Yusen rolls out robotic trailer unloader from Pickle Robot Co.

Supply chain solution provider Yusen Logistics (Americas) Inc. has integrated an automated trailer unloading system from Pickle Robot Company at its Long Beach, California, transloading operation, the companies said today.

The robotic platform is intended to ease the physical workload for New Jersey-based Yusen’s employees and to enhance service reliability. Long seen as one of the most challenging technology applications in logistics, robotic truck unloading has recently seen several new entrants, including products from Boston Dynamics and Mujin.

Yusen first began using Pickle Robots’ product in September, saying that it was a solution for transloading, the manual unloading of huge amounts of cargo from ocean containers that is known in the logistics industry as strenuous, dirty, occasionally hazardous, and increasingly challenging for employees.

"We are thrilled about this partnership with Pickle Robot Company. It aligns with our commitment to innovation, improving our employees' work environment, and delivering exceptional service to our customers,” John Rae, VP of Operations for Yusen’s Contract Logistics Group, said in a release. “The pilot program is ideal, considering the substantial 200,000+ ocean freight containers we transload annually. That level of volume demands automation solutions to help us reduce the amount of physically demanding, labor-intensive tasks for our team members. The Pickle Robot Unload System is a game-changer that will revolutionize our operations."