In a recent discussion on Freight Waves, our very own Joe Oliaro, Chief Real Estate Officer, dove into the latest trends in warehouse hiring and the transformative role of the gig economy in labor sourcing.

Importantly, Joe highlighted how leveraging the gig economy helps mitigate risk, addressing some of the issues associated with temporary labor. He emphasized the importance of engaging workers who are genuinely interested in their work, which ultimately leads to a more productive workforce.

Finally, the discussion touched upon the impact of warehouse labor on carrier wait times, emphasizing the need for efficient labor practices in the industry.

This shift towards the gig economy in warehouse hiring is indicative of broader changes in the job market, as companies increasingly seek flexible, cost-effective labor solutions. 

In a recent roundtable discussion on FreightWaves, Wagner Logistics' Chief Real Estate Officer and Ryan Schreiber, the Chief Growth Officer at Metafora, shed light on the dynamics of warehousing starts. They highlighted how the pandemic had propelled warehousing starts to an all-time high, but a drop-off has recently been observed.

However, they reassured that this is a typical occurrence in the real estate sector, which tends to see such fluctuations over a 5-10 year period. In the current climate of uncertainty, many are risk-averse, leading to complexities in forecasting. Despite the challenges, this dip in the cycle is seen as a normal part of the industry's ebb and flow.

We are thrilled to announce our recent partnership with Veryable, an innovative platform for on-demand labor in the manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing sectors. Our collaboration will enable us at Wagner Logistics to leverage Veryable's cutting-edge mobile-first platform to access and secure contract warehouse staff as needed.

This partnership comes at a crucial time as we aim to scale our operations and address ongoing labor shortages. With Veryable, we can now tap into a vast gig workforce across the U.S., meeting our warehousing and fulfillment needs more effectively and efficiently.

Our goal remains steadfast: to provide our clients with superior supply chain management services. By integrating Veryable's capabilities into our operations, we hope to maintain our commitment to excellent safety standards and streamlined procedures while also enhancing our adaptability and responsiveness to fluctuating demand.

One of the biggest selling points for mobile robots is that they are not fixed infrastructure like conveyor belts and can thus change routes depending on seasonal volume, shifting workflows, or new products. In addition, increasingly sophisticated software promises to pick the best robots, manual and autonomous forklifts, and human workers as agents for a particular task.

But this is easier said than done. As much as 70% of North American warehouses and distribution centers have yet to add any automation, industry experts have told Robotics 24/7. Even businesses that have robotics experience can run into problems growing their fleets and making sure their equipment is properly integrated and communicating. Moreover, most companies don’t have Amazon’s advantage of scale.

So how can automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), lift trucks, and fleet management software provide greater operational agility?

As supply chain operations bring in or add mobile robots, they quickly learn that adding hardware is only part of the process. Integrating and updating software, analyzing data, and building productive partnerships are crucial to ensuring a return on investment.

Robotics 24/7 previously examined how mobile robots can add flexibility to end-user operations. They continued the conversation with the following executives on how companies can get the most out of new or growing deployments:

• Jane Heffner, vice president of sales at Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR)
• Jim Lawton, vice president and general manager for robotics automation at Zebra Technologies
• Joe Oliaro, vice president of sales and chief real estate officer at Wagner Logistics
• Kait Peterson, senior director of product marketing at Locus Robotics
• John Santagate, vice president of robotics at Körber Supply Chain

In one of the latest episodes of Freightwaves, the Round Table had the pleasure of hosting Joe Oliaro, our esteemed Chief Real Estate Officer, and Gary Meador, the CEO of ODW Logistics. Together, they sat down to discuss the ever-evolving world of warehousing and the challenges that shippers face today.

During their insightful conversation, Joe and Gary explored the transformative impact of labor shortages and the role of 3PL partners in shaping the warehousing landscape. They also highlighted the immense pressure on companies to strategically position their warehouses for optimal transport networks. A central question that emerged was: "What is the greatest challenge faced by shippers?" Joe provided a thought-provoking response, focusing on the ongoing dilemma of determining the ideal warehouse location and the underlying rationale.

To conclude the discussion on a positive note, Gary Meador expressed his personal belief that we will eventually return to normal inventory levels. He expressed confidence in regaining the pre-pandemic state.