7 Things You Need to Know Today: The Warehouse Briefing - November 11, 2026

Warehouse Insider

3 days ago

4 min read

Good morning. Today's warehouse briefing starts with a practical tension: broader storage indicators point to tighter capacity, yet individual operators still face pressure on margins and utilization. Meanwhile, new automation announcements are increasingly about finding inventory, coordinating work and turning research into dependable equipment. Those are different problems, and they need different measures of success. Our seven selections cover recent developments in the United States and international markets, with the announcement dates made clear and our editorial assessment of what each means for operations.

1. U.S. storage indicators point to tighter capacity and faster price growth

The October Logistics Managers' Index, released November 3, put warehousing capacity at 43.5 and warehousing prices at 80.7. The first reading indicates contraction in available capacity; the second indicates that prices are rising, with the pace of expansion accelerating from September. These are diffusion-index readings, not percentage changes in space or rents. The report associates the inventory buildup partly with retailers preparing for holiday sales. For warehouse leaders, our takeaway is to test overflow arrangements and inventory assumptions against local conditions, because a national survey cannot establish the space available in a particular market.

2. ASICS reports faster inventory recovery with warehouse drones

A November 10 release from Corvus Robotics says ASICS America is recovering misplaced inventory roughly 60% faster at its Byhalia, Mississippi distribution center. Autonomous drone counts now cover two storage areas monthly, compared with twice a year previously, while about 200 monthly labor hours have been redirected into inventory research and exception handling. "If a unit went missing, we might not find it for six months," said Kyle Koestler, ASICS America's senior director of distribution and transportation, in the release. These are reported results from this deployment, rather than a performance guarantee for other sites. The useful operational measure is how quickly a discrepancy becomes available stock again, alongside the time spent counting it.

3. DHL moves AI coordination into live warehouse operations

DHL Supply Chain said November 9 that it is deploying AI orchestration in operating warehouses following a proof of concept, while separately piloting adaptive robotics. The company says its network now includes more than 9,000 robots and has completed 10 million robotic case unloads using Boston Dynamics' Stretch. "Digital and physical AI are complementary forces," said Tim Tetzlaff, DHL Supply Chain's global head of digital transformation. One workflow under test connects mobile robots, packaging equipment and warehouse management systems to allocate resources as order demand changes. For operators, the question worth examining is whether coordination across equipment and people improves the whole workflow, including what happens when a machine needs help.

4. Lineage's results show why fuller warehouses do not settle the margin question

Lineage reported November 9 that third-quarter revenue fell 1.2% year over year to $1.361 billion, while adjusted EBITDA declined 7% to $317 million. Management said same-store occupancy increased year over year for a second consecutive quarter and described customer inventories as having normalized. It also cited higher oil prices, constrained trucking capacity and tariff uncertainty as headwinds, particularly in its Global Integrated Solutions business. The company updated its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook to $1.25 billion to $1.27 billion. Our operational reading is that occupancy and profitability need to be tracked together, with storage performance distinguished from transport and other service costs.

5. GXO's contract wins grow faster than quarterly earnings

GXO's November 3 results reported $375 million in new business wins, up 34% year over year, alongside revenue growth of 5.7% to about $3.6 billion. Organic revenue grew 6.4%, while adjusted EBITDA remained at $251 million, unchanged from the previous year's quarter. Management highlighted a unified labor management system and wider deployment of GXO IQ among its productivity initiatives. The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance. For contract logistics teams, the combination makes startup execution, labor planning and the economics of each new operation worth watching as closely as the value of contracts signed.

6. CEVA opens a dedicated pharmaceutical warehouse near Strasbourg

CEVA Logistics announced November 5 that it had opened a 17,000-square-meter pharmaceutical logistics facility at the Strasbourg-Entzheim Airport business park in France. The site has three main temperature zones: +15°C to +25°C, +2°C to +8°C, and -25°C, alongside provision for ultra-low-temperature products down to -80°C. It also includes onsite dry ice production and packaging capabilities for palletized shipments. CEVA says the new building complements an existing 10,000-square-meter operation at the same business park. The development illustrates why evaluating specialist warehouse capacity requires looking at temperature ranges, handling processes and shipment preparation as well as floor area.

7. KNAPP builds a U.S. base for its next generation of warehouse robotics

KNAPP announced November 2 that it had established KNAPPRobotics.ai Inc. and was developing a robotics and AI hub in Somerville, near Boston. The operation will work with its robotics center in Graz, Austria, with a planned team of 30 to 35 people by early 2027. Its stated focus includes computer vision, robotics and translating technology into industrial applications, including picking and cycle counting. This is an investment in development and deployment capability, rather than evidence that a new system is already working in customer warehouses. For buyers, the meaningful follow-through will be supportable products with clear operating limits, integration requirements and deployment timetables.

The editor's view

My takeaway from this briefing is that warehouse performance depends on the connection between accurate stock, usable capacity and the cost of moving each order through the building. A drone deployment can be judged by recovered inventory and resolved discrepancies; a coordination system by how well it handles changing demand and exceptions. A new facility or contract adds value when the operating model supports the required service at a sustainable cost. As peak season approaches, those are the questions I would keep in the daily review, with a named owner and a measure that reflects what actually happens on the floor.