Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

Our guest in this week's episode is Sarah Watt, a senior director analyst at consulting firm Gartner. With much of the attention this week focused on the COP26 climate summit in Scotland, we discuss how the supply chain industry can become more of the solution rather than the problem when it comes to climate change. Ms. Watt shares how companies can build sustainable futures that meet the goals set by the world leaders in Scotland.

With so much attention on the supply chain bottlenecks we have witnessed the past few months, some retailers are taking matters into their own hands. They are acquiring their own delivery networks rather than relying on transportation and delivery partners.

Third-party warehouse providers are seeing a huge jump in demand for their services. With inventories on the rise and peak season upon us, retailers and other distributors are turning more and more to 3PLs to help them keep their fulfillment promises.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly began  a new 11-episode limited podcast series last week, Top 10 Supply Chain Threats. Each week a different threat to our supply chains is discussed, including capacity constraints, labor shortages, inflation and economics, weather-related issues, component and product shortages, digitalization, automation, and much more. Subscribe at your favorite podcast platform. Search "Top 10 Supply Chain Threats."


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Gartner
• Quiet Logistics acquired for $350 million by its client, American Eagle Outfitters
• Abercrombie & Fitch turns to crowd sourcing to expand same-day delivery
• 3PLs grew order volumes in 2021
• Logistics' extended expansion run continued in October
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Ryder

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• Top 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, our guest is Dr. Yossi Sheffi, a professor of engineering systems  at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. Dr. Sheffi has written a new book called A Shot In the Arm: How Science, Engineering, and Supply Chains Converged to Vaccinate the World. He joins us to talk about the development of successful Covid-19 vaccines in record time — including the science behind them and the supply chains that enabled them.

Containers are stacking up at West Coast ports as bottlenecks continue amongst record levels of cargo passing through them. This week, several initiatives were unveiled to try to alleviate the congestion.

The shortage of truck drivers has reached an all-time high, according to a report released this week by the  American Trucking Associations (ATA). What can be done to reduce the shortage and attract new drivers to the industry?

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly began  a new 11-episode limited podcast series this week, Top 10 Supply Chain Threats. Each week, following this week's introductory episode, a different threat to our supply chains is discussed, including capacity constraints, labor shortages, inflation and economics, weather-related issues, component and product shortages, digitalization, automation, and much more. Subscribe at your favorite podcast platform. Search "Top 10 Supply Chain Threats."


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics
• West Coast ports announce fourth attempt to clear container backlog
• Driver shortage reaches record high
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Zebra Technologies

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

In this episode, our guest is Bryan Palma of Kinaxis. Retailers are in for an uncertain holiday season, as inventories are out of whack and demand is difficult to satisfy. What should retailers and consumers expect from this year's peak season?

There are some new unicorns among supply chain startup companies. These are firms that have reached $1 billion in valuation. What makes them so attractive to investors?

Maritime ports have all reported near-record levels of cargo passing through, and there is little end in sight to the high volumes they must support. This week, some ports are reporting their latest statistics and offering some solutions to help with supply chain bottlenecks.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly is beginning  a new 11-episode limited podcast series, The Top 10 Supply Chain Threats. Each week, following an introductory episode, a different threat to our supply chains will be discussed, including capacity constraints, labor shortages, inflation and economics, weather-related issues, component and product shortages, digitalization, automation, and much more. Subscribe at your favorite podcast platform. Search "Top 10 Supply Chain Threats."


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Kinaxis website
• Flock freight lands $215 million VC round for its freight carpooling model
• East Coast ports post record volume
• Port of Oakland calls for more cargo
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Listen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Zebra Technologies

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 supply chains are broken. We face many obstacles that will be with us for the coming months, and possibly years. This month, our sister publication CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly will launch “Top 10 Supply Chain Threats,” a new 11-episode podcast that looks at the top 10 threats currently facing supply chains. 

Links

• About CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly
• Subscribe to CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly 
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly

In this episode, our guest is Yatish Desai, a principal at KPMG Supply Chain and Operations.
As the holiday season approaches, shippers and carriers both are preparing for a season of disruption building upon the current chaos within supply chains. Desai talks about how shippers can prepare for increased delays and how modeling and planning can smooth the rough parts of their supply chains.

This week the Biden administration met with representatives from the Ports of LA and Long Beach to try to deal with the historic backlog at those ports. The result is that they will now move to 24/7 operations. Will that clear the congestion and will it have any effects on stalled supply chains elsewhere?

Freight rates continue to rise with little end in sight. A new industry index has just been released to measure freight trends. What can it show us about  expectations for freight rates in Q4 of this year?


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• KPMG Supply Chain
• West Coast ports to expand operations to tackle bottlenecks
• LTL and truckload rates continue growth spurt in fourth quarter index says
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Zebra Technologies

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

In this episode, our guest is Steve Bell, an attorney for the law firm of Dorsey and Whitney LLC. Steve specializes in labor and employment practice and is here to discuss the ramifications of the Biden administration's new Covid-19 vaccination mandates for federal employees and companies with more the 100 workers. What are the requirements and when are they expected to go into effect? Will these mandates survive the many legal challenges they will face? Steve is here to give us his insights and experience into the laws surrounding employment practices.

While consumers certainly know there are supply chain problems that keep them separated from the goods they desire, they seem to have little patience when it comes to delays. A recent survey shows consumers hold the same expectations they have had during the past year or more. What should shippers expect from consumers as peak season approaches?

The MHI Annual Conference was held in Arizona this past week. A lot of the discussion surrounded the current state of our supply chains and how the industry is poised to meet the challenges we face. In this episode, we report on some key themes and sessions from the conference.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• The law firm of Dorsey and Whitney, LLC
• Shoppers demand fast service despite supply chain challenges
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Zebra Technologies

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

In this episode, our guest is Doug Schrier, senior vice president of strategy at Transflo. While we know that automated trucks are coming someday, many may not be aware of the behind-the-scenes automation available today to keep the trucking industry moving forward. Artificial intelligence and machine learning help companies automate many of the industry's non-driving tasks.

Consumers are all too aware of the shortages and supply chain problems we have all experienced and many are feeling like things will never get back to normal. A new report shows how consumers are feeling about supply chain disruptions. Many shoppers are leaving brands that they feel are not doing a good job of being reliable on product deliveries.

Returns are messy for everyone. With the increases in online shopping, returns are becoming even messier. Some companies are doing better than others at handling returns and even rewarding their best shoppers. Their customers are noticing.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Transflo
• Report shows consumers remain frustrated and angry over supply chain disruptions
• Retailers offer special returns policies to their best customers, Navar study finds.
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected].

Podcast sponsored by: Zebra Technologies

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

In this episode, our guest is Ellen Voie, President, CEO, and Founder of Women in Trucking. She discusses how her organization works to attract women into the trucking industry. She shares what barriers remain and how the industry can help to overcome them to open their truck doors to more women drivers.

As any shipper knows, tight capacity remains in the freight markets — and it looks like this situation will be with us for quite some time to come. What are some of the creative things carriers are doing to open capacity, and what can shippers do to make their freight more attractive to carriers and thus become shippers of choice?

Supply chain used to be a very male-dominated industry, but that has changed quite a bit over the past decade. There are more women in leadership roles than ever before. Today we look at what is being done to bring more women into the supply chain profession and what opportunities there are to keep women moving forward in their careers.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Women in Trucking
• Carriers say tractor and trailer shortages will linger for another year
• In tight freight markets, retailers and manufacturers woo valuable truckers
• Advancing women in supply chain
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• Visit Supply Chain Quarterly
• 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

In this episode, our guest is DC Velocity Publisher Gary Master. Supply chains everywhere are experiencing disruptions. It really is a mess out there. Gary talks about the current state of supply chains and identifies some of the trouble spots. He also discusses the CSCMP EDGE conference coming up this week in Atlanta which will provide professionals with a perfect opportunity to address many of these supply chain challenges.

Labor continues to be tight right now with many job openings going unfilled. We discuss the current labor statistics, which come at a time when many retailers and distributors are attempting to increase their staffing for peak holiday season. What are some of the initiatives that supply chain companies are doing to try to attract new workers?

It's time to thank a trucker. This week the industry celebrates Truck Driver Appreciation Week. We talk about some of the events that took place to recognize the important contributions that drivers make to our industry and the overall economy.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Parcel and 3PL employers seek labor for winter peak push
• Industry marks truck driver appreciation week
• Logistics company thanks drivers with $100K in giveaways
• Supply Chain Quarterly website
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• 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

In this episode, our guest is Steve Denton, CEO of Ware2Go, a UPS company. All businesses have been affected by Covid-19 during the past year and a half, but merchants and retailers have experienced more ups and downs than many. One of the more challenging problems is the rising cost of transportation for their goods. With peak season approaching,  how will merchants be able to deliver products in a timely manner while meeting other demands and challenging  consumer expectations?

The latest Logistics Managers Index has been released. This monthly report gauges logistics activity and shows continued expansion in the sector. Is this a trend that will continue into next year?

Hurricane Ida caused widespread damage across much of the United States. While recovery efforts are ongoing, there are still logistics delays that are having ripple effects throughout the country. What is being done to help alleviate the stresses?


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ware2Go
• LMI: tight capacity and high prices drive expansion
• Hurricane Ida could continue to slow supply chain operations for weeks
• Supply Chain Quarterly website
• Visit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. 
• 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