The pace of change in global supply chains isn’t slowing down — and on this week’s episode of Supply Chain Now, hosts Scott Luton and Marty Parker are back to break down the headlines, trends, and real-world implications leaders need to watch. From winter storms in metro Atlanta to rising cost pressures and workforce challenges, this episode cuts through the noise to explore what’s shaping supply chain strategy in 2026 and beyond. Welcome to The Buzz, powered by EPG! Scott and Marty welcome featured guest, Heidi Benko, VP Product Management and Strategy for Infor Nexus, to join in diving into the biggest stories impacting supply chains today — and what they mean for operators, planners, and executives alike. Together, they discuss: Why analysts are forecasting a challenging year ahead for the automotive industry and what slow post-pandemic recovery means for manufacturers How the American Logistics Aid Network continues to meet urgent needs — and the growing impact of the “Never Normal” leadership series How Walmart is using AI-driven tools to boost performance during extreme weather events New survey data revealing how tariffs are driving up costs, fueling layoffs, and raising recession concerns across the industry The growing skills gap in…

As modern supply chains grow more complex, shippers are under increasing pressure to move beyond spreadsheets, emails, and manual decision-making. For Trove Brands, rapid expansion across multiple product lines created new challenges in parcel, LTL, truckload, and international shipping. Keeping up with customer expectations and rising order volumes required better automation, cleaner data, and greater visibility across every mode. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, host Scott Luton speaks with Tanner Dastrup, Director of Logistics at Trove Brands, and Shannon Vaillancourt, CEO of RateLinx. They break down how Trove replaced outdated workflows with automated rate shopping, digital truckload auctions, integrated freight audit tools, and real-time container tracking. By connecting these capabilities directly to their ERP systems, Trove reduced manual work, improved accuracy, and provided teams and customers with more reliable information. Together, Scott, Tanner, and Shannon explore the broader shifts shaping transportation today, from the value of unified data to the cost of inconsistent carrier selection and manual settlement. Their discussion shows how flexible technology can streamline warehouse and 3PL workflows, strengthen customer experience, and help growing shippers scale with confidence.   This episode is hosted by Scott Luton, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton.…