Mutual Materials, a Pacific Northwest manufacturer and hauler of stones, bricks and other masonry products used for landscaping and construction purposes, is monitoring the locations and conditions of its vehicles via an RFID-based solution provided by electronic fleet-management technology company Zonar.

Newly founded technology company Kizy Tracking has developed what it describes as a low-cost alternative to conventional RFID or GPS solutions that is able to track goods anywhere within range of a GSM cellular radio tower. The only hardware that users need purchase is a battery-powered K-1 GSM Tracker tag, priced at $35 apiece; the only other expenses are a $1 activation charge and a daily $0.25 fee to access location data on a hosted server. The Swiss firm is selling its K-1 GSM Tracker tag for use in containers or with cargo that is shipped, in many cases, around the world.

U.S. retail real estate developer Simon is deploying a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon system across the nearly 240 malls and shopping centers that it owns or has an interest in, in order to help merchants connect with their customers based on real-time data regarding each shopper's location at those sites.

Multinational company Mondelez is employing an innovative solution to market its Trident brand of chewing gum in Brazil.

One year after cosmetics company L'Oréal Italia installed an RFID-based system to prevent forklift-related collisions in its busy warehouse, the company has not had a single such accident.

AeroScout Industrial, a provider of active radio frequency identification solutions, has installed an "Internet of Everything" system at a power tools plant owned by its parent company, Stanley Black & Decker, located in Reynosa, Mexico. The solution has enabled the firm to improve product throughput and labor efficiency, and to reduce the quantity of inventory stored on site for assembly-line replenishment.

Designer-brand online furniture retailer Made.com is employing a solution provided by CloudTags that includes supplying shoppers with tablets so they can access information via Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID tags attached to furniture on display at the company's London showroom. The solution enables visitors to create a wish list of products they like, for later review, and uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to allow the retailer to track which areas of the showroom shoppers visit, and the amount of time they spend at each location.

James Welch, CEO of YRC Worldwide, one of the largest LTL carriers, discusses his views on technology, pricing and other issues and challenges facing the industry.