Every once in a while, it hits me: I am kept alive by a little pink pill.

I take it every morning, the first thing I do when I get out of bed. Without it, my metabolism would eventually go to zero and I would die.

I take this pill because I don’t have a thyroid any more. Cancer f’d it up, so I took it out.

In the big scheme of things, taking a little pill to stay alive is not so bad. Unless aliens invade us and I have to rush into the woods to hide — and in the mad dash to the trees, I leave my pills behind. In that case, however, we’d probably all be f’d already.

(More realistically, the bigger risk is a shortage of pills due to a war or some other major event causing a supply disruption. But the alien invasion is a much better death story).

I’m hitting the road again this morning. My bags are packed, including my pill case. But just in case my backpack gets stolen, or the hotel I’m staying at burns down while I’m away, I always carry a week’s worth of little pink pills in my pocket.

A little life insurance, because you never know.

—

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

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• Webinar: Intangible Transfers: Manage intangible transfers with confidence

  Source: Descartes

• Amazon’s October Prime Day Results Give Ecommerce Sellers New Insight for Black Friday Planning

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

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Kelly Clarkson walks into a toy store in Brooklyn…

You probably know the rest of the story by now, but if you don’t, be thankful.

I’m of two minds on this one.

On the one hand, with everything serious happening in the world today, why are we spending so much time and mental energy on an incident involving a mechanical toy bird?

On the other hand, wouldn’t it be wonderful to live in a world where the worst thing that happens, the only news worth reporting, is a dispute between a shop owner and a customer over a toy bird?

If only.

—

In other news, here’s what caught my attention this week in the supply chain and logistics realm:

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

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Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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• Amazon’s October Prime Day Results Give Ecommerce Sellers New Insight for Black Friday Planning

  Source: Descartes

• Reuters: US ocean container imports set new record for September, Descartes says

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

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Transportation’s role in the business has transformed over the last decade. Today, it is widely considered a key strategic tool enabling shippers and logistics service providers (LSPs) to deliver superior customer service, gain a competitive advantage and grow the business — but that wasn’t always the case. Ten years ago, even though many organizations saw the potential, a large number still treated transportation as a basic operational function and an unavoidable cost. In this post, I look at a decade of research from Descartes to examine transportation’s rise as a strategic business capability and consider where shippers and LSPs go from here.

Transportation as a Strategic Asset

For ten years the Transportation Management Benchmark Survey has been asking LSPs and shippers how they assess transportation’s impact on the business. This extensive record shows that the perceived value of transportation has been building over the years. For example, the percentage of companies that view transportation strategically, as a competitive weapon or customer service differentiator…

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

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Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• Reuters: US ocean container imports set new record for September, Descartes says

  Source: Descartes Published on: 2026-10-14

• Descartes To Showcase Supply Chain and Logistics AI and Technology Innovations at 2026 Innovation Forum

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

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Once again, I find myself 33,000 feet above the world.

I’m flying back from Descartes’ Innovation Forum in Chicago, where I moderated two panel discussions and participated as a panelist in a third. Needless to say, it was a busy and productive three days, with plenty of learning, networking, and fun mixed in. I’ll share my takeaways from the event in a future post.

Do I work, read my book, watch TV, or fall asleep?

That’s always the question when I fly.

I’m going to start with work and see what happens.

Tray table down. Laptop open. I begin:

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

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

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Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes Unveils Next Step in Supply Chain AI with Agent Control Plane

  Source: Descartes

• Descartes To Showcase Supply Chain and Logistics AI and Technology Innovations at 2026 Innovation Forum

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

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What will separate transportation leaders from the rest over the next three to five years?

That was the central question behind a research study Adelante SCM conducted with Alpegaearlier this year. We surveyed 56 supply chain and logistics executives from manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies, along with 239 carriers and logistics service providers across Europe.

As I highlighted in a Talking Logistics post back in July, the research revealed strong alignment on where the industry is headed. Both shippers and carriers/LSPs envision a future defined by greater connectivity, visibility, automation, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. More importantly, the findings pointed to a broader shift underway: from managing transportation activities to orchestrating transportation networks.

But what does that shift mean in practice? What has changed in the transportation operating environment to make network orchestration more important? And what roles will connectivity, trust, and AI play?

Those are some of the questions I explored in a recent webinar with Michael Böckle, Senior VP of Sales Strategy, Alliances, and Pre-Sales at Alpega, and Olivier Gonon, Chief Revenue Officer for Carriers at Alpega.

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes To Showcase Supply Chain and Logistics AI and Technology Innovations at 2026 Innovation Forum

  Source: Descartes

• Ecommerce Sellers Face 5.9% FedEx and DHL Rate Increases in 2027

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

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The days are getting shorter.

There are still 24 hours in each one, but the split between daylight and darkness is shifting, with darkness gaining a few minutes each day.

The mornings are getting cooler too.

Leaves are starting to cover my lawn, and the singing birds that visit my yard each morning are gone.

It’s October.

The year is three-quarters past, and a new one is on the horizon.

I will spend most of this month on airplanes and hotels. First Chicago, then Berlin, Maryland, Barcelona, and Seattle — the latter three will be back-to-back.

I won’t know what day or time it is until early November. By then, the days will be even shorter, and the mornings even cooler, and there will be fewer leaves on my trees.

And the birds?

They’ll be singing elsewhere, their songs carried in the wind.

—

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

Read More

Charter Sponsors

The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes To Showcase Supply Chain and Logistics AI and Technology Innovations at 2026 Innovation Forum

  Source: Descartes

• Ecommerce Sellers Face 5.9% FedEx and DHL Rate Increases in 2027

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

What is the current state of the transportation market?

The title of a Wall Street Journal article published a few days ago sums it up nicely: “The Cost of Transporting Pretty Much Everything Just Won’t Stop Going Up.”

“Trucking expenses are at their highest level since the Covid pandemic snarled operations around the world,” the authors report. “Diesel prices are up 77% in the past year. Freight railroads are adding surcharges. And the nation’s busiest port is the busiest it’s ever been. There’s virtually no way for businesses to avoid paying more, and they’re passing on the pain to consumers.”

Remember the freight recession? Yeah, that was so 2024.

When I think of the transportation market, I often find myself singing (in my head, of course) this lyric from one of my favorite Oingo Boingo songs: “We close our eyes and the world has turned around again.”

Based on data from ATA, DAT, and others, freight demand remains relatively soft and uneven. Freight capacity, however, has tightened significantly this year. A big factor has been…

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes To Showcase Supply Chain and Logistics AI and Technology Innovations at 2026 Innovation Forum

  Source: Descartes

• Ecommerce Sellers Face 5.9% FedEx and DHL Rate Increases in 2027

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Weather is always the wildcard.

A nor’easter is heading our way, bringing several inches of rain and 50+ mph wind gusts through Monday.

What’s it like cycling in those conditions?

I don’t want to know — and I won’t find out, because the storm has cancelled the Breakthrough T1D Ride in Cape Cod this weekend. It’s a real bummer because doing the ride with a large community of T1D riders and supporters is always such a fun and inspirational experience.

The storm, however, hasn’t cancelled my drive to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes.

That’s why my wife and I will still cycle 100 miles, just the two of us, on October 11 (assuming another nor’easter doesn’t come our way). And the fundraising will continue too. The money we raise funds important research that helps make everyday life with T1D better while driving toward cures.

So, while it storms outside this weekend, I’ll be in the basement riding on my trainer, cycling on virtual roads. It sometimes rains on these Zwift courses, but you don’t get wet and the roads don’t get slippery. There are even virtual people on the side of the road cheering you on.

But it ain’t like the real thing, and that’s a bummer too.

—

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

Read More

Charter Sponsors

The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

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Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes Expands AI Innovation with Agent that Helps Reduce Global Trade Data Research and Analysis Time by Up to 90%

  Source: Descartes

• Earlier Seasonal Shopping Means Ecommerce Sellers Need to Prepare Sooner

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

What should supply chain and logistics leaders stop doing — and what should they start doing instead? That’s the question at the heart of a special Talking Logistics series featuring insights from sponsors of our Logistics Leaders for T1D Cure team. We asked each contributor to identify one practice organizations need to leave behind, what they should do instead, and how technology and service providers can help accelerate the transition. The following commentary is from our Mile Marker Sponsor, C.H. Robinson.

For years, supply chain resilience meant planning better, seeing around corners, and reacting faster when disruption hits. Increased visibility, faster alerts, and more sophisticated control towers all helped organizations identify problems sooner.

That was progress, and it mattered. But to remain competitive over the next few years, supply chain and logistics organizations need to stop treating faster exception management as the definition of resilience.

Seeing a problem sooner is not the same as preventing it. Dashboards expose risk. Alerts create urgency. Control towers bring information together. All are useful capabilities, but not a new operating model.

The work ahead is to move from managing exceptions after they occur to building supply chains that learn from past experiences and execution and work proactively to prevent the same failures from happening again.

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Charter Sponsors

The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• FedEx and UPS Demand Surcharges Raise Peak Shipping Costs for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Descartes’ 10th Annual Study Finds Transportation Technology Investment Has Increased Nearly 50% Over the Past Decade

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

How far is 100 miles?

It’s roughly the distance from New York City to Philadelphia. From Chicago to Milwaukee. From London to Birmingham. Or from Brussels to Rotterdam.

It’s a long way to travel by car or train. It feels even longer when you’re on a bicycle, on a tiny seat, pedaling for 6+ hours!

In just 9 days, I’ll be doing just that — riding 100 miles in the Breakthrough T1D Cape Cod Ride.

So I’m making one final push to reach my fundraising goal. I’m currently about $500 short — and, for a little added motivation, I’m barely hanging on to 10th place among fundraisers. So I could use a little help on both fronts!

Many of you have supported my fundraising efforts in the past, and I’m incredibly grateful. If you’re able to support me again this year, any amount would help get me across the fundraising finish line. You can donate here: http://www2.breakthrought1d.org/goto/ll4t1dcure

As always, I’m riding for my daughter Hannah and everyone living with type 1 diabetes, with the hope that we keep getting closer to the day when T1D is something we can prevent and cure.

Thank you again for all the support you’ve given me and our family over the years, especially our Logistics Leaders for T1D Cure Team sponsors: TranzAct Technologies, C.H. Robinson, Descartes Systems Group, and Uber Freight. It truly means a lot.

—

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

Read More

Charter Sponsors

The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• FedEx and UPS Demand Surcharges Raise Peak Shipping Costs for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Descartes’ 10th Annual Study Finds Transportation Technology Investment Has Increased Nearly 50% Over the Past Decade

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Once an order is placed, roughly forty documents will be created by nine different companies, in four countries and two languages, and not one of them will be 100% accurate. The gap between what was agreed and put into writing, and what actually happens, is where operations teams lose money for the whole company.

Almost every supply chain leader I speak with is hoping AI can close that gap. Many are also having a similar, frustrating experience: a demo that impresses their executive team, followed by a pilot that never reaches production.

AI can do the work. But first, it has to understand your company. That is the part most pilots skip, and it shows up in four predictable ways:

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Charter Sponsors

The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• FedEx and UPS Demand Surcharges Raise Peak Shipping Costs for Ecommerce Sellers

  Source: Descartes

• Descartes’ 10th Annual Study Finds Transportation Technology Investment Has Increased Nearly 50% Over the Past Decade

  Source: Descartes

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

What should supply chain and logistics leaders stop doing — and what should they start doing instead? That’s the question at the heart of a special Talking Logistics series featuring insights from sponsors of our Logistics Leaders for T1D Cure team. We asked each contributor to identify one practice organizations need to leave behind, what they should do instead, and how technology and service providers can help accelerate the transition. The following commentary is from our Mile Marker Sponsor, Uber Freight.

Agility is one of logistics’ most common promises, and one of its least defined.

For years, the industry has equated agility with better visibility — the ability to flag disruptions as soon as they occur. But seeing a problem and solving it quickly are two different capabilities, and that is the gap where many networks get stuck.

To remain competitive over the next few years, supply chain leaders must move beyond the status quo. Here is what organizations need to leave behind, where they need to pivot, and how the right partners can accelerate that transition.

Read More

Charter Sponsors

The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes Announces Fiscal 2027 Second Quarter Financial Results

  Source: Descartes Published on: 2026-09-10

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• USPS Plans 2026 Holiday Price Increases: What Ecommerce Sellers Should Know

  Source: Descartes Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from the recently published research report “Plan.Adapt. Repeat: The Next Chapter of Transportation Planning.” Conducted by Adelante SCM in partnership with Transporeon, the research surveyed 42 supply chain and logistics executives from manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies to understand how they are managing transportation planning today, the factors driving greater complexity, where current processes and technologies are falling short, and how automation and AI could enable more dynamic and responsive planning in the years ahead. To access the complete findings, download the full report.

Transportation planning has become increasingly complex and dynamic. Shippers must balance cost, service, asset utilization, and responsiveness, often while dealing with fragmented data, shifting demand, and real-time disruptions.

The results of our research reveal an industry in transition. Many companies have invested in transportation management systems and optimization tools, yet manual processes remain deeply embedded in daily planning activities. At the same time, respondents see automation and AI augmenting planners by helping them work faster, manage exceptions more effectively, and make better decisions.

Read More

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes Announces Fiscal 2027 Second Quarter Financial Results

  Source: Descartes Published on: 2026-09-10

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• USPS Plans 2026 Holiday Price Increases: What Ecommerce Sellers Should Know

  Source: Descartes Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

Never forget.

It’s been 25 years since the September 11 attacks. As someone who grew up in Brooklyn with a view of the Twin Towers from my bedroom window, it’s impossible for me to forget the horrors of that day.

May the memory of all those who died that day — including our neighbor’s pregnant daughter and her husband who were on American Airlines Flight 11 — and those who died in the years that followed from health issues linked to the dust and debris, continue to be a blessing to all who knew and loved them.

But remembering also means remembering clearly. As NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch put it earlier this week, “The scale of the loss and the devastation that day was unfathomable, and so, too, was the heroism that we witnessed in response. Preserving that history also means preserving its moral clarity. The men who attacked this city were terrorists. The men and women who ran into the towers to save innocent lives were heroes. Twenty-five years cannot be allowed to blur that distinction, and shame on those who do.”

I will never forget.

I can’t. I won’t.

—

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

Read More

Charter Sponsors

The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Descartes Announces Fiscal 2027 Second Quarter Financial Results

  Source: Descartes Published on: 2026-09-10

• A Message from Jordan: Q3 2026

  Source: Werner Published on: 2026-09-10

• USPS Plans 2026 Holiday Price Increases: What Ecommerce Sellers Should Know

  Source: Descartes Published on: 2026-09-10

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

Read Guest Commentaries

Gold Sponsors

The logistics industry has a clear sense of where it is heading. More connected supply chains, stronger collaboration between shippers, carriers and logistics providers, and data flowing freely across networks rather than sitting locked inside individual systems. The direction is not in question. The gap is between that vision and where most organisations actually stand today.

According to Alpega’s Transport Leadership Benchmark, a May 2026 study conducted with Adelante SCM surveying nearly 300 supply chain and logistics executives and carriers across Europe, that gap is wider than many realise.

Everyone Agrees on the Destination

The study reveals a striking degree of alignment on priorities. The large majority of shippers regard maintaining strong relationships with carriers and logistics partners as a major competitive advantage, and see network integration as a strategic priority, citing improved visibility, better coordination and faster decision-making as the expected benefits.

Transport is no longer simply about moving a shipment from A to B as efficiently as possible. It is increasingly about orchestrating a network of partners, flows and information that functions coherently as a whole. The challenge is that understanding a direction and being ready to move in it are two different things.

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

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Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• USPS Plans 2026 Holiday Price Increases: What Ecommerce Sellers Should Know

  Source: Descartes

• Walmart Let’s Grow 2026 Seller Summit

  Source: Descartes

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

• Werner’s tech advancements fuel its logistics growth

  Source: Werner

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

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

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Apparently, the answer was “Yes” for Oberman Logistics, an owner-operator trucking company with 14 trucks based in Tennessee. As reported by Angel Coker Jones in Commercial Carrier Journal, “Oberman Logistics owner Wes Oberman created a custom transportation management system using ChatGPT and Claude Code for just $55 per month, automating back-office processes and saving the company 20 to 25 hours each week.”

Oberman evaluated existing TMS solutions in the market, but “none of [them] worked,” he said. “My problem with TMS is they’re all so bloated (having more features than needed). They all look like they were made from the ‘70s. They’re not very intuitive, and man, they cost a lot.”

You can read the article for more details.

As I wrote back in February, two things can be true at once. First, despite the early benefits achieved by Oberman Logistics…

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Walmart Let’s Grow 2026 Seller Summit

  Source: Descartes

• Amazon Accelerate 2026

  Source: Descartes

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

• Werner’s tech advancements fuel its logistics growth

  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

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Winter is coming.

If you’ve watched Game of Thrones, you know the saying. But we’ve still got one more weekend of summer to enjoy, with the season unofficially coming to an end this Labor Day weekend here in the U.S.

Not surprisingly, many people have already left work to make the long holiday weekend even longer.

Before I join them, here is the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Tennessee Trucking Association Fall Conference

  Source: Descartes

• NAW Innovators Summit

  Source: Descartes

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

• Werner’s tech advancements fuel its logistics growth

  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

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I’ve written many supply chain and logistics research reports in my 27 years as an industry analyst. These reports have covered a wide range of topics, including transportation management systems, supply chain operating networks, third-party logistics, and global trade management. I’ve also read a lot of reports from other industry analysts and consulting firms.

There is a set of learnings and recommendations, typically found at the end of these reports, that have remained constant over the years. Here are the five most common:

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

Predictive Safety: What Sets the Best Fleets Apart

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Tennessee Trucking Association Fall Conference

  Source: Descartes

• NAW Innovators Summit

  Source: Descartes

• Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

  Source: Werner

• Werner’s tech advancements fuel its logistics growth

  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

Artificial Intelligence continues to dominate supply chain headlines and conversations. Much of the discussion focuses on what AI can do within a company’s four walls, but supply chains are inherently multi-enterprise. How does AI become more valuable when it operates across a Supply Chain Operating Network (SCON) rather than only within a single application or company? That’s the primary question I discussed with Heidi Benko, VP of Product Management and Strategy at Infor, during a recent episode of Talking Logistics.

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

AI in Supply Chain: Why Data and Context Matter

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New from Sponsor Blogs

• Your Power Cold-Chain Experts

  Source: Werner

• The Road to Reliability: Navigating Cold-Chain Success

  Source: Werner

• K&R International Services Uses Descartes to Help Automate High-Volume EU Ecommerce Import Filings

  Source: Descartes

• NBWA Next Generation Success in Leadership Conference

  Source: Descartes

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

  Source: Trimble

• Transportation in 2026: From experimentation to acceleration

  Source: Trimble

Read Guest Commentaries

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What did I miss?

I’ve been “off the grid” the past two weeks — the first one on vacation, the second one moving my youngest daughter into her dorm room at the University of Maryland as she begins her college experience.

After driving close to 11 hours back to Boston yesterday — through thunderstorms, rush hour traffic, accidents, construction, and more — I am back in the office today. Well, my body is back. I’m not so sure about my mind.

My wife and I woke up this morning as empty nesters.

I don’t know what I missed these past two weeks in the world of supply chain and logistics, but I’m already missing waking up my daughter in the morning in my annoying ways (annoying to her, not me), and her hour-long singing performances in the shower — sometimes the full soundtrack to Hamilton or Les Misérables, or a mixtape of Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, and Olivia Rodrigo songs.

Her bedroom is next to my office, and I was very quiet this morning. I didn’t print anything or roll my chair across the floor, careful not to wake her up too early.

I forgot.

What else did I miss?

Let’s find out together.

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The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

Download Report

Subscribe to "Be Uncommon" Newsletter

Latest Talking Logistics Episode:

AI in Supply Chain: Why Data and Context Matter

Watch More Episodes

Subscribe to Podcast

Platinum Sponsors

New from Sponsor Blogs

• Pharmaceutical Logistics: Finding Shipping Solutions That Match Your Level of Precision and Care

  Source: Werner

• From Regulations to Best Practices: Navigating the Complexities of the Healthcare Supply Chain

  Source: Werner

• NBWA Next Generation Success in Leadership Conference

  Source: Descartes

• Evofenedex Dag van de Declarant 2026

  Source: Descartes

• 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