Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is  Mark Ford, chief capacity officer at BlueGrace Logistics. As the trucking industry continues to ride out the uncertain economy, it puts pressures on small fleet carriers to steer carefully to adjust to the volatility. He discusses the current status of the trucking sector and the effects on small fleets and owner operators.  What steps can they take to assure that they survive?

Google has recently made some significant investments in logistics on the continent of Africa. It's designed to help promote the industry in Africa and encourage greater investments in overall infrastructure. Find out what the global tech giant hopes to accomplish.

Other large investments are going into companies that help trucking companies deal with the financial side of the business. Such new tech can help speed up business processes and assure more timely payments. We discuss what firms are getting large investment funding and what services they provide to the industry.


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 second season has now launched and focuses on supply chain digitalization.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• BlueGrace Logistics
• Google investment supports logistics in Africa
• Trucking finance platform vendor AtoB gains $155 million backing
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• 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 sponsored by:  Schneider

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  Dan MacGregor, co-founder of Nexxiot, a global digitalization and IoT company. As supply chains are about to enter into peak season, we ask: Are they ready for the busiest time of the year? MacGregor talks about the current state of supply chains and what technology can do to streamline operations.

The FDA has announced new regulations on shipping certain categories of food. The regs will take effect  in January and will require tracking and recording of every moment of those foods from the point of origin to the point of sale.

West Coast ports reported mixed results for their operations in July. Demand for port services remains strong, and the ports have done a better job of clearing backlogs. Oakland struggled in some areas due to trucker protests over AB5 legislation. How are they prepared for the busy fall season to come?


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 second season has now launched and focuses on supply chain digitalization.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Nexxiot
• Grocery trade group prepares for 2023 launch of stricter food tracing regulations
• West Coast ports posted mixed results for July
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• 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 sponsored by:  Schneider

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 at AFS Logistics. He addresses how inflation, fuel surcharges, and other economic pressures are affecting freight markets. He offers perspective on Q3 performance and what to expect for freight as we head into peak season.

The recent changes at the U.S. Postal Service are reflected in its latest earnings report. One of the new changes just announced this week is a new rate increase. What do the numbers show and how do they reflect the overall economy?

Inflation continues to irritate our supply chains. It is the number one concern of procurement professionals. What strategies are they using to deal with higher costs?


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 second season has now launched and focuses on supply chain digitalization.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• AFS Logistics
• Postal Service Quarterly loss increases due to pandemic trends and price inflation
• Procurement pros say inflation is top concern
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• 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 sponsored by:  Schneider

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  Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at Americas Commercial Transportation Research Company - better known as ACT Research. He discusses his company's predictions of an economic recession in the first half of 2023 and how the trucking industry is already teetering on recession. What does this mean for freight markets, and what can companies do to survive and then prepare to thrive once the recession ends?

Logistics firms are adopting 5G technology, but in a different way than consumers. Instead, they are  implementing private 5G networks that cover only their facility or port area. These secure networks provide fast data processing throughout the property.

New research reveals how many companies are looking at their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems and what they want and expect from ERP vendors. Findings show it is very important to find a strategic long-term partner to help with implementation and ongoing support.


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 second season has now launched and focuses on supply chain digitalization.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• ACT Research
• Trade groups applaud executive order on rail talks
• Nearly nine out of 10 online shoppers will abandon their virtual shopping carts if they see poor delivery terms
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• 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 sponsored by:  Schneider

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  Chris Shimoda, vice president of government affairs for the California Trucking Association. He is here to discuss California's Assembly Bill #5, better known as AB5. Until just a couple of weeks ago, the law had been tied up in appeals since it was passed in 2019, but it could soon go into enforcement. Essentially, it redefines contract workers' status in California. The problem for supply chains is that it forces many independent drivers to be considered employees of the companies they service - whether they want to be or not. Most of the opposition in the industry has been from owner-operators who want to remain independent to run their own trucks. Shimoda also discusses the potential impacts of proposed environmental regulations in California that would force  trucks with  internal combustion engines off the state's roads as early as 2024.  He speaks with Senior Editor Victoria Kickham.

The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed a regulation to require a minimum of two operators in each railroad locomotive cab. It's a controversial regulation, as with today's safety systems many railroad operators feel it is redundant to have a second operator in the cab. The government says it is intended to further secure safety on the rails.

This past year was marked by supply chain disruptions. A new study now shows that those disruptions, year over year, may have actually been worse than we thought. The study examined 400 different types of disruptions across more than 100 million sources of information. It revealed a huge increase in disruptions during the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. We reveal what types of disruptions were most common.

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 second season has now launched and focuses on supply chain digitalization.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• California Trucking Association
• FRA revives crew redundancy requirement for train staffing
• Supply chain disruptions up 46% year over year
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• 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 sponsored by: Honeywell Intelligrated

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  Senthil Rajagopalan, president and COO of Profit.co.
When consumer demand goes up sharply, manufacturers ramp up production to meet that demand. But it does not all happen at once. Often, they produce more than is needed and not always with the right timing. That creates a bullwhip effect for our supply chains. Rajagopalan discusses the impacts of the bullwhip effect with Senior News Editor Ben Ames.

Supply chains bottlenecks have not only been created by supply shortages, labor situations have also caused major problems. This week, the Biden Administration took action to create a Presidential Emergency Board to help resolve labor disputes between freight railroads and rail labor organizations. We hear how industry groups are reacting. We also discuss other labor situations, including ongoing labor negotiations at  West Coast ports and the fallout from the AB5 labor ruling in California.

We all know that good  service produces loyal customers. New research points out just how much consumers care about how their last mile deliveries are made and how it those experiences influence their future purchasing behavior.

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 second season has now launched and focuses on supply chain digitalization.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Profit.co
• Trade groups applaud executive order on rail talks
• Nearly nine out of 10 online shoppers will abandon their virtual shopping carts if they see poor delivery terms
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• 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 sponsored by: Honeywell Intelligrated

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 Ian Khan, writer, futurist, and founder of The Futuracy Group consulting organization. He is also a CNN Technology Futurist, a contributor to Forbes, Business.com, Entrepreneur, and Accounting Web. The importance of supply chains has been shown during the past few months, and it really is the people behind them that make the difference. How will working in supply chains, and work in general, change to meet the challenges of technology and needs? What skills will be required for supply chain jobs of the future?

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine has certainly affected the movement of goods within Ukraine. Logistics Plus is one American company that is working in Ukraine to keep products flowing and also to transport much needed humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine. We find out what they are doing and the challenges this logistics organization faces in that war-torn nation.

With uncertainty over the labor situation at West Coast ports, many shippers are diverting cargo to East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. How have these other ports responded to the increasing demand?

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 second season has now launched and focuses on supply chain digitalization.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Contact Ian Khan and the Futuracy Group
• Logistics Plus
• Logistics Plus acquires Ukrainian freight forwarder to expand footprint in embattled nation
• ContainerPort Group expands trucking capacity with launch of Bristol Transportation
• Trade shifts East as West Coast ports negotiations continue
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Honeywell Intelligrated

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 Christopher Tang, the UCLA distinguished professor and Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration and also the faculty director of UCLA's Center for Global Management. We have all seen product shortages this summer, including a well-publicized shortage of infant meal formula. Professor Tang discusses what is causing shortages, both from supply chain issues and domestic supply problems, and what steps companies can take to mitigate future risks to their product supplies.

Attendees at this week's SMC3 Connections conference in San Diego discussed many issues facing transportation companies. Executives of less-than-truckload (LTL) companies pointed out that inflation and labor issues are their biggest concerns. We find out what they had to say and what remedies might work and which probably will not work.

This week the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear a challenge to California's controversial AB5 law, which was approved in 2019 but has been stuck in appeals courts ever since. The law requires transportation and delivery companies (as well as Uber and Lyft) to treat drivers as employees instead of contract workers. This sets the stage for the law to now take effect. How will this affect trucking firms and will other states adopt similar legislation?

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 second season has now launched and focuses on supply chain digitalization.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• UCLA Center for Global Management
• Logistics industry is skeptical of proposed gas tax holiday
• Inflation and labor challenges top LTL business leaders concerns
• Labor groups cheer Supreme Court decisions to let AB5 stand
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Honeywell Intelligrated

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 Dimitre Kirilov, president of consumer services for Montway Auto Transport. A shortage of qualified drivers has been a reality for years in the trucking industry. With the low unemployment rate, it does not appear that the tight market for drivers will get any better. Our guest talks about what trucking firms need to do to attract new drivers and to retain the drivers they have.

With rising costs for packaging supplies and the lack of availability for many packaging products, many shippers are making changes. Some of the changes involve  diversifying their supplier base. Others involve changing the types of packaging they are using. A new survey report reveals the details.

Rising fuel prices and other increasing costs are placing pressure on companies to be more efficient in their transportation operations. Major retailers are increasingly using technology to help them to better manage their transportation, including technologies for their private fleets. We report on one such investment in technology that Walmart has recently made and what benefits this technology is expected to have on the retailer's operations.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a new podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  Co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, we next look at digitization of the supply chain. Subscribe to Supply Chain in the Fast Lane wherever you get your podcasts.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Montway Auto Transport
• Packaging industry reprioritizes amid inflation and supply chain disruptions
• Unpackaging Reality Report from RR Donnelley
• Walmart installs tracking tablets in 9,000 tractors of its private fleet
• Freight market continues transition to pre-pandemic conditions
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Rite-Hite

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 Glenn Richey, the Raymond J. Harbert Eminent Scholar and chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management at Auburn University's Harbert College of Business. We have seen the huge spike in fuel prices over the past couple of months. Are these higher prices here to stay? What has caused the price surges and is there anything that can be done by government and industry to ease the pain at the pump for trucking companies  and the shippers that must pay higher fuel surcharges?

Greater diversity in workforces is gaining more attention as part of the social justice efforts of many companies. But beyond that, diversity expands a company's capabilities and can bring in fresh ideas and practices. Today we look at diversity efforts in supply chain firms and which type of companies are making an impact.

Lift truck manufacturer The Raymond Corporation marked its 100th anniversary this past week by holding a special centennial celebration at its headquarters in upstate New York. Beyond recognizing this corporate milestone, the company expressed the importance of supply chains and the work that material handling companies do to contribute to the betterment of our world.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a new podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  Co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, this series first focuses on an eight-part look at the State of Logistics. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Auburn University's Department of Supply Chain Management
• Publicly-held supply chain firms beat their privately-owned peers at minority hiring
• Raymond Corp marks 100th anniversary
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Rite-Hite

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