fuel cell trucks. Using Toyota’s fuel cell modules VDL will convert an existing vehicle into a zero-emission truck for Yusen Logistics to operate within Toyota Motor Europe’s logistics network.

The innovative technology project is a significant step towards reducing both companies’ overall carbon footprint and aligns with Yusen Logistics’ wider commitment to working together with our partners and communities towards a more sustainable future.

Continue Reading

Freight Forwarding

cargo-partner becomes part of Nippon Express Group

Published

on

cargo-partner becomes part of Nippon Express Group. Image: Cargo Partner
cargo-partner becomes part of Nippon Express Group. Image: Cargo Partner
Listen to the story (FreightComms AudioPost)

 

As cargo-partner is celebrating its 40th anniversary, company owner and founder Stefan Krauter has decided to sell the Austrian global logistics player to Japanese stock-listed Nippon Express Holdings, which is also the parent company of Nippon Express, APC, Franco Vago and others. Having started operations in 1983 with only five employees at Vienna Airport and having developed the company almost completely organically to now 4,000 employees in 40 countries around the globe, Stefan Krauter had already passed on the baton to his management and now has also passed over ownership to his “ideal successor” NX.

After exceeding the billion euro mark in global turnover for the first time in 2020, cargo-partner’s turnover increased by 72%, reaching over 1.8 billion euro in 2021, and further increased to 2.06 billion euro in 2022.

“Leadership by agile founders bears some considerable advantages, but from a certain stage on, highly professional and long-term stable ownership is the bigger asset. It is the founders’ challenge and responsibility to decide about both management and ownership succession at the right time. Not too early to be able to build a stable internal management succession but, for sure, also not too late,” Krauter says. “That is why, together with the Corporate Executive Board, we started evaluating different options for the future of cargo-partner.”

Stefan Krauter continues to explain: “It would also have been a good option for the management and employees to continue going completely alone, but since the ideal new strategic owner was found in NX Group, we were ultimately convinced that this was the right way to go forward. Following the integration policy we have seen from NX Group so far, cargo-partner will remain cargo-partner in regard to both organization and branding – and it will become the strongest cargo-partner ever!”

The deal was signed on May 12, 2023 and will come into effect subject to the usual regulatory (anti-trust and FDI) approvals in an estimated four to seven months along with the subsequent closing.

“Both organizations will benefit from considerable synergies in global office coverage, an expanded service portfolio, strengthened regional, product and IT know-how, increased scale and others. NX Group will benefit from our strong and extensive network in Central and Eastern Europe that complements NX’s existing network in an ideal way, and cargo-partner will jump several leagues in the Intra-Asian and Trans-Pacific trade lanes,” Stefan Krauter states. He adds: “cargo-partner will also continue to work with its current global agents’ network, strive to expand this section of its business and support it in future with its upgraded platform which is presently under development.”

“I will personally continue to support the transition in my new role on the Corporate Supervisory Board and in my advisory function to the Corporate Executive Board. I will be focusing on smart partial integration with the new owners as well as on other matters regarding strategy, M&A and ESG. What an interesting and rewarding challenge at the end of my career!” Krauter says.

The sellers have been advised by J.P. Morgan (financial), ValueAdd (financial), BCG (commercial), Schönherr (legal), and Deloitte (accounting and tax) on the transaction.

Continue Reading

Popular

Copyright © 2017-18 | FreightComms | Made with ♥ in Singapore