[#223] Supply Chain in Numbers - Mar 18, 2024
27 transits via Panamax now, 20,000th Dollar General, OnTrac starts 7-day delivery, NFI's latest depot can charge 76 EV trucks at the same time, URBN opens 600k sqft FC
Welcome to “Supply Chain in Numbers.” This newsletter tracks significant digits from the world of the supply chain. Five prominent numbers are published every Monday. If you have any feedback, please send it to me.
27 transits per day
Solid amounts of rain have allowed the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to add three extra slots per day at its Panamax locks, taking the total daily maximum transits to 27, still more than ten shy of the waterway’s normal maximum, but a sign that the worst is over from the record drought that has been plaguing the canal since June last year. Two additional slots will be offered through auction for transit dates beginning March 18, and an additional slot will become available for transit dates beginning March 25. The canal can handle up to 40 vessels a day when operating at full capacity. [Splash247]
20,000th store
Dollar General celebrated the opening of its 20,000th store on Feb 24th. The newest store, a DG Market, is located in Alice, Texas, in the state's southeastern part. Opening over 260 stores in Q3 helped push Dollar General’s sales up 2.4% to nearly $10 billion, although comparable sales fell 1.3%. The company said during its most recent earnings call that in 2024 it plans to add about 800 new stores, remodel 1,500 locations and relocate 85. [Retail Dive]
75% of the network with 7-day delivery
OnTrac is launching Saturday and Sunday delivery for most of its network in March 2024. 75% of the carrier’s network is going to seven-day delivery in March, offering deliveries from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekends. OnTrac will need volume growth to continue to make weekend deliveries a profitable venture. After touting it as an edge over rival UPS, FedEx Ground scaled back its Sunday home delivery coverage last year to focus on densely populated areas with proven demand. UPS leans on the U.S. Postal Service for Sunday deliveries through its SurePost service. [Supply Chain Dive]
7MW facility to charge 76 EV trucks
NFI Logistics recently celebrated a milestone — opening its first electric charging depot near its Ontario, California, warehouse. The facility includes 38 350 kW high-speed chargers — that can charge two heavy-duty trucks simultaneously — and an electric truck maintenance facility. By the end of the year, the facility will have one megawatt of solar and seven megawatt hours of battery storage. It took three and half years to build this center. NFI has an electric fleet of 30 Freightliner eCascadia and 20 Volvo VNR electric trucks. [Fleet Owner]
600,000 sqft facility
URBN began operations at its new fulfillment center in Raymore, Missouri, for its women’s clothing rental brand Nuuly. The 600,000-square-foot facility includes full laundering and clothing alteration capabilities. The new center will create 750 jobs over the next five years and is expected to provide the company with the capacity to triple its active subscriber base. Nuuly operates one other facility in Levittown, Pennsylvania. Nuuly owns the entire space, and additional infrastructure will be built as the company grows. [Supply Chain Dive]