Our guest on this week's episode is Ronak Amin - global product marketing lead for fleet, mobility, and transport solutions at Here Technologies. Bridges and trucks are two elements that do not mix well. Many would be surprised to learn that an over-the-road truck strikes a bridge or an underpass every 36 minutes. Of course these accidents risk lives besides disrupting traffic flow. What can be done to prevent bridge strikes? Our guest offers some insights.

One major container ship line recently decided to resume sailings in the Red Sea but has now backed out of those plans and will instead continue sailing around Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal. In recent years the canal has been nearly empty of commercial traffic, due to violence and missiles from forces in Yemen, who were targeting Israeli and other western hemisphere ships due to the bloodshed in Israel’s war with Hamas. What does this change mean for shippers looking for some certainty in an ever-changing environment?

We’ve talked a lot about advances in humanoid robots recently, and there was more news this week. New Gartner research released on Tuesday found that the hype around humanoids is outpacing the technology’s readiness for large-scale deployment in logistics—and that means that we will probably see a lot of pilot projects over the next few years, but it’s going to be a while before these human-looking robots become commonplace on the warehouse floor.

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:

• HERE Technologies
• CMA-CGM flip flop on Suez Canal transits could spook global shippers
• Report: Humanoid robots to stall at pilot scale
• 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

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• Subscribe to DC VELOCITY
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• Advertise with DC VELOCITY

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