POSTAL NEWS
No 62 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
UPS To Test New Electric Vehicle. July 31, 2018.
NEOPOST Brings Intelligent Parcel Lockers To The UK.
July 30, 2018.
Kogan.com and Koh Australia revealed as Australia's favourite online stores of 2018. July 27, 2018.
Omniva to pilot parcel lockers located near home. July 27, 2018.
Team Union conquers the Alps – on Royal Mail bikes. July 27,2018.
As Trump Pushes to Privatize the Troubled US Postal Service, Others Push Back. July 10, 2018.
UPS To Test New Electric Vehicle
July 31, 2018
Initiative Supports Continued Strategic Electrification of UPS Global Fleet
UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced a collaboration with Thor Trucks, Inc. to develop and test a fully-electric class 6 delivery truck in Los Angeles, Calif. The truck is expected to be ready for deployment later this year.
UPS continues to work with a range of companies to test and deploy promising alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles that will help it meet its sustainability goals. Electric vehicles, and the charging infrastructure needed to support them, play a critical role in UPS’s vision for its fleet of the future. The Thor electric delivery truck will have a driving range of approximately 100 miles powered by a Thor-designed and built battery that will be lightweight, durable and allow long-range driving distances.
“UPS believes in the future of commercial electric vehicles. We want to support the research needed to make advances and the companies developing those innovative products,” said Carlton Rose, president, global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS. “Performance is critical in our fleet. We are excited to get this vehicle on the road to test how it handles routes in and around Los Angeles.”
For six months, UPS will test the medium-duty electric delivery truck as part of its fleet. Testing will include off-road evaluation to address durability, battery capacity, technical integration, engineering and any items found during on-road testing. Depending on the success of the deployment, UPS may make additional purchases of the electric vehicle.
“We’re excited about working with a forward-thinking company like UPS, particularly as our first collaboration,” said Dakota Semler, co-founder and CEO of Thor Trucks. “UPS is committed to sustainability and operates one of the most well-respected and complex fleets in the country. This is also an incredibly valuable opportunity to gain insight into what it will take to fulfill our mission of getting entire electric fleets on the road.”
UPS continues to expand its use of electric vehicles and works with a wide array of manufacturers including ARRIVAL, Daimler, Tesla, Thor, Workhorse and others. Using its “Rolling Laboratory” approach, UPS deploys about 9,300 low-emission vehicles to determine which technology works best in each route configuration. This includes all-electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, ethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and propane.
Source : https://www.pressroom.ups.com/pressroom
NEOPOST Brings Intelligent Parcel Lockers To The UK
July 30, 2018
Neopost has today launched Packcity, the intelligent, automated parcel locker solution for convenient parcel pick up and drop off.
Packcity is designed to save organisations receiving more than 50 deliveries per week on average, time and money by bringing simplicity to the mailroom and 24/7 secure convenience.
The solution is comprised of modular secure electronic lockers with a touchscreen interface and software for reporting, tracking and monitoring.
On delivery, items are scanned by mailroom staff and placed in one of the secure lockers. Via the touchscreen and internal address book – which is loaded on installation and thereafter automatically updated on a daily basis – parcel recipients are notified of their delivery and provided with a unique pin code. Recipients can then collect the item whenever it suits them using the one-time, unique pin code. There’s no need for the mailroom staff to be present for collection, saving all parties time and increasing convenience and user satisfaction.
“As the volume of incoming packages increases, so does the pressure on those in the mailroom,” said Dennis LeStrange, Chief Operating Officer at Neopost SME Solutions. “Items have to be manually sorted and then distributed to the final recipient or stored until they are collected. Both processes take up valuable time and the latter can often only take place during certain hours – causing queues, backlogs and frustration…It is the perfect solution for medium- to large-sized companies, and organisations that have multiple campuses such as universities.”
Packcity ensures the secured storage of sensitive deliveries while removing the responsibility from mailroom staff. When items are stored in a mailroom, they have to be supervised to prevent theft, fraud and vandalism.
Packcity mitigates the risk as its robust lockers can only be opened using one-time, unique pin codes. This also reduces the frequency of lost items, eliminating replacement costs.
“Packcity saves users time and money, and enables more sustainable expansion of the mailroom,” continued LeStrange. “Its modular design means additional lockers can be simply integrated into existing networks, saving users the huge costs that can come with finding new storage space. Moreover, the advanced monitoring and reporting capabilities enable accurate calculation of the resources required to manage the entire incoming delivery process, allowing for more effective investment of resources.”
The solution is fully compatible with Track Inside, Neopost’s incoming delivery tracking solution, to provide a complete enterprise-wide view of parcels and their status. For companies that stretch across multiple sites but rely on a centralised mailroom, employees are able to easily identify where deliveries are in real-time and calculate when they will be ready for collection from the relevant locker.
Source : https://postandparcel.info/97674/news
Kogan.com and Koh Australia revealed as Australia's favourite online stores of 2018
July 27, 2018
Online shoppers have had their say, with Kogan.com and Koh Australia, formerly known as ekoWorx, announced taking top honours at the 2018 Australia Post Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIAS), which celebrates the best of Australian retail.
Australia's leading online retailers and eCommerce champions came together to celebrate their successes at a gala event at the International Convention Centre in Sydney's Darling Harbour.
Kogan.com took home the highly anticipated and most coveted Australia Post People's Choice Award for large retailers, while Koh Australia took out the People Choice for small retailers. The People's Choice category is the only ORIAS award to be voted for by consumers.
Michael Oates, Australia Post General Manager – Business, said the win was an enormous achievement for Kogan.com and Koh Australia.
"Each year, the People's Choice Award becomes increasingly contested. With more than 1,100 merchants entering the category and more than 240,000 consumer votes registered this year, Aussie online shoppers have spoken," Mr Oates said.
"In a rapidly growing domestic eCommerce market supported by Australia Post, Aussie online shoppers are spoilt for choice proving strong customer service is a non-negotiable. We are continuously seeing our People's Choice Award winners and indeed the finalists in the category putting enormous efforts into providing high levels of customer service to their consumers, and as a result, their customer base getting behind them.
"This is the second consecutive year Kogan.com has taken out the People's Choice for large retailers award, and their win is a strong demonstration of the power of Australian consumers as well as Kogan.com's leading customer service. Congratulations, Kogan.com.
"And it's fantastic to see Koh Australia, a new entrant take, out the award for small retailers this year. It's a competitive award and even more competitive market. This is testament to the strength of Koh Australia's relationship with its customers as a growing business. Congratulations, Koh Australia."
The Australian online empire founded by Ruslan Kogan started in 2006 as a garage operation focusing solely on LCD televisions. Today, Kogan.com is a publicly traded company with more than 70,000 products and offerings from its service businesses including Kogan Mobile, Kogan Insurance, Kogan Travel and Kogan Internet.
Koh Australia was founded by Bondi dads Adam Lindsay and Justin Alexander, the pair worked with UNSW's Green Chemistry team to develop a next generation eco cleaning system in a mission to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in cleaning products and do something about the cluttered cupboard under the sink.
"This win is testament to our incredible community and demonstrates the power of the connections we've been able to create through social media. We're proud to be providing a safe and eco-friendly system that allows Aussie families to clean less and live more," said Justin Alexander, Co-Founder of Koh Australia.
Source : https://auspost.newsroom.com.au
Omniva to pilot parcel lockers located near home
July 27, 2018
Omniva, the largest postal and logistics company in Estonia, is about to pilot Cleveron parcel lockers, or home parcel machines, in order to test it as one of the possible future solutions for delivering shipments.
Chairman of the Management Board of Omniva Ansi Arumeel said that Omniva believes in the so-called last mile automation solutions, and tests the promising innovative solutions of this field. “A parcel locker that is situated near home is an innovative option for getting closer to customers and provide them with a convenient service, where a person does not wait for a parcel but the parcel waits for the person,” Arumeel said. “The popularity of parcel machines in all Baltic countries has already proven itself. A parcel locker near home adds extra comfort.”
In the first stage, the pilot project of Omniva covers parcel lockers installed for a limited number of addresses in Viljandi, operating as delivery points for the shipments ordered via a courier. Furthermore, postal items (regular mail, periodicals, direct mail) of the addresses participating in the pilot project will also be delivered to the parcel locker to ensure that a customer can collect both mail and parcels from a single place.
“Omniva is an innovative company and it tests several different solutions, which can be of interest to customers and simplify delivery of shipments. The pilot project of parcel lockers aims at receiving feedback on customer willingness to use the service,” Arumeel noted.
Last year, Omniva launched a pilot project in Kakumäe, Tallinn, to test delivery of parcels by means of Starship parcel robots.
Source : https://www.omniva.ee
Team Union conquers the Alps – on Royal Mail bikes!
July 27,2018
Three Essex Amal members, and a London taxi driver have raised over £1,600 for the MacMillan charity by emulating their ‘Tour de France’ heroes and cycling up the arduous Alpe D’Huez.
Deputy area delivery rep Keith Elgar, distribution rep Richard Woods, branch young worker rep Luke Elgar and their good friend Graham Hill all completed the challenge within one-and-a-half hours, on their trusty Pashley Mail Stars.
“My boy Luke won the unofficial Yellow Jersey and he’s the ‘King of the Mountain’ finishing first with an impressive time of one hour and 13 minutes” reports Keith.
“I won’t give you the second, third and fourth placings, but I will say everyone completed within an
hour and a half – and average Tour rider does this section in about 50 minutes by comparison – and they all did the union movement proud.
“And although our mate Graham isn’t a postman, he is a union rep with the London Taxi Drivers Association – so it was a ‘Team Union’ effort.”
Source : https://www.cwu.org
Source : https://www.cwu.org
As Trump Pushes to Privatize the Troubled US Postal Service, Others Push Back
July 10, 2018
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver recalls the days when, every morning at 10, his grandmother would walk to the post office in Waxahachie, Texas, to catch up with friends, family and other community members.
“The postal service is, for rural America, more than a mail delivery system,” Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, said in a phone interview. “It’s a link between people who would like to have interaction with other people in their community, and they do so at the post office.”
President Donald Trump is calling for privatization of the floundering U.S. Postal Service, aiming for its eventual sale as a completely independent corporation. Cleaver and other lawmakers say rural communities would be left in the lurch.
The original Post Office Department, started in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as its first head, has a long history of promoting communication and connection between citizens. It became the U.S. Postal Service, a government-owned corporation, in 1971.
Since then, the service is primarily self-funded. It borrows money from the federal government, is regulated by Congress and needs approval before raising prices or making other significant changes. It also has serious financial problems, losing $2.7 billion last fiscal year and $540 million in the first quarter of this year. Since 1971, it has racked up a total deficit of more than $60 billion.
Proponents of Postal Service privatization say current federal oversight imposes unfair restrictions on the agency’s ability to compete against privately owned UPS or FedEx. Privatization, they say, would allow USPS to make the necessary changes — to employees, benefits, services and prices — to be profitable.
UPS ranks No. 1 and FedEx No. 2 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest North American for-hire carriers.
In Missouri and Kansas, the Postal Service provides more than 218,000 jobs, according to a mailing industry survey.
Post service privatization in European countries has resulted in “significant restructuring, including shrinking their physical and personnel footprints,” the White House proposal says.
Opponents say the right solution is to relieve some regulatory pressure rather than remove USPS from all federal oversight. They also say privatization would result in the highest prices and lowest amount of service in rural areas, where people rely on their postal offices the most.
Since the passage of a 2006 bill, USPS has been required to pre-fund employee health benefits until 2056 — a $5 billion annual cost, and the service’s largest financial liability. Opponents argue that requirement should be changed rather than the service completely privatized, which is akin to cutting it loose completely.
U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran, (R-Kansas), Claire McCaskill, (D-Missouri), and Roy Blunt, (R-Missouri), have introduced a bill that would do exactly that, among other things. Cleaver, a Kansas City, Democrat, signed on to the House version.
Sen. Pat Roberts, (R-Kansas), also opposes privatization, and his office said he is considering co-sponsoring the reform bill.
The reforms would increase the price of stamps by a cent; allow the Postal Service to ship beer, wine and liquor to bring in more revenue; and, most important, shift retirees’ health benefits to Medicare.
Cleaver said that when people start talking “about shutting down the post office, I’m getting really upset because these are people who are ignoring or — to be more generous — who just don’t know about the sociology of rural America as it relates to the post office.”
Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards also is pushing back against privatization. The company has spent $1 million since the 2016 election lobbying for a continued six-day mail delivery week.
“Privatization has been considered before,” CEO Don Hall said in a statement to The Star. “It is clear that it would lead to significant reductions in service, increased postal rates for consumers and a loss of access to postal services for many people. This seems contrary to the Postal Service’s mission of binding the nation together.”
Source : http://www.ttnews.com/articlesPOSTAL NEWS
No 63 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
Nor-Pel Workers Issue Strike Notice. August 3, 2018.
ROYAL MAIL Boosts Its Online Shopping Delivery Experience. August 1, 2018.
Retail Returns Specialist Optoro Raises $75 Million in New Funding. July 30, 2018.
Korea Post stresses role of postal network in global e-commerce. July 29, 2018.
Ask Google Assistant when PostNL will deliver your parcel. July 26, 2018.
Nor-Pel Workers Issue Strike Notice
August 3 2018
CUPW members who work for the CUS contractor Nor-Pel in Post Offices in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have voted – unanimously – to give the union a strike mandate.
There are about 20 members working for Nor-Pel in three locals in Atlantic Canada. The strike mandate is an effort to get negotiations going. This situation might sound familiar to Urban Postal Operations and RSMC members.
Combined Urban Services (CUS)
This is work that we organize because Canada Post Corporation (CPC) contracts it out. Courier and logistics companies who win the CUS contracts are doing postal work, and we’ve successfully organized many of their workers into CUPW. This particular Nor-Pel bargaining unit joined in 2016, but the majority of the workers have been CUPW members before with other CUS contractor employers.
CUPW gave notice to bargain to Nor-Pel in December 2016, and since then we’ve been trying to get the employer to the table without success. The Union and the workers are left with our main bargaining power which is to withdraw our labour.
To the rest of the CUPW membership, the strike notice shows how determined our Private Sector Bargaining Unit members are to negotiate improvements – let’s all give our support! It shows Nor-Pel that we are not to be ignored – we understand our collective power and our bargaining rights.
The five days’ notice includes the long weekend, so there is ample opportunity for Nor-Pel to come to the table if they’re serious about averting a strike. Our members are showing, with this vote, that we’ll do what it takes to have our bargaining rights respected.
Now we’ll see how Nor-Pel responds.
Struck Work
CUS members’ work includes sortation, scanning, carding out & delivery of parcels, Expresspost, Priority Courier & Directs; movement of Letter Carrier mail to the street including relay bags; Customer Pickups; Street Letter Box and RPO clearances; shuttling of mail from Post Office to Post Office; and dropping off mail at RPO’s, including parcels.
We have reason to be concerned that Canada Post might try to have other postal workers do the struck work, and we need to be alert to that in the Atlantic region. Contact your local or shop steward if you believe this might be happening.
Low wage strategy
Canada Post contracting out services to Nor-Pel and other CUS employers puts downward pressure on all postal workers’ wages. CPC is always looking for ways to lower wages, and we must stand together against that effort. CUS workers usually start at $13 to 14 per hour, although CUPW has negotiated better wages and wage scales for many. When they put CUS contracts out to tender, CPC awards the contracts to the lowest bidder, and some of our members have had to change employers and begin the process again.
Organizing more and more CUS workers is our way of breaking that cycle, which affects us all.
Source : https://www.cupw.ca
ROYAL MAIL Boosts Its Online Shopping Delivery Experience
August 1, 2018
Royal Mail is introducing key enhancements to its tracked services used by leading UK retailers to deliver items online shoppers have ordered. The enhancements include e-mail and SMS notifications that specify the address of the neighbour where items have been left when customers are not at home.
The changes are designed to improve the customer experience for both retailers and online shoppers. Online sales are driving delivery volumes in the UK. Royal Mail saw a 5% growth in its UKPIL parcel volumes in the 2017/18 financial year.
Key service enhancements include:
Delivery to Neighbour enhancements for tracked services will enable retailers to give online shoppers even more information on the delivery progress of their item. It lets retailers send customers proactive email and SMS notifications confirming when their item(s) have been delivered to a neighbour. Notifications will specify the neighbour’s house number, house name or first line of address if they live in a different street.
Parcel Acceptance at all Royal Mail Customer Service Points will offer earlier acceptance scans. Customers taking pre-paid, barcoded items to Royal Mail Customer Service Points/ Delivery Offices will now be able to obtain an acceptance scan on drop off. This follows the introduction of new scanning technology at Customer Service Points across the UK, offering greater peace of mind. Shoppers will be able to take their pre-paid, barcoded items including returns to the Customer Service Points. As well as giving greater convenience to shoppers, retailers will receive earlier notice about items being returned, enabling them to better manage their inventories.
Electronic “Something For You” notifications will provide online shoppers with email and SMS notifications about their items if they are not at home when the item is delivered.
The notifications will advise when their undelivered parcel has been returned to a Customer Service Point and is ready for collection. The service is available at around 450 of Royal Mail’s largest and busiest Customer Service Points. On receipt of the SMS/email notification, customers can either re-arrange their parcel delivery for another day or collect their item from their local Customer Service Point by presenting the electronic “Something For You” with relevant identification.
The electronic “Something for You” notification will help online shoppers to make collection or redelivery arrangements sooner without having to go home to collect the physical “Something for You” card. The physical card will continue to be posted through letterboxes.
Source : https://postandparcel.info/97727/news
Retail Returns Specialist Optoro Raises $75 Million in New Funding
July 30, 2018
Logistics technology specialist Optoro Inc. has raised $75 million in new funding to expand development and sales of its software aimed at helping retailers handle returns and resales of merchandise, a capability taking on greater importance under e-commerce.
The new funding round, led by Franklin Templeton Investments, a unit of Franklin Resources Inc., BEN -5.45% brings the company’s total capital raised to $200 million. Optoro said the round included new and existing investors, including a large state pension fund. The company declined to disclose its current valuation.
Optoro is one of a handful of third-party software and logistics companies working to improve the costly returns process, known as reverse logistics, for retail sales that are increasingly happening online. Optoro estimates the annual U.S. market for customer returns is $380 billion and is growing rapidly as consumers get more comfortable buying and returning online purchases.
“The return rate from e-commerce sales is two to three times the return rate of brick-and-mortar, sometimes higher in fashion and apparel,” said Optoro co-founder and Chief Executive Tobin Moore said. “With the majority of retailers also paying for shipping on returns, it’s a major logistics cost.”
The volume of returns at stores was long small enough that it wasn’t a top concern for many retailers, even though dealing with returned merchandise was complicated and time-consuming. But as more shopping moves online, advances in technology for processing e-commerce returns present a big opportunity to pick up savings, reverse-logistics providers say.
Brands and retailers are trying to improve their reverse logistics, both because it cuts down on waste and because they say it improves the e-commerce customer experience. An Optoro survey of shoppers found that 71% said they were more likely to shop again at a retailer if they had a positive returns experience.
Some retailers have developed their own processes for accepting returns. Amazon.com Inc.allows customers to return items purchased online at any of its Whole Foods stores and branded lockers in thousands of other locations. Walmart Inc. developed a smartphone app that processes returns and refunds, so shoppers can quickly and easily return items purchased online to a store.
The business is drawing a growing lineup of startups.
Happy Returns accepts returns from consumers on behalf of several retailers at 120 kiosks in malls and stores in 20 metro areas. Software company goTRG developed high-definition scanners and cameras that assess the quality of a returned item and determine whether it should be resold, refurbished or should be passed along to a reseller or other channel.
Optoro’s systems are deployed at 20 sites in the U.S., and the company plans to add 10 more by the end of the year. Optoro has one facility of its own in Tennessee, where it develops and tests new technologies.
Mr. Moore said many of Optoro’s customers are preparing for record return volumes in the second half of this year, when sales and shipping volumes typically surge ahead of the holidays.
“There’s a big rush this time of year in preparing for returns season, making sure you’re buttoned up and have the best technology in place to deal with all the returns that will be associated with holiday season,” he said.
Source : https://www.wsj.com/articles
Korea Post stresses role of postal network in global e-commerce
July 29, 2018
Kang Seong-ju, chief executive of the state-run Korea Post, stressed the role of the postal network in an era of global e-commerce during an annual meeting with Kahala Posts Group members, officials said Sunday.
Kang was one of 11 representatives of member nations that took part in the KPG meeting held in Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, on Thursday. Members at the latest meeting agreed on increasing the level of customs clearance information exchange between members to 80 percent by 2021.
During the meeting, Kang promoted Korea’s technology application using artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles and big data, which enhanced work efficiency and relieved the workload of Korean mail delivery people.
Kang also said postal administrations’ efforts for international cooperation could lay the foundation to improve the e-commerce network.
During his stay in Queensland, Kang signed a memorandum of understanding with his Australian counterpart Christine Holgate. Through the agreement, Korea Post and Australia Post are to exchange technology application in the postal system and discover business opportunities from the global e-commerce industry.
KPG is an international alliance of postal services of Hong Kong, China, Spain, Canada, Australia, the United States, Thailand, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and Korea. Of all deliveries on Express Mail Service, 3 in 4 are made on the network formed by the KPG member nations.
Korea Post CEO Kang Seong-ju (third from right) and other representatives of Kahala Posts Groups member countries pose at an annual meeting held in Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, Thursday. (Korea Post)
Source : http://www.koreaherald.com
Ask Google Assistant when PostNL will deliver your parcel
July 26. 2018
PostNL is now the first delivery service in the Netherlands with speech-based interaction
Google Assistant users can now get a response from Daan, PostNL's service assistant. The Dutch-speaking Google Assistant is available as from today, and PostNL is ‘launching partner’. Daan responds to questions like ‘When will my parcel be delivered?’, ‘Where can I drop off my parcel?’ or ‘Where is the closest letterbox?’ via speech-based interaction. Daan can also tell you if it's still possible to change your delivery slot. PostNL is the first delivery service that's linked to the Dutch-speaking Google Assistant.
Timo Snoek, product owner chatbots at PostNL: ‘At PostNL, the customer comes first, which is why we are tapping into the channels used by them. And we naturally do so in the way that suits them best. Speech-based interaction offers new opportunities to reach consumers. With the Dutch-speaking Google Assistant, you'll have access to information about your parcel and PostNL locations, even faster. Daan provides Track & Trace information for your shipment by linking to your PostNL account. In the coming months, Daan will develop further and will be able to answer more and more questions.’
With Daan's introduction, PostNL takes the first step towards a larger platform for chatbots. Chatbots develop through artificial intelligence, which allows them to answer even more questions from consumers in the future. Daan supplements the PostNL app, website and customer service department. This way, the company aims to give the consumer even more control over the parcel-delivery process.
Google Assistant
Tim van de Rijdt, Product Marketing Manager, Google Nederland: ‘We are thrilled to be able to introduce the Dutch Google Assistant today. The Google Assistant is always there to help you in your day to day situations, simply by giving an assignment or asking a question. We are very proud that PostNL has developed an Action on Google that is available immediately upon the launch of the Google Assistant, so that they can service their customers in a new way.’ The Dutch-speaking Google Assistant will go live on 26 July and is expected to be available to most Android and iOS users within days of its release.
Source : https://www.postnl.nl/en/about-postnl/press-news
No 62 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
UPS To Test New Electric Vehicle. July 31, 2018.
NEOPOST Brings Intelligent Parcel Lockers To The UK.
July 30, 2018.
Kogan.com and Koh Australia revealed as Australia's favourite online stores of 2018. July 27, 2018.
Omniva to pilot parcel lockers located near home. July 27, 2018.
Team Union conquers the Alps – on Royal Mail bikes. July 27,2018.
As Trump Pushes to Privatize the Troubled US Postal Service, Others Push Back. July 10, 2018.
UPS To Test New Electric Vehicle
July 31, 2018
Initiative Supports Continued Strategic Electrification of UPS Global Fleet
UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced a collaboration with Thor Trucks, Inc. to develop and test a fully-electric class 6 delivery truck in Los Angeles, Calif. The truck is expected to be ready for deployment later this year.
UPS continues to work with a range of companies to test and deploy promising alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles that will help it meet its sustainability goals. Electric vehicles, and the charging infrastructure needed to support them, play a critical role in UPS’s vision for its fleet of the future. The Thor electric delivery truck will have a driving range of approximately 100 miles powered by a Thor-designed and built battery that will be lightweight, durable and allow long-range driving distances.
“UPS believes in the future of commercial electric vehicles. We want to support the research needed to make advances and the companies developing those innovative products,” said Carlton Rose, president, global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS. “Performance is critical in our fleet. We are excited to get this vehicle on the road to test how it handles routes in and around Los Angeles.”
For six months, UPS will test the medium-duty electric delivery truck as part of its fleet. Testing will include off-road evaluation to address durability, battery capacity, technical integration, engineering and any items found during on-road testing. Depending on the success of the deployment, UPS may make additional purchases of the electric vehicle.
“We’re excited about working with a forward-thinking company like UPS, particularly as our first collaboration,” said Dakota Semler, co-founder and CEO of Thor Trucks. “UPS is committed to sustainability and operates one of the most well-respected and complex fleets in the country. This is also an incredibly valuable opportunity to gain insight into what it will take to fulfill our mission of getting entire electric fleets on the road.”
UPS continues to expand its use of electric vehicles and works with a wide array of manufacturers including ARRIVAL, Daimler, Tesla, Thor, Workhorse and others. Using its “Rolling Laboratory” approach, UPS deploys about 9,300 low-emission vehicles to determine which technology works best in each route configuration. This includes all-electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, ethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and propane.
Source : https://www.pressroom.ups.com/pressroom
NEOPOST Brings Intelligent Parcel Lockers To The UK
July 30, 2018
Neopost has today launched Packcity, the intelligent, automated parcel locker solution for convenient parcel pick up and drop off.
Packcity is designed to save organisations receiving more than 50 deliveries per week on average, time and money by bringing simplicity to the mailroom and 24/7 secure convenience.
The solution is comprised of modular secure electronic lockers with a touchscreen interface and software for reporting, tracking and monitoring.
On delivery, items are scanned by mailroom staff and placed in one of the secure lockers. Via the touchscreen and internal address book – which is loaded on installation and thereafter automatically updated on a daily basis – parcel recipients are notified of their delivery and provided with a unique pin code. Recipients can then collect the item whenever it suits them using the one-time, unique pin code. There’s no need for the mailroom staff to be present for collection, saving all parties time and increasing convenience and user satisfaction.
“As the volume of incoming packages increases, so does the pressure on those in the mailroom,” said Dennis LeStrange, Chief Operating Officer at Neopost SME Solutions. “Items have to be manually sorted and then distributed to the final recipient or stored until they are collected. Both processes take up valuable time and the latter can often only take place during certain hours – causing queues, backlogs and frustration…It is the perfect solution for medium- to large-sized companies, and organisations that have multiple campuses such as universities.”
Packcity ensures the secured storage of sensitive deliveries while removing the responsibility from mailroom staff. When items are stored in a mailroom, they have to be supervised to prevent theft, fraud and vandalism.
Packcity mitigates the risk as its robust lockers can only be opened using one-time, unique pin codes. This also reduces the frequency of lost items, eliminating replacement costs.
“Packcity saves users time and money, and enables more sustainable expansion of the mailroom,” continued LeStrange. “Its modular design means additional lockers can be simply integrated into existing networks, saving users the huge costs that can come with finding new storage space. Moreover, the advanced monitoring and reporting capabilities enable accurate calculation of the resources required to manage the entire incoming delivery process, allowing for more effective investment of resources.”
The solution is fully compatible with Track Inside, Neopost’s incoming delivery tracking solution, to provide a complete enterprise-wide view of parcels and their status. For companies that stretch across multiple sites but rely on a centralised mailroom, employees are able to easily identify where deliveries are in real-time and calculate when they will be ready for collection from the relevant locker.
Source : https://postandparcel.info/97674/news
Kogan.com and Koh Australia revealed as Australia's favourite online stores of 2018
July 27, 2018
Online shoppers have had their say, with Kogan.com and Koh Australia, formerly known as ekoWorx, announced taking top honours at the 2018 Australia Post Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIAS), which celebrates the best of Australian retail.
Australia's leading online retailers and eCommerce champions came together to celebrate their successes at a gala event at the International Convention Centre in Sydney's Darling Harbour.
Kogan.com took home the highly anticipated and most coveted Australia Post People's Choice Award for large retailers, while Koh Australia took out the People Choice for small retailers. The People's Choice category is the only ORIAS award to be voted for by consumers.
Michael Oates, Australia Post General Manager – Business, said the win was an enormous achievement for Kogan.com and Koh Australia.
"Each year, the People's Choice Award becomes increasingly contested. With more than 1,100 merchants entering the category and more than 240,000 consumer votes registered this year, Aussie online shoppers have spoken," Mr Oates said.
"In a rapidly growing domestic eCommerce market supported by Australia Post, Aussie online shoppers are spoilt for choice proving strong customer service is a non-negotiable. We are continuously seeing our People's Choice Award winners and indeed the finalists in the category putting enormous efforts into providing high levels of customer service to their consumers, and as a result, their customer base getting behind them.
"This is the second consecutive year Kogan.com has taken out the People's Choice for large retailers award, and their win is a strong demonstration of the power of Australian consumers as well as Kogan.com's leading customer service. Congratulations, Kogan.com.
"And it's fantastic to see Koh Australia, a new entrant take, out the award for small retailers this year. It's a competitive award and even more competitive market. This is testament to the strength of Koh Australia's relationship with its customers as a growing business. Congratulations, Koh Australia."
The Australian online empire founded by Ruslan Kogan started in 2006 as a garage operation focusing solely on LCD televisions. Today, Kogan.com is a publicly traded company with more than 70,000 products and offerings from its service businesses including Kogan Mobile, Kogan Insurance, Kogan Travel and Kogan Internet.
Koh Australia was founded by Bondi dads Adam Lindsay and Justin Alexander, the pair worked with UNSW's Green Chemistry team to develop a next generation eco cleaning system in a mission to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in cleaning products and do something about the cluttered cupboard under the sink.
"This win is testament to our incredible community and demonstrates the power of the connections we've been able to create through social media. We're proud to be providing a safe and eco-friendly system that allows Aussie families to clean less and live more," said Justin Alexander, Co-Founder of Koh Australia.
Source : https://auspost.newsroom.com.au
Omniva to pilot parcel lockers located near home
July 27, 2018
Omniva, the largest postal and logistics company in Estonia, is about to pilot Cleveron parcel lockers, or home parcel machines, in order to test it as one of the possible future solutions for delivering shipments.
Chairman of the Management Board of Omniva Ansi Arumeel said that Omniva believes in the so-called last mile automation solutions, and tests the promising innovative solutions of this field. “A parcel locker that is situated near home is an innovative option for getting closer to customers and provide them with a convenient service, where a person does not wait for a parcel but the parcel waits for the person,” Arumeel said. “The popularity of parcel machines in all Baltic countries has already proven itself. A parcel locker near home adds extra comfort.”
In the first stage, the pilot project of Omniva covers parcel lockers installed for a limited number of addresses in Viljandi, operating as delivery points for the shipments ordered via a courier. Furthermore, postal items (regular mail, periodicals, direct mail) of the addresses participating in the pilot project will also be delivered to the parcel locker to ensure that a customer can collect both mail and parcels from a single place.
“Omniva is an innovative company and it tests several different solutions, which can be of interest to customers and simplify delivery of shipments. The pilot project of parcel lockers aims at receiving feedback on customer willingness to use the service,” Arumeel noted.
Last year, Omniva launched a pilot project in Kakumäe, Tallinn, to test delivery of parcels by means of Starship parcel robots.
Source : https://www.omniva.ee
Team Union conquers the Alps – on Royal Mail bikes!
July 27,2018
Three Essex Amal members, and a London taxi driver have raised over £1,600 for the MacMillan charity by emulating their ‘Tour de France’ heroes and cycling up the arduous Alpe D’Huez.
Deputy area delivery rep Keith Elgar, distribution rep Richard Woods, branch young worker rep Luke Elgar and their good friend Graham Hill all completed the challenge within one-and-a-half hours, on their trusty Pashley Mail Stars.
“My boy Luke won the unofficial Yellow Jersey and he’s the ‘King of the Mountain’ finishing first with an impressive time of one hour and 13 minutes” reports Keith.
“I won’t give you the second, third and fourth placings, but I will say everyone completed within an
hour and a half – and average Tour rider does this section in about 50 minutes by comparison – and they all did the union movement proud.
“And although our mate Graham isn’t a postman, he is a union rep with the London Taxi Drivers Association – so it was a ‘Team Union’ effort.”
Source : https://www.cwu.org
Source : https://www.cwu.org
As Trump Pushes to Privatize the Troubled US Postal Service, Others Push Back
July 10, 2018
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver recalls the days when, every morning at 10, his grandmother would walk to the post office in Waxahachie, Texas, to catch up with friends, family and other community members.
“The postal service is, for rural America, more than a mail delivery system,” Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, said in a phone interview. “It’s a link between people who would like to have interaction with other people in their community, and they do so at the post office.”
President Donald Trump is calling for privatization of the floundering U.S. Postal Service, aiming for its eventual sale as a completely independent corporation. Cleaver and other lawmakers say rural communities would be left in the lurch.
The original Post Office Department, started in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as its first head, has a long history of promoting communication and connection between citizens. It became the U.S. Postal Service, a government-owned corporation, in 1971.
Since then, the service is primarily self-funded. It borrows money from the federal government, is regulated by Congress and needs approval before raising prices or making other significant changes. It also has serious financial problems, losing $2.7 billion last fiscal year and $540 million in the first quarter of this year. Since 1971, it has racked up a total deficit of more than $60 billion.
Proponents of Postal Service privatization say current federal oversight imposes unfair restrictions on the agency’s ability to compete against privately owned UPS or FedEx. Privatization, they say, would allow USPS to make the necessary changes — to employees, benefits, services and prices — to be profitable.
UPS ranks No. 1 and FedEx No. 2 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest North American for-hire carriers.
In Missouri and Kansas, the Postal Service provides more than 218,000 jobs, according to a mailing industry survey.
Post service privatization in European countries has resulted in “significant restructuring, including shrinking their physical and personnel footprints,” the White House proposal says.
Opponents say the right solution is to relieve some regulatory pressure rather than remove USPS from all federal oversight. They also say privatization would result in the highest prices and lowest amount of service in rural areas, where people rely on their postal offices the most.
Since the passage of a 2006 bill, USPS has been required to pre-fund employee health benefits until 2056 — a $5 billion annual cost, and the service’s largest financial liability. Opponents argue that requirement should be changed rather than the service completely privatized, which is akin to cutting it loose completely.
U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran, (R-Kansas), Claire McCaskill, (D-Missouri), and Roy Blunt, (R-Missouri), have introduced a bill that would do exactly that, among other things. Cleaver, a Kansas City, Democrat, signed on to the House version.
Sen. Pat Roberts, (R-Kansas), also opposes privatization, and his office said he is considering co-sponsoring the reform bill.
The reforms would increase the price of stamps by a cent; allow the Postal Service to ship beer, wine and liquor to bring in more revenue; and, most important, shift retirees’ health benefits to Medicare.
Cleaver said that when people start talking “about shutting down the post office, I’m getting really upset because these are people who are ignoring or — to be more generous — who just don’t know about the sociology of rural America as it relates to the post office.”
Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards also is pushing back against privatization. The company has spent $1 million since the 2016 election lobbying for a continued six-day mail delivery week.
“Privatization has been considered before,” CEO Don Hall said in a statement to The Star. “It is clear that it would lead to significant reductions in service, increased postal rates for consumers and a loss of access to postal services for many people. This seems contrary to the Postal Service’s mission of binding the nation together.”
Source : http://www.ttnews.com/articlesPOSTAL NEWS
No 63 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
Nor-Pel Workers Issue Strike Notice. August 3, 2018.
ROYAL MAIL Boosts Its Online Shopping Delivery Experience. August 1, 2018.
Retail Returns Specialist Optoro Raises $75 Million in New Funding. July 30, 2018.
Korea Post stresses role of postal network in global e-commerce. July 29, 2018.
Ask Google Assistant when PostNL will deliver your parcel. July 26, 2018.
Nor-Pel Workers Issue Strike Notice
August 3 2018
CUPW members who work for the CUS contractor Nor-Pel in Post Offices in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have voted – unanimously – to give the union a strike mandate.
There are about 20 members working for Nor-Pel in three locals in Atlantic Canada. The strike mandate is an effort to get negotiations going. This situation might sound familiar to Urban Postal Operations and RSMC members.
Combined Urban Services (CUS)
This is work that we organize because Canada Post Corporation (CPC) contracts it out. Courier and logistics companies who win the CUS contracts are doing postal work, and we’ve successfully organized many of their workers into CUPW. This particular Nor-Pel bargaining unit joined in 2016, but the majority of the workers have been CUPW members before with other CUS contractor employers.
CUPW gave notice to bargain to Nor-Pel in December 2016, and since then we’ve been trying to get the employer to the table without success. The Union and the workers are left with our main bargaining power which is to withdraw our labour.
To the rest of the CUPW membership, the strike notice shows how determined our Private Sector Bargaining Unit members are to negotiate improvements – let’s all give our support! It shows Nor-Pel that we are not to be ignored – we understand our collective power and our bargaining rights.
The five days’ notice includes the long weekend, so there is ample opportunity for Nor-Pel to come to the table if they’re serious about averting a strike. Our members are showing, with this vote, that we’ll do what it takes to have our bargaining rights respected.
Now we’ll see how Nor-Pel responds.
Struck Work
CUS members’ work includes sortation, scanning, carding out & delivery of parcels, Expresspost, Priority Courier & Directs; movement of Letter Carrier mail to the street including relay bags; Customer Pickups; Street Letter Box and RPO clearances; shuttling of mail from Post Office to Post Office; and dropping off mail at RPO’s, including parcels.
We have reason to be concerned that Canada Post might try to have other postal workers do the struck work, and we need to be alert to that in the Atlantic region. Contact your local or shop steward if you believe this might be happening.
Low wage strategy
Canada Post contracting out services to Nor-Pel and other CUS employers puts downward pressure on all postal workers’ wages. CPC is always looking for ways to lower wages, and we must stand together against that effort. CUS workers usually start at $13 to 14 per hour, although CUPW has negotiated better wages and wage scales for many. When they put CUS contracts out to tender, CPC awards the contracts to the lowest bidder, and some of our members have had to change employers and begin the process again.
Organizing more and more CUS workers is our way of breaking that cycle, which affects us all.
Source : https://www.cupw.ca
ROYAL MAIL Boosts Its Online Shopping Delivery Experience
August 1, 2018
Royal Mail is introducing key enhancements to its tracked services used by leading UK retailers to deliver items online shoppers have ordered. The enhancements include e-mail and SMS notifications that specify the address of the neighbour where items have been left when customers are not at home.
The changes are designed to improve the customer experience for both retailers and online shoppers. Online sales are driving delivery volumes in the UK. Royal Mail saw a 5% growth in its UKPIL parcel volumes in the 2017/18 financial year.
Key service enhancements include:
Delivery to Neighbour enhancements for tracked services will enable retailers to give online shoppers even more information on the delivery progress of their item. It lets retailers send customers proactive email and SMS notifications confirming when their item(s) have been delivered to a neighbour. Notifications will specify the neighbour’s house number, house name or first line of address if they live in a different street.
Parcel Acceptance at all Royal Mail Customer Service Points will offer earlier acceptance scans. Customers taking pre-paid, barcoded items to Royal Mail Customer Service Points/ Delivery Offices will now be able to obtain an acceptance scan on drop off. This follows the introduction of new scanning technology at Customer Service Points across the UK, offering greater peace of mind. Shoppers will be able to take their pre-paid, barcoded items including returns to the Customer Service Points. As well as giving greater convenience to shoppers, retailers will receive earlier notice about items being returned, enabling them to better manage their inventories.
Electronic “Something For You” notifications will provide online shoppers with email and SMS notifications about their items if they are not at home when the item is delivered.
The notifications will advise when their undelivered parcel has been returned to a Customer Service Point and is ready for collection. The service is available at around 450 of Royal Mail’s largest and busiest Customer Service Points. On receipt of the SMS/email notification, customers can either re-arrange their parcel delivery for another day or collect their item from their local Customer Service Point by presenting the electronic “Something For You” with relevant identification.
The electronic “Something for You” notification will help online shoppers to make collection or redelivery arrangements sooner without having to go home to collect the physical “Something for You” card. The physical card will continue to be posted through letterboxes.
Source : https://postandparcel.info/97727/news
Retail Returns Specialist Optoro Raises $75 Million in New Funding
July 30, 2018
Logistics technology specialist Optoro Inc. has raised $75 million in new funding to expand development and sales of its software aimed at helping retailers handle returns and resales of merchandise, a capability taking on greater importance under e-commerce.
The new funding round, led by Franklin Templeton Investments, a unit of Franklin Resources Inc., BEN -5.45% brings the company’s total capital raised to $200 million. Optoro said the round included new and existing investors, including a large state pension fund. The company declined to disclose its current valuation.
Optoro is one of a handful of third-party software and logistics companies working to improve the costly returns process, known as reverse logistics, for retail sales that are increasingly happening online. Optoro estimates the annual U.S. market for customer returns is $380 billion and is growing rapidly as consumers get more comfortable buying and returning online purchases.
“The return rate from e-commerce sales is two to three times the return rate of brick-and-mortar, sometimes higher in fashion and apparel,” said Optoro co-founder and Chief Executive Tobin Moore said. “With the majority of retailers also paying for shipping on returns, it’s a major logistics cost.”
The volume of returns at stores was long small enough that it wasn’t a top concern for many retailers, even though dealing with returned merchandise was complicated and time-consuming. But as more shopping moves online, advances in technology for processing e-commerce returns present a big opportunity to pick up savings, reverse-logistics providers say.
Brands and retailers are trying to improve their reverse logistics, both because it cuts down on waste and because they say it improves the e-commerce customer experience. An Optoro survey of shoppers found that 71% said they were more likely to shop again at a retailer if they had a positive returns experience.
Some retailers have developed their own processes for accepting returns. Amazon.com Inc.allows customers to return items purchased online at any of its Whole Foods stores and branded lockers in thousands of other locations. Walmart Inc. developed a smartphone app that processes returns and refunds, so shoppers can quickly and easily return items purchased online to a store.
The business is drawing a growing lineup of startups.
Happy Returns accepts returns from consumers on behalf of several retailers at 120 kiosks in malls and stores in 20 metro areas. Software company goTRG developed high-definition scanners and cameras that assess the quality of a returned item and determine whether it should be resold, refurbished or should be passed along to a reseller or other channel.
Optoro’s systems are deployed at 20 sites in the U.S., and the company plans to add 10 more by the end of the year. Optoro has one facility of its own in Tennessee, where it develops and tests new technologies.
Mr. Moore said many of Optoro’s customers are preparing for record return volumes in the second half of this year, when sales and shipping volumes typically surge ahead of the holidays.
“There’s a big rush this time of year in preparing for returns season, making sure you’re buttoned up and have the best technology in place to deal with all the returns that will be associated with holiday season,” he said.
Source : https://www.wsj.com/articles
Korea Post stresses role of postal network in global e-commerce
July 29, 2018
Kang Seong-ju, chief executive of the state-run Korea Post, stressed the role of the postal network in an era of global e-commerce during an annual meeting with Kahala Posts Group members, officials said Sunday.
Kang was one of 11 representatives of member nations that took part in the KPG meeting held in Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, on Thursday. Members at the latest meeting agreed on increasing the level of customs clearance information exchange between members to 80 percent by 2021.
During the meeting, Kang promoted Korea’s technology application using artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles and big data, which enhanced work efficiency and relieved the workload of Korean mail delivery people.
Kang also said postal administrations’ efforts for international cooperation could lay the foundation to improve the e-commerce network.
During his stay in Queensland, Kang signed a memorandum of understanding with his Australian counterpart Christine Holgate. Through the agreement, Korea Post and Australia Post are to exchange technology application in the postal system and discover business opportunities from the global e-commerce industry.
KPG is an international alliance of postal services of Hong Kong, China, Spain, Canada, Australia, the United States, Thailand, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and Korea. Of all deliveries on Express Mail Service, 3 in 4 are made on the network formed by the KPG member nations.
Korea Post CEO Kang Seong-ju (third from right) and other representatives of Kahala Posts Groups member countries pose at an annual meeting held in Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, Thursday. (Korea Post)
Source : http://www.koreaherald.com
Ask Google Assistant when PostNL will deliver your parcel
July 26. 2018
PostNL is now the first delivery service in the Netherlands with speech-based interaction
Google Assistant users can now get a response from Daan, PostNL's service assistant. The Dutch-speaking Google Assistant is available as from today, and PostNL is ‘launching partner’. Daan responds to questions like ‘When will my parcel be delivered?’, ‘Where can I drop off my parcel?’ or ‘Where is the closest letterbox?’ via speech-based interaction. Daan can also tell you if it's still possible to change your delivery slot. PostNL is the first delivery service that's linked to the Dutch-speaking Google Assistant.
Timo Snoek, product owner chatbots at PostNL: ‘At PostNL, the customer comes first, which is why we are tapping into the channels used by them. And we naturally do so in the way that suits them best. Speech-based interaction offers new opportunities to reach consumers. With the Dutch-speaking Google Assistant, you'll have access to information about your parcel and PostNL locations, even faster. Daan provides Track & Trace information for your shipment by linking to your PostNL account. In the coming months, Daan will develop further and will be able to answer more and more questions.’
With Daan's introduction, PostNL takes the first step towards a larger platform for chatbots. Chatbots develop through artificial intelligence, which allows them to answer even more questions from consumers in the future. Daan supplements the PostNL app, website and customer service department. This way, the company aims to give the consumer even more control over the parcel-delivery process.
Google Assistant
Tim van de Rijdt, Product Marketing Manager, Google Nederland: ‘We are thrilled to be able to introduce the Dutch Google Assistant today. The Google Assistant is always there to help you in your day to day situations, simply by giving an assignment or asking a question. We are very proud that PostNL has developed an Action on Google that is available immediately upon the launch of the Google Assistant, so that they can service their customers in a new way.’ The Dutch-speaking Google Assistant will go live on 26 July and is expected to be available to most Android and iOS users within days of its release.
Source : https://www.postnl.nl/en/about-postnl/press-news