WDP News Digest - August 2018
August is already behind us and the summer holiday is now over! This means that it’s time for a new WDP News Digest to bring you up to date on logistics news. After all, we’re publishing not-to-be-missed news, emerging trends, and all the interesting facts from last month… the end of self-driving trucks to the mobility package.
#1 Uber stops using self-driving trucks
In 2016, the first self-driving trucks drove a test run of 200 kilometres in Arizona. So much for the success of this innovative initiative, because a spokesman for Uber recently announced that the project would be terminated. The company inherited the project when it acquired Otto Trucking. The focus is now entirely on autonomous passenger cars. Would you like more info? The entire article about the end of Uber’s self-driving trucks is available at nos.nl.
#2 Belgian warehouses less popular
While e-commerce has increased the demand for logistics property in the Netherlands and Germany, the same trend has stagnated in Belgium. Large players in the property market have seen an increase in the interest for large distribution centres while smaller warehouses remain empty. Let’s hope that the measures taken by the Belgian government will quickly bring about a change so that Belgium is more attractive as a location for distribution centres. More info about the logistics real estate in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany is available at tijd.be.
#3 Bricks & mortar in e-commerce times
Webshops are trending so much that the retail model has been affected and consumers are increasingly expecting faster deliveries. And this affects logistics property that must rely on more technology and being closer to the city centre. More info about the future of bricks and mortar in the e-commerce world is available in the complete article on whatinvestment.co.uk.
#4 European parliament once again rejects mobility package
For the second time this summer, the European Parliament rejected the European Commission’s proposals for fairer international lorry traffic. This is bad news for the Dutch and Belgian transport sectors that are suffering because of the East European competition. More info about the European Parliament decision about the mobility package is available at logistiek.nl.
#5 Return logistics deserves more attention
According to Stef de Bont, a return logistics expert, return logistics deserves more attention now that next day and same day deliveries are the norm. He drills down into the difference between the customer journey and recommerce and presents the many challenges facing retailers. For more important trends on return logistics, go to logistiek.nl.
