Locus Robotics and DHL Hit One Billion Milestone
- •DHL Supply Chain completes one billionth pick using Locus Robotics autonomous mobile robots across global sites.
- •Deployment has delivered 30-180% higher picks per hour and an 80% reduction in worker training time.
- •DHL plans expansion to 5,000 AMRs worldwide using the centralized LocusONE warehouse execution platform.
Locus Robotics and DHL Supply Chain have reached a massive operational milestone, logging their one billionth pick using Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)—vehicles that navigate warehouse floors independently using onboard sensors and artificial intelligence. This achievement highlights a fundamental shift in the logistics industry from experimental pilots to fleet-wide integration of intelligent machinery. Since their partnership began in 2017, automation has expanded across 40 global sites, proving that robotic consistency is the new baseline for meeting high-velocity consumer demands.
The system relies on the LocusONE platform to orchestrate a distributed fleet of robots that work alongside human staff. Unlike traditional automation requiring rigid infrastructure like conveyor belts, these AMRs are flexible, allowing for rapid scaling during peak seasons or viral demand spikes. This approach has yielded impressive gains, including picking efficiency increases of up to 180% and an 80% reduction in training time for new associates.
As DHL Supply Chain CEO Oscar de Bok noted, success relies on the ability to scale good ideas into global infrastructure. By treating automation as core infrastructure rather than a temporary fix for labor shortages, the company is building a warehouse environment capable of handling complex e-commerce and healthcare logistics. The billionth pick—a pink beanie—shows how digital orchestration ensures every item moves with precision.