“It’s a bit frustrating sometimes in the UK, with the government delaying targets and support,” says Murvah Iqbal, co-CEO and founder of all-electric delivery network Hived. Hived counts ASOS, Zara, Pip & Nut, and Minor Figures among its clients, and hopes to help decarbonize the 10 to 12 billion parcels delivered annually in the UK. But, Iqbal points out, EV infrastructure needs investment.

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Igor Murakami, director of new services and open innovation at Jaguar Land Rover, agrees. “The market’s very fragmented, so we need government support to consolidate everything,” he explains. “It’s a big investment to make sure that we have enough energy, charging points, and space to avoid congestion.”

In air travel, markets are moving more efficiently than the government, says Tom O’Leary, CEO at JetZero, which is on course to launch a zero-carbon-emissions, hydrogen-powered, blended-wing aircraft in 2030.

“The entrenched dynamics of a global market that’s ruled by a duopoly didn’t really have any interest in disrupting themselves,” he says. “We found that a 50 percent reduction in fuel burn and emissions can be achieved using the exact same engines, prior to transitioning to future propulsion.”

And that’s just the start, says Katya Constant, chief investment officer at ZeroAvia. Fuel-cell technology needs a decade to improve—but her company is launching a hydrogen engine for 20-seat aircraft in 2025.

The post Fossil Fuels Are Being Left Behind first appeared on Urgent Courier - Never-late.com.

Employees who are on a weekly pay schedule and are normally paid on Thursdays will be paid on Friday this week, one day late due to the court hearing.

Four truck drivers and dockworkers based around the U.S. told Urgent Courier, Inc. that they had not received their final paychecks, which they expected Thursday. Some former employees of Yellow sounded off on social media and messaging boards Thursday, frustrated that they had not received their final paychecks.

Yellow, which filed for bankruptcy on Monday, laid off most of its staff of about 30,000 employees over the past few weeks. Approximately 23,000 of those workers are represented by the Teamsters, according to its Monday bankruptcy filing. The company ceased regular operations on July 28.

Truck driver William Stephens is one of those laid-off employees represented by Teamsters. He worked for the trucking giant for seven years at a Columbus, Ohio, terminal.

When he checked his payroll portal on Tuesday, he was happy to see a final pay stub from Yellow. The payment, according to a document viewed by FreightWaves, was supposed to cover days worked between July 23 and July 29.

However, when Stephens checked his bank account on Thursday, there was no payment from Yellow. And his employee portal access was shut down.

The Yellow company official wrote in a statement that the company is doing “all it can to provide employees with compensation to which they are entitled.” Yellow also pointedly blamed Teamsters leadership for the company’s closure.

“IBT leadership is solely responsible for destroying 30,000 jobs,” the spokesperson said. “Yellow was forced to file for bankruptcy on August 6th as a result of the IBT’s nine month refusal to negotiate the company’s long-planned modernization effort, One Yellow, which included significant pay raises for employees. Sadly, Teamster leaders did not care enough about Yellow’s union employees to discuss their contract until after the IBT had driven away all business and it was too late. Yellow fought until the end to save employees’ jobs. Yellow is working through the bankruptcy process. The timing of this process and legal determinations are not under the company’s control. Yellow will do all it can to provide employees with compensation to which they are entitled.”

Meanwhile, the Teamsters wrote in a statement on Sunday that Yellow “abandoned its entire workforce” with its Chapter 11 filing. The organization noted that it would support members through the bankruptcy proceedings.

“Our members’ loss of work at Yellow was no fault of their own. They should be the first in line for real relief as bankruptcy moves forward,” said John A. Murphy, Teamsters national freight director. “While Yellow’s closure represents one last shameful act by a greedy employer, the Teamsters will never desert our brothers and sisters. We will do everything we can to prioritize our members at Yellow and their families during forthcoming bankruptcy proceedings.”

Yellow nearly filed for bankruptcy several times over the past 15 years. Teamsters estimates that, since 2009, its members have given away more than $5 billion in wage and benefit concessions to support Yellow. Most recently, the trucking company received a $700 million loan from the U.S. Treasury in 2020 to avoid collapse.

For Stephens, the lack of communication has come as yet another disappointment during these last few weeks of Yellow’s shutdown.

“No one ever called me or anyone in Columbus or anything about being laid off,” Stephens said. “We never got a notice in the mail. Nothing. We went to work and saw the gates locked. It’s just disappointing – you would think a big company like that would at least notify you that you don’t have a job anymore.”

A dockworker in Oklahoma City, who asked that her name not be printed as she looks for another job, is also waiting for her last check. She said she learned she was out of a job from a piece of paper taped to a stop sign at her terminal stating company operations had ceased.

Vacation time pay remains in limbo for former Yellow employees

Two laid-off Yellow employees who were not represented by Teamsters told FreightWaves that they did receive their final paychecks last Friday. However, they said they did not receive payment for unused vacation time. Yellow wrote in its separation agreement dated July 28 that laid-off employees would receive payment for unused vacation “[a]s soon as administratively practicable.”

Eight Teamsters members who previously worked at Yellow also said they had not received payment for accrued vacation time. Another truck driver based near Columbus, Ohio, who had worked for Yellow for 19 years said he has about four weeks of unused PTO. Arcadio Gonzlalez, a former Yellow employee based in Wheeling, Illinois, said he has some 130 hours unpaid — roughly equal to more than three weeks of unpaid vacation.

Yellow revealed in a Monday bankruptcy filing that it would seek $92.9 million to pay outstanding PTO. However, it’s immediately asking $8,725,000 to pay wages. It’s unclear how much of those wages will go toward recently laid-off employees or Yellow’s “core group” of around 1,650 remaining employees.

The post Yellow Employees Left High And Dry first appeared on Urgent Courier - Never-late.com.

We give you direct access to Congressional and local courts hearings, removing the need to watch them on C-SPAN. Our Linestander saves you time waiting in line for any hearing on Capitol Hill and at the local area courts.

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USA TODAY

Published 11:05 AM EDT Oct 29, 2019

Amazon has a sweet deal for consumers: Free food delivery from Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh for members of Amazon’s $119 yearly Prime expedited shipping and entertainment service. 

Amazon had been charging $14.99 monthly for the service. Rival Walmart touts an annual fee of $98, while Target, via the Shipt app, charges $14 on an a la carte monthly charge, or $99 yearly for memberships. But to get the great Amazon deal for free one- to two-hour food delivery, there’s a catch. A big one. 

Amazon

Free delivery, as of today, is available only to Prime members who have ordered food delivery in the past. Others need to request an invitation, a process that can take some time.  We requested an invitation for the Echo Auto device that brings Alexa to the car with our personal account when it was first unveiled in September 2018. It came through 11 months later.  The Echo Loop, a ring that answers to Alexa, was announced on Sept. 25, 2019, as an invitation only. We put in the request for this one as well, under a personal account, but have yet to be invited in. 

Stephenie Landry, Amazon’s vice-president of Grocery Delivery, would say only that she hopes to bring in customers “as quickly as possible” but wouldn’t offer any specifics on how speedy that will be. She added that grocery delivery is now one of the “fastest-growing businesses” at Amazon, and she predicted that along with shipping and entertainment, free food delivery will become one of Prime’s most popular items. 

Amazon isn’t as known for food ordering as it is for buying devices, books and household goods via its e-commerce system. It is testing small, 7-Eleven type Go stores in Seattle and other cities that use an app-based system to pay. Landry says Fresh’s offerings are comparable to a full-size local retail supermarket. 

The service is available in more than 2,000 cities, and Amazon says the one- to two-hour delivery is guaranteed in “most” cities Fresh and Whole Foods operate in. “We’ll continue expanding ultrafast speeds to all cities where the service is available,” Amazon said.

Follow USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter

Published 11:05 AM EDT Oct 29, 2019

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When you think of cutting edge technology colliding with retail, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) probably comes to mind. From cashier-less stores to experiments with drone delivery, Amazon is always pushing the boundaries. But a new partnership that was just announced puts Walmart (NYSE:WMT) in the futuristic tech spotlight. The company announced that it is teaming up with Ford (NYSE:F) for self-driving home delivery.

If successful, the pilot program would give Walmart bragging points over its online retail rival, but by replacing the Post Office and couriers for last mile delivery, it could also cut the company’s shipping costs to online customers in half.

Walmart and Ford Partner for Self-Driving Home Delivery

Walmart and Ford announced today that they are joining forces to offer self-driving home delivery of Walmart online orders, using Ford autonomous cars.

According to Walmart, the venture starts with a pilot program in Miami-Dade County. The two companies will be working with delivery service Postmates, which has established relationships with both Walmart and Ford, to deliver fresh groceries. 

In a blog post, Ford explains what happens now:

“Over the next couple of months, we’ll be working closely with Walmart to understand its operations, identify what goods we can feasibly transport, and pinpoint any issues that may need to be addressed to successfully deliver orders via self-driving vehicles …. We’ll be exploring different vehicle configurations or modifications that we could make to meet people’s needs  –  especially to accommodate perishable goods, or scenarios where our vehicles end up making multiple deliveries on a single trip.”

Initially, the self-driving home delivery service won’t actually be autonomous. Instead, Ford will mock up vehicles to “simulate an autonomous experience” to see how customers interact with the deliveries. There are also technical challenges with Ford’s self-driving technology to iron out and as Reuters points out, regulations for issues like liability have yet to be updated to reflect fully autonomous operation.

But with Ford targeting 2021 for commercial production of its autonomous cars, the future could arrive quickly.

Trying to Leapfrog Amazon

One of Walmart’s key strategies over the past year has been to ramp up its battle with Amazon. There has been a seemingly non-stop list of projects and initiatives that go head-to-head with Amazon, including taking on its Kindle eReader business, and working on a competitor to Amazon Prime video. The ultimate objective of course, is to take on Amazon’s online retail business, while also fending off AMZN’s push into groceries. Two critical issues that have a big impact on WMT revenue and Walmart stock.

Walmart launched a major re-design of its website this year in an effort to lure online shoppers away from Amazon. Its existing partnership with Postmates will see grocery delivery available from 800 Walmart stores by the end of this year.

But Walmart wants to take the high tech spotlight off Amazon, and take a leadership position instead of being seen as reactive. That’s where the self-driving home delivery partnership with Ford comes in.

Amazon offers futuristic services like Amazon Key in-home delivery. This requires a home outfitted with Amazon smart home tech, including a Cloud Cam and supported smart door lock. It’s not something Walmart could easily replicate. And it’s also limited to a small subset of customers willing to invest in the required equipment.

Self-driving home delivery on the other hand, is something that can be announced now, and it ultimately would be available to all customers (at least those in major urban areas), giving Walmart bragging points. With autonomous cars in the headlines, consumers are going to look at Walmart as a pioneer. The Ford cars won’t actually be autonomous immediately, but that’s not the point. This is futuristic technology that Walmart has and Amazon doesn’t. 

In addition to beating AMZN to the punch, if it wants to compete with Amazon for online sales, Walmart has to come to grips with the prospect of the $21.7 billion Amazon spent on shipping last year. If this pilot project works out for Walmart and Ford, Walmart stands to save a lot of money on last-mile shipping costs. If you live in Miami and order groceries from Walmart, you may just see an autonomous-looking Ford car deliver your order.

Souce: https://investorplace.com/2018/11/walmart-and-ford-partner-for-self-driving-home-delivery/

https://never-late.com/

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10 Reasons to Choose a Local Courier Service

1. Flexibility

Whether you have one envelope or pallets of items, a local courier shop can handle deliveries of any size, any time. Packages do not have to go to a centralized hub to be sorted and routed, so courier companies are able to meet unexpected changes such as change in delivery time or address at a moment’s notice.

2. 24/7 weekend & holiday dispatch, pickup and delivery

Not only can you change your delivery and pickup times to fit your schedule, but pickup and delivery are offered 24/7, nights and weekends−and even holidays when big-name companies often don’t deliver.

3. On-line Order Entry and Real-time delivery tracking

Fully integrated online order entry and job tracking software employed by many successful courier companies provides customers added convenience, reduces time spent managing deliveries, and provides electronic information that can be stored, searched and reported in a variety of formats.

 Click Here to Access White Paper

4. Handled with Care

A reputable delivery company treats your packages like they are our own. In most cases, clients’ items are shipped dedicated, which means they aren’t mixed with hundreds of other parcels while en route. Drivers are trained to pack items to ensure they are delivered safely, without damage, and often have specialized training such as medical courier training in proper specimen handling procedures and HIPAA and OSHA requirements.

5. Delivery AND assembly

Unlike standard carriers, many local courier service companies like  offer White Glove Services for those unique delivery needs. We will deliver your item to its designated room of choice, assemble it, and remove/dispose of any old items, too! 

6. Customize your delivery schedule

Because small carriers don’t have to send your packages to a regional hub to be sorted like big-names carriers, the only time your items are in transit is on their way to their final delivery destination. This means that we work on your schedule. We’re your resource when you need to schedule your packages to be delivered from Point A to B.

7. Advanced technology

The name of your driver, the route, exact location of your package, and time of receipt of your package are all accessible to  customers. Not to mention, customers can access detailed information such as how many files a client had to have delivered or which department of your business has been placing the most deliveries.  All of that information is just a click away, and available for the use of businesses or individuals.

8. Customer Service & Special Attention

Let’s face it: receiving an item delivered by a courier makes an impression that your business deserves special delivery and is important to the sender. Couriers offer a level of customer service that big- name carriers simply do not. The great thing about smaller courier companies is that you can call 24/7 and speak to a living, breathing person. There will always be a dispatcher on call to handle all of your logistical needs, and we can handle issues whatever the time instead of only during standard office hours.

9. Custom Solutions

The transportation services industry has become more competitive, and that means your local courier company is always seeking creative and customized solutions to meet the needs in their market. Where do you turn when your business has an out-of-the-ordinary need, a tight deadline or not enough people or space to get the job done? At Urgent Courier logistics “Let’s make it happen” is a daily mantra and guiding principle that makes us the logistics and transportation services provider that can help solve your problems when you are in a pinch. We’ve provided extra sets of hands to assemble and deliver everything from trade show goodie bags to food bank donations to basketball hoops, and provide warehousing long and short term for organizations outgrowing their space or needing a temporary place during build-out projects. Plus with a range of delivery options, you can offer an expansive range to your clients.

10. Integrated Transportation Company

For same-day delivery of small packages and documents within your area, a local courier or messenger service is almost always the most efficient and economical choice. Does your company send multiple types of shipments or also require warehousing and fulfillment?  An integrated transportation company in your area can handle all of your delivery needs.

So the next time you need a package delivered remember to keep Urgent Courier in mind. We pride ourselves on being an efficient, reliable and easily accessible partner to meet your pickup and delivery needs in the Gulf South region. Call (202)737-4500 today to see how we can help you!

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Use your company’s blog posts to opine on current industry topics, humanize your company, and show how your products and services can help people.

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