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The Logistics of Logistics

The Logistics of Logistics

By: Joe Lynch: Transportation Logistics Podcaster
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The Logistics of Logistics is a podcast hosted by industry expert Joe Lynch. Joe interviews founders, executives, and innovators who are shaping the future of logistics and supply chain. Topics include transportation, logistics, warehousing, technology, supply chain, and ecommerce. The Logistics of Logistics audience expects an inside perspective of what's next in logistics and supply chain delivered via podcasts, videos, and articles. Topics include: Transportation Topics Small package, Small parcel, Air Cargo, Ocean Shipping, Ocean freight, Bulk carriers, Cargo ships, Container ships, Tankers (ocean tankers), Refrigerated ships (reefers), Roll-on/roll-off ships, Multi-purpose ship, General cargo ship, Break bulk cargo, General cargo, Less Than Truckload, LTL, Tractor, Trailers, Tractor-trailers, 48-foot trailer, 53-foot trailer, Truck lift-gate, Truck terminals, Truckload (TL), Full Truckload (FTL), Freight, Palleted freight, Pallets, Fleet acquisition, Equipment, Drivers, Truck Drivers, Driver leasing, Driver training, Driver safety, Hours of Service (HOS), Electronic Logging Device (ELD), Driver outsourcing, Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC) Carrier contract, Spot rates, Contract rates, Pickup and delivery, Carrier Instructions, Freight characteristics, Dock management, Intermodal, Containerization, Containers, Final mile, Last mile, Rail transportation Warehousing Topics Warehouse storage, manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, Pick and Pack, Sub-assembly, Site Location, Distribution Center Management, Inbound shipping, Outbound shipping, Receiving, Putaway, Put-away, Order processing, Replenishment, Pulling, Restocking, Picking, Validation, Sorting, Distribution Center Management System (DCMS), Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), Supply, Demand, Inventory, Inventory Management, Cross-docking, Cross-dock, Ecommerce fulfillment, Fulfillment, Packaging Logistics Topics 3rd party logistics, 3PL, 4th party logistics, 4PL, Just-in-Time (JIT), Payment auditing, Freight auditing, Payment Processing, Freight brokerage, Freight broker, Digital freight brokerage, Digital freight broker, Transparency, Visibility Special Topics Direct to Home, Direct to Store, Sustainability, Green Logistics, Reverse Logistics, Product Lifecycle Management, Supply Chain Security Analysis, Contingency planning, Crisis Planning, Global Expansion, Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), Logistics Consulting, Transportation Consulting, Import / Export, Customs, Labor Management, Marketing Services, Customer Service Technology Topics Supply chain technology, Freighttech, Freight tech, Freight technology, EDI, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Predictive Analytics, Technology Services, Web Services, Global Trade Management (GTM), Transportation Management System (TMS), Warehouse Management System (WMS), Supplier Management, Customer Management, Cloud Based Solutions, WirelessThe Logistics of Logistics 2021 Politics & Government
Episodes
  • The Dark Data Trap: Unlocking Logistics Documents with Tungsten Automation's Patrick Van Hull

    The Dark Data Trap: Unlocking Logistics Documents with Tungsten Automation's Patrick Van Hull
    Jun 25 2026
    In "The Dark Data Trap: Unlocking Logistics Documents with Tungsten Automation's Patrick Van Hull" Joe Lynch and Patrick Van Hull, Supply Chain Industry Consultant at Tungsten Automation, discuss how intelligent document processing eliminates manual data traps to drive logistics efficiency and cost savings. About Patrick Van Hull Patrick Van Hull, widely recognized as the Supply Chain Storyteller, helps organizations transform complexity into clarity. A multi-time "Top 25 Global Thought Leader and Influencer on Supply Chain" and Supply Chain Pro-to-Know, he focuses on supply chain digitalization and capability development, showing how operational details can drive resilience and performance across the value chain. Patrick's career spans more than two decades, with leadership and advisory roles at Apple, Dell, Rio Tinto, and CVS Health, Gartner, Deloitte, and SCM World, he became known for bridging practitioner expertise with executive-level insights to turn data and technology into impactful strategies and programs. Most recently, he has focused on helping enterprises use AI-powered intelligence to strengthen resilience and anticipate disruption. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Duke University Fuqua School of Business, and lectures on supply chain strategy at the University of Arkansas Walton School of Business. About Tungsten Automation Tungsten Automation, formerly Kofax, is the global leader in AI-powered document and workflow automation solutions, boasting a 40-year trusted legacy and a team of 2,200 employees across 40 countries, serving over 25,000 global customers. Our commitment to innovation and customer success has earned us industry recognition, including being named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Intelligent Document Processing. Tungsten has also been recognized by other key analysts in areas such as Intelligent Automation and Process Orchestration. We are trusted to help businesses achieve unprecedented efficiencies and reduce costs through document and workflow automation, allowing them to scale and future-proof their business. Key Takeaways: The Dark Data Trap: Unlocking Logistics Documents In "The Dark Data Trap: Unlocking Logistics Documents with Tungsten Automation's Patrick Van Hull" Joe Lynch and Patrick Van Hull, Supply Chain Industry Consultant at Tungsten Automation, discuss how intelligent document processing eliminates manual data traps to drive logistics efficiency and cost savings.Tungsten Automation Profile: Formerly Kofax, Tungsten is a global leader in AI-powered Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) and advanced workflow automation. Backed by a 40-year legacy, 2,200 employees, and 25,000+ global customers, the company was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for IDP. Their cloud-based platform sits cleanly over multiple, fragmented ERP and TMS networks to pull and push data seamlessly.Escaping the "Dark Data Trap": Moving a single international ocean container can require upwards of 30 separate documents. Because traditional TMS and ERP platforms can't read unstructured data (like dense PDFs, faxes, or Excel spreadsheets), this critical info becomes trapped "dark data." Tungsten uses IDP to automatically ingest, classify, and extract line-item data from over 40 different logistics document types, turning paper trails into structured, digital assets.Slashing AP Errors & Driving Revenue: Manual touchpoints in freight invoicing lead to constant billing discrepancies and human errors. Through automated multi-way matching, reconciliation, and automated exception handling, Tungsten drives "zero-touch" processing for order management and invoices. In one case study, acting as an automated "quality check" against contracted rates helped a major freight shipper capture an incremental $20 million in annual revenue.Preventing Customs and Shipment Delays: When data errors or missing documents hit customs or a port, shipments grind to a halt, triggering costly penalties, demurrage fees, and port congestion. Tungsten automates data extraction and email ingestion for customs clearance, validating regulatory documentation and compliance checks before shipments ever hit major bottlenecks.Accelerating Carrier and Supplier Onboarding: Traditional onboarding forces procurement teams into a weeks-long "paper chase" of manual risk assessments and compliance reviews. Tungsten uses automated self-service portals paired with automated risk assessments—such as using the platform to instantly verify the legitimacy of bank and credit statements—condensing onboarding timelines from weeks down to a matter of days.Bridging the Gap Between AI Hype and Reality: AI cannot solve supply chain issues without clean, unified data. Patrick notes that trying to run raw, messy documents entirely through an unguided Large Language Model (LLM) can cause the AI to run wild, exhausting months' worth of token allocations in a single week. Tungsten ...
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    56 mins
  • Electrifying the Cold Chain Without Breaking the Grid with Sam Plunkett

    Electrifying the Cold Chain Without Breaking the Grid with Sam Plunkett
    Jun 23 2026
    In "Electrifying the Cold Chain Without Breaking the Grid" Joe Lynch and Sam Plunkett, CEO of Nivalis Energy Systems, discuss how self-powered, electrified trailers can drastically cut fleet costs and emissions without overwhelming the power grid. About Sam Plunkett Sam Plunkett is CEO of Nivalis Energy Systems, where he is leading the transition away from diesel-powered refrigeration in commercial transport. Under his leadership, Nivalis is developing and deploying electrified refrigerated trailer solutions that help fleets reduce operating costs, lower emissions, and improve the efficiency of cold-chain logistics operations across North America and Europe. Prior to joining Nivalis, Sam led Battery Technology at Beam Global and built a career spanning materials science, electrochemistry, electrical engineering and product development. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Argonne National Laboratory in conjunction with the University of Illinois Chicago, where his strong publication record and patented innovations focused on battery thermal safety and advanced Lithium battery chemistry. Today, Sam brings this expertise in electrification, energy storage and commercial transport to Nivalis, helping bring innovative technologies from concept to real-world fleet deployment. About Nivalis Energy Systems Nivalis Energy Systems develops electrified refrigerated transport solutions designed to help fleets transition away from diesel-powered Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs). Supporting refrigerated logistics operations across North America and Europe, the company's platforms are designed to lower operating costs, reduce maintenance requirements, and improve operational efficiency across cold-chain transport operations. Designed for both retrofit and new-trailer applications, Nivalis solutions support a wide range of trailer sizes, operational requirements, and the system is TRU agnostic. The company's technology roadmap includes next-generation multi-energy systems combining battery, solar and regenerative technologies to improve the long-haul viability of electrified refrigerated transport. Key Takeaways: Electrifying the Cold Chain Without Breaking the Grid In "Electrifying the Cold Chain Without Breaking the Grid" Joe Lynch and Sam Plunkett, CEO of Nivalis Energy Systems, discuss how self-powered, electrified trailers can drastically cut fleet costs and emissions without overwhelming the power grid. Proven Bottom-Line Savings: Nivalis's electrified solutions have been on the road for over two years, demonstrating average operational savings of $12,000 per trailer, per year by dramatically reducing diesel consumption and mechanical maintenance costs.Strategic European Acquisition: The recent acquisition of SolarEdge eMobility brings 25 years of automotive-grade electrification engineering and manufacturing scale, accelerating Nivalis's integration of solar and regenerative braking technologies.Independence from the Power Grid: Upcoming next-generation platforms will utilize solar panels and e-axles to harvest braking energy. This allows trailers to generate their own power, drastically reducing or entirely eliminating the need for expensive and time-consuming depot grid charging upgrades.Seamless, Agnostic Integration: Designed to be TRU (Transport Refrigeration Unit) agnostic, the technology easily retrofits onto existing Carrier or Thermo King systems. It requires zero operational changes from drivers, automatically powering up or down alongside the existing refrigeration unit.Trailers as Mobile Microgrids: Nivalis is building toward a future where returning trailers with latent battery capacity can push energy back into a distribution hub's grid during peak pricing hours, using AI to optimize energy usage across the entire facility.Powering Advanced Security and Compliance: The robust onboard battery provides a reliable, redundant power source for critical auxiliary systems—like advanced telematics, door-breach sensors, cameras, and pallet-level temperature tracking—without draining the tractor's alternator or relying on idling diesel engines.Expanding into Dry Vans: A new European pilot program applies Nivalis's solar and e-axle technology to standard, non-refrigerated dry vans. The harvested energy is used to slightly propel the trailer on the highway, reducing the tractor's workload and tracking toward a savings of 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year. Learn More About: Electrifying the Cold Chain Without Breaking the Grid Sam Plunkett | Linkedin Nivalis Energy Systems | Linkedin Nivalis Energy Sustems EU | LinkedIn Nivales Energy Systems The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues.The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube
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    49 mins
  • How to Predict the 2026 Intermodal Rebound with IANA's Andrew Sibold

    How to Predict the 2026 Intermodal Rebound with IANA's Andrew Sibold
    Jun 18 2026
    In "How to Predict the 2026 Intermodal Rebound with IANA's Andrew Sibold" Joe Lynch and Andrew Sibold, Director of Economics and Freight Policy at the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), discuss how IANA's new predictive Intermodal Volume Index (IVI) helps logistics leaders navigate shifting market capacity and operational friction to successfully forecast the 2026 freight recovery. About Andrew Sibold Andrew Sibold is the Director of Economics and Freight Policy at the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), where he leads market analysis, research, and economic forecasting that informs both private capital strategy and public policy. Before IANA, he spent five years at the Federal Highway Administration as a financial and economic analyst, where his benefit-cost and net present value modeling helped adjudicate more than $12.1 billion in federal infrastructure grants. He came to economics through the U.S. Army, serving as an Armor officer who led logistics and operations on deployments across Europe and Central Asia. Andrew holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Tennessee, as well as advanced degrees in economics, econometrics, and international relations. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife and four children. About Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) is the leading industry trade association representing the combined interests of the intermodal freight community. Its membership spans the full ecosystem that moves containerized freight across modes — railroads, ocean carriers, ports and terminals, drayage and motor carriers, intermodal marketing companies, and equipment providers. IANA promotes the efficiency, safety, and growth of intermodal transportation through industry standards, professional education, government affairs, and data services. As the connective tissue of a sector that handles a substantial share of North American freight, IANA gives members a unified voice on policy and a shared infrastructure for operations. Increasingly, it also serves as a source of market intelligence, equipping members with the economic data and forecasting they need to navigate a volatile freight cycle. Key Takeaways: How to Predict the 2026 Intermodal Rebound In "How to Predict the 2026 Intermodal Rebound with IANA's Andrew Sibold" Joe Lynch and Andrew Sibold, Director of Economics and Freight Policy at the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), discuss how IANA's new predictive Intermodal Volume Index (IVI) helps logistics leaders navigate shifting market capacity and operational friction to successfully forecast the 2026 freight recovery. IANA as the "Conductor" of the Intermodal Ecosystem: The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) serves as the critical connective tissue and unified voice for a fragmented freight community. By connecting railroads, ocean carriers, ports, drayage motor carriers, and 3PLs, IANA acts as an industry "conductor" to harmonize operations across multiple transportation modes that handle a substantial share of North American freight.Eliminating Blind Spots with the Intermodal Volume Index (IVI): Historically, intermodal freight data has been fragmented and heavily lagging—with rail data delayed by a week and port data lagging by two to three months. Launched publicly in May, IANA's new IVI solves this industry pain point by acting as a real-time, seasonally adjusted "pulse check" on North American freight activity.Shifting from Lagging to Predictive Capacity Planning: Unlike traditional freight indicators that only look backward (like GDP or older equipment data), the IVI functions as a predictive bridge. By utilizing a mathematical process to bring historical data into the present and factoring in seasonal fluctuations, it provides mid-market shippers, 3PLs, and asset-based carriers with a forward-looking forecast to confidently adjust capacity planning.Unconventional Market Strength in 2026: The IVI is currently printing quite strong—tracking right around 106 for June, which is 6% higher than the pre-COVID baseline. While total import container volumes (TEUs) have softened due to tariff effects, intermodal volumes are rebounding rapidly due to a surge in high-value domestic manufacturing freight, driven heavily by investments in data centers and infrastructure built to support modern AI.Reducing Operational Friction via Standardization: Intermodal logistics inherently suffers from handoff friction between different actors, leading to costly demurrage, detention, and lost productivity. IANA mitigates this administrative nightmare by managing standardized operational frameworks—most notably the Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Agreement (UIIA)—which serves as a single, universal contract that lowers industry insurance costs and streamlines driver registrations.Navigating Volatility and Truck-to-Rail Conversion: Global ...
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    49 mins
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