Freight costs are rising – but most shippers aren’t capturing the savings hiding in their own data. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and Kimberly Reuter talk with Shannon Vaillancourt, President of RateLinx, about how companies can uncover 5–15% in transportation savings in weeks, not months, without running a full RFP. They discuss common overspending traps, the power of clean, unified data, optimizing carrier mix, and making smarter, data-driven decisions to reduce costs while improving operational efficiency. The episode unpacks key strategies for optimizing transportation spend without launching a full RFP, including identifying hidden costs across carriers, modes, and accessories, optimizing carrier mix with clean, unified data, and realizing anywhere from 5 to 15% in transportation savings in weeks rather than months. Listeners also get insights on managing LTL versus parcel shipments, evaluating carrier performance beyond on-time delivery, and understanding how poor master data can quietly inflate costs across networks. Together, they explore why real-time, integrated freight data is critical for decision-making, how companies can quickly act on actionable insights, and why relying solely on contracts or historical assumptions can leave money on the table. They share real-world examples where minor operational adjustments yielded millions in savings,…

Let the National Supply Chain Day celebrations continue! On Monday, April 29th, Supply Chain Now celebrated National Supply Chain Day with a very special live stream. Hosts Scott Luton and Mary Kate Love were joined by Enrique Alvarez from Vector Global Logistics, and discussed the importance of celebrating the people of the supply chain industry, highlighting the various roles and responsibilities that keep the global supply chain running. Listen in as they also discussed trends in the industry, including the rise of AI, sustainability, and cybersecurity, and highlighted the creation of new jobs and career opportunities in the industry, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and adaptation. Join us for this episode and help us continue to show gratitude and empathy to our incredible supply chain professionals and stay tuned for more programming for National Supply Chain Day in the future!