Join Supply Chain Now host Scott Luton for a timely conversation with Max Garland, Senior Reporter at Supply Chain Dive. In this episode, they break down the biggest stories shaping logistics and e-commerce right now—from Target’s next-day delivery expansion and FedEx’s 2026 rate hikes to the rise of regional carriers like OnTrac and Veho. They’ll also unpack how the end of the de minimis exemption is reshaping international e-commerce and what it means for businesses adapting to new rules. Packed with insights on technology, customer experience, and the future of supply chain operations, this discussion is a can’t miss for anyone navigating today’s rapidly evolving logistics landscape.   This episode is hosted by Scott Luton, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton.   Additional Links & Resources Check out all the great resources and information mentioned during the show: Connect with Max on LinkedIn Learn more about our hosts Want more Supply Chain Now? We know you can’t get enough Supply Chain Now! Don’t miss a single episode, livestream, or webinar: Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform Connect with the Supply Chain Now community…

Supply chain performance is still being measured by outdated assumptions. Lora Cecere argues that optimizing individual functions for lower cost does not necessarily improve the business. In fact, it can throw the entire supply chain out of balance. Better performance starts with understanding what is actually feasible within an industry, focusing on the metrics that drive value, and recognizing that supply chains are complex systems that cannot be improved one function at a time. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton speaks with Lora Cecere, founder of Supply Chain Insights, and Wael Abdelmalek, CEO at Uthereal, about the research behind Supply Chains to Admire and how that work is being brought into Ask Lora, an AI-enabled benchmarking and advisory platform. They explore why traditional supply chain rankings and generic AI tools can reinforce conventional thinking, how verified research and industry-specific data can create better benchmarks, and why leaders need a more balanced view of growth, operating margin, inventory turns, and return on capital employed when evaluating performance. Lora and Wael also explain how Ask Lora combines 10 years of research and benchmarking data with a private large language model designed specifically for supply chain decision-making. Rather than serving…