Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

Our guest on this week's episode is Joel Wayment, VP/GM at Cardinal Health Third Party Logistics and Packaging Solutions. We are definitely in the dog days of summer and in just about every part of the country we are really feeling the heat. While many people like to soak up the sun’s rays, high temperatures are not so welcome for the pharmaceuticals we rely on to stay healthy every day. A lot of drugs have to be kept at stric...

Our guest on this week's episode is James Shefelbine, principal at PraxiChain Consulting. Last week it was announced that Union Pacific Railroad has entered into an agreement to acquire Norfolk Southern. Aside from creating a true transcontinental railroad, it greatly would expand the reach of this historic rail company. But not everyone is onboard with the merger. Who is in favor and who is opposed? What’s the likelihood the ...

Our guest on this week's episode is Lisa Anderson, founder and president of LMA Consulting Group. The One Big Beautiful Bill is now the law of the land. Among the provisions in this expansive legislation are incentives to encourage business investment. But, how will the bill affect our supply chains and will it provide support to grow domestic manufacturing? Our guest offers some insights.

Two of the nation’s major railroads ar...

Our guest on this week's episode is Manish Kapoor, founder and CEO of Growth Catalyst Group. Since we have passed the mid-summer mark of 2025, retailers are now focused on the next dates on the retail calendar – and that’s back to school season. This is traditionally the second busiest season of the retail year. But like everything in supply chains in 2025, this year has not been normal. Our guest helps us find out how retail ...

Our guest on this week's episode is Zac Rogers, associate professor of Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University and the lead author of the monthly Logistics Managers' Index report. This past week a number of economic numbers came out. On Tuesday, The Consumer Price Index showed some rise in inflation, a few major banks also reported solid earnings, and we saw some evidence of strong consumer spending during Pr...

Our guest on this week's episode is Jimmy Roussel, CEO of IDScan.net. Among the problems that supply chains have had to deal with lately is an increasing rise of identity fraud at warehouses and fulfillment centers nationwide. Counterfeit identification is often used by those committing the fraud to get inside the warehouse gate.  Thefts of entire trucks often follow. Our guest discusses the scope of the problem, how it happen...

Our guest on this week's episode is Mark Baxa, president & CEO of The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, also known as CSCMP. Earlier this week the supply chain industry lost an icon. Fred Smith was the founder of FedEx – a company that has literally revolutionized the delivery business. Our guest discusses how Fred Smith’s vision and business savvy has left lasting impacts on the supply chain industry.  

Aut...

Our guest on this week's episode is Jorge Gonzalez Henrichsen, co-CEO of The Nearshore Company. It’s now been five years since the USMCA trade agreement was negotiated between the Mexico, Canada, and the United States, replacing NAFTA. In this current time of trade friction, including new tariffs on both Mexico and Canada, what’s still working with USMCA and what’s next for the trade alliance? Our guest offers some insights.

Th...

Our guest on this week's episode is Brett Wood, Chair this year of the Industrial Truck Association (better known as the ITA). In his daytime job, Brett is the President and CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America. This past Tuesday, the material handling industry recognized the 12th annual National Forklift Safety Day. Sponsored by ITA, the highlight of the day was a series of presentations on safety held at the Nationa...

Our guest on this week's episode is Michael Needham, principal procurement & supply chain at Efficio Consulting. Among the flurry of executive orders issued recently by the White House is one aimed at restoring pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities here in the U.S. Currently most drugs and ingredients are manufactured in China and India. How will such a move affect supply chains? Our guest offers his views on what can ...

Our guest on this week's episode is Ian Williams, Technical Services Manager at Orkin. He helps us to understand a subject that few people want to talk about –  the pests that often overrun facilities. We are talking mice, rats, bugs, and other critters that get in and destroy products, contaminate areas, and just cause a general nuisance. Williams has some great ideas on how to keep them out of our buildings – and if they get...

Our guest on this week's episode is John Lash, group vice president of strategy at e2open. We now have a pause in tariffs with China – or at least a sizable reduction in the amount of those tariffs compared to what was in place two weeks ago in the ongoing tariff wars. How are supply chains reacting and where do we go from here? Will we see another surge in imports during the 90 day pause and how do companies prepare for back-...

Our guest on this week's episode is Hamilton Galloway, head of U.S. consultancy at Oxford Economics. Many of our listeners use forklifts in their supply chain operations every day. They really are the workhorses for moving products within facilities. But you might be surprised at the impact that the forklift industry makes on the overall U.S. economy. Recently the Industrial Truck Association, the industry organization that re...

Our guest on this week's episode is Keith Peterson, director of operations at The National Motor Freight Traffic Association. For many years, less-than-truckload motor freight has been classified by a complex and rather outdated system. That is about to change – starting in July the industry will begin listing freight commodities in a system that is more condensed and modernized. But, what will this new freight classification ...

Our guest on this week's episode is Ram Ben Tzion, the founder and CEO of Publican. Today marks the end of the De Minimus tax exemption for many imported goods. If you are not familiar with that exemption, it was designed to reduce the import paper work and tax duty collecting for low-value goods. But as a result, there were claims of abuse, unfair competition, and that the exemption allowed drug traffickers to easily import i...

Our guest on this week's episode is Matthew Haber, the CEO and co-founder of Cofactr. Recent surveys show that both consumers and business leaders don’t think tariffs are a good thing. In both cases they feel this economic policy is leading us to higher prices and a recession. Manufacturers in particular are trying to figure out what to do next. And our guest today looks at the impacts of the changing U.S. trade policies on ma...

Our guest on this week's episode is Ken Ramoutar, Chief Marketing Officer at Lucas Systems.  As supply chains adjust to changing conditions, they will continue to need tools to increase flexibility, speed, and productivity. That’s where technology can come to the rescue. Our guest offers insights into how new technologies can help operators address the many challenges they face today.

Most economists are predicting that an unce...

Our guest on this week's episode is Will Eadie, chief strategy officer at WorkJam. As the United States works to ramp up its manufacturing base, one area remains a problem – and that is finding good workers to provide the needed manufacturing labor. What are the challenges in hiring for manufacturing and how do companies retain good workers? Our guest offers his insight and potential strategies.

Warehouses can often be dangerou...

Our guest on this week's episode is Dr. Robert Sroufe, professor of sustainability at the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. Supply chains are among the largest users of our world’s energy. Yet our industry is one of the most advanced in advocating for sustainability. But as political winds shift dramatically in Washington, many environmental policies may be on the chopping blo...