Grace Sharkey is back with Blythe Brumleve for another episode of Freight Friends as we head towards the end of 2024. This episode covers the State of Cargo Crime, South American Logistics, the packaging drama of Wicked dolls, and a Freightwaves F3 recap. LINKS:Grace's LinktreeLogistics Girlie LinkedInSupply Chain Gals LinkedInAsset Locator v1.0 ReleaseIntent Data and the Future of Logistics Marketing with Kara BrownGenLogs launches initiative to combat theft using counterterrorism methodsMet...

In a recent episode, we talked about a company trying to build the next shipping container and since y’all liked that episode so much, we got the CEO of Inversion Space to come on and talk about how their company is creating the next supply chain, all in space.LINKS:Inversion Space WebsiteInversion Space TwitterInversion Space LinkedInJustin Fiaschetti LinkedInWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------...

Struggling with sales goals and questioning your marketing strategy? The latest TMSA benchmarking study shows an alarming shift in freight marketing, with companies failing to retain customers not because of pricing but because they can't grow alongside their clients' needs. In this episode of Everything is Logistics, Blythe and Grace Sharkey discuss how freight marketers are totally sleeping on direct mail, which produces way better engagement rates than digital channels - we're talking 80-9...

The Arctic is melting, and a new shipping superhighway is emerging. In this episode, Blythe and Grace Sharkey explore how the melting Arctic and the Northwest Passage could revolutionize global trade by providing a faster route than the Panama Canal. They also examine the geopolitical dynamics, with Russia dominating the icebreaker race with 41 ships, including nuclear-powered ones, while the U.S. lags behind with just two. WATCH THE FULL EPISODEFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us ...

Need a fresh take on freight sales that actually works?In this episode of Everything is Logistics, Blythe digs through Reddit's freight broker community to uncover some surprisingly effective tips - from showing up at manufacturers' doors to building a killer social media presence. She shares real stories from pros in the field who are ditching the spray-and-pray approach and finding success by getting personal with their prospects.LINKS:Reddit Sub for Freight BrokersWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HE...

The future of American manufacturing isn't about bringing back old factories – it's about building smarter ones. In this episode of Everything is Logistics, Blythe shares how Hadrian, an innovative automation company, is revolutionizing American manufacturing by bridging generations of expertise. By focusing on high-precision aerospace parts (think rockets and satellites), they're not just bringing manufacturing back to the US – they're making it faster, cheaper, and more advanced t...

On this podcast, we're used to hearing the broker's or the carrier's point of view. But in this episode, we're showcasing a conversation held at the ECC Conference with two shippers, one in restaurant equipment and the other in electrical systems, who share their experience in trying to solve their supply chain challenges since 2020. The ECC Conference was held in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor and I was honored to participate in the panel alongside Phil Stephenson of Avail Infrastructure ...

Ever wonder how cargo ships navigate through the Arctic ice or why some companies keep losing their best customers? Grace Sharkey is back with her monthly appearance on EiL, and in this episode, she and Blythe tackle everything from nuclear-powered icebreaker ships breaking through the Arctic to why freight companies might be totally missing the mark on keeping their best customers happy. The pair discuss fresh marketing data that shows how the industry is evolving and wrap things u...

Your expertise in a field is often earned through years of trial and error. But for Jennifer Lynn Harris, she has used this experience to take her career from answering phones at a freight forwarding company to managing her team of drivers and becoming a freight agent for SPI Logistics. In this episode, Jennifer shares her journey in hopes it can help others realize the value of experience, pushing through tough times, and ultimately finding success in your work.LINKS:Jennifer's LinkedInFreig...

Companies waste a staggering $37 billion every year on pointless meetings. In this episode of Everything is Logistics, Blythe tackles why this happens and shares how companies like Shopify are fighting back. She breaks down the science behind why we waste so much time in meetings and offers practical tips for declining invites without burning bridges. Based on her own experience, she shares her no-meetings-Monday rule and other strategies to take back control of your calendar.LINKS:...

More than 90 percent of US warehouses use no form of robotics technology and with that, a lot of manual labor is dependent on a workforce and roles that are tough to consistently fill… But GatherAI and their CEO Sankalp Arora hope to change that with his software approach to combining drones to help as a companion to the warehouse worker. In this episode, we chat with Sankalp on how he and his team developed this software to use alongside drones to help warehouse managers, and its workers acc...

Ever wonder why your favorite snacks are getting harder to find? In this episode, we explore the movie theater popcorn buckets hype and the global chocolate crisis that's shaking up your candy aisle. From Dune-inspired containers that went viral to skyrocketing cocoa prices, we discuss the surprising logistics behind your snacks and how they're adapting to a changing market.LINKS:ERP Failure Case Study – Hershey’sWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text...

Ever wonder what happens to cargo lost at sea? In this episode, we discuss the wild world of floating freight, from 28,000 rubber duckies teaching us about ocean currents to Garfield phones mysteriously washing up on French beaches for decades. Blythe and Grace explore bizarre incidents like Lego pieces still appearing on English coasts and a British pilot's emergency landing on a Spanish cargo ship, touching on salvage rights and environmental impacts. WATCH THE FULL EPISODE H...

Ever wondered about the journey your favorite makeup product takes before it lands in your makeup bag?In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on the global and complex supply chain of makeup. From overseas manufacturing to the challenges of quality assurance, customs clearance, and the race against expiration dates, we'll explore how your beauty essentials make it from the factory to your front door.In our first segment, we'll navigate the world of makeup production and distribution, ...

In this episode of Everything is Logistics, we're discussing an innovative new startup that wants to turn space into the next big shipping lane. Grace Sharkey and Blythe explore Inversion Space, a company planning to drop packages from orbit in under an hour - yeah, you heard that right! They talk about their plans for space warehouses, debate the challenges of space logistics, and wonder if one-hour delivery from orbit could actually become a thing.LINKS:Grace’s LinktreeSpace Logistics Episo...

In this episode of Everything is Logistics, discuss one of the biggest decisions a freight broker can make: becoming a freight agent. But hold on, the next crucial choice? Figuring out which company to join. We’re bringing you a special compilation of conversations with the leadership team at SPI Logistics, our long-time sponsor, covering everything a potential freight agent needs to know—from accounts payable to marketing and tech support.TIME STAMPS:01:29 - Mike Mikulik, VP, Marketing and S...

Ever wondered how that giant TV made its way to your living room? Spoiler alert: it might've hitched a ride on a barge! In this episode of "Everything is Logistics," Blythe dives into the unsung heroes of shipping: tugboats, barges, and canals. Teaming up with Grace Sharkey, they're exploring the ins and outs of these often-overlooked workhorses of the waterways, revealing their crucial role in global transportation.Links: Grace’s Linktree Tugboat mug on Everything is Logistics&nbsp...

Grace Sharkey is back with her monthly appearance on EiL, and in this episode, she and Blythe tackle holiday retail trends and Nike's marketing missteps. They explore the addictive nature of Temu shopping and debate the value of creative versus data-driven strategies. They also discuss Inversion Space's ambitious plan to create orbital warehouses, raising questions about the future of global logistics and space regulations.LINKS:Grace’s LinktreeNike: An Epic Saga of Value DestructionSpace Log...

In this episode of Everything is Logistics, we discuss the fascinating and often unexpected challenges in shipping succulents, sand, and magnets. We're talking plant smuggling, sand stealing, and magnet mayhem - yeah, you read that right. Learn how millennials are driving a black market for succulents, how beach sand is vanishing for concrete, and why your package of magnets might end up stuck to the side of a UPS truck.LINKS:Succulent Smuggling and The Logistics Behind ItLogistics of Sand an...

In this episode of Everything is Logistics, we dig into the e-commerce scene and why SHEIN is at the center of the conversation, with SHEIN and Temu making up a whopping 30% of all e-commerce shipments coming through the West Coast.Grace Sharkey and I also chat about the flood of these tax-free shipments and how customs and border folks are scrambling to keep up. Plus, we’ll take a closer look at SHEIN's business practices on the retail and influencer side.LINKS:Freight Friends: Surviving Con...

Many of us take for granted the ability to pull up a map app and it tells us the quickest route from Point A to B. Now imagine you’re a truck driver and you have to factor in weather conditions, dock loading locations, available hours at shipping facilities, the dimensions of your truck, etc… All of these factors and more can impact the efficiency of a driver and their deliveries. This is why we have Trimble Transportation’s Director of Strategic Accounts, Dwanye Lazarre, on the show to talk ...

Did you know that Jacksonville’s status as a trade hub played a big role in landing the city an NFL team? Trade in Northeast Florida dates back to the 1500s, which eventually led to the establishment of JAXPORT and the NFL awarding a franchise to Jacksonville. In this episode, we’re exploring the logistics behind getting a team and what it takes to manage game day, the season, and even the aftermath of a championship win or loss. We’re pulling together segments from past episodes so...

During our two-day NASA Tour, host Blythe Brumleve assumed that one episode (this one) would be sufficient. But considering we had enough content to make this episode 5 of the NASA Series, this is the one where we’re showing the BTS of what goes into a launch, favorite moments from creating this series, and the NASA goodie bag.NASA SERIES LINKS:NASA Series: Building Space InfrastructureNASA Series: Shipping Weather Satellites to SpaceNASA Series – How to Grow Food in SpaceNASA Series – Deep S...

In episode 4 of our NASA Series, host Blythe Brumleve explores the manufacturing and construction happening on Earth for items destined to build new infrastructure in space. This episode highlights the innovations that will soon leave our orbit and contribute to the future of space exploration.NASA SERIES LINKS:NASA Series: Shipping Weather Satellites to SpaceNASA Series – How to Grow Food in SpaceNASA Series – Deep Space EPISODE LINKS:GOES-U SpacecraftNASA’s Barge Pegasus3D-printed engi...