Stretch: Transforming the 3PL Industry
CEVA Logistics has started to use autonomous container-unloading robot to pluck hundreds of boxes per hour out of trailers at transload facility near ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
CEVA Logistics rolls out Boston Dynamics Stretch and Spot robots at LA warehouse
Robotics vendor Boston Dynamics is rolling more units of its container-unloading Stretch robots into logistics facilities in North America. CEVA Logistics is adopting Stretch for a transload facility in Los Angeles. CEVA plans to use the robots at its 135,000-square-foot site located site within miles of both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles. That facility caters to automotive, consumer retail, and technology companies and was constructed with efficiency and velocity in mind. The new transload site is the only transload facility in North America to offer a cross-belt sortation device, enabling 10,000 parcels to be sorted every hour based on preselected variables such as size, color, or preferred carrier.
CEVA plans to use the Stretch robots to unload hundreds of boxes per hour, operating continuously to improve efficiency and prevent safety concerns associated with using manual labor for the same process. The company expects to process a total of 26,000 floor-loaded containers during the facility’s first year in operation and to double its capacity within three years.
Stretch can reach boxes up to 50 pounds in weight, its vision system enables it to adapt to different stacking configurations, and it does not require any pre-programming.
Distribution centers have deployed thousands of robots in recent years for logistics tasks as they struggle with booming e-commerce demands and labor shortages. But most of those models are for goods-to-person fulfillment work, as handling boxes inside trailers is a tougher technology challenge. But Boston Dynamics and other companies—like Pickle, Mujin, and Dexterity—have recently started selling solutions.
State-of-the-Art Packaging Automation Solutions
Two brand-new Kardex Shuttle XP 500 vertical lift modules are available for immediate delivery.
A robot accident at Hong Kong International Airport offers an important lesson about mobile robot safety
Recent Updates to FCC Covered List Regarding Foreign-Produced Advanced Robotic Devices
There is another major advantage of automation that is often overlooked.
S&S Activewear is one of the more technology-forward apparel companies in North America’s branded-apparel distribution market.
Situated in Arvin, California, the new 700,000 square foot facility is described as its largest and most technologically sophisticated distribution center to date.
SoftBank is reportedly selling its remaining 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics to Hyundai Motor Group for US$325 million.
The company had automation. It had robotics. It had government support, customer momentum, press attention, and a massive facility.
Massive fire destroys 1 million-square-foot Tracy Medline Industries distribution facility
Artificial Intelligence and LLMs are currently being pushed aggressively into logistics, warehouse operations, robotics, and supply chain execution.
Walmart’s latest comments around same-day fulfillment, 30-minute delivery windows, AI-driven inventory positioning, and supply chain automation should be a wake-up call for the entire retail industry.
The promise made to Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol was enticing. To eliminate persistent product shortages that hurt sales, the company deployed an automated counting system.
The retail giant is using unlikely spaces to push against Amazon’s recent strategies to capture more customers.
Traditional WMS lacks the real-time visibility into the availability of automated materials handling equipment that a WES brings to the table.
Ulta Beauty has selected AutoStore technology for its new Utah regional distribution hub supporting both stores and growing e-commerce fulfillment.
Ikea is testing robotic boots in Helsingborg, Sweden, to speed up order picking and reduce physical strain. Initial measurements showed that employees walked up to twice as fast, and average hourly picking productivity increased by 16%.
The cost of the SAQ's automated distribution center project, scheduled to begin operations next year, has gone from $48.5 million to $300 million in four years.
Piece-picking robots are currently one of the hottest solutions in warehouse automation
Home Depot acquires warehouse tech firm to boost fulfillment strategy
The Surrey facility will primarily serve British Columbia, while Calgary will cover Alberta, Saskatchewan, and surrounding regions.
How Canadian Robotics Forced NASA to Give Us a Seat on the Moon Mission
Today, a new layer is beginning to appear in highly automated facilities: the Warehouse Operating System (WOS).
Cainiao plans to build a large-scale global network of robotic warehouses in 2026 as it expands local fulfilment and delivery operations tied to cross-border eCommerce.
Ocado has delivered a cube-based automation system for McKesson Canada, representing a continued expansion of its technology beyond e-commerce grocery fulfilment.
AutoStore reported its 2025 results this week, outlining a year that moved from early caution to clear second-half acceleration.
Ocado is facing reports of up to 1,000 job cuts
The prominent robotics startup entered bankruptcy protection in July after raising more than $200 million dollars from investors.
Another Ocado robotic cube warehouse goes dark. Sobeys’ decision highlights how fragile large, robot-heavy fulfillment models become when growth underperforms.
Automated Fulfillment Networks Don’t Always Expand Gracefully
At Hannover Messe 2026, SAP and Vodafone showcased a pilot conducted at Vodafone’s warehouse in Duisburg,