Dear Reader
At MotionTools and in the logistics world, a lot has happened this month. We have compiled the most interesting topics for you in this July edition of our LogTech News.
We look forward to feedback or references to articles and topics that should not be missed in our next issue. Just write us an email at news@motiontools.com
In this issue (4 min reading time)
📢 Industry news
- Package shipments to the USA severely restricted by tariffs
- Coolblue opens new depot near Stuttgart
- Rohlik surpasses €1 billion revenue milestone
✅ Best practices
- De-risking the last mile: Turning local supply into a competitive advantage
🤝 Community updates
- Which events you can meet us at in the next months
🦾 Release notes
- August 2025
📢 Industry news
Package shipments to the US severely restricted by tariffs
The controversies surrounding Trump's tariffs continue. A new regulation has temporarily suspended the US customs exemption for low-value packages (under $800) as of August 29. This forces European postal services such as DHL Group or the Swedish-Danish PostNord to temporarily halt the shipping of such packages. In the future, customs fees of approximately 80 to 200 dollars per item are expected. However, it remains unclear how the now necessary customs procedures will be structured, as no system solution that postal companies could use has been developed.
Coolblue opens new depot near Stuttgart
The Dutch electronics retailer Coolblue's strategic entry into the German market is evident not only from the abundance of online advertising that has probably already reached your phone, but also from the opening of new depots. With a new logistics center in Tamm near Stuttgart, Coolblue is now expanding into the southern German market and will offer next-day delivery and installation services for large household appliances in the greater Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, and Heilbronn areas starting this fall.
Rohlik surpasses €1 billion revenue milestone
An order every two seconds: In the 2024/25 financial year, the Rohlik Group (known in Germany as Knuspr) surpassed €1 billion revenue milestone for the first time. With impressive growth of +34% to 1.11 billion euros, the company is now among the most dynamic online food retailers in Europe. In the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Munich, the company is already considered profitable and demonstrates that the business model centered around fast food delivery has a future.
A key factor is the consistent use of modern technologies: With Veloq, Rohlik launched a new platform in June 2025 that leverages AI, robotics, and automation to advance the next generation of fulfillment technologies in the food retail sector.
✅ Best practices
De-Risking the Last Mile: Turning Local Supply into a Competitive Advantage
One of the reasons Temu has scaled so rapidly is its approach to the last mile. Instead of relying solely on global carriers, Temu actively leverages local, tech-enabled delivery providers to de-risk its operations.
The 3PL model itself is nothing new. It has existed for decades, but in practice it was rarely efficient. Working with multiple local logistics providers meant complex coordination, limited visibility, and fragmented processes. Managing partners through phone calls, emails, or spreadsheets added cost and slowed execution.
Technology changes that equation. With tech-enabled 3PLs, local fleets can now be orchestrated in one place, with high levels of automation.
Platforms like MotionTools connect small operators, mid-sized fleets, and even larger but less digital providers seamlessly into the networks of e-commerce, e-food, and established logistics players.
What was historically a complex and friction-laden process and at times a disadvantage has become a competitive advantage for those able to harness it.
New 3PLs can be onboarded in days rather than months, giving companies both resilience and speed to market while staying flexible enough to react to changing demand.
We increasingly see companies adopting this strategic lever, while existing and emerging 3PLs seize the opportunity to handle thousands of orders for these companies and scale rapidly. Want to learn more?
🤝 Community updates
The summer break is over and events are slowly starting up again. The kick-off for the new event season and the conclusion of summer (yes, September is already autumn) will be this evening (28.08.) with the 17th Hamburg Logistics Summer Festival.
Joining us are not only our founders Patrick and Marian-Maximilian, but also many familiar faces from the logistics scene – including the Digital Hub Logistics & Commerce. We look forward to engaging conversations over good food and cool drinks.
In the coming months, we also plan to attend the following events:
- Leaders in Logistics Last Mile in London (08.10-09.10)
- BVL Supply Chain CX in Berlin (22.10-24.10)
Let us know if you'll be at any of these events and would like to meet with us.
🦾 Release notes
Feature highlight: Places feature upgrade
The Saved Places feature received its first major update, highlighting its importance in logistics operations. As part of this update, the “Saved” label was dropped, so the feature is now simply called Places. The place management section was moved from Settings to the main navigation bar for easier access, and new filters were added to improve usability.
Quick view of other updates:
- Pre-assigning organizations to service areas
- Restricting drivers to specific service areas
- Viewing customer places on the Driver app map
- Updating capabilities on bookings and tours
- Reworked Driver app
