DHL Supply Chain, a leading contract logistics company worldwide, announced the formation of a new strategic alliance with Robust.AI, one of the original pioneers of collaborative robotics systems, to bring next-generation warehouse automation to Latin America. Under the agreement, DHL will deploy Robust.AI’s flagship mobile robot, Carter™, starting immediately in its retail operations in Mexico through the rollout of 15 units. This collaboration is the first time that a collaborative robot is being deployed by DHL in Latin America.
DHL says the partnership represents its long-term strategy to adopt scalable, commercially viable automation: integrating robotic solutions into everyday logistics operations to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility. The rollout will be followed by deeper co-development of features, integration with DHL’s warehouse management systems, and a staged deployment plan across additional facilities in the region.
DHL says previous deployments of Carter in North America have yielded productivity gains of more than 60% in picking and material-handling tasks. Early results in Mexico are promising, with productivity already up around 30%, the company said. DHL intends to integrate the robots into its WMS by 2026, scaling deployments across additional sites as part of a broader pan-American automation roadmap.
What This Means for the Logistics & Supply Chain Industry
Automation Meets Real-World Logistics
The alliance underscores a rising trend in the logistics sector: the shift from manual, labor-intensive warehouse operations to robotics-augmented workflows. As labor costs rise and supply chains become increasingly complex, automation provides a path forward to maintain speed, accuracy, and cost-efficiency. The use of Carter robots-designed for collaborative, human-friendly operation-also represents a move toward automation that supplements rather than replaces human workers, ideal for mixed workforces and flexible staffing models.
Scalable, Flexible Automation for Emerging Markets
Deploying robotics at scale in Latin America is significant. Many emerging markets face labor shortages, rising wages, inconsistent workforce reliability, and growing e-commerce volumes. Starting in Mexico, DHL and Robust.AI are indicating belief in the business viability of automation beyond high-cost Western warehouses that might potentially pave the way for broader adoption across Latin America and other developing markets-a modernization wave that could make regional logistics providers more competitive.
From Proof-of-Concept to Long-Term Strategic Deployment
Unlike one-off pilots, the five-year alliance provides a roadmap for the systematic expansion of automation. Its focus on co-development, integration with WMS, and scalability within deployment shows that logistics automation is maturing. This might drive other large logistics players to similar long-term deals that could accelerate the industry-wide adoption of robotics and AI.
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Raising the Bar on Service Quality & Customer Expectations
Automation will also enable faster and more accurate fulfillment, reduced error rates, and higher throughput levels, thereby increasing customers’ expectations from a logistics service provider. This could alter the contracts, SLAs, and service expectations for retail, e-commerce, and manufacturing supply chains. Those who fail to adapt will be at a competitive disadvantage.
Business Impacts & Strategic Implications
Warehouse Operators & 3PLs: Third-party logistics and warehousing providers will increasingly create partnerships with robotics vendors or develop in-house automation competencies to remain competitive. The DHL–Robust.AI model provides a blueprint, especially for providers operating in emerging markets.
Retailers & E-commerce Firms: Faster and more reliable fulfillment reduces lead times, improves order accuracy, and supports peak volume surges that come with holiday sales, for example. Customer satisfaction improves while operational risk is lowered.
Labor & Workforce Planning: While robots take repetitive and heavy tasks, like tote-transport or material-handling, human employees will be redeployed to higher-value roles such as quality control, exception handling, or customer service – with the potential to improve job quality and retention.
Robotics and Automation Vendors: The success of Carter within DHL operations will potentially incentivize robotics firms to follow the “robot-as-a-service” model. Moreover, the focus would shift toward modular, flexible, and easy-to-deploy solutions that work alongside humans.
Logistics Ecosystem & Supply-Chain Resilience: More widespread automation could lead to more resilient supply chains, less vulnerable to labor shortages or disruptions, and capable of adapting faster to demand fluctuations or changing market dynamics.
Challenges & Considerations
Integration Complexity: Robotics deployment is not plug-and-play. The integration of Carter robots with WMS, facility layout changes, employee training, and maintenance infrastructure will need careful planning and investment.
Capital Expenditure & ROI: While Carter’s RaaS model helps reduce upfront cost, small and mid-size logistics firms may still find it difficult to justify investment, especially when demand is volatile.
Workforce Transition & Change Management: Employees might initially resist automation; companies need to manage change sensitively, guaranteeing training, safety, and fair labor practices.
Regulatory and Infrastructure Barriers: Many emerging markets have logistics facilities that lack infrastructure and the necessary regulatory frameworks to allow widespread automation, thus hindering such adoption.
Scalability across different regions: what works in Mexico might have to be adapted for other countries, given differences in labor laws, facility size, goods mix, and level of supply-chain complexity.
Conclusion
The DHL–Robust.AI strategic alliance marks a milestone in the ongoing transformation of the logistics & supply chain industry. By committing to a multi-year, scalable automation roadmap, the companies are signaling a shift from experimental robotics pilots to enterprise-scale deployment of collaborative, AI-driven robotic systems.
For logistics providers, 3PLs, retailers, and supply-chain stakeholders alike, this could be the start of a new paradigm-one in which automation, flexibility, and workforce augmentation become as integral as lanes of transportation or square feet of warehousing. As robotics become more accessible and deployment models more mature, we can see a rapid acceleration toward modernization in logistics-not only in developed economies but also in emerging markets.
The businesses that start planning for such a shift-investing in infrastructure, training, and system integration-will be in a better position to thrive. Those who delay may face growing pressure from competitors already embracing automation.