The data doesn’t lie, and in Q1 2026, it’s telling a story the freight industry hasn’t seen in years. In this special episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton and Karin Bursa welcome Bobby Holland, Director of Freight Business Analytics at U.S. Bank, and Bob Costello, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President at the American Trucking Associations, for a deep dive into the latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index for Q1 2026. The episode unpacks seven critical takeaways from the quarter, including a historic 12.9% spike in freight spending, a rare supply-side recovery driven by tightening capacity and surging fuel costs, and regional breakdowns across the West, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast, with stops on tariff impacts, cross-border trade with Canada and Mexico, and what a $7.22-per-gallon diesel price in California means for the broader economy. Together, they explore why this recovery is unlike anything we’ve seen since the pandemic boom, what the Goldman Sachs recession outlook gets right (and wrong), and how supply chain leaders can use real, verified freight data, not feelings, to make smarter decisions in an unpredictable 2026.   This episode is hosted by Scott W. Luton and Karin Bursa. Produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua…

The annual release of a major industry index always sparks intense debate, but the true value lies in the core strategies driving the world’s top performers. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton is joined by regular co-host Mike Griswold, Vice President Analyst at Gartner, and special guest Laura Rainier, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, to break down the defining macro trends from the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2026. The panel explores how leading organizations navigate global volatility by moving past tech experimentation to deliver true enterprise value. They dive into the realities of the autonomous workforce era, detailing how top-tier supply chains prioritize human-machine collaboration and systems thinking over simple digital literacy. Highlighting standout examples like Unilever’s shared forecasting and Schneider Electric’s disciplined process optimization, the discussion illustrates what it takes to build a resilient, network-centric operation. Laura Rainier also addresses critics directly, explaining why qualitative community opinion remains the ultimate “secret sauce” for capturing true excellence, while Mike Griswold wraps up by challenging leaders to leverage the supply chain as a primary engine for strategic growth.   This episode is hosted by Scott W. Luton. Produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda…