Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Arun Rajan, chief strategy and innovation officer at transportation provider C.H. Robinson. Artificial intelligence is beginning to make inroads into logistics operations. But beyond all the hype, are there ways that generative AI can benefit transportation companies now?  We’ve all heard about the decline of imports from China and how other countries are benefiting from that decline. Today we learn about one exporting country that is on the rise. It's India.Norwegian warehouse automation company AutoStore opened its new U.S. headquarters this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Located in Salem, New Hampshire, the building replaces the company’s previous U.S. headquarters, which officials said they had outgrown. The new facility is twice the size of the old building and is just about 10 miles away.  It features a complete AutoStore automated storage system in-house as a way to demonstrate the technology.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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:C.H. RobinsonPort of Savannah adds ocean freight connections with IndiaGEP report shows manufacturing activity jumped in MayUPS executive identifies three supply chain megatrendsAutoStore opens U.S. headquarters in Southern New HampshireGet episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Equipment DepotOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is Don Hicks, CEO of Optilogic. We saw during the pandemic how badly our ports were jammed with all of the many imported goods we needed and wanted to keep us happy while stuck in our homes. The congestion had eased a bit in the past year or so, but now things are beginning to jam up again. What’s causing that congestion? Our guest has some answers as well as advice on how to deal with these new problems.  Software giant Microsoft Corp. and the German supply chain management and e-commerce solution provider Arvato  plan to team up to develop plans for what they call a “self-managing warehouse of the future.” They call this the “Moonshot” research project, and say it will be powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and cloud computing.Shipments of autonomous industrial lift trucks are expected to double from 2024 to 2025 in North America and Europe, driven by a declining industrial workforce and related demand for automated and tech-connected equipment. That’s according to data from global technology research firm ABI Research, which was released earlier this month. We discuss their projections and what's behind trend. 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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:OptilogicDemand for automated forklifts to grow as warehouse labor issues persistMicrosoft and Arvato to design self-managing warehouse of the futureGet episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Equipment DepotOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is Brett Wood, president and CEO of Toyota Material Handing North America. He also serves as the current chair of the Industrial Truck Association. Each year, the forklift industry sets apart a special day, known as National Forklift Safety Day, to recognize the importance of driver training and safe practices when operating industrial trucks. It's sponsored by the Industrial Truck Association. This year, National Forklift Safety Day will be held this coming Tuesday in Washington D.C. We talk with Wood about the event that is planned and how listeners can participate. The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) held  its 47thAnnual Conference in Dallas this week. The event drew about 500 attendees and was chock full of educational sessions  covering technology, labor issues, and case studies about facility and operations improvement projects. There was also update on the major trends and issues shaping the industry, including the release of the annual DC Metrics study.In 2023, Flexport bought the digital technology of bankrupt Convoy, a digital freight matching company. Now we learn how Flexport intends to market that technology to help small carriers in managing their businesses. 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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:Industrial Truck Association - National Forklift Safety DayWERC releases 21st annual DC Measures reportFlexport continues to invest in Convoy freight-matching technologyToyota Material Handling to build $100 million factory for electric forkliftsGet episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Equipment DepotOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is Alex DaSilva, Lead Hurricane Forecaster at AccuWeather. Last year the Atlantic hurricane season was the fourth-most active hurricane season on record. There with 20 named storms. And the forecasts for this year’s hurricane season are even worse. How will that affect our supply chains and what can we do to prepare for possible disruptions?  Our guest shares what this year's storm season may be like and why we may see such a surge in major hurricanes this summer.Priorities may be shifting when it comes to supply chain preparedness. A recent study from Deloitte – released this past week -- examines the factors causing companies to expand and enhance their supply chains following several years of focus on resilience. The report is titled “Restructuring the Supply Base: Prioritizing a Resilient, Yet Efficient Supply Chain.” And it found that companies are trying to strike a better balance between performance and cost by reevaluating and restructuring their supply base. There is ongoing debate over California’s controversial regulations that will eventually phase out most non-electric forklifts . Why is this such a hot button issue in the Golden State? 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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:AccuWeatherReport shows manufacturers prioritize a resilient yet efficient supply chainPropane group criticizes California plan to ban internal combustion forkliftsToyota Material Handling to build $100 million factory for electric forkliftsGet episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Yale Lift Truck TechnologiesOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is Omar Troncoso. He is a partner at consulting firm Kearney and heads their Mexico City office. In the wake of pandemic disruptions, we all learned that our complex supply chains were just too complex. On top of that, we have seen more tariffs for Chinese goods and other world events that have encouraged companies to bring their manufacturing much closer to U.S. soil. Each year, Kearney  has researched reshoring trends. They just recently published those results in a study called Made in America for America. Our guest is the co-author of the report and shares what trends they uncovered.One of the stories that our readers look forward to every year is the list from consulting firm Gartner of its “Global Supply Chain Top 25.” This year was actually the 20th year the firm has released that ranking. Schneider Electric is tops again this year. We find out other high-ranking firms and the criteria that makes their supply chains successful.We often hear about how tough warehouse work can be and how that can be a contributing factor to the industry’s labor problems. Even in good times it can be hard to find workers for warehouse and distribution center jobs. It’s physically demanding work that can lead to injuries. As a result, more and more managers and company leaders are focused on introducing ergonomic solutions designed to ease the stress and strain of warehouse jobs. We preview a story in our June issue highlighting new ergonomic technologies, including exosuits. 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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:KearneyGartner unveils 20th annual global supply chain Top 25Get episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Yale Lift Truck TechnologiesOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is Chris Hayes, assistant vice president, risk control, at insurer Travelers. There are a lot of things that distract drivers as they travel down our nation's roads. From cell phones to radios to things they may see along the way – just about anything could distract a driver at the wrong moment. Our guest shares the latest research from Travelers into the problems of distracted driving, how it can affect commercial and transportation fleets, and what can be done to limit distractions.The Biden Administration this week unveiled a new round of tariffs directed at Chinese goods that the government feels gives Chinese companies an unfair competitive advantage. Some of the tariffs involve products used in our supply chains, and not every importer is happy to see these new tariffs. We look at what tariffs are being levied and explain why there is some opposition to them.This week, two clean energy companies – renewable natural gas (or RNG) provider Clean Energy Fuels and RNG producer Maas Energy Works – announced plans to build nine bio-fuel RNG production facilities at dairy farms in seven states. Maas Energy will build the facilities, and the RNG produced will feed Clean Energy’s nationwide network of RNG stations, which provide fuel for heavy- and medium-duty trucks, buses, and other fleets of equipment. The project involves collecting manure from the dairy farms and capturing the methane emissions to produce RNG that involves “dairy digester” technology. 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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:TravelersTrade groups criticize White House tariffs on Chinese goodsClean energy companies advance bio-fuel production for fleetsGet episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Yale Lift Truck TechnologiesOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is John Lash, group vice president of product strategy at global supply chain platform e2open. The EU has agreed to new environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rules within The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D). This requires companies to act if their supply chains cause environmental damages such as toxic air, packaging, and packaging waste or violate forced labor laws. But what will this updated call to action mean for corporate accountability? Everything seems to be getting more “high tech” these days. In our current issue, we take a look at how this trend is affecting sorters—which, of course, are keys to keeping warehouse and distribution center processes running smoothly and efficiently.Both shippers and carriers throughout North America know all too well that the truckload industry has been in the low cycle of a freight recession for nearly two years. There are basically too many trucks and not enough cargo moving to fill them all. However, we’ve lately gotten some indication that things are finally getting ready to turn around.  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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:e2openRevved up and ready to sortPoll: sentiment improves among owner-operators and small fleetsACT Research: trucking sector upturn likely within a couple of monthsGet episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Yale Lift Truck TechnologiesOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the world’s largest trade group for robotics & automation companies. Robotics have impacted supply chains in ways few other technologies ever have. From filling orders in warehouses to loading and unloading trucks, robotics and automation are making our supply chains run more efficiently and accurately. And while the use of robotics has seen steady growth in the industry, what is the near-term outlook? Supply chain leaders are bullish on generative AI, with most saying they expect to reap returns on their investments in the technology this year and that they plan to invest even more in the future. This is according to an Accenture survey of C-Suite executives worldwide, released this week Walmart is famous for making its supply chain as efficient as possible. This week we learned about another way they squeeze cost out of the system. The company opened a high-tech consolidation center in Illinois. This is a 490,000-square foot facility that uses automation to flow three times more volume of goods through the building than a manual version. They have about 10 total of these consolidation centers, but most of those are manual; this is actually the third one of these high-tech ones they operate, following the first one which opened in California in 2019. 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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:Association for Advancing Automation (A3)Supply chain AI investment applications are on the riseWalmart opens third consolidation center in its US networkGet episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Yale Lift Truck TechnologiesOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is John Donigian, senior director of strategy - supply chain for risk assessment firm Moody’s. We have been reporting for more than a year on just what a difficult time the logistics industry has experienced. Costs remain high and lead times have increased. Our guest provides an overview of what is causing logistics to be stuck in the doldrums.Scientists are looking at ways to make better batteries, but for some time now lithium ion has just been the best way to pack a lot of power into a small space. This week we heard about one way to move toward a safer way to transporting lithium ion batteries -  and it has to do with blockchain.Demand for forklifts, aisle trucks, container handlers, and similar equipment is on the rise, thanks to planned infrastructure development projects around the world. This is according to data from Chicago-based research firm MarketsandMarkets, released earlier this month. The researchers say demand for industrial vehicles for material handling and transportation is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 5% 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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:Moody's supplier risk managementMSC improves lithium battery shipping safety through deal with GSBNNew projects call for more forkliftsGet episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Travero LogisticsOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

Our guest on this week's episode is David Correll, a research scientist with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Transportation and Logistics. This coming Monday, April 22, we celebrate Earth Day. Begun in 1970, this is a worldwide event designed to recognize the importance of preserving our environment. Due to their basic role of moving goods worldwide, our supply chains are among the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases. While we can’t totally eliminate our environmental footprints, there are things we can do to lessen their impacts on the environment. Each year, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics produce a State of Supply Chain Sustainability report. Correll is the project lead for this ambitious research. He shares about the progress being made toward sustainability within supply chains.Members of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Women in Motion (WIM) group met with federal government leaders in Washington this week to advocate for policies that support women drivers and that will encourage recruitment and retention of more women in the industry. We look at the specific legislation they are promoting to improve the lives of women truckers.Freight company Yellow Corp. went out of business last year. It was one of the largest trucking companies to declare bankruptcy in history. Yellow blames its demise on contract negotiations with the Teamsters, while the union says the company spent more than it could afford to acquire other companies and expand. Regardless, the bankruptcy court has been selling off the company's remaining assets. We look at those assets and what other trucking firms have been buying them in order to expand their own operations at bargain prices.  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.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Transportation & LogisticsState of Supply Chain Sustainability Report (2023)Women truckers take their case to WashingtonEstes to open wave of new freight terminals acquired from bankrupt Yellow Corp.Get episode transcriptsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comPodcast is sponsored by: Travero LogisticsOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts