As e-commerce for oversized items grows, furniture brands face severe margin erosion from transit damage and poor doorstep experiences. In this post, I outline the key infrastructure, technology, and handling capabilities shippers must evaluate to build a resilient final-mile network. By shifting from standard parcel networks to dedicated big-and-bulky models, brands can protect both their profits and their customer reputation.

Protecting Margins and Reputation: The Strategic Value of the Final Mile in Furniture Retail

For furniture brands, shipping big, bulky, and high-value items is fundamentally different from shipping standard parcels. A single scratched dining table, a cracked bed frame or a frustratingly vague delivery window can instantly wipe out profit margins and cost a retail brand a lifetime customer. Because the final mile is the only physical touchpoint a customer has with a brand, the delivery network is no longer just a logistical necessity; it is as a direct extension of customer service and brand reputation.

To safeguard the bottom line, furniture logistics must be treated as a highly specialized discipline rather than a generic transportation requirement. Transitioning from a standard shipping model to a resilient, high-performing final-mile network requires logistics leaders to focus on four critical pillars: specialized network design, the doorstep experience, technological visibility, and reverse logistics.

Read More

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Would You Put Your Freight on a Driverless Truck?

Driverless trucks have been “coming soon” for more than a decade. But recent developments suggest the industry may finally be approaching a new phase. This month, for example, PepsiCo disclosed that it is operating 35 driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona as part of its live supply chain operations.

Back in August 2022, we asked Indago members about testing driverless trucks. At the time, most respondents were not testing the technology. It’s now four years later. Has shipper sentiment changed? Are companies more willing to test or use driverless truck capacity, and what barriers remain to broader adoption?

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• USPS Shipping Rule Changes Create New Cost and Compliance Challenges for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Descartes XPS Ship Adds FedEx Extra Small Box Support for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Grow Here, Stay Here, Thrive Here: Driver Career Opportunities at Werner

  Source: Werner

• Know a Great Driver? Here’s How to Earn More Than $5,000 with Werner’s Referral Program

  Source: Werner

• How outsourced carrier contracts mitigate operational risk: Why a strong logistics partner matters

  Source: Uber Freight

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

We’ve had a week of bad air quality days here in Boston (and elsewhere) due to Canadian wildfires.

I went for a bike ride anyway.

As I left my driveway, I cycled past my neighbors who were walking their dog. They were both wearing duck-billed N95 masks.

The sky was rust orange, the air had a burnt wood smell.

I waved to my neighbors and turned the corner.

Crazy.

—

Here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Would You Put Your Freight on a Driverless Truck?

Driverless trucks have been “coming soon” for more than a decade. But recent developments suggest the industry may finally be approaching a new phase. This month, for example, PepsiCo disclosed that it is operating 35 driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona as part of its live supply chain operations.

Back in August 2022, we asked Indago members about testing driverless trucks. At the time, most respondents were not testing the technology. It’s now four years later. Has shipper sentiment changed? Are companies more willing to test or use driverless truck capacity, and what barriers remain to broader adoption?

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Know a Great Driver? Here’s How to Earn More Than $5,000 with Werner’s Referral Program

  Source: Werner

• How outsourced carrier contracts mitigate operational risk: Why a strong logistics partner matters

  Source: Uber Freight

• Everything You Want to Know About Power Only Loads (Updated: July 2026)

  Source: Werner

• Descartes Acquires Drivin

  Source: Descartes

• Frosty Acres Summer Conference

  Source: Descartes

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Remember the ERP vs. Best-of-Breed debates from years ago?

If not, here’s the short version:

ERP vendors, such as SAP and Oracle, argued that a single integrated platform spanning finance, human resources, customer relationship management, order management, logistics, inventory management, and supply chain planning was the best approach. Why buy separate WMS, TMS, OMS, CRM, and planning systems — and deal with the cost and complexity of integrating and maintaining them all — when one platform could do it all?

Best-of-Breed vendors argued that beyond finance and HR, the capabilities offered by ERP vendors were too limited and not sophisticated enough to meet the complex needs of manufacturers and retailers. Deep specialization and domain expertise were what customers wanted and needed, they argued.

This often resulted in a battle between logistics teams and the CIO. As I wrote back in November 2013 in “The Rising Power And Influence Of Enterprise Software Users”:

I can’t tell you how many times, over the course of my career, I’ve come across the following situation: The logistics team spends several months evaluating software vendors, including the incumbent ERP vendor, and they ultimately select a best-of-breed solution, but when they present their decision to the CIO (who was disconnected from the process), he responds by asking why the ERP vendor wasn’t selected. This then triggers another round of evaluations, this time with corporate IT involved. Or the CIO simply overrules the logistics team and selects the ERP vendor in the name of “IT simplification and standardization.”

The ERP vs. Best-of-Breed debate ultimately became less relevant, as time and acquisitions (and the move away from proprietary architectures) blurred the distinction between the two camps. Generally speaking, there is much more feature-function parity between applications today, so companies are placing more emphasis on other important factors when evaluating solutions and vendors: time-to-benefit; how often new functionality is released (innovation cycle); how quick and easy those innovations are to deploy; and ease of use (see “Will Software Vendors Start Competing on Design?”).

Fast forward to today, and a similar debate is emerging around AI: Do you use one AI agent that does it all, or deploy many specialized AI agents?

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Would You Put Your Freight on a Driverless Truck?

Driverless trucks have been “coming soon” for more than a decade. But recent developments suggest the industry may finally be approaching a new phase. This month, for example, PepsiCo disclosed that it is operating 35 driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona as part of its live supply chain operations.

Back in August 2022, we asked Indago members about testing driverless trucks. At the time, most respondents were not testing the technology. It’s now four years later. Has shipper sentiment changed? Are companies more willing to test or use driverless truck capacity, and what barriers remain to broader adoption?

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Know a Great Driver? Here’s How to Earn More Than $5,000 with Werner’s Referral Program

  Source: Werner

• How outsourced carrier contracts mitigate operational risk: Why a strong logistics partner matters

  Source: Uber Freight

• Everything You Want to Know About Power Only Loads (Updated: July 2026)

  Source: Werner

• Descartes Acquires Drivin

  Source: Descartes

• Frosty Acres Summer Conference

  Source: Descartes

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

My beloved aunt Gloria died last Saturday, on the Fourth of July. She was 81. Another victim of cancer.

Last August, not long after she started chemotherapy, I took the train to Brooklyn to visit her and my uncle. It had been years since we had seen each other. I brought her a bowl of fruit candies in a heart-shaped bowl—“something sweet to enjoy,” I told her.

During my afternoon visit, despite my protests, she took some tamales from the freezer and cooked them for me, along with rice. Ever since I was a kid, feeding me had always brought her joy, so I ate the tamales, the rice, and the dessert she served. (I was so full, I canceled my dinner reservations afterward.)

There we sat in the dining room, the same one from my childhood. We laughed out loud, recalling stories from when my cousins and I were kids in the neighborhood, when our fathers worked at the bodega, when the future was unimaginable.

We briefly acknowledged the elephant in the room, then pushed it aside.

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Would You Put Your Freight on a Driverless Truck?

Driverless trucks have been “coming soon” for more than a decade. But recent developments suggest the industry may finally be approaching a new phase. This month, for example, PepsiCo disclosed that it is operating 35 driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona as part of its live supply chain operations.

Back in August 2022, we asked Indago members about testing driverless trucks. At the time, most respondents were not testing the technology. It’s now four years later. Has shipper sentiment changed? Are companies more willing to test or use driverless truck capacity, and what barriers remain to broader adoption?

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• How outsourced carrier contracts mitigate operational risk: Why a strong logistics partner matters

  Source: Uber Freight

• Everything You Want to Know About Power Only Loads (Updated: July 2026)

  Source: Werner

• Descartes Acquires Drivin

  Source: Descartes

• Frosty Acres Summer Conference

  Source: Descartes

• The 2026 Mid-Year Nearshoring Check-Up: What Shippers Need to Know Now

  Source: Werner

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Want to cycle 102 miles through Death Valley?

I have to admit, the invitation to spend hours cycling through one of the hottest places on Earth isn’t very enticing.

But 10 years ago, a handful of people answered my call, and the Logistics Leaders for T1D Cure cycling team was born.

The idea came to me in the middle of the night.

It was a cold December night in 2015. I had woken up to test my daughter Hannah’s blood sugar. (She had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 11, four years earlier.) I had a hard time pricking her finger to draw a drop of blood, and when I looked closely, I realized why: her fingertips were scarred from the thousands of finger pricks she’d endured to test her blood sugar — more than 12,000 by my conservative estimate.

I went back to bed and decided then and there that I needed to do something more to help find a cure for this disease.

That’s when a big, audacious idea came to me:

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Would You Put Your Freight on a Driverless Truck?

Driverless trucks have been “coming soon” for more than a decade. But recent developments suggest the industry may finally be approaching a new phase. This month, for example, PepsiCo disclosed that it is operating 35 driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona as part of its live supply chain operations.

Back in August 2022, we asked Indago members about testing driverless trucks. At the time, most respondents were not testing the technology. It’s now four years later. Has shipper sentiment changed? Are companies more willing to test or use driverless truck capacity, and what barriers remain to broader adoption?

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Navigating the Post-IEEPA Regulatory Landscape

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes Acquires Drivin

  Source: Descartes

• Frosty Acres Summer Conference

  Source: Descartes

• The 2026 Mid-Year Nearshoring Check-Up: What Shippers Need to Know Now

  Source: Werner

• Risk Mitigation at the Source: The New Standard for Carrier Vetting and Qualification

  Source: Werner

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from the recently published research report “From Managing Shipments to Orchestrating Networks: What Will Separate Transportation Leaders from the Rest?” Conducted by Adelante SCM and commissioned by Alpega, the research examines the capabilities, technologies, and practices that will distinguish transportation leaders over the next three to five years, based on surveys of shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers. To access the complete findings, download the full report.

Transportation management is becoming more complex and dynamic. Market volatility, rising customer expectations, labor challenges, geopolitical uncertainty, and rapid advances in technology are reshaping how freight is planned, executed, and managed.

Against this backdrop, what will separate transportation leaders from the rest over the next three to five years?

To explore this question, Adelante SCM and Alpega surveyed 56 supply chain and logistics executives from manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies, as well as 239 carriers and logistics service providers (LSPs) from across Europe. While the two surveys differ in size and respondent composition, together they provide valuable perspectives from both sides of the transportation ecosystem.

The results reveal strong alignment on where the industry is headed. Both groups envision a future defined by greater connectivity, visibility, automation, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. More importantly, respondents repeatedly described a shift from managing transportation activities to orchestrating transportation networks, a theme that emerged consistently across both the quantitative and qualitative findings.

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Would You Put Your Freight on a Driverless Truck?

Driverless trucks have been “coming soon” for more than a decade. But recent developments suggest the industry may finally be approaching a new phase. This month, for example, PepsiCo disclosed that it is operating 35 driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona as part of its live supply chain operations.

Back in August 2022, we asked Indago members about testing driverless trucks. At the time, most respondents were not testing the technology. It’s now four years later. Has shipper sentiment changed? Are companies more willing to test or use driverless truck capacity, and what barriers remain to broader adoption?

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Navigating the Post-IEEPA Regulatory Landscape

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes Acquires Drivin

  Source: Descartes

• Frosty Acres Summer Conference

  Source: Descartes

• The 2026 Mid-Year Nearshoring Check-Up: What Shippers Need to Know Now

  Source: Werner

• Risk Mitigation at the Source: The New Standard for Carrier Vetting and Qualification

  Source: Werner

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

We’re officially halfway through 2026 — or halfway out of it, depending on your perspective. Either way, it’s been an eventful six months in the world of supply chain and logistics.

Looking back at the first half of the year, here are the five developments that stand out the most to me:

• The Strait of Hormuz crisis puts supply chains on high alert. Geopolitical tensions remind companies that global supply chains remain vulnerable to sudden disruptions.

• The Supreme Court tariff ruling reshapes sourcing and trade strategies. Legal and policy uncertainty force companies to reassess sourcing decisions, inventory strategies, and cross-border trade flows.

• Freight fraud drives renewed focus on carrier vetting and trust. Rising cargo theft, identity fraud, and legal developments reinforce the importance of rigorous carrier selection and secure transportation processes.

• Agentic AI emerges as the industry’s biggest technology story. While many AI initiatives remain in the pilot stage, the conversation shifts decisively toward AI agents that can automate work and support decision-making.

• The trucking market shows signs of recovery. After a prolonged freight recession, tightening capacity and improving demand suggest the market is beginning to turn a corner.

I’m sure I’ve missed something. What else would you add to the list? Post a comment and let me know.

One issue that’s already on my radar for the second half of 2026 is the future of USMCA.

As I wrote back in April…

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Would You Put Your Freight on a Driverless Truck?

Driverless trucks have been “coming soon” for more than a decade. But recent developments suggest the industry may finally be approaching a new phase. This month, for example, PepsiCo disclosed that it is operating 35 driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona as part of its live supply chain operations.

Back in August 2022, we asked Indago members about testing driverless trucks. At the time, most respondents were not testing the technology. It’s now four years later. Has shipper sentiment changed? Are companies more willing to test or use driverless truck capacity, and what barriers remain to broader adoption?

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Navigating the Post-IEEPA Regulatory Landscape

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• The 2026 Mid-Year Nearshoring Check-Up: What Shippers Need to Know Now

  Source: Werner

• NPTC National Safety Conference

  Source: Descartes

• Risk Mitigation at the Source: The New Standard for Carrier Vetting and Qualification

  Source: Werner

• SuiteWorld 2026

  Source: Descartes

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

I have a friend who blocks off two hours every Tuesday and Thursday for therapy.

“Therapy” is literally what appears on his work calendar from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., week after week.

His colleagues know not to schedule meetings or calls during that time.

He’s been in therapy for years, but nobody has ever asked him about it.

“I guess they assume I’m dealing with some serious mental health issues, but I’m just playing basketball during that time,” he said to me recently.

It’s what keeps him sane and healthy.

And really, that’s the point.

Taking a break from work to play pickup basketball with friends is therapy. Just like cycling is for me, which reminds me: I have a therapy appointment at 11 a.m. today.

---

Before I get on my bike, here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:

Read More

Charter Sponsors

What Should Supply Chain Leaders Stop Doing?

Supply chain leaders spend a lot of time discussing what they should start doing to improve performance. New technologies, new strategies, new processes, new initiatives. But sometimes the bigger opportunity comes from identifying what they should stop doing.

This survey explored the practices that create the biggest obstacles to supply chain success, the activities that consume the most unnecessary time and effort, and the areas where organizations should focus their improvement efforts over the next few years.

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Risk Mitigation at the Source: The New Standard for Carrier Vetting and Qualification

  Source: Werner

• The Road Leads Here: Why Experienced Drivers Choose Werner

  Source: Werner

• New AuditLog Capability from Descartes Helps Organizations Create Auditable, Transparent Carrier Selection Processes Amidst Rising Regulatory Scrutiny

  Source: Descartes

• Presidential EO signals intent to tighten import compliance enforcement

  Source: Descartes

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from the recently published research report, “The New Strategic Logistics Service Provider: What Winning Freight Forwarding and Customs Brokerage Leaders Are Doing Differently.” Conducted by Adelante SCM and commissioned by Magaya, the research examines how freight forwarders and customs brokers are responding to rising uncertainty, evolving customer expectations, and the growing role of technology and AI in daily operations. To access the complete findings, download the full report.

Are freight forwarders and customs brokers moving fast enough — and in the right direction?

That is the central question explored in the research, which combines survey responses from 125 freight forwarders and customs brokers with executive interviews conducted at the Magaya Momentum conference.

Together, the findings point to an industry at an inflection point where technology, customer expectations, workforce transformation, and strategic agility are converging to redefine what leadership will look like over the next three to five years.

Read More

Charter Sponsors

What Should Supply Chain Leaders Stop Doing?

Supply chain leaders spend a lot of time discussing what they should start doing to improve performance. New technologies, new strategies, new processes, new initiatives. But sometimes the bigger opportunity comes from identifying what they should stop doing.

This survey explored the practices that create the biggest obstacles to supply chain success, the activities that consume the most unnecessary time and effort, and the areas where organizations should focus their improvement efforts over the next few years.

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• A Message from Jordan Strawn: Q2 Network Updates & Looking Ahead

  Source: Werner

• New AuditLog Capability from Descartes Helps Organizations Create Auditable, Transparent Carrier Selection Processes Amidst Rising Regulatory Scrutiny

  Source: Descartes

• Werner PowerLink℠ Helps Carriers Grow with Refrigerated Capabilities, Consistent Freight and Reduced Costs

  Source: Werner

• Presidential EO signals intent to tighten import compliance enforcement

  Source: Descartes

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

The logistics industry has a growing AI paradox. Investment is rising, use cases are multiplying, and belief in AI’s potential is near-universal. Yet for shippers, the promise has been slow to materialize. According to a January 2026 BCG and Alpega survey of more than 180 logistics executives, only one in ten logistics service providers have embedded AI into core operations at scale. The efficiency gains, better visibility, and cost improvements that AI should be delivering are, for most companies, still on the horizon.

The industry is busy experimenting, but not yet delivering. So, what is holding logistics AI back, and what should shippers be thinking about as a result?

Read More

Charter Sponsors

What Should Supply Chain Leaders Stop Doing?

Supply chain leaders spend a lot of time discussing what they should start doing to improve performance. New technologies, new strategies, new processes, new initiatives. But sometimes the bigger opportunity comes from identifying what they should stop doing.

This survey explored the practices that create the biggest obstacles to supply chain success, the activities that consume the most unnecessary time and effort, and the areas where organizations should focus their improvement efforts over the next few years.

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• A Message from Jordan Strawn: Q2 Network Updates & Looking Ahead

  Source: Werner

• New AuditLog Capability from Descartes Helps Organizations Create Auditable, Transparent Carrier Selection Processes Amidst Rising Regulatory Scrutiny

  Source: Descartes

• Werner PowerLink℠ Helps Carriers Grow with Refrigerated Capabilities, Consistent Freight and Reduced Costs

  Source: Werner

• Presidential EO signals intent to tighten import compliance enforcement

  Source: Descartes

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

It’s Friday. It’s Juneteenth. And the U.S. plays Australia in the World Cup this afternoon.

A trifecta that means few people will be working today, and if they are, they’ll have other things on their minds besides what’s happening in the world of supply chain and logistics.

I’d be wondering, for example, whether Boston will run out of beer again this weekend.

As reported by ESPN, “the parent company of Sam Adams said its Boston Taproom ran out of the brand’s flagship Boston Lager over the weekend because Scotland soccer fans in Boston for the 2026 World Cup drank four times as much as the bar usually sells….[The company] had to schedule an emergency delivery of beer Saturday morning and are adding extra deliveries this week to make sure it has enough.”

If Boston runs dry again today, I’ll have to raise an empty glass to my sister when I wish her a Happy Birthday.

Yet another reason to call it a day.

—

Moving on, here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:

Read More

Charter Sponsors

What Should Supply Chain Leaders Stop Doing?

Supply chain leaders spend a lot of time discussing what they should start doing to improve performance. New technologies, new strategies, new processes, new initiatives. But sometimes the bigger opportunity comes from identifying what they should stop doing.

This survey explored the practices that create the biggest obstacles to supply chain success, the activities that consume the most unnecessary time and effort, and the areas where organizations should focus their improvement efforts over the next few years.

Download the Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Werner PowerLink℠ Helps Carriers Grow with Refrigerated Capabilities, Consistent Freight and Reduced Costs

  Source: Werner

• Presidential EO signals intent to tighten import compliance enforcement

  Source: Descartes

• SAP GTS CONTENT Trade compliance mit Descartes automatisieren

  Source: Descartes

• Why Use Werner Dedicated in 2026?

  Source: Werner

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

What are Supply Chain Operating Networks? Why are they more important than ever today? What factors matter most when evaluating and selecting a network platform?

Those are among the key questions addressed in the recently published The 2026 State of Supply Chain Operating Networks research report.

For more than two decades, I have researched, written, and spoken extensively about the role of network-based platforms in supply chain management and logistics. Many of my past research reports, blog posts, and market perspectives on Supply Chain Operating Networks — available at BetterWithANetwork.com — informed the development of this report.

In addition, we conducted an extensive survey with leading Supply Chain Operating Network providers in January 2026 to gather quantitative and qualitative insights on market positioning, network characteristics, platform capabilities, interoperability, onboarding models, AI and analytics capabilities, and perspectives on the current and future state of the market.

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Amazon Prime Day and Walmart Deals Set Up a High-Stakes Week for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Why Use Werner Dedicated in 2026?

  Source: Werner

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

I am taking the afternoon off to tighten screws.

Literally.

There are loose screws everywhere in this house.

All the screws on our door knobs, loose
from all the opening and closing.

All the screws beneath our dining room chairs, loose
from all shifting in our seats.

The screws behind our kitchen cabinet knobs? The screws
inside the plastic feet of our rice cooker? They’re loose too.

Even the tiny ones on my reading glasses need to be tightened.

I know what you’re thinking: Adrian has a screw loose.

But that one was stripped long ago, and I can’t reach it.

Some loose screws, I’m afraid, you just have to live with.

—

Moving on, here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

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Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• New Castle Building Products Lowers Fuel Costs by Cutting 25,000 Fleet Miles Annually with Descartes Solution

  Source: Descartes

• Why Use Werner Dedicated in 2026?

  Source: Werner

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• Descartes Announces Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Financial Results

  Source: Descartes

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Last June in The Wall Street Journal, Esther Fung reported how “new advances in robotics are [enabling the automation of truck loading and unloading]. Improved sensors and algorithms, advancements in AI and faster image-processing technology are making these robots proficient players in tasks that are like a game of 3-D Tetris.”

The article prompted us to survey members of our Indago supply chain research community — supply chain and logistics executives from manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies — about the use of robots for loading and unloading trailers and containers.

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Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• New Castle Building Products Lowers Fuel Costs by Cutting 25,000 Fleet Miles Annually with Descartes Solution

  Source: Descartes

• Why Use Werner Dedicated in 2026?

  Source: Werner

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• Descartes Announces Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Financial Results

  Source: Descartes

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

I brought my car to the shop on Tuesday for its annual state inspection.

It failed.

Something is wrong with the left front balljoint -- a safety issue -- so I need to get it fixed ASAP.

I’m not happy about it, and neither is my dwindling bank account, but it could’ve been worse.

It could have been me
going to the doc on Tuesday for my annual inspection and failing

-- something wrong with my left hip joint (or worse) that I need to get fixed ASAP.

Aging cars, aging bodies

You never know what’s gonna go.

---

Here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Q2 freight market update: Market pressures converge and create urgency

  Source: Uber Freight

• Produce season is here. Are you ready?

  Source: Uber Freight

• Descartes Announces Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Financial Results

  Source: Descartes

• Walmart Attracts More Premium Brands as Ecommerce Sellers Expand Multichannel Strategies

  Source: Descartes

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• Beyond the Dashboard: Why Certification is the New Currency in Pharma Logistics

  Source: Werner

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

In response to the Covid pandemic and other disruptions, many companies shifted from Just-in-Time to Just-in-Case inventory strategies. But as demand normalized, many warehouses were left with growing amounts of “Zombie Inventory” — slow-moving, obsolete, or no-longer-needed items that tie up valuable warehouse space, working capital, and management attention.

Just how big is the zombie inventory problem?

To find out, we surveyed our Indago members — supply chain and logistics executives from manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies — in December 2025.

Most respondents indicated that zombie inventory was…

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Walmart Attracts More Premium Brands as Ecommerce Sellers Expand Multichannel Strategies

  Source: Descartes

• Supply chain’s new normal isn’t stability; it’s change

  Source: Descartes

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• Uber Freight honors 2025 Carrier Award winners

  Source: Uber Freight

• Beyond the Dashboard: Why Certification is the New Currency in Pharma Logistics

  Source: Werner

• Finding hidden value: What a multi-shipper network analysis reveals

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

For the first time in a long time, all four of my kids (who are all adults now) have been home this week.

It’s been nice, especially since my wife and I will become “empty nesters” this fall when our youngest daughter heads off to college.

The only problem is that we seem to run out of food every 27 and a half hours. Milk, eggs, yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, grapes barely last a day in the fridge. I grilled 5 packages of chicken thighs the other night and there were no leftovers. Even the veggies are going fast.

In fairness to our VP of Logistics and Replenishment — that is, my wife — the kids didn’t eat this much, and so fast, when they were younger and smaller. Or maybe they did and we’re just out of practice.

All I know is that as the VP of Finance, I’ll need to adjust our food budget (and water and laundry budget too) the next time we have all the grown birdies in the nest again.

Moving on, here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• Amazon’s Logistics Expansion Creates New Fulfillment Options for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Ecommerce Sellers Using Stocky Have Just Over Three Months to Replace Inventory Planning Tools

  Source: Descartes

• Uber Freight honors 2025 Carrier Award winners

  Source: Uber Freight

• Beyond the Dashboard: Why Certification is the New Currency in Pharma Logistics

  Source: Werner

• Finding hidden value: What a multi-shipper network analysis reveals

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

As I’ve written many times for Talking Logistics, final mile is not simply the last step in the delivery process — it’s also the final moment of truth, where the customer experience is either won or lost for many companies. But delivering on that promise is becoming increasingly difficult. Expectations for speed, visibility, flexibility, and reliability continue to rise, while operational complexity and customer expectations keep growing.

So, what separates final mile leaders from the rest? That is the main question I discussed with Nate Browne, SVP of Final Mile, and Meg Meuer, VP of Final Mile Sales at Werner, during a recent episode of Talking Logistics.

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• Amazon’s Logistics Expansion Creates New Fulfillment Options for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Ecommerce Sellers Using Stocky Have Just Over Three Months to Replace Inventory Planning Tools

  Source: Descartes

• Uber Freight honors 2025 Carrier Award winners

  Source: Uber Freight

• Beyond the Dashboard: Why Certification is the New Currency in Pharma Logistics

  Source: Werner

• Finding hidden value: What a multi-shipper network analysis reveals

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

On February 20, 2026 the Supreme Court invalidated the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. This introduced a new layer of uncertainty for global trade. As we all know, tariffs directly influence sourcing decisions, pricing, and broader supply chain strategy, so any shift in tariff authority or refund eligibility carries significant implications for importers, customs brokers, and logistics service providers. As a result, a lot of questions have arisen about refunds, audit and enforcement risks, duty planning, and what trade measures might come next. To help us unpack these issues and what companies should be thinking about moving forward, I interviewed Glenn Palanacki, VP Product Management at Descartes during a recent episode of Talking Logistics.

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• Amazon’s Logistics Expansion Creates New Fulfillment Options for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Ecommerce Sellers Using Stocky Have Just Over Three Months to Replace Inventory Planning Tools

  Source: Descartes

• Uber Freight honors 2025 Carrier Award winners

  Source: Uber Freight

• Beyond the Dashboard: Why Certification is the New Currency in Pharma Logistics

  Source: Werner

• Finding hidden value: What a multi-shipper network analysis reveals

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

My wife’s uncle Bernie died earlier this week after battling Parkinson’s for several years. He was 88 years old. I learned at his funeral — because it had never come up in conversation before — that he had served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. In their eulogies, his children and grandchildren spoke about how proud Bernie was of having served his country, and how much he loved putting up the American flag at his house.

When we arrived at the cemetery, an honor guard stood at the gravesite, two soldiers saluting his flag-draped casket. A female soldier then stepped a few feet away and played “Taps” on her trumpet while the other remained in salute. Afterwards, they ceremoniously lifted the flag from the casket and folded it with crisp precision. Then the senior soldier knelt before Bernie’s wife of 60 years, Bernice, and said:

“On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Army, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.”

I don’t get emotional very often, but I choked up watching that solemn display of gratitude.

This coming Monday is Memorial Day here in the United States, a federal holiday to honor the men and women who died while serving in the armed forces. Unfortunately, for many people, it has become simply another long weekend: a day to head to the beach, fire up the barbecue, or hunt for holiday sales.

That’s the world we live in these days, for better or worse.

My oldest son, a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves, is coming home today. Well, he doesn’t live here anymore, but as the saying goes, home is where the heart is (and where your childhood bedroom still exists).

I’m going to enlist his help installing a new American flag above our doorway.

We had one years ago, but it became worn and tattered, so I stopped putting it up.

“It’s time,” my wife said to me when she came home with the new flag, to display that star-spangled banner again and watch it wave

o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

—

Here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:

Read More

Charter Sponsors

Amazon as a 3PL: Opportunity or Risk?

Amazon recently launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses beyond Amazon sellers. The offering positions Amazon as a broader third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain services provider across industries including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive.

This survey explored how supply chain and logistics executives view this development, including potential benefits, concerns, and whether they would consider Amazon as a logistics partner.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

How AI is Unlocking Hidden Capacity in Delivery Fleets

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Podcast | Final Mile Excellence: What Separates the Best from the Rest

  Source: Werner

• Amazon’s Logistics Expansion Creates New Fulfillment Options for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Ecommerce Sellers Using Stocky Have Just Over Three Months to Replace Inventory Planning Tools

  Source: Descartes

• Uber Freight honors 2025 Carrier Award winners

  Source: Uber Freight

• Beyond the Dashboard: Why Certification is the New Currency in Pharma Logistics

  Source: Werner

• Finding hidden value: What a multi-shipper network analysis reveals

  Source: Uber Freight

• 2026 Outlook: Spot Market strategies for shippers, carriers and brokers

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors