Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

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316

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Aug 2026

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EN-US

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

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August 28, 2026Episode 3322 min

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 consumers Extreme weather cramps logistics flows in Europe and China Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

August 21, 2026Episode 3222 min

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: Hoptek European Union activates sustainable packaging rules Second quarter robot orders grew as automation demand broadens Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

August 14, 2026Episode 3120 min

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 Practice Elite truck drivers compete for top honors in Pittsburgh Global instability drives demand for supply chain insurance Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

August 7, 2026Episode 3022 min

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 Materials LMI Report: The logistics industry growth slowed in July Toyota opens new forklift plant in Indiana Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

July 31, 2026Episode 2925 min

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 Trade Army drone delivers cargo in autonomous demo Federal regulators approve DoorDash plan for drone delivery Finding the right fit Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

July 24, 2026Episode 2820 min

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 Bots U.S. grocery sales slow down as stretched consumers buy less High grocery prices trigger changes in food shopping Supply chain resilience remains a critical pain point, UK report shows Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

July 17, 2026Episode 2719 min

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 Device Oil price shocks ripple through trucking shipping markets Research highlights the need for flexible supply chain network planning Ocean freight early peak season pushes container rates higher Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

July 10, 2026Episode 2618 min

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 Logistics Artificial intelligence takes center stage at trucking industry conference Peak season arrives early in 2026, challenging global shippers Ocean freight early peak season pushes container rates higher Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com

June 26, 2026Episode 2522 min

Guest: Kathy Fulton of ALAN on disaster response; The market heats up for humanoid robots; Containers lost at sea

Our guest on this week's episode is Kathy Fulton, executive director at the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN). It is officially the beginning of hurricane season – a period where these storms, as well as tornados and other natural disasters, such as this week’s earthquakes in Venezuela, leave behind considerable damage to towns in their wakes. It is during these times that the logistics industry snaps into action to help those in affected areas, as today’s guest discusses with our DC Velocity senior editor, Victoria Kickham. Those of us who grew up in the Jetsons and Star Wars eras have been imagining for a long time the advantages that humanoid robots could bring to everyday tasks. Senior News Editor Ben Ames has been tracking just how rapidly humanoid robotic technologies are now advancing. Hundreds of millions of containers ship worldwide every year and almost all of them make it safely to their destinations. However, there are some containers that do not - as Victoria Kickham reported this week. The number of shipping containers lost at sea more than doubled in 2025, driven by some major maritime accidents as well as severe weather. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: American Logistics Aid Newwork (ALAN) Humanoid robots could drive hot demand for co-bot arms Agility Robotics will go public to boost rollout of humanoid robots Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

June 19, 2026Episode 2419 min

Guest: Eric Fullerton of project44 on plastic shortages due to oil restrictions; The logistics behind the World Cup; Getting the most from robots and their humans

Our guest on this week's episode is Eric Fullerton, Vice President of Data Insights and Product Marketing at project44. There is now an agreement in place to end the fighting between the United States and Iran – and we hope it will be a lasting peace. But it will be a while before the world gets back to normal and we can recover from the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. And that includes not just the flow of oil, but also products made from petroleum, such as plastics. We may find some products delayed or scarce due to waiting on plastic parts. Our guest joins DC Velocity’s Senior News Editor Ben Ames to explain the situation and to predict how long it will be before these supply chains normalize. For the next month or so the entire world is focusing on North America and the biggest sporting event on the globe – soccer’s World Cup. Putting on such a huge event takes a lot of planning – and lots and lots of logistics support. Senior Editor Victoria Kickham reports on the people who do the logistics work to make sure that the World Cup comes off without a hitch. We’ve seen a huge explosion of new robotics tools in our supply chain facilities, whether we’re talking about handheld and wearable computers or material handling automation or mobile robots. This week Ben Ames shares a report he saw on how workers can get the most out of those new tools. This was a study from researchers at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. And they found that the best way to combine humans and robots for ideal results in warehouse work is for employees to circulate between working with various co-bot partners, not with a single dedicated robot. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode: project44 Logistics workers score big in World Cup prep Research shows that warehouse workers do best when they switch between co-bots Visit DC Velocity Visit Supply Chain Xchange Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.com This podcast episode is sponsored by: ID Label