Descartes Showcases Last-Mile Delivery Innovations at Cold Chain Live!. Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, is showcasing its latest artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled fleet, routing, telematics and customer engagement innovations at Cold Chain Live! (13 – 14 October 2026 at Telford International Centre). Solutions on display will demonstrate how organisations across the temperature-controlled supply chain can leverage advanced fleet, routing, telematics and customer engagement tools to gain real-time visibility, optimise delivery performance, and deliver exceptional customer service in a market where just doing ‘OK’ is no longer OK.
For food and beverage organisations this includes overcoming several challenges: delivering on time and in full; reducing fuel and fleet servicing costs; delivering more with an existing fleet; delighting customers with accurate ETAs; keeping customers informed with status notification; offering narrow delivery time windows; eliminating losses with digital proof of delivery; and optimising fleet operations with route planning and optimisation software. The Descartes team will be available to discuss how to solve these various challenges.
Andrew Tavener, Head of Fleet Marketing EMEA at Descartes says, “Fleet operators within temperature-controlled logistics operations can’t afford to settle for an ‘OK’ performance anymore. Costs are rising and margins are under pressure. Customer expectations are growing, and sustainability targets are placing pressure on fleet operators. In this climate, organisations that actively seek smarter, data-driven ways to operate will gain a clear edge. AI-powered route planning and proactive customer notifications allow operators to continuously refine route plans, improve safety, enhance ETA accuracy and make smarter long-term decisions about fleet composition and depot strategy. At Cold Chain Live! we’re showing how fleets within this important sector can move beyond reactive execution, and drive delivery standards that support business growth, and which keep customers happy.”
The technology innovations and enhancements Descartes is showcasing at the Cold Chain Live! include:
- AI-enabled Fleet and Last Mile Capabilities to Execute Reliably and Profitably
- AI-enabled safety technologies to monitor driving behaviour and proactively address risk.
- AI-driven service time predictions that are continuously refined based on real-time conditions such as traffic, weather and delivery constraints. These capabilities have increased route density by up to 30% in early deployments, enabling fleets to complete more stops without adding vehicles or drivers.
- AI-driven analytics to proactively identify and mitigate delivery risks, helping customers maintain service reliability at scale.
To learn more about Descartes’ technology innovations and how to calculate the cost savings and CO2 reductions your fleet could make, visit Descartes at Cold Chain Live! (Table, No. 16).
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