Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

AGiLE Business Media & Events
  • 4.8 (10)
  • Business News
  • Updated Weekly

The editors of DC VELOCITY magazine bring you weekly updates on logistics, material handling, and supply chain news.

  1. 14h ago

    Guest: Tucker Perkins of the Propane Education & Research Council on powering forklifts; Who pays the price for supply chain shocks?; Changing ocean freight patterns

    Our guest on this week's episode is Tucker Perkins, President and CEO of the Propane Education & Reseach Council (PERC). Propane has been used for decades as a consistent source of powering industrial trucks, such as the forklifts and other equipment used in distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, ports, transportation yards, and other places in the logistics world. DC Velocity Group Editorial Director David Maloney talks with our guest about the many uses for propane for powering equipment. They also discuss how propane's dominance as a power source is being challenged by new battery technologies. The consumer economy has been pretty resilient in the face of all the economic ups and downs of the past few years, but a new report shows that consumers are likely to bear the brunt of the supply chain disruptions. This report from London-based researcher BSI surveyed supply chain risk management professionals and found that more than a third of businesses are planning to increase prices to offset costs in the next six months. Senior Editor Victoria Kickham shares the details of the research.  We’ve talked a lot in recent months about how ocean freight is being impacted by geopolitical forces and regional violence, that have forced changes in how containers move around the globe. But now we’re seeing disruption from a completely different source, which is the extreme weather. Heat waves in Europe have caused the Rhine and Danube rivers to shallow up, meaning less cargo can be transported on the rivers. A drought in Panama has also lowered the depth of the canal. That means that cargo ships moving through the canal have to carry less so that they do not bottom out.  Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)Supply chain shocks to hit consumersExtreme weather cramps logistics flows in Europe and ChinaVisit DC VelocityVisit Supply Chain XchangeSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

  2. Aug 21

    Guest: Marc Held, CEO of Hoptek, on today’s biggest freight challenges, Eliminating excess packaging; Rising robotic use

    Our guest on this week's episode is Marc Held, CEO of Hoptek. While it appears that the freight recession that the industry has endured the past couple of years might be ending, yet other challenges remain in a very competitive market with still lots of uncertainty. How do shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers meet today’s biggest freight challenges? Senior Editor Victoria Kickham finds out with today’s guest.  If you’ve ever received a home delivery package of an e-commerce order and pulled out a tiny little object from a large pile of styrofoam packing peanuts, then some new rules coming online in different regions may be able to help reduce that waste. This week, new regulation in the European Union came online, called PPWR, for Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. Senior News Editor Ben Ames reports on these new regulations and another initiative in California designed to reduce excess materials used in packaging. Demand for robotics continues to rise, and that demand is broadening to reach a wider range of industries. This is according to information from the Association for Advancing Automation, or A3, which released second-quarter data on robot orders earlier this month. Victoria Kickham presents some highlights from the report. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: HoptekEuropean Union activates sustainable packaging rulesSecond quarter robot orders grew as automation demand broadensVisit DC VelocityVisit Supply Chain XchangeSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

  3. Aug 14

    Guest: Abdil Tunca of Gartner on new restrictions for importing robots; Recognizing elite truck drivers; Hedging supply chain uncertainty

    Our guest on this week's episode is Abdil Tunca, a Senior Principal Analyst in the Logistics and Customer Fulfillment team in Gartner's Supply Chain practice. The U.S. government through the FCC recently issued new restrictions on robots imported from other countries. This includes the kinds of robots widely used in warehouses and distribution centers. But what are the intentions behind these new restrictions? To find out, Senior News Editor Ben Ames welcomes this week’s guest to discuss why it was done and the impacts of this decision on supply chains and future robotic deployments.  Most of our nation’s truck drivers take great pride in their work – and sometimes they are even recognized for their driving skills. Senior Editor Victoria Kickham reports on an annual competition that determines the best of the best when it comes to operating our nation’s trucks. the uncertainty our supply chains have experienced this year is now being reflected in other ways of the business world as many companies have been buying insurance for supply chain impacts. That's according to GlobalData, a London-based research firm. They found that supply chain insurance will see twice the increased demand of insurance for other disruption categories such as cyber, business interruption, marine, and political risk. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: Gartner’s Supply Chain PracticeElite truck drivers compete for top honors in PittsburghGlobal instability drives demand for supply chain insuranceVisit DC VelocityVisit Supply Chain XchangeSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

  4. Aug 7

    Guest: Jo Marini of Mothership Materials on using agricultural waste for new products; The latest health of the logistics industry; Expanding manufacturing capacity of forklifts

    Our guest on this week's episode is Jo Marini, CEO of Mothership Materials. Many companies have struggled with how to produce products that are well-made and also friendly to our environment. That is where a company like Mothership Materials comes in. This company takes agricultural waste and turns it into fibers and materials for manufacturing new products. Susan Lacefield of Supply Chain Xchange and DC Velocity talks to Jo Marini, the founder and CEO of Mothership Materials, about her transformative company. Here is their conversation. Senior Editor Victoria Kickham reports that business activity in logistics slowed in July, driven by a variety of factors, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index report. The index fell to 68.9; that’s down from June’s reading of 71.1, which was the LMI’s fastest rate of expansion in about four years. The cooling we saw in July reflects an inventory pullback among retailers who had stocked up in May and June due to tariff uncertainty and the impending expiration of temporary tariffs at the end of the month. Essentially, companies built up inventory earlier in the cycle to prepare for the coming holiday peak season. Senior News Editor Ben Ames was on the road this week for the grand opening of Toyota Material Handling North America’s new forklift manufacturing facility. This new factory is in Columbus, Indiana and is almost 300,000 square feet in size. Following a ramp up through September, the new factory will produce 24 lift trucks per day. It will manufacture only electric powered forklifts, specifically a standup counterbalanced forklift.  Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: Mothership MaterialsLMI Report: The logistics industry growth slowed in JulyToyota opens new forklift plant in IndianaVisit DC VelocityVisit Supply Chain XchangeSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

  5. Jul 31

    Guest: Maxime Darmet of Allianz Trade on new tariffs; Taking to the skies; Finding the right fit

    Our guest on this week's episode is Maxime Darmet, senior economist at Allianz Trade. One week ago here in the U.S., we saw former trade tariffs expiring and a host of new tariffs being slapped on most of our trading partners. These new tariffs are attempting to tie these countries to not doing enough to prevent forced labor in the production of their products, though those allegations are extremely hard to prove. Our guest shares about these new tariffs, their impacts to our supply chains, and he compares them to previous tariffs. We also look at how business margins have been affected by the various tariffs of the past year and a half. We cover a lot of cool technology for logistics and one of the most space-age is the idea of delivering parcels with flying autonomous drones. This week, we saw two new advances in drone delivery. One for small items and one for large items. More warehouses are implementing automated packaging solutions these days—and as they do, they are demanding a higher level of collaboration with equipment vendors. The trend reflects a growing demand for automated packaging systems that easily integrate with existing warehouse automation systems—and that signals a shift in the way many vendors are approaching the market. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: Allianz TradeArmy drone delivers cargo in autonomous demoFederal regulators approve DoorDash plan for drone deliveryFinding the right fitVisit DC VelocityVisit Supply Chain XchangeSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

  6. Jul 24

    A national robotics strategy; Rising grocery prices; A data health check

    Our guest on this week's episode is Zach Tomkinson, chief commercial officer at Standard Bots. The U.S. government has been wrestling with a developing a national strategy for artificial intelligence – but another area that could use a similar strategy is in the area of robotics. Could such a strategy promote domestic robot manufacturing and help the U.S. win the automation race? To find out, Senior Editor Victoria Kickham welcomes today’s guest.  The U.S. war with Iran has now been running since February, which is nearly five months. And from a global supply chain point of view, one of the most durable impacts of the violence has been the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic, mostly affecting oil tankers. Of course, oil is crucial for logistics, whatever part of the world you live in. And we’re now beginning to see the impact of that change on Americans’ pocketbooks at home, specifically in the grocery aisle. Senior News Editor Ben Ames reports on the impacts that geopolitical tensions are having on what Americans place in their shopping carts. New research shows that 25% of businesses have suffered a cyber incident that originated in their supply chain over the past year. This is despite those organizations being highly aware of the risk facing them: nearly half (48%) said they have continued working with suppliers despite known resilience or security concerns. Senior Editor Victoria Kickham share these results that were compiled in a report out of the United Kingdom called Data Health Check 2026.  Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: Standard BotsU.S. grocery sales slow down as stretched consumers buy lessHigh grocery prices trigger changes in food shoppingSupply chain resilience remains a critical pain point, UK report showsVisit DC VelocityVisit Supply Chain XchangeSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

  7. Jul 17

    Curtis Spencer of Bloodhound Tracking Device on the rise of cargo thefts; The impacts high fuel prices have on trucking; Effective supply chain planning

    Our guest on this week's episode is Curtis Spencer, CEO of Bloodhound Tracking Device and also CEO of ISM Worldwide. We have been reporting for a couple of years now about the ongoing problem of cargo theft in our supply chains. But now we find that criminals are using artificial intelligence to make their fraudulent schemes even more believable than ever. Our guest talks with Group Editorial Director David Maloney about the problems of cargo theft and what shippers and carriers can do to secure their loads.  The big story for supply chains this week continues to be the ongoing disruptions caused by the war with Iran and the closure once again of the Strait of Hormuz.  It seems that after nearly five months of back-and-forth airstrikes, things are not getting any better, with fuel prices on the rise once more. Those higher costs makes it more expensive for shippers to buy truckload, less-than-truckload, and parcel freight services. Senior News Editor Ben Ames has the breakdown of how higher prices are impacting costs for shippers using each of those modes. This week new research from advisory firm Gartner points to the growing demand for flexible supply chain network planning. The company found that 72% of the 151 supply chain leaders they surveyed have had to revisit final approvals for network investment decisions at least once—a process that contributes to delays and can drive up costs and decrease service levels in their supply chain operations. More than half also said they revisited those decisions three or more times, leading to lower satisfaction in the final outcome. Senior Editor Victoria Kickham share how the report breaks down the differences between two types of operational challenges: turbulence and disruption. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: Bloodhound Tracking DeviceOil price shocks ripple through trucking shipping marketsResearch highlights the need for flexible supply chain network planningOcean freight early peak season pushes container rates higherVisit DC VelocityVisit Supply Chain XchangeSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

  8. Jul 10

    Guest: Victor Thomas of Odyssey Logistics on coming Scope 3 requirements; The trucking industry grapples with artificial intelligence; Peak season comes early in 2026

    Our guest on this week's episode is Victor Thomas, VP of Health, Safety, Security, and Environment at Odyssey Logistics. For some time now, companies have measured the environmental impacts of their operations. Soon, new requirements will kick in that will also require them to report not only on their own environmental impacts but also those of their supply chain partners. Senior News Editor Ben Ames has more as he talks with this week’s guest.  Senior Editor Victoria Kickham was on the road last week at the SMC3 Connections trucking event where she lead a couple of sessions and heard a lot about the hot tech that everyone is trying to figure out - artificial intelligence. She reports on how the industry is grappling with this new technology. We all know that Christmas and the winter holiday season come in late December for consumers. But if you’re a retailer getting ready for the rush, you need to have your shelves stocked long before that, and that means that the logistics peak season actually comes between August and October. But, that’s in normal times -  2026 is different. We’re seeing signs that we’ve already begun an early peak season for container imports. Ben Ames reports. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: Odyssey LogisticsArtificial intelligence takes center stage at trucking industry conferencePeak season arrives early in 2026, challenging global shippersOcean freight early peak season pushes container rates higherVisit DC VelocityVisit Supply Chain XchangeSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

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About

The editors of DC VELOCITY magazine bring you weekly updates on logistics, material handling, and supply chain news.

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  • Creator
    AGiLE Business Media & Events
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    316
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AGiLE Business Media and Events
  • Show Website
    Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

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