Rob Cushman

The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index for 3Q 2021 has been released, and one thing remains clear: spend is up. More specifically, year over year, quarterly freight spend showed the second largest increase ever – rising 32.6% from 3Q 2020. What’s driving the dollars, and what can this increase tell us about the state of the supply chain across the country? Supply Chain Now co-hosts Scott Luton and Greg White recently sat down with Bobby Holland, Director, Freight Data Solutions at U.S. Bank, and Patricia Gabriel, Vice President US Customer Service & Logistics, at Mondelez International, to find out. Let’s review highlights from their discussion of the report – and take a look at what you need to consider moving forward. But first, what is the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index? The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index is a free report you can download each quarter to keep your finger on the pulse of freight shipping volumes and spend from both a national and regional perspective. The report uses actual transaction payment data, de-seasonalized and calendar adjusted for maximum comparability. How do I use it? When you’re asking the question, “What happened last quarter?” the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index…

Warehousing historically hasn’t been a particularly exciting topic. But times have changed. Thanks to technological innovations, warehouse automation has made the receiving, housing, and distributing of goods truly fascinating stuff. At Supply Chain Now, we spotlight companies doing exciting things throughout the industry. In modern warehousing, the innovations garnering attention include systems integrations involving robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI); the use of optical character recognition (OCR) technology in yard management; an “elegant” automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS); and a solution called Chuck. Warehousing at a Crossroads: Innovation for Efficiency “The warehousing industry is experiencing a technological revolution, with advancements in automation, robotics, IoT, AI, and data analytics transforming operations and driving efficiency. These innovations are not just enhancing operational capabilities but are also paving the way for smarter, more connected, and efficient warehouse environments,” an October report by Taiwan-based logistics property developer ALP said. ALP said AS/RSs, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and robotics “are at the forefront of the smart warehousing revolution. These systems enhance efficiency, reduce labor costs, and improve accuracy.” AI and Robotics: A New Frontier for Modern Warehousing A Forbes Council post in November said that “one of the most visible impacts of AI and…