Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Don Hicks, CEO of Optilogic. As manufacturing is declining in China, many companies are turning to Mexico and other Latin American countries to assure a steady supply of goods while also shortening their supply chains. But will nearshoring actually resolve many of the problems supply chains have faced in the past few years?  We discuss the benefits and pitfalls of nearshoring designs.

Freight brokers are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel – and there is new data to back up that better conditions may be returning. We discuss freight markets and what might soon be a return to more normal conditions following this year's declining market.

The transportation industry is gradually introducing more electric-powered vehicles while moving away from diesel engines to power trucks.  Such a change, though, requires a lot more batteries than are currently available. This week we heard of plans from several truck companies to join together to build a new factory for domestic battery manufacturing. This will assure more battery supply for the trucks they hope to build.

CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  The current series features Transportation Tech. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Optilogic
• Survey: Freight brokers unfazed by industry challenges
• Truck manufacturers to build joint battery factory to ensure U.S. supply
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by: PERC - The Propane Education and Research Council

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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 freight is in transport. What is causing more of these crimes to occur, and what can be done to prevent them? 

During the pandemic, many employees began working from home for the first time --  but now companies are requiring that most of them return to the office. New research this week reveals some recent trends affecting where people work and what is motivating companies to desire that their employees return to the office.

CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  The current series features Transportation Tech. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• George Mason University School of Business
• Theft risk could jump over Labor Day holiday, CargoNet says
• Survey: 9 in 10 companies say employees will return to office by end of 2024
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by: PERC - The Propane Education and Research Council

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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 ground coordinating relief efforts. 

Some of the same drought conditions that contributed to the tragic fires in Maui are also causing problems for the movement of goods through the Panama Canal. This week more restrictions were imposed on the number and weight of ships that can traverse the canal. We discuss the latest news from the canal. 

New technologies are emerging all the time for warehouses and transportation operations. One new intriguing tech is wireless charging for autonomous mobile robot systems and automated guided vehicles. We share what is spurring on the adoption of this technology. 

CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  The current series features Transportation Tech. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• ALAN - The American Logistics Aid Network
• ALAN continues long-term recovery efforts after Maui fire
• Without rain, ships are waiting up to three weeks to pass through Panama Canal
• Making way for the wireless warehouse
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by: PERC - The Propane Education and Research Council

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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 may seem early, but now is the time to start evaluating your loading docks to see if they are prepped and ready for winter weather – at least for those companies operating in Northern climates, where snow and ice can cause safety and productivity challenges, as well as dampen the effects of those energy-saving measures so many warehouses are focused on these days.

We preview an upcoming article in DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  that discusses a number of high-level concepts that can guide or jumpstart how companies think about innovation and incorporating emerging technologies.  

CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  The current series features Transportation Tech. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Transportation Intermediaries Association 
• SCQ article: Distribution supply chain innovation and a brighter future
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by: PERC - The Propane Education and Research Council

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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 for automation? Our guest shares some insights.

It’s getting harder to find the right talent in the supply chain, especially when it comes to filling leadership roles and developing the next generation of corporate supply chain managers. That’s according to a recent survey by Alcott Global, a Singapore-based supply chain and logistics recruitment and talent management firm.  Half of those surveyed listed the lack of talent as a key problem.  On top of that, the survey showed that the talent that is available lacks the right skill set needed to succeed in supply chain management.

Freight markets have been down quite a bit this summer and it makes managers wonder if we have seen the bottom of the cyclical trough. A new report from U.S. Bank offers some data points that may shed some light on how long the freight recession will last.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  The current series features Transportation Tech. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Honeywell
• Report shows that labor shortage and skills deficit are hampering hiring efforts
• Trucking freight challenges persisted in second quarter, US Bank says
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by:PERC - The Propane Education and Research Council

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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-truckload freight company, with about 30,000 employees and 60,000 tractors and trailers. We discuss what happened this week and what it may mean for shippers without Yellow as a carrier.

We continued to see slowing conditions across logistics and supply chain in July,  part of a trend that began earlier this year. This week, researchers released the monthly Logistics Managers' Index report for July. It showed that economic conditions in the industry contracted for a third straight month.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  The current series features Transportation Tech. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Gartner
• ATA launches database for 30,000 workers who lost their jobs in Yellow Corp. collapse
• Yellow Corp. shuts its doors on Sunday, could file for bankruptcy today
• Yellow tries to raise cash by selling off its 3PL division
• Logistics economy slowed in July
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by: PERC - The Propane Education and Research Council

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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 construction over the past year following that post-Covid boom when accelerating e-commerce and unprecedented demand for logistics services in general caused a surge in the need for warehousing space. The recent slowdown is due to declining e-commerce activity and rising interest rates over the past year, but it looks like we may hit bottom and see growth heading into 2024, in both warehouse construction and related warehouse automation projects. 

Robotics have certainly impacted distribution in recent years, with tens of thousands of units now roaming the world's warehouses. Many of these are provided under a Robots-as-a-Service model, or RaaS, where the manufacturer owns the robots and simply leases them based on run time or products moved. Therefore, it is an advantage to keep the robots in top-notch condition to assure uptime and profitability. We discuss how one company, Locus Robotics, is building a new facility and capability to support that model.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  The current series features Transportation Tech. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• AFS Logistics
• Warehouse construction and automation spending to rise in 2024
• Locus Robotics breaks ground on new Massachusetts HQ
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by:Travero Logistics

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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 are in transit? Our guest discusses the problems faced in shipping foods and some possible solutions to avoid spoilage. 

There are a number of labor issues affecting supply chains — labor disruptions at ports in both the U.S. and Canada and a current strike at Yellow Freight to name a few. But nothing looms as large as the potential Teamsters strike at UPS. We share the latest of what is happening with negotiations at the parcel carrier giant.

A changing work environment and declining interpersonal skills are combining to create headaches in the workplace — and many companies are responding with training programs designed to create a more professional, respectful office culture. This is according to a recent ResumeBuilder.com survey, released earlier this month. We discuss highlights from the report.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  A new eight-part series on Transportation Tech has launched. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• SeaCube Containers
• UPS and Teamsters will return to the bargaining table next week
• Mere possibility of UPS driver strike rattles logistics industry
• Professional skills lag in post-Covid workplace
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by:Travero Logistics

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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 annual State of Logistics report detailing how supply chains have been operating over the past year. In addition, next month CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly will release its special State of Logistics issue that takes a deep dive into the various sectors of supply chain. We preview the issue and the organizations participating in this annual review.

According to Women in Trucking, the number of women drivers has been growing in recent years, in line with overall industry demand to recruit more drivers to the field. And that’s not all that’s growing; they also said the number of women in related roles is increasing. We look at the progress that women are making in supply chain roles.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  A new eight-part series on Transportation Tech has launched. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• SAP
• Annual State of Logistics report shows a transportation market resetting itself
• Women making strides in transportation supply chain
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by:Travero Logistics

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

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 as we approach peak season?  Our guest shares his insights. 

The slow period in trucking is expected to continue, according to industry experts gathered at the SMC3 Connections supply chain conference this week in Orlando. They expect the sluggish freight conditions will hang around for a while and that a broader economic recession is likely to follow.

One of the biggest challenges for any company in logistics right now is labor. With low unemployment rates, skills shortages, boomer retirements, and having to compete with gig work jobs, it can be hard for many transportation and warehousing companies to stay fully staffed. This week we learned about another complication in that area, which is the rising rate of positive drug tests as more states legalize the private use of marijuana. That  trend makes it even harder to find good workers.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.  A new eight-part series on Transportation Tech has launched. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• project44
• Slow times to continue, trucking industry experts say
• Positive drug tests in US workforce rise to 20-year high as marijuana is legalized
• Get episode transcripts
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]

Podcast is sponsored by:Travero Logistics

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY
• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts