May 2024

Combilift Renews Sponsorship of Gaelic Football Team

Posted on 17 May, 202431 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Combilift, the world’s leading manufacturer of multi-directional forklifts and straddle carriers, is proud to announce the renewal of its sponsorship with the Monaghan Ladies Gaelic Football Team for another three years. This extension underscores Combilift’s commitment to supporting local sports and fostering community spirit.

Monaghan Ladies Gaelic Football has been a cornerstone of sporting excellence in the region, promoting athleticism, teamwork, and community engagement. Combilift’s renewed sponsorship will provide essential funding to support the team’s activities, including training programs, equipment, Programmed S&C Support, GPS and Sports Science, Performance Analysis, and Video Analysis. This partnership aims to enhance the development of players at all levels and strengthen the team’s presence in national and international competitions.

Martin McVicar, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Combilift expressed his enthusiasm for the renewed partnership: “We are thrilled to continue our support for the Monaghan Ladies Gaelic Football Team. Their dedication, hard work, and passion for the sport resonate with Combilift’s values. We look forward to their continued success and growth over the next three years.”

Team manager, Darren Greenan, also shared his appreciation: “The Monaghan Ladies are delighted that Combilift has chosen to renew their sponsorship partnership for the next 3 years. This financial support helps create the best possible environment for our intercounty players, boosts the team profile, and allows management the resources to prepare the teams to the higher levels expected. We strive to make intercounty football an attractive opportunity for girls in the county, and this goes a long way to helping us reach this goal.”

This announcement comes with great excitement as the Monaghan Senior Ladies take on Down this Sunday in the Ulster Intermediate Final in Clones – We hope to see you there!

Combilift announces 40 million investment in new manufacturing facility

Milestone for Autonomous Heavy-Duty Truck Commercialization

Posted on 17 May, 20247 August, 2025 by David Priestman

Inceptio Technology, developer of autonomous driving technologies for heavy-duty trucks, announced that heavy-duty trucks powered by the Inceptio Autonomous Driving System and its Truck Navigate-on-Autopilot (T-NOA) capabilities have surpassed the significant milestone of 100 million kilometers in safe commercial operations, reinforcing Inceptio’s global leadership in the commercialization of autonomous trucks.

This achievement underscores how L3 and L2+ autonomous heavy-duty trucks have been successfully deployed across the line-haul logistics sector, including express delivery, less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation, as well as contract logistics. This also reflects the significant value that autonomous trucks offer logistics operators.

Accelerating the Adoption of Autonomous Trucks Across the Line-Haul Logistics Sector

Inceptio-powered trucks surpassed 50 million kilometers of safe commercial operations in August 2023. Building on this success, the company expanded the number of compatible truck models and surpassed the 100-million-kilometer mark by the end of April 2024.

Inceptio’s Autonomous Driving System covers 83% of China’s national highways connecting 7 major economic zones. Over the course of the 100 million kilometers, a total of 1,864 drivers safely used Inceptio-powered L3 and L2+ trucks in their daily operations.

Current customers include all the top logistics companies in China such as ZTO Express, YTO Express, STO Express, JD Logistics, and SF Express. Inceptio has also established an extensive footprint across the contract logistics segment including cold chain, automotive, beverages, and fast-moving consumer goods among many others, serving global brands like Budweiser and Nestlé. Inceptio’s autonomous driving technology caters to a diverse user base — from big logistics companies to small fleets and individual operators.

Inceptio has partnered with several leading Chinese truck manufacturers to pre-load mass produced trucks with the Inceptio Autonomous Driving System. These partnerships have expanded the number of trucks Inceptio powers and include popular models from Dongfeng, Sinotruk, Foton and Liuqi that are available in both 4×2 and 6×4 axle configurations to meet the diverse needs of the line-haul logistics sector.

Paving the Way for Greater Commercialization

Over the course of 100 million kilometers, Inceptio has demonstrated how its autonomous driving technology and its T-NOA capabilities are paving the way for greater commercial deployment across the line-haul logistics with safer, more efficient, and profitable operations.

The majority of the routes large express delivery companies in China use exceed 500 kilometers in length. Two drivers are commonly assigned to each traditional truck on these routes and take shifts driving in order to minimize fatigue and ensure safety when meeting tight shipping schedules. Inceptio’s solution makes driving much less physically and mentally exhausting as it handles more than 90% of the journey. Express delivery companies have been able to significantly reduce the number of drivers per truck and labour costs on these same routes as a result. On routes ranging from 500 to 1,200 kilometers, Inceptio has realized a direct shift from two drivers per truck to one, resulting in a significant 40% to 50% reduction in labor costs. On routes that exceed 1,200 kilometers where an autonomous truck relay model has been deployed, a traditional assignment of 6-8 drivers per three trucks has been reduced to 5. Likewise, a traditional assignment of 8-10 drivers per 4 trucks has been reduced to 6, resulting in a substantial decrease in labour costs and improved driver satisfaction.

The benefits are equally strong for contract logistic companies, both large and small. Huatai Logistics for example, a contract logistics company specializing in automotive parts transport on routes that average 1,500 kilometers, has seen its driver-to-truck ratio decrease from two to one by using Inceptio-powered trucks. Combined with a reduction of 3-5 liters in fuel consumption per 100 kilometers, total cost of ownership per kilometer decreased by 7-15%. The stellar safety record and enhanced driving comfort offered by autonomous trucks improved fleet-attendance rates significantly and increased monthly kilometers per truck by as much as 10%.

Some individual operators have also seen increases of 10-20% in monthly kilometers per truck and 2,500-5,500 RMB in monthly net income due to the fundamental improvement of safety and driving comfort offered by Inceptio-powered autonomous trucks. The fuel-saving benefits of autonomous trucks are particularly attractive for individual operators.

Leveraging Data Assets to Enhance Inceptio’s Autonomous Driving Technology

Inceptio leverages its powerful, data-driven R&D system to rapidly iterate and enhance its autonomous driving technology. This system, which incorporates accurate and efficient data capturing, automated cloud processing, advanced scenario mining, and automatic annotation, allows Inceptio to continuously refine its industry-leading T-NOA algorithm in real-time. This focus on real-world data is a key driver of Inceptio’s competitive edge in the autonomous driving technology landscape.

Julian Ma, founder and CEO of Inceptio Technology, commented, “Inceptio’s autonomous driving technology and its T-NOA capabilities are making significant progress in their commercialization, allowing us to rapidly surpass the 100-million-kilometer milestone after hitting 50 million kilometers only eight months ago. The impact our technology is having on the logistics industry is profound. The commercial deployment of Inceptio-powered autonomous trucks across the line-haul logistics sector is exciting, but what’s truly inspiring is the creativity and innovation our customers bring to the table. This user-driven approach is pushing the boundaries of how these autonomous trucks are used, opening up new ways to deploy our technology. The more data we gather, the faster we will be able to enhance our algorithms and improve our full-stack solution. We will continue working closely with our truck OEM partners to offer even greater safety, efficiency, and profitability to logistics customers.”

Heavy-duty Autonomous Trucks with Autopilot

Forklift Telematics Data – Vital Statistics

Posted on 17 May, 202429 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Forklift telematics systems deliver the vital statistics data that every warehouse or distribution centre manager needs to get the most from their materials handling equipment budget. But, warns Steve Ross (pictured), Operations Manager – Connectivity and Digital Products, Toyota Material Handling UK, having plenty of data is of little or no value if users have no idea what the figures mean and how to use them.

Vital statistics

Using a combination of GPS technology, sensors and the vehicle’s electric motor or ic-engine performance information, telematics systems deliver the vital statistics that every warehouse or distribution centre manager needs to understand precisely how productive and cost-efficient their materials handling equipment (MHE) is and, arguably most importantly of all, how safely it is being operated.

For example, it is generally understood that getting the best value from any material handling budget means constantly reviewing intralogistics systems to make certain that each truck is being used safely and effectively throughout every shift. Truck-connected telematics technology will flag-up any under-used vehicles within the fleet – regardless of whether a company has several hundred units or one or two machines in operation.

The data generated by telematics to highlight trucks with lower-than- expected usage rates could prompt users take the necessary action to drive down their monthly MHE running costs. For instance, trucks might be switched to other areas of the business where they can be more productive or, in some cases, equipment may even be removed from the fleet altogether if the figures fed back by the telematics system demonstrate that usage rates consistently fall below what is forecast.

But, of course, efficient forklift fleet utilisation is about more than just knowing how often a truck is used: managers need to consider how operators are performing too. For example, how busy are they during their working day? Could they be more helpful if they were reassigned to undertake alternative tasks during their shift? Are more drivers needed to run the operation smoothly or is the opposite the case? Are drivers operating the trucks safely? By tracking individual driver activity, telematics delivers the kind of actionable data that will answer these questions and plenty more.
On-site safety is another cornerstone of cost-efficient materials handling that can be improved by the data gathered by telematics systems. With losses incurred because of accidental damage to either the goods, building or the truck itself typically representing 5-15%of a forklift’s operating expenses, if on-site safety is considered in pure monetary terms alone the benefits of operating a safe site are obvious.

Telematics systems, such as Toyota’s I_Site, can help safety conscious companies reduce the potential for accidents in several ways. These include pinpointing precisely where forklift mishaps take place. If the data indicates that a certain location within the warehouse is something of an accident ‘black spot’, management will be alerted and, if necessary, additional safety measures can be introduced to cut the likelihood of further incidents in and around the area.

Steve Ross

Some telematics systems require each operator to use their own PIN code or smart access card to operate a truck. This feature not only restricts non-qualified personnel from operating the machinery but the fact that it makes operators accountable for their actions during a shift means that they should take far more care when going about their daily routine. Naturally, this results in a safer environment and reduced product, truck or building infrastructure damage.

A significant percentage of a company’s MHE budget can be taken up by the efficiency – or otherwise – of the battery changing and recharging process but, by using data supplied by on-truck telemetry to monitor battery and charger performance, potentially costly problems can be avoided. Failure to properly oversee the critically important recharging regime could also damage the environment and will certainly result in higher than necessary operating costs.

Companies want to collect as much data about their business processes as they can get and there is almost no limit to the type of information that can be supplied by telematics-connected trucks. But if the statistics can’t be harnessed because they are presented in a way that only a professional data scientist could understand they will be of little or no value. In fact, having plenty of data can become more of a liability than an asset if users feel overwhelmed by it or have no idea how to use the figures in ways that will benefit their company. And, if that happens, the data tends to be left to gather dust!

Toyota is a market leader in telematics and introduced its I_Site MHE telematics technology more than 20 years ago. From the outset, I_Site has been designed to deliver valuable business insights, rather than simply supply users with figures and statistics. The system gives logistics professionals knowledge that they can use for the benefit of their businesses by presenting data as meaningful, helpful and actionable Information.

But by presenting a crystal-clear overview of everything users need to measure, analyse and improve their material handling operation I_Site allows logistics managers to take the sometimes-difficult decisions that are needed to keep full control of the intralogistics processes that they oversee. And by doing so, their companies will experience the true value of telematics.

Forklift Truck Manufacturer launches Smart Telematics

Webinar: Reducing Fulfilment Costs

Posted on 16 May, 20247 August, 2025 by David Priestman

How can a business save money by getting the absolute maximum from its transport and logistics operations? What technologies and strategies are available and where can the greatest benefits be achieved? The latest Logistics Business webinar – brought to you in association with Paragon from Aptean and accessible free on demand via this link – answers all of these questions and more.

Under the title of “Driving Change & Reducing Costs in Direct Fulfilment Operations”, Logistics Business editor Peter MacLeod speaks with industry experts Luke Robinson, Sales Director, UK&I Transport, Food & Beverage, at Paragon from Aptean, and his colleague Gareth Evans, Aptean’s Solutions Consultants Manager.

In a 30-minute webinar aimed at businesses seeking to optimise their logistics operations, the panel discusses how inefficiencies can be identified, what first steps can be taken to catch the so-called low-hanging fruit, and how to get the best out of the existing workforce by winning their hearts and minds through the implementation of an effective change management strategy.

Given the struggles to recruit and retain staff, a move towards a more digital way of working is underway, and companies such as Paragon from Aptean are at the forefront of helping businesses to understand how to take the necessary steps to unlock the greatest efficiency whilst at the same time remaining competitive in the marketplace.

Access the latest Logistics Business webinar by following this link.

watch:

Webinar: Driving Change and Reducing Costs in Delivery

Kinaxis Selected by Harley-Davidson as SCM Platform

Posted on 16 May, 20247 August, 2025 by Keith McKinley

Kinaxis Inc. , a global leader in end-to-end supply chain orchestration, has announced that Harley-Davidson, the world’s most iconic motorcycle brand, has selected Kinaxis to accelerate the transformation of the company’s global supply chain.

“We’re so proud to be part of this legendary company’s journey to transform its supply chain performance,” said John Sicard, president and CEO of Kinaxis. “I’m eager to contribute to its continued success and embark on this exciting journey together.”

Kinaxis provides end-to-end supply chain transparency and improved demand planning capabilities to adapt and respond to any demand changes, faster and with more accuracy. The company was selected due to its trusted reputation within the automotive industry, with global brands such as Volvo, Ford, Subaru and General Motors, all of which have deployed Kinaxis in pursuit of supply chain resiliency.

With more than 40,000 users in 100+ countries, Kinaxis works with some of the world’s biggest brands in sectors such as CPG, automotive, high tech, life sciences, and more. Its AI-powered technology and patented concurrency technique allows companies to orchestrate their supply chain network end to end from strategic planning to last-mile delivery. Kinaxis’ technology helps companies that supply the agricultural industry with 40% of the world’s tractors, that keep more than 110 billion teeth clean each year, and that ensures more than 35 million pets are fed nutritious meals each year.

Kinaxis is a global leader in modern supply chain orchestration. The company serves supply chains and the people who manage them in service of humanity. Its software is trusted by renowned global brands to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. Kinaxis combines patented concurrency technique with a human-centered approach to AI to empower businesses of all sizes to manage their end-to-end supply chain network, from multi-year strategic planning through down-to-the-second execution and last-mile delivery.

watch this:

Webinar: Supply Chain Management

Digital Partnership to Simplify Cargo Insurance Purchases

Posted on 16 May, 202431 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Conqueror Freight Network, an exclusive freight network, announces a collaboration with Redkik, a cutting-edge platform specializing in streamlining the cargo insurance acquisition process. This partnership marks a significant milestone in Conqueror’s journey toward becoming a truly digital forwarder.

The collaboration introduces an exclusive feature within the Conqueror Member Area, allowing members to seamlessly purchase insurance for their shipments directly through the Intranet. In an industry where securing the right insurance coverage can be a complex and time-consuming task, this integration offers a simple and user-friendly solution for Conqueror’s members.

Redkik’s distinctive advantage lies in its technological solution providing instant insurance quotations based on geographical locations. This state-of-the-art feature ensures members can add proper coverage to their shipment no matter the origin and destination. Through this customized approach, Conqueror members can choose insurance coverage that precisely matches their individual needs and preferences.

“We are thrilled to embark on this transformative journey with Redkik,” said Antonio Torres, the President and Founder of Conqueror Freight Network. “Our collaboration signifies a commitment to enhancing the overall experience for our members, making insurance procurement more accessible, efficient, and tailored to their requirements,” he added.

Cargo Insurance Purchases

As the digital landscape in logistics continues to evolve, Conqueror remains at the forefront, leveraging strategic partnerships to provide its members with innovative tools and services. For now, the insurance feature will be offered through Conqueror’s Intranet, but this tool will be integrated into FreightViewer – Conqueror’s member-exclusive online quoting platform – to achieve seamless integration in quoting shipments.

Redkik CEO, Chris Kalinski, shares his view of the partnership: “Redkik is honoured to be able to support Conqueror in its commendable digitalization goals through enhanced technology capabilities. Partnership like this is instrumental in moving the entire shipping industry toward a hassle-free insurance process that is accessible to all.”

Conqueror Freight Network celebrates 10th anniversary

New Possibilities for Cask Handling

Posted on 16 May, 202425 July, 2025 by Keith McKinley

The KAUP Cask Handler 0.3T415W provides new possibilities for internal transport logistics. This forklift truck attachment has transformed the way casks are handled, providing quick and effective transportation and movement of casks, whilst also minimising manual handling tasks throughout warehouses and cellars.

Designed for working in confined spaces the 0.3T415W can handle stacked casks (both empty and filled). This unique forklift attachment can navigate casks through the narrowest of spaces and is able to turn them up to 180°, allowing casks to be lifted and placed to the left and/or right in the direction of travel.

The attachment has an independent side shift which allows the KAUP Cask Handler to move laterally by 100mm, in addition, the carriage can move 320mm within the frame so that a total side-shift stroke of 420mm is readily available.

Beer handling

The carrying rams are fitted with adjustable rubber rollers which allow handling of nearly all sizes and versions of wine and spirit casks. The rams are fitted with mechanical rolling castors allowing the forklift operator to gently set down the cask, drive forward slowly, whilst rolling and mixing the cask at the same time. Additionally, the new attachment aids with the task of lifting and rotating casks stacked on blocks.

The KAUP Cask Handler is available throughout the UK from B&B Attachments, the leading forklift truck attachment company in the UK and Ireland.

Founded in 1980, B&B Attachments has grown to become one of the UK’s leading independent suppliers of fork lift truck attachments and masts, offering a wide range of products available from a single source. The Company’s reputation is built on its ability to solve handling problems through it’s professional and experienced sales force, to offer well engineered, quality products and to maintain those products through the course of their working life.

Now with major market share within the UK and Eire and customers throughout Europe and North America, B&B continues to build on that reputation as the premier independent source of materials handling advice and supply. With sites at Cramlington, Northumberland, and Basingstoke totalling 40,000 square feet and a nationwide, mobile aftercare service, B&B Attachments is unrivalled in its ability to support customers before, during and after sales.

Forklift Attachment Improves Warehouse and Cellar Cask Handling

Manhattan Redefines Supply Chain Planning

Posted on 16 May, 202429 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Manhattan Associates has announced Manhattan Active® Supply Chain Planning (SCP), the industry’s first unified business planning platform that enables bi-directional collaboration between supply chain planning and execution systems. This groundbreaking solution enables planners to evaluate all operational factors in real-time, and align all systems, inventory, and resources to a common business objective, such as reducing total landed cost or increasing speed to market.

With traditional supply chain planning, inventory, labour, transportation, and warehouse operations are planned and optimised in isolation. This approach yields fragmented strategies that often conflict with one another and lack feedback from the execution team.

Manhattan Active Supply Chain Planning is the first and only solution unified with supply chain execution to eliminate systemic and operational silos, unlocking enterprise-wide optimisation for the entire inventory assortment and all the resources required to flow it through the supply chain. From inventory and labour to distribution and transportation, all elements are synchronised and harmonised in real-time, seamlessly united under a single plan.

“The ability to coordinate with solutions like OMS, WMS and TMS is a gamechanger. Now inventory, labour, and transportation planning can be considered together to ensure the optimal outcome to benefit the organisation as a whole,” said Scott Fenwick, senior director of Product Management for Manhattan Associates. “It simultaneously considers all these factors to smooth operations and deliver exceptional experiences at the lowest cost.”

Supply Chain Planning

Manhattan Active Supply Chain Planning harnesses the power of AI to combine external data sources with internal patterns to produce more accurate and actionable demand forecasts. This innovative solution is capable of ingesting and rapidly processing vast amounts of syndicated data from external sources, such as influencer activity, industry-specific data sources, and localised data, all of which can influence and shape demand.

Manhattan Active Supply Chain Planning completes the company’s vision of a truly unified supply chain commerce ecosystem. Manhattan is uniquely capable of delivering this fully unified solution because of its technology platform architecture. All Manhattan Active solutions are cloud-native, microservice API applications, engineered to be extensible and evergreen, with regular updates every 90 days. Built on the proven Manhattan Active Platform, Manhattan Active SCP is the most modern, scalable, and adaptable supply chain planning solution on the market.

Manhattan Associates Transforms Retail Returns

Outdoor Charger Launch by EnerSys

Posted on 15 May, 202425 July, 2025 by David Priestman

EnerSys, a global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, is pleased to introduce its latest innovation in the company’s line of advanced NexSys® power solutions – the NexSys®+ Outdoor charger.

Backed with an enclosure that is both NEMA 3R and IP54-rated for resistance to dust and water, the NexSys®+ Outdoor charger is the ideal charging solution for equipment applications exposed to the elements. Built with universal charging capabilities, each charger can charge most battery technologies – eliminating the need for multiple site models and reducing overall operational complexity.

“Over the last few years, customers have grown to value the advanced features, safety and performance of our NexSys®+ chargers, so we’ve brought the very same technology and capabilities to outdoor equipment with the NexSys®+ Outdoor charger,” said Harold Vanasse, Senior Director of Marketing, Motive Power Global at EnerSys. “Each NexSys®+ Outdoor charger is designed to offer customers the flexibility to match their specific charging needs and keep their equipment powered dependably and efficiently.”

Battery Charger

Developed to withstand the elements, the NexSys®+ Outdoor charger is excellent for charging equipment at building material and rental yards, airports, farms, ports and cargo terminals and other environments exposed to the weather.

Additional benefits and features of the NexSys®+ Outdoor charger include: Automatically regulates internal temperature for consistent performance; Compatible with most battery technologies at up to 94% charging efficiency; Easy to change air filter minimizes hassle and ensures long service life; Automatic and manual start/stop functionality; Intuitive operating controls and crisp 4.3-inch color display.

EnerSys Launches Wireless AGV Charger

Heritage in Motion for Portuguese 3PL

Posted on 15 May, 20247 August, 2025 by David Priestman

Brunotir was born at a time when roads were highways of adventure and trade between nations was made possible by the daring journeys of transporters. Founded in September 1997 by two intrepid visionaries, Mr João Soares and Mrs Alice Ribeiro (pictured below), this modest company took its first steps towards its destiny with a single truck and a bold vision.

Brunotir’s adventure began with international transport in Central Europe, but quickly spread beyond its borders, taking on the challenges of Eastern European routes. With a fleet of over 90 vehicles, the company has ventured into uncharted territory, braving storms and overcoming obstacles with unwavering determination.

With each voyage, Brunotir carried not only goods, but also its reputation for excellence and reliability. But like all great journeys, this one has not been without its bumps. In 2022, the company finds itself at a crucial crossroads: adapt to the challenges of the future or remain rooted in the past. Brunotir took a bold decision: to invest in cutting-edge technology to modernise its operations.

That’s how SAP Business One and TransSharp came into the company: an alliance between tradition and innovation, between Brunotir’s experience and SharpthinkIT‘s advice. This revolutionary system has taken the company into a new era of efficiency and control. Thanks to this solution, Brunotir has acquired a global vision of its operations, enabling it to optimise routes, control the fleet in real time and offer an even more agile and reliable service to its customers.

But the real secret of Brunotir’s success lies not only in technology, but also in its tireless dedication to quality and excellence. Quality certification to the highest standards of ISO 9001:2015 is testament to this commitment. At every stage of the process, from loading to final delivery, Brunotir always strives to exceed expectations and raise industry standards.

Looking ahead, the company knows it will always have a reliable partner in SAP Business One and TransSharp, ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead. The Brunotir story is made up of chapters, each written with courage, determination and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

https://www.logisticsbusiness.com/materials-handling-warehousing/distribution-centre-property/transport-management-shipping-planning-sap/