In honor of Labor Day, we share a Business History episode from 2021, as host Scott W. Luton reflects back on his own related Eureka moment on the power of a good day’s work & the responsibility we all have when it comes to the global workforce. Scott also dives into the history of Labor Day, including a few historical notes that might just surprise you.
Our team at This Week in Business History & Supply Chain Now are very grateful to all of the wonderful & talented workers that keep us all moving forward.
More Podcast Episodes
modern slavery
Podcast
June 24, 2024
Digital Transformers Classic: Honoring Juneteenth and Abolishing Modern Slavery
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived at the 1861 Customs House in Galveston, TX as part of his tour to command troops sent to enforce the emancipation of enslaved peoples in the United States. Now, that same courthouse is set to continue the charge toward freedom for all. In this classic Digital Transformers episode, join Kevin L. Jackson and Scott Luton as they discuss plans for the new June Nineteenth Museum, dedicated to honoring this important moment in history and ending modern slavery and human trafficking, with former Galveston City Manager Douglas Matthews and Hope4Justice CEO Tim Nelson.
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Podcast
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Analysis of the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index – Q3 2025
In this episode of Supply Chain Now, hosts Scott Luton and Kim Reuter welcome Bobby Holland, Vice President/Director of Freight Business Analytics at U.S. Bank, and Heather Shilt, Director, Global Logistics at Fortive, to unpack Q3 2025 findings from the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, one of the industry’s most referenced trucking indicators, informed by tens of billions in transactions. The panel explores why volumes are down even as costs rise, how tariffs and manufacturing softness are reshaping regional performance, and where rate pressure and capacity tightness are showing up first. Together, they dig into nine key takeaways from the national and regional views (West, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast): most significant sequential gains in the West in four years, persistent softness in the Southwest, and mixed signals elsewhere as consumer demand, housing starts, and labor dynamics tug the market in different directions. From shipper playbooks (carrier-mix depth, lane-level cost vigilance, and alternate modes) to practical watch-outs for Q4 and early 2026, this data-driven conversation equips operators to trend, plan, and pressure-test their assumptions in a volatile environment. This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Kim Reuter, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. Additional Links…