Latest news with #AmazonLogistics
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon reveals new warehouse robots in push to trim manual tasks
This story was originally published on Supply Chain Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Supply Chain Dive newsletter. Amazon unveiled several new robots it's planning to deploy throughout its logistics network in announcements on May 7. The functions and benefits vary by robot, but they largely focus on eliminating or reducing manual employee tasks. Amazon's automated "Tipper" robot, for example, automatically unloads packages from carts brought by employees to conveyor belts. 'We want to create more high-skilled work that is ergonomically sound for everyone at our facilities,' said Nicola Fyfe, VP of Amazon Logistics in Europe, in a news release. 'Technology is helping us achieve this vision by creating better, safer work environments inside our delivery stations.' Robot Function Benefit Deployment Tipper Transfers packages from carts to conveyor belts Eliminates need for manual unloading Starting in Europe, will eventually deploy globally Echelon Manages package flow on conveyor belts Eliminates need for manual handling Starting in Europe, will eventually deploy globally Six-sided scanner Automatically captures package information from every angle Eliminates need for manual scanning Starting in Europe, will eventually deploy globally Agility and Matrix Determines optimal package sorting paths Minimizes need for manual pushing, reaching and handling Starting in Europe, will eventually deploy globally ZancaSort Brings packages and bags to employees at an ergonomic height Removes need for employees to walk through numerous aisles or reach to stack parcels Starting in Europe, will eventually deploy globally Vision Assisted Sort Station Visually highlights packages and their correct sorting locations Makes it easier for employees to match packages to correct delivery route totes Planned deployment in U.S. and Europe delivery stations starting in 2027 Vulcan Picks and stows items with advanced sensing technology Handles items stowed in hard-to-reach places that are less ergonomic for employees Planned deployment in the U.S. and Europe over the next few years Source: Amazon Amazon's newest robots aren't taking over its fulfillment centers and last-mile delivery stations just yet, as large-scale deployment will take years. Still, the company said the technologies at its Dortmund, Germany, facility offer a glimpse into what the company expects its network will look like in the future, with machines taking on much of the heavy lifting. Working conditions for employees within Amazon's warehouses have faced scrutiny through the years. A Senate report in 2024 suggested the company's warehouses created a "uniquely dangerous" environment for its workers, a claim Amazon refuted. "Since we've been pretty substantially integrating robotics into our fulfillment network over the last many years, we have seen cost-savings and we've seen productivity improvements and we've seen safety improvements," CEO Andy Jassy said on a February earnings call. "And so, we have already gotten a significant amount of value out of our robotics innovations." The e-commerce giant currently has more than 750,000 robots deployed in its network, all of which play a role in completing over 75% of customer orders, Amazon said in its announcement covering the "Vulcan" robot. Vulcan has a keen sense of touch, allowing it to carefully and easily manipulate objects within inventory pod compartments, according to Amazon. The robot's capabilities allow it to pick and stow items in the top rows of these pods, removing the need for employees to use step ladders to reach those areas. "Vulcan does this using an 'end of arm tooling' that resembles a ruler stuck onto a hair straightener, plus force feedback sensors that tell it how hard it's pushing or how firmly it's holding something, so it can stay below the point at which it risks doing damage," Amazon said. Recommended Reading 6 warehouse robotics innovations Amazon showcased in 2022 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
CT man accused of defrauding Amazon of over $3M using fraudulent transportation assignments
A Connecticut man faces wire fraud charges for allegedly defrauding Amazon out of more than $3 million. The charges stem from a 13-count indictment returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury in New Haven against Ameer Nasir, 24, of Trumbull, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. According to federal officials, Nasir allegedly defrauded Amazon Logistics, an Amazon subsidiary, by registering 23 trucking businesses with the company and misrepresenting that he had completed numerous transportation assignments. Amazon frequently contracts with various interstate trucking businesses to transport both empty trailers and trailers containing heavy loads of freight between cities as well as between warehouses and fulfillment centers, authorities said. Of the nearly two dozen businesses Nasir registered, one was reportedly done in the name of his business, Pak Express Transport, LLC. The others, authorities allege, were created fraudulently using the names and identifying information of other trucking or transportation companies without their knowledge. Between December 2019 and February 2021, Nasir allegedly used these accounts to sign up for more than 1,000 transportation assignments with Amazon Logistics, officials said. Authorities allege he manipulated information in Amazon's transportation management system to misrepresent that he had completed trailer movements when he had not, and submitted fraudulent invoices to Amazon Logistics that were paid out. Federal officials claimed that he defrauded the company out of more than $3 million through the alleged scheme. Nasir was arrested Thursday. He appeared in federal court in Bridgeport where he was released on a $300,000 bond. The indictment charges Nasir with 13 counts of wire fraud, each count of which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
9 News
30-04-2025
- Business
- 9 News
More than 600 jobs up for grabs at Amazon Australia
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here More than 600 jobs are up for grabs at Amazon Australia as the US company looks to hire seasonal workers across the country. The roles at Amazon Logistics and fulfilment sites are in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA. The US company is hiring ahead of its mid-year sales season and the Prime Shopping event in July. The US company is hiring ahead of its mid-year sales season and the Prime Shopping event in July. (Supplied) "As we prepare for one of our biggest shopping events of the year, we're excited to welcome hundreds of seasonal workers to our sites across our Australian operations network," Amazon Australia Director of HR Operations Jacqui Marker said. "These roles offer competitive pay, a safe and inclusive work environment, and the opportunity to build valuable skills in a fast-paced, technology-driven workplace. "Whether someone is looking for temporary work or hoping to build a long-term career with Amazon, we're proud to be creating job opportunities in our local communities while helping us deliver for our customers during Prime Day". Open positions include packers and sorters, forklift drivers and more. (Supplied) Open positions include packers and sorters, forklift drivers and more. Casual positions can open the door to long-term permanent employment, Amazon Australia said. CONTACT US
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
Survivor of massive I-35 crash sues Amazon, ZBN Transport for over $100M
A week after a tractor-trailer crash killed five people on Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas, a survivor of the 19-vehicle wreck has sued the transportation companies and truck driver involved. According to the lawsuit filed by Nathan Jonard, attorney Bradley Beckworth said his client's life 'was forever changed by an act of unimaginable destruction' when Solomun Weldekeal Araya rammed his tractor-trailer into a line of traffic. The complaint, obtained by FreightWaves, seeks over $100 million in damages from Amazon Logistics, ZBN Transport and Araya himself – who was arrested a day after the incident and charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. It stated that Jonard was southbound on I-35 when construction on the interstate halted traffic. At the same time, Araya was behind Jonard, hauling a full load of cargo for Amazon as an independent contractor with ZBN Jonard's vehicle stopped, the complaint stated Araya failed to slow down or stop, resulting in a high-impact, high-speed collision. 'Eyewitnesses later confirmed the horrifying reality: Defendant Araya never even touched the brakes,' the complaint stated. 'He slammed into car after car after car, unleashing destruction across the highway. 'The force of the collision caused Plaintiff to lose consciousness. He woke up in a mangled vehicle, disoriented, and in agonizing pain. His head and legs were bleeding. His ribs throbbed with unbearable intensity.' Emergency responders arrived and transported Jonard to Dell Seton Medical Center, where doctors treated him for a number of injuries from broken ribs and other bones and a herniated C5/C6 disc 'causing excruciating nerve pain' and lacerations all over his complaint stated that Araya failed a field sobriety test after the incident and a detective determined that he was impaired by CNS depressants at the time of the collision. 'CNS depressants are an overarching category of medications that include sedatives, tranquillizers, and hypnotics, and are known to slow down signals sent between the brain and the body,' the complaint stated. Furthermore, the complaint stated that Araya had multiple previous hours-of-service violations and prior hazardous moving violations while operating commercial vehicles. The complaint accuses Araya, Amazon 'and/or' ZBN Transport on several counts of negligence. 'This is a tragedy for all involved,' said Beckworth in an emailed statement to FreightWaves. 'And perhaps the most tragic part of it is that it was completely avoidable. Amazon and ZBN Transport used a driver who had multiple prior moving violations and had several violations for exceeding his allowable driving time limits in the week before this tragedy. And, he failed 6 different drug and intoxication tests taken after the wreck. These defendants needlessly endangered our entire community. On behalf of Mr. Jonard, we intend to hold them accountable and, hopefully, we can prevent other tragedies like this from happening in the future.' Beckworth asked anyone who has information about the wreck or people involved to call his office, Nix Patterson LLP. Beckworth added that he thinks this case 'should serve as a strong message to our legislators who are meeting in session in Austin.' 'Right now, powerful big money corporations are doing everything they can to limit the right to a jury trial in cases like this,' he said. 'They want to limit the amount a family can recover for pain and suffering to $500,000 for their entire life. Yet, at the very same time, they are trying to protect big corporations from having a jury find out that they hire truck drivers who are on drugs and alcohol or who have had prior violations that should have kept them from ever being hired.''Hopefully, when legislators see facts like we are dealing with here they will think twice before they choose big corporations who are trying to take away our right to a trial by jury,' he continued. 'This is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved,' said Amazon spokesperson Maureen Lynch Vogel in an emailed statement to FreightWaves. 'We're cooperating with all investigations.' FreightWaves has reached out to ZBN Transport for comment. The post Survivor of massive I-35 crash sues Amazon, ZBN Transport for over $100M appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Two lawsuits, including one seeking $100 million, filed in deadly I-35 crash in Austin
A survivor and relatives of a victim have filed separate lawsuits following the massive Interstate 35 crash in North Austin that killed five people and hurt at least a dozen others. Nathan Jonard said in his civil lawsuit filed Thursday in Travis County that he was driving one of the 18 vehicles on March 13 that slammed into each other after officials say Solomun Weldekeal Araya failed to brake the tractor-trailer he was driving. Jonard is seeking more than $100 million in damages from Amazon Logistics, ZBN Transport and Araya for his injuries. The family of Maria Concepcion Joaquin de Joaquin, who was killed in the crash, also filed a $50 million lawsuit in Dallas County, according to a news release from their lawyer, Domingo Garcia, on Friday. Joaquin, 78, was the mother of 11 children and 40 grandchildren, the release said. 'We cannot allow innocent families to continue being slaughtered on Texas highways because commercial drivers are operating 80,000-pound rigs while impaired, speeding, or well past their legal driving limits,' said Garcia. 'We demand that Texas enforce stricter regulations and accountability for commercial drivers. … This bloodshed on our highways must end, and it starts by demanding safety over speed and profit.' The crash happened in the southbound lanes of I-35 near Parmer Lane, where traffic had slowed to merge into a single lane because of a resurfacing project. Araya, 37, slammed into the bottleneck that was created, police have said. He has been charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. Araya was driving a semi-truck owned and/or leased by ZBN Transport and/or Amazon Logistics at the time of the collision, the lawsuit filed by Jonard said. It also said Araya was hauling a load for Amazon at the time. Araya had worked for ZBN Transport for four months, according to the suit. "This is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved," said Maureen Lynch Vogel, an Amazon spokesperson. She said all long-haul drivers are independent contractors. Dallas-based ZBN Transport, also did not respond to a request for comment Friday. More: Truck driver charged with intoxication manslaughter in 17-vehicle car crash in N. Austin Jonard said he was driving south about 11:20 p.m. on I-35 when construction on the highway caused the traffic to slow to a stop as he waited for the traffic to clear, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday. It said that after his car was hit he lost consciousness. When he woke up, he was in "agonizing pain" with his head and legs bleeding and his ribs throbbing, according to the lawsuit. Paramedics took Jonard to the hospital where he learned that he had multiple broken ribs and other broken bones, a dissected artery in his neck, a herniated disc and deep, painful cuts on his head legs and feet, the lawsuit said. More: Victims of fatal I-35 crash in Austin identified, include family of four Police later determined that Araya was impaired by central nervous system depressants that can include sedatives and tranquilizers, the lawsuit said. He told police he was driving in the center lane of I-35 when a car cut him off, according to an arrest affidavit. It said he said he slammed on his brakes but that they did not activate. The affidavit said Araya showed numerous signs of impairment during both a field sobriety test and a follow-up evaluation conducted at a hospital. The signs, according to the affidavit, included bloodshot and watery eyes, loss of balance and an inability to accurately count backwards. Although Araya blew .00 on a preliminary breath test, a detective who conducted the later examination concluded he was under the influence of central nervous system depressants, said the affidavit. It said Araya has denied being on alcohol or drugs. The people killed in the crash were Joaquin and a family of four. The family included 32-year-old Sergieo Daniel Lopez and 25-year-old Natalia Helena Perez. A joint statement from the Lopez and Perez families confirmed that Lylah Lacy, 6, and Silas Lopez, 9 months old, were the other two killed. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Two lawsuits seeking millions filed in fatal I-35 crash in Austin
