Dinosaurs, robots, and comic strips fill logistics sector holiday cards

It’s December in the logistics industry, and that means one thing—it's holiday peak shipping season. The annual rush fills trucks and warehouses with piles of parcels, and it fills email inboxes with blizzards of electronic holiday cards.

Many companies use the Christmas and Hanukkah season as a simple news hook to offer “holiday sales” for trade show tickets or to book briefings with company executives at upcoming conferences. But a few firms take the chance to share messages of generosity, care, or humor—here’s a roundup of notable examples.

The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) sent out a cartoon drawing of a dinosaur in a Santa Claus hat, while soliciting donations for the group’s charitable work. Firms associated with ALAN help provide many of the forklifts, warehouses, and trucks that deliver key items like food, hygiene, and cleaning supplies to areas impacted by hurricanes and fires.

Warehouse management system (WMS) software vendor Snapfulfil also asked for holiday tips, saying it would add any funds collected to its own charity donation to The Make-A-Wish Foundation, the charity group that supports children fighting severe illnesses. A video from the firm show an animated warehouse fulfilling holiday wishes.

WMS provider DMLogic LLC kept it simple with a link to a seasonal, musical card. Transportation giant Ryder System Inc. “delivered” good tidings and joy with an animated e-card. And warehouse robotics vendor GreyOrange did the same with a classic holiday card wishing warmest greetings of the season. Their twist? The winter scene was printed on a bright orange background…

Mobile warehouse applications provider Lucas Systems added some humor with a comic-strip Santa Claus working with his elves to handle last minute e-commerce wish lists…thanks to Lucas’ “Jennifer” voice-directed picking product, of course.

Cloud-based logistics software provider OrderDynamics sent us another cartoon-based card, suggesting that Santa had finished his rounds early thanks to deploying omnichannel distribution strategies.

 

And warehouse robotics startup 6 River Systems Inc. posted a tweet reading “For those about to rock, Chuck salutes you.” Wondering who “Chuck” is, and what he has to do with Christmas? The firm makes autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that roll around DCs carrying inventory from point to point. And in the firm’s tweet, they take on a new skill—Christmas caroling. Watch the clip to see the Chuck bots boogying to a mash-up of the seasonal carols “Ring Silver Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

 

For those about to rock, Chuck salutes you.🤘#HappyHolidays #Robots #Imwithchuck #robotsarecool pic.twitter.com/M9ykBd9lIe

— 6 River Systems (@6riversystems) December 19, 2018