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OneRail has introduced a new AI-driven platform, OmniStar, designed to help retailers pick the most efficient delivery option for each order. The company says the system—built with software and hardware from Nvidia—lets smaller merchants scale faster and protect margins against giants such as Amazon and Walmart.
How the platform works
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OmniStar evaluates a retailer’s available delivery choices in real time, using OneRail’s own operational data to recommend the optimal carrier and delivery mode for each shipment. The goal is to replace static rules and manual routing with a dynamic decision layer that adapts as conditions change.
Speeding decisions with AI
OneRail says tasks that once required about 20 minutes can now be completed in roughly two and a half minutes thanks to the AI layer. “If you don’t have the ability to make lightning-fast decisions, you’re giving up margin,” OneRail CEO Bill Catania told CNBC. He noted that last-mile fulfillment remains a costly part of the supply chain.
David Daeschler, OneRail’s head of AI, emphasized the technical role of Nvidia’s stack. “That’s where the artificial intelligence comes in. It’s making those kinds of decisions extremely rapidly, and so to do that, that’s where the Nvidia hardware and the software comes in and really makes this thing work at scale,” he said. The companies began working together three years ago to explore these applications.
Data and partner network
OneRail trains its models on proprietary datasets tied to a broad logistics network. That data set includes more than 12 million drivers and in excess of 1,000 logistics partners, the company said. Executives describe the approach as mutually beneficial: OneRail improves its efficiency while customers reduce costs and can deliver a better experience to shoppers.
Early outcomes and projected scale
The company reports that OmniStar is already in use by several clients. One example cited to CNBC is a large tire distributor that, according to OneRail, achieved a run-rate savings of $40 million over three years after adopting the platform.
OneRail also expects OmniStar to handle more than $6 billion in gross merchandise volume in the fourth quarter, a sign the company anticipates rapid uptake among retailers and logistics partners.
Why this matters for retailers
Executives say OmniStar can level the playing field on delivery, letting smaller retailers compete on speed and cost. Azita Martin, Nvidia’s vice president and general manager for retail and consumer packaged goods, framed the advantage succinctly: “The result is a real-time decision layer that can route an order to the right carrier and delivery mode at the right cost, rather than relying on static rules or manual planning.”
OneRail has also struck deals to expand service options. Earlier this year the company announced a partnership with FedEx to offer same-day delivery to its customers—an arrangement OneRail says the new platform will help smaller businesses utilize more effectively.
Industry comparison
Daeschler drew an analogy to recent advances in generative AI, saying the technology increases access to operational knowledge. “We’re kind of doing for delivery what ChatGPT and Anthropic have done for words – it all works the same way,” he said. “They give people more access to knowledge. We’re giving people access to being able to do delivery in a way that’s affordable.”
