Marc Schaffer, a principal economist at Breakthrough Fuel, delves into the implications of the looming Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger and its potential effects on supply chains. He highlights how this merger stands apart due to its scale and regulatory hurdles. The discussion shifts to the rise of AI in warehouses, revealing that 60% are adopting these technologies to enhance productivity. Schaffer also shares insights on the critical workforce behind this tech, referencing Siemens' plan to train 200,000 electricians by 2030.
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insights INSIGHT
Breakthrough's Scale And Role
Breakthrough Fuel manages large-scale transportation spend and shipments to help shippers cut costs and decarbonize networks.
Marc Schaffer says the firm oversees about $35 billion in spend and 46 million shipments annually.
insights INSIGHT
Merger Would Create Massive Rail Power
The proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger would create a much larger carrier than CPKC did.
Marc Schaffer warns it could control roughly 40% of U.S. rail carload volume if approved.
insights INSIGHT
Transcontinental East–West Versus North–South
CPKC created a north–south corridor while UP/NS aims to build an east–west transcontinental route.
Marc Schaffer highlights the geographic difference as central to impacts on intermodal flows.
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Our guest on this week's episode is Marc Schaffer, principal economist at Breakthrough Fuel. Sometime in the new year we will likely find out whether the huge mega-merger between two historic railroads will go through. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern aim to join forces to create a true transcontinental railroad. But it’s not without controversy. What will the effects be on our nation’s supply chains? This week's guest offers some insights.
Warehouses are getting smarter every day. A study released just after Thanksgiving shows that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are no longer just experimental tools but are becoming core drivers of productivity, accuracy, and workforce evolution in the warehouse. This is according to a study from Mecalux and the MIT Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab at MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics.
This week we reported on a story about the people behind AI and other leading edge technologies. It wasn’t about the software coders who write the instructions for AI and large language models and other platforms. But rather it was about the electricians and manufacturing experts who keep all this stuff running. The reports came from Siemens USA, the American arm of the German industrial technology provider, and they announced a plan to train 200,000 electricians and manufacturing experts by 2030.
Supply Chain Xchange also 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 series is now available on Top Threats to our Supply Chains. It covers topics including Geopolitical Risks, Economic Instability, Cybersecurity Risks, Threats to energy and electric grids; Supplier Risks, and Transportation Disruptions Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes. The podcast is also available at www.thescxchange.com.
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