Rainforest Deploys Samsara Route Planning Across Fleet
The food and beverage distributor is putting routing, navigation, telematics, and compliance on one platform across its company-owned delivery network.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Business Strategy
Rainforest Distribution Corp., a full-service food and beverage distributor serving more than 4,000 retailers across 22 states, has deployed Samsara Route Planning and Commercial Navigation across its company-owned direct-store-delivery fleet. The deployment covers the full fleet across every Rainforest distribution center.
Why it matters
Routes are optimized before dispatch against the height, weight, vehicle class, and permitted road types that apply to each assigned power unit. The move reflects the company's commitment to controlling its own last-mile delivery network to serve retailers at national-chain service levels.
Rainforest's fleet of approximately 150 power units carries more than 7,000 SKUs to retailers across 22 states. The announcement does not disclose deployment cost or measured route-efficiency gains.
The players
Rainforest Distribution Corp.
A full-service food and beverage distributor serving more than 4,000 retailers across 22 states on the East Coast, employing more than 400 people.
Samsara
A connected-operations cloud platform whose route planning, navigation, telematics, and compliance tools Rainforest deployed across its fleet.
SAP
An enterprise software company whose environment Rainforest's Samsara route data now connects to through a direct API.
Manhattan Associates
A supply chain software provider whose Active Supply Chain Planning product Rainforest selected to unify its demand planning and replenishment.
The details
Rainforest integrated Samsara route data with its SAP environment through a direct API connection rather than exports and reformatting. The company also commissioned temperature-controlled distribution centers in Fort Pierce, Florida and Cartersville, Georgia, opened a cross-dock in Charlotte, North Carolina, and expanded its Lynchburg, Virginia facility, while selecting Manhattan Active Supply Chain Planning to unify demand planning, forecasting, and replenishment.
Timeline
Over the past twenty-four months, Rainforest commissioned new distribution centers, opened a cross-dock, and expanded facilities.
Over ten years, the company grew from one location to seven.
On November 6, 2026, Rainforest announced the Samsara Route Planning deployment.
Roadmap
Rainforest's move follows a broader shift among food distributors toward integrated routing platforms that tie fleet telematics to enterprise planning systems. The company's planned transition toward heavy-duty, sleeper-equipped trucks to support longer southern lanes extends that same logic of owning and optimizing its delivery network end to end.
Retailers served by Rainforest across 22 states may see changes in delivery scheduling as routes are optimized before dispatch. The announcement does not indicate changes to product pricing or availability.
The takeaway
Controlling the last mile through integrated routing and planning software lets distributors pursue service levels once reserved for national chains. Businesses weighing similar investments should track measured outcomes such as delivery times and fuel use.
Further reading
For related coverage of how companies structure their operations, see Business Strategy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
