[ Read time: 3 minutes]

Today’s number is $4.7 billion. This is the amount Brookfield Infrastructure Partners has agreed to acquire Triton International.

Hello and welcome back to news, trends & insights in the industry.

In today’s edition:

• 3 Start-ups (Waymo & Aurora, Repowr, RedFlux)

• 2 Old guards (Amazon & FedEx, Triton )

• 1 Tech in Autonomous rail vehicle (Parallel Systems)

• 1 Logistics Origins (Sun Tzu’s logistics)

Let’s dive in.

In the Box

Aurora & Waymo get resistance on driverless trucks waiver

The leading autonomous vehicle startups are getting opposition from some US unions on lifting their driverless semi-trucks waiver.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said last month it received a joint application from Waymo and Aurora seeking a five-year exemption from rules that require drivers to place reflective triangles or a flare around a stopped truck to alert other drivers and help prevent a crash.

However, the Transportation Workers Union of America said the petition is ‘inappropriate’ and stressed that the exemption would diminish the safety of roads.

Aurora did not comment on the issue, but Waymo commented: "exemption we put forward would permit compliant autonomous trucking operations while maintaining a high standard of safety."

RedFlux wins an IR52 Award

South Korean urban autonomous driving start-up has won the prestigious IR52 Jung Young-shil Award for Technology Innovation.

This is the first time an EV start-up has won the award. The award is often hosted by the Ministry of

The company recognizes companies and organizations that have made impressive strides in a specific space.

RedFlux was recognized for its mature autonomous driving technology and enrollment on public roads.

Repowr closes $8 million Series A

The start-up building equipment networks for trucks and trailers announced it has raised $8 million Series A.

The funding was led by UP Partners with the participation of the following investors;

• the venture arm of Trimac known as McVestCo VC,

• NFI Ventures,

• Perot Jain

• 9Yards Capital.

• ArcBest,

• Crowley Maritime

• Koch Disruptive Technologies

The goal is to help fleets, shippers, and 3PLs to avail of on-demand capacity using the Repowr Connect platform.

Technology

Parallel System to build autonomous rail vehicle

The company seeks to build autonomous platoons for rail vehicles. Although it will use the existing rail structure, the platoons will not hook up on locomotives or trains.

In a recent chat with Frieghtwaves, the company CEO and co-founder Matt Soule answered this when asked where the technology would be deployed:

There’s a lot of interest around ports because there’s usually an intense amount of containers that move out of those ports into your local areas where there’s a lot of import warehousing.

Old Guards

Triton International

The Toronto-based Brookfield is set to acquire the world’s largest intermodal shipping containers company; Triton International for $85 per share.

The deal worth $4.7 billion will enable Brookfield to expand in transportation logistics supporting the global supply chain.

Amazon & FedEx

Despite the hype of sidewalk robotics delivery, the logistics and e-commerce giants still haven’t figured out this last-mile delivery frontier.

Several start-ups in the space like Kiwobot and Coco are focused on short-distance deliveries of food orders from restaurants as they build capacity.

Logistics Origins

Sun Tzu on Logistics

Sun Tzu was a Chinese military strategist who lived during the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China, around the 5th century BC. He is best known for his book "The Art of War," which has become a classic treatise on military strategy.

One of Sun Tzu's key insights was the importance of logistics in warfare. He recognized that the success of a military campaign was not only determined by the strength of the soldiers but also by their ability to move and supply themselves with the necessary equipment and resources.

To this end, Sun Tzu emphasized the need for careful planning and organization in the logistics of warfare. He believed that a commander should always have a clear understanding of the terrain, the climate, and the available resources, and should use this knowledge to plan the movements of his troops and the supply of his equipment.

Sun Tzu also stressed the importance of deception and surprise in military logistics. He believed that a commander should always seek to deceive the enemy and take them by surprise, either by using hidden supply lines or by appearing to be weaker or stronger than they actually were.

Another key element of Sun Tzu's logistics strategy was the use of spies and intelligence gathering. He believed that a commander should always have a network of spies and informants in place to gather information about the enemy's movements, strengths, and weaknesses.

Through his emphasis on logistics, deception, and intelligence gathering, Sun Tzu was able to achieve many victories in battle. His strategies were highly effective and were adopted by many subsequent military commanders throughout history. Even today, his teachings continue to be studied and applied by military strategists around the world.

Thank you for reading.

My goal is to break down complex technologies in the logistics and supply chain industry. Hope it is worthwhile.

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Over and out,

Okerosi