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3 Innovations Driving Sustainability in Supply Chains

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Sustainability has been an increasingly important topic of conversation in business operations. In order to better understand the source of harmful gas emissions, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol has broken them down into three categories: 

Scope 1 – All direct emissions from the activities of an organization that are under their control.

Scope 2 – Indirect emissions from electricity purchased and used by the organization.

Scope 3 – All other direct emissions from the activities of the organization from sources they don’t own or control.

Scope 3 emissions are the biggest problem for shippers. Reducing them through sustainability initiatives is especially complicated because they are indirect in nature and require engagement throughout the supply chain. However, consumer priorities have shifted in recent years and they are more inclined to do work with businesses that have initiatives in place. A recent supply chain report from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) revealed that over 1,000 companies are working to reduce their scope 3 emissions and 94% of them have science-based targets to help reach their goals. Here are a few different innovations and technologies helping supply chains work towards a more sustainable future:

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Logistics companies and airlines have been working towards creating and using more sustainable aviation fuel. Kuehne + Nagel and American Airlines recently announced they are going to invest in 11 million liters of sustainable fuel. Things like plants, used cooking oil and solid waste can all be used to make a version of aviation fuel that’s better for the environment.

Battery-Powered Trains 

Research conducted by The Association of American Railroads revealed that if 25% of truck traffic moving at least 750 miles went by rail instead, annual greenhouse gas emissions would fall by approximately 13.1 million tons. Moving freight by train instead of truck has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75%. BNSF and Wabtec are creating a train powered by a battery instead of an engine that could reduce the transportation industry’s carbon footprint even more.

Alternative Truck Fuel

Battery-electric vehicles, fuel-cell-electric vehicles and vehicles that run on renewable fuels are the most widely discussed alternatives to vehicles dependent on fuel. Large truck manufacturers are looking into battery-electric vehicles and full-cell-electric vehicles because of their success in standard cars. The biggest challenge so far has been batteries – a larger truck needs a larger battery which is heavier and takes more time and energy to charge. However, renewable fuels show promise too. Energy company Neste is selling its own renewable diesel that cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% in comparison to petroleum diesel.

The driving force behind these sustainable innovations is technology. As alternative fuels and trucks continue to be developed, it will be interesting to see exactly what the future of sustainability in supply chains looks like!

Kuebix Named a 2021 FreightTech 100 Winner

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FreightWaves – the industry leading provider of news, data and analytics for the logistics market – has named Kuebix a winner of the 2021 FreightTech 100 Awards. The FreightTech 100 shines a spotlight on some of the most innovative companies across the industry that have stepped up during these uncertain times and provided a reliable solution. 

The FreightTech 100 Awards are based on nominations from FreightWaves readers, many of whom are industry leaders and experts. Readers submitted over 500 nominations for more than 200 companies in the U.S. this year! 

For more information on the FreightTech 100 Awards and read the full list of recipients, click here.

Kuebix transportation management system (TMS) makes it possible for shippers, carriers and suppliers to collaborate on a single platform. Users are able to rate, book and track their shipments without navigating between multiple websites or dealing with messy paper trails. With Kuebix TMS, users are able to have complete visibility and control of their shipping operations. Shippers looking to improve their logistics operations even further can integrate their ERP with Kuebix TMS. An integration between the two systems allows information to flow seamlessly, reducing the risk of human error and saving time by eliminating the need for re-keying information. 

Kuebix’s load matching platform, Community Load Match, ensures shippers are selecting the best rate for their freight while helping carriers fill otherwise empty capacity. The service provides users with advanced matching capabilities and cutting-edge map visualization via Trimble MAPS. Members of Community Load Match are able to choose from the rates of their carriers as well as the carriers from Community Load Match’s extensive community.

kuebix shipping containers homes

How Shipping Containers are Helping the Homeless

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When most people think of shipping containers, they think of exactly what’s in the name: shipping. Formally known as an integral part of virtually any product moving across a supply chain, shipping containers keep products safe from external forces like weather and theft. However, recent advancements have been made to use shipping containers to solve an ongoing issue unrelated to their conventional use.

In Cardiff, Wales, shipping containers are being transformed into homes. It may sound questionable, but shipping container homes have proven to be a cost-effective solution to the ever-present struggle of providing proper housing to people in need. The new homes are also easy to relocate whether it’s an individual unit or an entire group. Cardiff Council paid for thirteen containers featuring amenities such as solar panels and sprinkler systems.

shipping container homes cardiff

The project consists of two different variations of shipping container homes to meet the needs of a variety of household sizes. Seven of the thirteen homes are going to be two-bedroom homes made of a 40 foot and a 20 foot container, while the remaining six one-bedroom homes will be comprised of a singular 40 foot container. The two-bedroom homes are geared towards homeless families with children and will all have direct access to a fenced garden so that the children have a proper, safe place to play. One-bedroom homes will feature a roof terrace and a front door.

Perhaps the most notable features of the new designs are their energy efficient operations and ability to transport with ease to meet demand. If there are certain areas that begin to develop a higher volume of people in need of temporary housing solutions, moving the containers will save time and money in comparison to building new housing solutions.

Communities consisting of shipping container homes are already up and running in Merthyr Tydfil and Wrexham. Shipping containers are already used internationally, so it will be interesting to see if this new take on providing temporary housing will extend beyond the United Kingdom if it is met with success.

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