Our guest on this week's episode is Patrick Soleymani, associate professor within the management area in the School of Business at George Mason University. By any measure, 2023 has been a difficult year for the trucking industry. Just how bad are market conditions and when will trucking see a return to better times? Our guest offers some insights as to what has caused the freight recession and how long it may last. Cargo theft is on the rise, both from warehouses and directly from trucks while f...
Sep 01, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Our guest on this week's episode is Kathy Fulton, executive director of ALAN, the American Logistics Aid Network. Just within the past two weeks, our nation has been rocked by two weather-related catastrophes: the wildfire tragedy in Maui and also Tropical Storm Hilary, which has brought unprecedented rain and flooding to western states. We talk about these disasters and how our logistics industry is responding to provide connections between transportation providers and the agencies on the groun...
Aug 25, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 32
Our guest on this week's episode is Anne Reinke, president and CEO of TIA, The Transportation Intermediaries Association. Cargo theft and transportation fraud are on the rise. Criminal groups and bad actors often pose as legitimate freight brokers and carriers with the aim of taking payments for services they will never fulfill. What can carriers and shippers do to be sure they are staying away from fraudsters and selecting legitimate transportation providers? Our guest has some suggestions. It ...
Aug 18, 2023•17 min•Season 4Ep. 31
Our guest on this week's episode is Dr. Thomas Evans, robotics chief technology officer for Honeywell. Supply chains have been roughed up quite a bit this year, with transportation in a recession and many warehouse projects on hold throughout the industry. Yet, even with the current economic climate, buyers are still making investments in warehouse robotics, but possibly smaller investments than they would like. In this environment, what can logistics companies do to hit their long-term goals fo...
Aug 11, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 30
Our guest on this week's episode is Caroline Chumakov, director analyst, talent and sustainability team at Gartner. Women continue to make inroads and impacts within supply chains as they are filling more executive and leadership positions in the industry. Our guest shares about the findings of new Gartner research, 2023 Women in Supply Chain Survey. Probably the biggest story in logistics over the past week was the shutdown of Yellow Corp. They were the nation’s third-largest less-than-truckloa...
Aug 04, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 29
Our guest on this week's episode is Tom Nightingale, CEO of AFS Logistics. UPS and the Teamsters Union that represents 340,000 UPS drivers and warehouse workers reached a tentative agreement this week on a new labor deal. What will this mean for shippers? Will rates see a rise? And how will other carriers respond? Our guest has some insights on how this and other recent labor negotiations will impact transportation providers and the supply chains they serve. We saw a slowdown in warehouse constr...
Jul 28, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 28
Our guest on this week's episode is Greg Tuthill, chief commercial officer at SeaCube Containers. It is estimated that 1.3 billion tons of food are lost or wasted annually worldwide — that adds up to about 30% of all food grown and more than a trillion dollars' worth annually. Much of the waste comes from food that spoils during shipping. The problem is only expected to get worse as people in many parts of our planet face food insecurity. How can we better protect foods from spoiling while they ...
Jul 21, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 27
Our guest on this week's episode is Darcy MacClaren, global chief revenue officer for digital supply chain at SAP. We keep hearing of AI everywhere these days and how it might revolutionize our supply chains. On top of that, consumers this week experienced the annual Amazon Prime Day. How are both of these affecting the supply chain industry? It has been a rocky year in transportation, as the market resets from the pandemic-infused highs of the past couple of years. Recently CSCMP released its a...
Jul 14, 2023•18 min•Season 4Ep. 26
Our guest on this week's episode is Bart De Muynck, chief industry officer at project44 . The world continues to see the effects of climate change, and now it is affecting our transportation networks. Ongoing drought conditions in Central America have caused lower water levels in the Panama Canal, restricting the number of vessels and the amount of containers they can carry as they make the canal journey. How long will the restrictions possibly last and what will be the effects on ocean shipping...
Jun 30, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 25
Our guest on this week's episode is Jason Haith, branch manager of OEC Group's Louisville office. Anyone who has followed freight markets over the past year is well aware that they have undergone drastic changes. These changes make it harder for both shippers and carriers to decide what is fair pricing as they move to sign new contracts and to find carriage on the spot markets. As a seasoned analyst of logistics markets, Haith provides insights on what to expect for the remainder of the year and...
Jun 23, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 24
Our guest on this week's episode is Dr. Stefan Heck, CEO and founder of Nauto, a technology company that improves safety for fleet drivers. June is National Safety Month. Drivers on our nation’s roads have less than two seconds to react to most situations that can result in an accident, injury, or even death. But there are technologies available that incorporate artificial intelligence to help assure safety on our roadways. Our guest shares how these new technologies alert commercial drivers to ...
Jun 16, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Our guest on this week's episode is Brian Feehan, president of the Industrial Truck Association, the trade group of the forklift industry. This coming Tuesday marks the 10th anniversary of National Forklift Safety Day, the forklift industry's annual recognition of the need for ongoing operator training for forklifts. Feehan shares about the work of the industry to promote safety in and around forklifts and how listeners can participate in this week's safety-focused events. This past week has see...
Jun 09, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 22
Our guest on this week's episode is Craig Malloy, CEO of Vecna Robotics. With the current shortage of labor, many companies are rushing to fill the gaps in their distribution operations with automated systems. But, how do they get started and what are the barriers to achieving their goals? Our guest today has some insights. Mezzanines and work platforms are used in warehouses and distribution centers to primarily hold either equipment or people and serve as a way to maximize space in a facility....
Jun 02, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 21
Our guest on this week's episode is Max Farrell, cofounder and CEO of WorkHound. 2023 has not been so rosy for trucking. Volumes are down, and the capacity built up during the pandemic is more than what is needed currently. What is causing the current problems for trucking and what might conditions be like for truckers during the second half of the year? Our guest shares some insights from research his company conducted on how truck drivers view their jobs and what concerns them most. Several la...
May 26, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 20
Our guest on this week's episode is Eduardo Lopez-Soriano, vice president of marketing for UPS Capital - the shipping insurance division of UPS. Consumers want more than just speed in e-commerce delivery. They also want features like accurate parcel tracking and time-definite delivery windows. But, can shippers provide those profitably? Our guest discusses ways to personalize the e-commerce consumer experience. As cost pressures increase, investment in warehouse tech is declining. Orders for war...
May 19, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 19
Our guest on this week's episode is Spencer Shute, principal consultant at Proxima. We hear talk of artificial intelligence just about everywhere these days. These new technologies hold the promise of making life better in a number of ways. But how can artificial intelligence be applied to the logistics industry? Our guest has some ideas. The logistics industry has been preparing for Mother's Day–which is this weekend. Consumers expect to spend nearly $36 billion for Mother's Day this year. Much...
May 12, 2023•18 min•Season 4Ep. 18
Our guest on this week's episode is Ron Greene, SVP Intel and Fusion Center at Overhaul, a global logistics risk-management software company. Cargo theft continues to plague the industry, as millions of dollars worth of products are stolen each year from facilities as well as from trailers in transit. How serious is the problem of theft, and what can be done to prevent it? We discuss how technology can play a role in stopping thefts and aid in recovery of goods if thefts do happen. The trucking ...
May 05, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Our guest on this week's episode is Dustin Burke, a managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group. Recently BCG conducted research on how C-suite leaders feel about current business conditions. The research also looked at their attitudes toward their supply chains. Burke shares the results and how viewpoints differ depending on where respondents are in the world. Many companies continue to have difficulty finding good workers. With unemployment still at near-record lows, it doe...
Apr 28, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 16
Our guest on this week's episode is Martin Buena-Franco, automation products marketing manager for The Raymond Corporation. We have all seen the impacts that automation technologies are making in our distribution operations. But with so much new automation out there, how does a warehouse operator know where to start on the automation journey? Our guest provides some insights. The trucking business is cyclical. The latest statistics definitely show this to be a down time for the industry. We disc...
Apr 21, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Our guest on this week's episode is Paul Brashier, vice president of drayage and intermodal for ITS Logistics. Longshoremen still don’t have a contract agreement with West Coast ports – and last week they staged a temporary work stoppage. Is this a sign of more to come, and should shippers trust their goods moving through these ports? Our guest explains the current situation and what shippers can do to minimize their risks. Supply chain problems continue to plague the chemical industry. More tha...
Apr 14, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 14
Our guest on this week's episode is Carrie Wilkie, senior vice president, standards and technology, at GS1 US. The humble barcode is 50 years old this month. Since the technology was created in 1973, it has revolutionized the speed of buying the products we use every day. Additionally, it has made many tasks in logistics and warehousing more efficient and accurate. Wilkie also discusses how 2D barcodes are finding new applications to collect and carry even more information than traditional barco...
Apr 07, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Our guest on this week's episode is Ken Ramoutar, chief marketing officer at Lucas Systems. With advancements in technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence, we all know that work will be different in the future. Most of our future workforce will come from Generation Z, many of whom have different attitudes, values, and motivations when it comes to work compared to previous generations. Recently, Lucas Systems embarked on a study about tomorrow’s workers and ways employers will n...
Mar 31, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Our guest on this week's episode is Steve Smith. He is the president and CEO of Airlink, a non-profit organization that provides logistics coordination for relief organizations reaching the world's trouble spots. Airlink is offering ongoing assistance to war-torn Ukraine as well as recently coordinated transportation of people and supplies to aid victims of the last month's earthquake along the Turkey-Syria border. It has been a long time in coming, but the U.S. Surface Transportation Board has ...
Mar 17, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Our guest on this week's episode is Tania Seary, founder of Procurious. Procurious is an international network for procurement and supply chain professionals with more than 42,000 members. Earlier this week the world recognized International Women’s Day. Historically, supply chain management positions have been rather heavily male-dominated. But like many professions, we are seeing some steady change. How do women fare today in supply chain positions? While many believe electric trucks will make...
Mar 10, 2023•18 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Our guest on this week's episode is Ray Haight, executive performance impact coach at JLE Industries. He talks about the problems recruiting and retaining truck drivers and two new pieces of proposed legislation in Washington that will make life on the road better and possibly make driving a truck more attractive to prospective drivers. They include a bill requiring facilities to open restrooms to drivers and also a bill to create more safe places for truckers to park overnight. We all know that...
Mar 03, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Our guest on this week's episode is Ramesh Murthy, chief supply chain officer and executive vice president at Bob's Discount Furniture. Finding drivers for private fleets is extremely difficult. One way Bob's Discount Furniture is filling the ranks of its fleet is by reaching out to women drivers. In order to do this, the company had to create a culture where diversity is prioritized. It's worked for Bob's, as its retention rate is extremely high. More companies have been investing in robotics a...
Feb 24, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Our guest on this week's episode is Alex Saric, chief marketing officer for Ivalua. Many may not be aware, but new SEC-directed climate risk disclosure rules may go into effect soon that could have some significant impacts on supply chains. The proposed rules will require publicly traded companies to report on their climate impacts as well as the impacts of their suppliers and partners further upstream within their supply chains. How is the industry reacting to these potential new requirements? ...
Feb 17, 2023•16 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Our guest on this week's episode is Jenny Vander Zanden, chief operating officer of Breakthrough. Shippers are facing many challenges today. There is the world’s political situation for one. Another is inflation and the need to diversify. Our guest today offers some insights into the challenges of shippers and what they can be doing to mitigate their risks. The air cargo sector was one of the supply chain transport modes that was the most disturbed by the pandemic. While most of that chaotic per...
Feb 10, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Our guest on this week's episode is Aaron Smith. It’s been difficult for many years to find supply chain workers – and in particular, the many drivers needed for our nation’s over-the-road trucks. Smith is helping formerly incarcerated individuals and others forge careers in trucking and logistics through his organization called Escaping the Odds. New trucks are hitting the market, and many of them are coming with the latest in-cab tech to keep truckers safe. They include active speed interventi...
Feb 03, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Our guest on this week's episode is Dwight Klappich, research vice president and Gartner Fellow in Gartner's Logistics and Customer Fulfillment team. He shares new research that Gartner has conducted into how robotics will be used in distribution centers. Within the next few years, distributors will deploy a number of different categories of robots for various warehouse tasks. These systems will need a collaborative platform to work together. He shares details on how Gartner views the future of ...
Jan 27, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 4
