Our guest on this week's episode is Tony Bradley, president and CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association and the executive director of the Arizona Trucking Association Foundation. We have seen huge changes within the trucking industry during the past year based on two big issues – the licensing of non-domiciled drivers and the huge surges we see in freight fraud. Victoria Kickham finds out more about what is being done to address these issues in this week’s guest interview.

One of the technology topics that has gotten a lot of buzz lately has been humanoid robots, which of course are that family of robots that have heads and bodies and torsos, and either walk on two legs or roll on a moving base like an AMR. This technology is very new of course, and has been seen only in research labs until recently. Ben Ames reports on an example of how one of these critters might fit into a real world workflow.

A recent survey of North American transportation, logistics, and supply chain executives reveals a disconnect between what those leaders see as the promise of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and their readiness to implement them. Victoria Kickham reports on a new survey that examines the effects of adopting AI and machine learning (ML) in logistics, and it revealed some interesting information about Agentic AI and its role in the industry.

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.

Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Arizona Trucking Association
• truckingresurgence.com
• Siemens completes pilot test of humanoid robot
• 42% of logistics leaders are holding back on Agentic AI, survey shows
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Amy Dean, VP of Operations at SC Codeworks. The shipping world is still waiting on the Supreme Court’s ruling on whether the administration can lawfully collect the tariffs that have been assessed on nearly every trading nation. In the meantime, there may be a strategy to mitigate some of those tariff impacts – and that is by using Foreign Trade Zones.

While employment trends show few new jobs, a new survey from resume platform company Resume.org found that most companies are planning to add more staff this year, and that a majority of those will do so quickly—by adding new hires in the first quarter. We look at what skills employers are looking for from new employees.

One of the emerging supply chain technologies that’s been getting the most buzz in recent months is humanoid robots; these are two-legged, walking robots. However, this technology is new — and there are certain shortcomings. Humanoids collapse and fall down when power is cut. So that creates safety risk in the event of a fall. But according to a report from Interact Analysis, the industry is working on this problem.

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.

Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• SC Codeworks
• Hiring is on tap for 2026 but so are layoffs
• Report: Automation sector sets safety standards for humanoid robots
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics and chairman of the Futurist Institute. In what has become an annual tradition, one of our nation’s leading economists joins us to review the economy of 2025 and preview economic trends for 2026. He also focuses on supply chains and the prospects for the material handling market in the year ahead.

When it comes to managing risk in the new year, companies can expect much of the same as we’ve seen this year, according to a recent report from risk and claims administration company Sedgwick. Victoria Kickham shares how the report examines risks across industries and aims to help companies navigate evolving trends.

The labor market is changing fast, whether we’re talking about the unemployment rate, job creation, turnover, a skilled labor shortage, or artificial intelligence. And this week Ben Ames reports on new research that lays out four major themes on what employers are going to have to do to keep themselves staffed up in 2026. But many workers are concerned that their employers won’t prepare them properly for the many changes they will face in their jobs.

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.

Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Prestige Economics
• Report: just 3% of executives say trade policies are positively affecting their business
• Randstad points to growing skills gap as humans adopt AI
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

This podcast episode is sponsored by: ID Label

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Bill Catania, founder & CEO of OneRail. Christmas will be here before we know it – just a couple of weeks to go. For shippers, that means one final push to get all of those future presents where they need to be. What are the trends driving this year’s peak season? Our guest shares what he has seen from his base of retail customers.

Ben Ames shares about a new report from industrial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield that says that 2026 could be a little better, at least in terms of commercial real estate than it has been his past year. That category includes office, industrial, multifamily, and retail, so a broad area but it includes things like the warehouses and brick and mortar stores that we cover for the magazine. They said that after the “extraordinary macroeconomic uncertainty” of the past year, the U.S. commercial real estate (CRE) sector could enter 2026 with renewed momentum, clearer visibility, and growing optimism - and a lot of it has to do with the growth of AI data centers.

One of Victoria Kickham's stories in the December issue of DC Velocity deals with automated truck loading and unloading. This is a topic that’s of growing interest across the industry; we see more and more robotics vendors tackling this physically demanding job – which many in the industry will tell you is probably the worst job in the warehouse. The story also digs into the rising cost of warehouse labor and how new approaches to robotics can help with that – specifically, the rise of robotics-as-a-service models and special leasing programs can help alleviate the capital expenses involved in purchasing robotics.

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.

Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• OneRail
• AI investment boom rescues U.S. economy from extraordinary macroeconomic uncertainty
• Robots to the rescue
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

This podcast episode is sponsored by: ID Label

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY

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.

Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Breakthrough Fuel
• Study: AI now imbedded in 60% of warehouses
• Siemens USA plans to hire 200,000 electricians and manufacturing experts by 2030
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

This podcast episode is sponsored by: ID Label

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Kraig Foreman, president of eCommerce at DHL Supply Chain. While stores are already showing the Christmas spirit with all of their beautiful decorations and being crammed with lots of inventory – peak season has not officially kicked off yet. But it will next week with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. After a tumultuous year for supply chains – are retailers prepared to handle the most wonderful time of the year? Our guest today joins Victoria Kickham with some insights.

While many industries are struggling to realize value from AI, transportation appears to be ahead of the curve, according to Breakthrough, which is a Wisconsin-based provider of transportation and supply chain solutions for shippers. That result came from the company’s “Peak Shipping Season Pulse,” a survey of 300 industry decision-makers. The report found that 49% of U.S. transportation leaders say artificial intelligence reshaped how they managed this year’s Q4 peak season rush.

According to a survey of more than 400 U.S. warehouse associates, most view robotics and automation as a benefit to their careers and livelihoods. The survey was conducted by global warehouse robotics provider Exotec and is detailed in the company’s recent “Warehouse Workers Sentiment Report: Understanding the Impact of Automation on Retention and Satisfaction.” Company leaders said the survey reveals a “surprisingly strong embrace of robotics” on the warehouse floor, with a majority of respondents saying they are interested in working with robots.

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.

Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• DHL Supply Chain
• Half of U.S. transportation firms used artificial intelligence to manage Q4 peak
• Report: Warehouse automation pays off
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

This podcast episode is sponsored by: ID Label

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Alex Saric, CMO at Ivalua. We have definitely seen a lot of uncertainty this year due to changing economic policies and the supply chain shifts that have resulted. It has placed a lot of companies on the sidelines trying to figure out what to do next with their technology investments. How do they get from just being in survival mode to thriving? Our guest today joins Ben Ames with some insights.

Working with small businesses can help strengthen supply chains and boost local economies; that’s according to a report from supplier intelligence platform Supplier.io, released earlier this week. The company analyzed data from more than 500 large enterprises for its 2025 Small Business Impact Report—to learn more about those companies’ small sourcing initiatives. We share some highlights from that report.

A report from the supply chain software company Kinaxis reveals that there is a gap between AI ambition and AI implementation. The report found that at many organizations, business leaders tend to underestimate the new risks and complexities that AI may introduce. But on the other hand, their staffers are very well aware of those complexities, because they’re focused on the practical realities, such as the effort, change management, and technical challenges. The executives want a fast ROI from AI, but staffers see the hurdles.

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.

Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ivalua
• Small business spending fortifies supply chains
• AI reality cap - C-Suite executives expect quick ROI but staff see hurdles
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

This podcast episode is sponsored by: Storage Solutions

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Noel Thomas, founder and CEO of Dark Watch. Without even knowing it, many companies with extended supply chains may participating in human trafficking and forced labor. It exists around the world and even here in the United States where people are manipulated into modern forms of slavery. What can we do to protect our supply chains and company reputations, while more importantly helping these most vulnerable people?

Transportation and logistics provider Ryder System, Inc. is doing its part to address the issue of human trafficking in the supply chain. Ryder is hosting a mobile exhibit on the issue at its Fort Worth, Texas, Transportation Management Center today. The event is for Ryder employees, local law enforcement, and public officials and it features the Freedom Drivers Project (FDP); this is a national mobile exhibit developed by the nonprofit group Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), which is an alliance of trucking industry companies, law enforcement, and government agencies.

We’ve heard a lot about cargo theft lately, and that’s not surprising, given that there is so much freight moving around the country on any given day. The latest report we saw from the theft prevention firm CargoNet shows that many thieves are focusing their efforts on only the highest value cargo shipments.

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.

Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Dark Watch
• Ryder hosts event to raise awareness of human trafficking
• Report: Cargo thieves are targeting high-value goods
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

This podcast episode is sponsored by: Storage Solutions

Other links

• About DC VELOCITY
• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
• Sign up for our FREE newsletters
• Advertise with DC VELOCITY