What Will the Warehouse Robot Worker of the Future Look Like?

The use of robots in distribution centers is expected to ramp up substantially in the coming decade, but a leading industry analyst said recently that the first wave will probably look more like driverless forklifts than R2D2 or The Terminator. Tom Bonkenburg — a partner with St. Onge Co., a leading consultancy firm that works … Read more

Workspace Personalization

Depending on your work environment, you may or may not already allow personalization of workspace. For the longest time, particularly in open offices where everything can be seen, facilities managers have discouraged personalization. There is the idea that a neat, orderly environment with identical workspaces promotes efficiency – even though studies over the years have … Read more

US Postal Service to Delivery 7 Days/Week Through Christmas

In anticipation of a record number of packages this holiday season, the US Postal Service announced earlier this month that — for the first time ever — it will be making deliveries to homes and businesses in major cities and high volume areas seven days per week until Christmas. Every day mail delivery began Monday … Read more

Texas Company Explores “Last Chance” Mine for Rare Earth Minerals

Deep in the chiseled, rugged steppes of Lemhi Pass in the Beaverhead Mountains — a portion of the Bitterroot Range that straddles the border of Idaho and Montana — lies the Last Chance mine. In the 1950s, the Last Chance was first worked as part of the US Defense Department’s Minerals Exploration Administration. But by … Read more

“Dim Pricing” May Be A Game-Changer for the Shipping Industry

Two of the biggest shippers in the US — UPS and FedEx — plan to start charging based on the dimensions of a parcel rather than using the traditional weight/distance formula that has been an industry standard for more than 80 years. The change is forcing companies such as e-retailers, to find new, more efficient … Read more

New Software Puts Equipment Design Engineers in the Driver’s Seat

Traditionally, engineers live and work in an abstract world that is composed of mathematical equations, physical laws, and other academic entities. Operators of heavy equipment like bucket loaders and dump trucks have a better understanding of how materials as coal, ores and soil actually behave and “feel” in real world applications. New co-simulation software created … Read more

OSHA Issues $145K Fine for Multiple Violations at Illinois Trucking Terminal

Officials at Central Transport found out the hard way that when inspectors from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration order you to make changes to improve safety at your trucking terminal, you should probably do it. On October 23, the federal regulatory agency hit the trucking firm with a fine of $145,420 for multiple … Read more