Figuring it out one blog at a time.

  Today- we’re taking a deeper dive into the intersection of artificial intelligence and the future of freight. In Vol 5 , we explored why AI is critical to freight strategy, but today, we’re focusing on how AI continues to evolve in the logistics industry. As AI-driven tools become more advanced, logistics leaders need to balance the efficiency and power of technology with the human insights that have always been a cornerstone of the industry. AI isn’t just about automating tasks—it’s about amplifying human potential . Yes, AI can optimize routes, forecast demand, and predict maintenance needs, but it still needs the empathy , intuition , and experience of people on the ground. It’s a combination of data-driven decision-making and human judgment that creates a truly effective freight strategy. In this episode, we explore how AI is revolutionizing logistics operations, but also how human connection must remain at the heart of everything we do. Here’s a look at how AI and hu...

The world of logistics has been hit hard by a wave of uncertainty in recent months. While tariffs and shifting global trade policies have been ongoing concerns, recent developments in the broader economy have created even more turbulence. From job layoffs to companies pulling their financial guidance, businesses across industries are grappling with the unpredictable impact of economic restructuring. In this blog post, I’ll dive into how tariffs and job losses are affecting the logistics sector, and how the current period of economic uncertainty requires a complete restructuring —not just in select areas but across entire business operations. The Growing Uncertainty in Global Business In the past few months, major companies such as General Motors , American Airlines , and Stellantis have been forced to withdraw their financial outlooks for the year due to the uncertainty caused by tariffs and other economic pressures. These companies, along with many others, are navigating a diffic...

  In the past decade, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have become buzzwords that many industries, including logistics, have embraced as essential to building strong, resilient teams. However, in recent years, we’ve seen a shift. DEI initiatives that were once seen as a cornerstone of corporate responsibility are now being rolled back. The reasons behind this are varied—political pressure, corporate budget cuts, or simply a shift in focus—but the consequences of this rollback are serious, particularly for logistics. In Episode 23: The Impact of DEI Rollbacks on Logistics , we take a deep dive into the ramifications of reducing DEI efforts within the logistics sector, where diversity isn’t just about ethics—it’s a strategic business advantage. The question is: What do we lose when we step back from DEI? The Erosion of Workplace Culture DEI programs were designed to create inclusive workplaces where all voices could be heard. But without these initiatives, employees—especially ...

I n the logistics industry, shift work is a way of life. The world doesn’t stop moving, and neither do the people who ensure that freight is delivered on time. However, the toll that this type of work takes on the people doing it is often left unacknowledged. The Real Impact of Shift Work On paper, shift work can look like a dream. Long stretches of time off may seem like a win for workers, but the truth is that the first day after a grueling 12-32 hour shift is usually spent recovering from physical exhaustion. And for many, that recovery is a lot more than just sleep. It’s about finding the energy to tackle household chores, care for family members, and return to some semblance of normalcy. For those with caregiving responsibilities—whether caring for children, aging parents, or other loved ones—the days off are often consumed by their needs, not by rest. When workers are finally home, they are expected to “switch gears” and be fully present for their families and friends, many of wh...

  “Benefits aren’t benefits if you’re afraid to use them.” In logistics, coverage should mean protection — but for many, it means navigating fine print, loopholes, and silence. Episode 21 of Logistics at a Crossroads takes a hard look at who’s really covered — and who’s quietly being left behind. From temp workers misclassified as contractors to family caregivers denied job protection under FMLA, we break down: How staffing loopholes deny workers healthcare access. The burden on solo caregivers in single-income households. The real story behind “optional” benefits like short-term disability and unpaid leave. We also examine legal cases like Kelley v. Jewish Voice Ministries International and the growing scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Labor — reminding us that policy compliance isn’t enough without cultural accountability. Employers: It’s time to look beyond the handbook. Train your supervisors. Audit your classifications. Normalize taking leave. Workers: Keep ...

  The Quiet Exit of Experience in the Age of Automation In logistics, everything has a timestamp—cargo, paperwork, driver check-ins, port calls. But one thing that often goes without a clock? The quiet push of seasoned professionals out the door. As someone who’s been in transportation, shipping, and logistics for over 30 years, I’ve seen the shift firsthand. It’s not about resisting change. It’s about the time—the time we’ve put in, the hours we still give, and the knowledge we carry. I’m 48. And yes, I still work the 30-hour shift. A 10-hour day turns into a 10-hour night, followed by another 10-hour day before I ever leave the building. Why? Because vessel traffic doesn’t care if it’s 2 a.m., and truck queues don’t pause when systems glitch. I stay because someone has to hold the line. Younger folks entering the field often underestimate the grit it takes—not just to learn the tools (AI, Teams, Freightpop, Magaya, Google Sheets), but to weather the storm, week after week. I...

 We’ve all daydreamed about it at some point—standing in line with a lottery ticket in hand, wondering, “What if?” Most people say they’d pay off bills, build their dream home, buy a fancy car, maybe travel the world. But for me, it’s not about extravagance. It’s about building something that matters —for myself, and for others. If I ever hit that jackpot, the first thing I’d do is clear my debt. That freedom matters. But then, I’d disappear—not from people, but from the noise. I'd purchase 50 acres of land. Not in the middle of nowhere exactly—but close enough. Maybe 30 miles from the nearest town. I’d buy a dependable 4-wheel drive vehicle, plant a garden, build a greenhouse, raise a few chickens, and install wind socks so I could watch the direction the wind takes each day. Maybe even reserve an acre for a solar power farm. I want a life where the pace slows down and the soil still matters. But here’s where my dream really takes shape: I wouldn’t stop at building a life for ...

It’s strange how grief can reach across denominational lines. Today, as the world says goodbye to Pope Francis, I find myself mourning—deeply—even though I’m Baptist, not Catholic. Twelve years ago, the world waited with breath held for the white smoke that would announce a new pope. That smoke revealed Pope Francis, a man who carried the hope of a Church in transition. He was different from Pope Benedict—softer, more outward-facing. He tried to meet a generation that had begun to drift. Some welcomed the change. Some resisted it. But no one could deny the symbolic weight he carried. Still, for me, it was Pope John Paul II who made the deepest impression. His charisma, his strength, and his ability to connect across political, cultural, and spiritual lines made him unforgettable. He was, to me, the embodiment of faith in motion. Now, we return to that sacred waiting once more. The Church will deliberate. The world will watch. Many will pray. And I do too. Not just for the Catholic...

 This week, grief walked onto two campuses — one in Florida, one in Texas — and shattered the illusion of safety. At Florida State University, students now carry trauma they never asked for. In Dallas, a school shooting was made possible by something painfully preventable: an unsecured door. As someone with nieces, nephews, and chosen family in college, I can’t separate these tragedies from my personal world — and I can’t ignore the systems we’ve built that continue to fail at critical moments. In logistics, we spend a lot of time talking about access control . Who’s allowed in? What doors are locked? What checks are in place? But what happens when the lock holds… and the key is handed over anyway? What happens when trust, or assumption, or a moment of carelessness lets danger in? This episode is different. It’s not just about ports or planning or processes. It’s about what happens when the systems we rely on — in schools, in security, in society — leave the back door ope...

 S ystems We Survive – A Logistics at a Crossroads Series When cancer treatment ends, the expectation is that life returns to normal. But in reality, “remission” doesn’t mean “restored.” It means rebuilding — slowly, painfully, and often without understanding from the workplace. As an ovarian cancer survivor, I’ve lived it. You go from weekly chemo and scan anxiety to suddenly being told, “You're good to go!” Except you’re not. You’re still exhausted. You’re still navigating follow-ups every few months. You still wake up with days where your body — or your mind — simply says no. In logistics, there’s no real language for that kind of recovery. “Light duty” doesn’t mean flexibility. It means fewer boxes, maybe. But not less pressure. The Truth About Invisible Disabilities Whether it’s cancer recovery, autoimmune conditions, mental health, chronic pain, or fatigue disorders — invisible disabilities are real. But they are rarely accommodated meaningfully in physical or...

  Last month, I lost a friend. She was recovering from surgery, headed to rehab, and looking forward to the next chapter. We spoke on Tuesday night — we laughed, we planned. By 5 a.m. Wednesday… she was gone. And because of one Florida statute, there’s no justice. No accountability. No recourse. Florida Statute 768.21(8) — better known as the Free Kill Law — prevents families from filing wrongful death medical malpractice suits if the victim is over 25, unmarried, and has no minor children. It protects negligent institutions. It silences grieving families. And it remains on the books because too many lawmakers are more loyal to lobbyists than to life. 🧩 This isn’t a loophole. It’s policy — chosen, upheld, and funded. Despite public outrage, every attempt to repeal it has quietly died in committee. Why? Because repealing it might cost the healthcare and insurance industries money. And too many elected officials are afraid to lose funding or face political fallout. But ...

  A Mother’s Day Reflection from the Women Holding Invisible Loads In logistics, you learn to expect the unexpected. Delays. Re-routes. Last-minute coverage. You pivot — because the operation has to move. But behind the pivot? It’s often the same people — the women without children, the ones assumed to have more time. The ones who never say no. I am one of them. I am childless — not by choice. I am an ovarian cancer survivor. I have experienced pregnancy, but never held a child in my arms. And every Mother's Day, I feel that ache echo. 🚨 The Invisible Workforce We are the sisters, aunts, friends, and colleagues who pick up the slack when daycare falls through. We’re the ones who cover your shift when your child is sick. We’re the safe call in a crisis. Yet come Mother's Day, we are often invisible. “You’re not a mom,” they say. But you weren’t saying that when you needed us. You weren’t saying that when we showed up — over and over again. 🧳 Mi...

After 14 volumes, it’s time to pause—not to slow down, but to hold the thread. This series began with a simple but urgent question: What happens when movement meets meaning? We didn’t just report on logistics. We reflected on what it feels like to work in it: when tariffs hit paychecks, when rail pressure mounts, when admin roles quietly disappear, when policy shifts leave planners scrambling, and when childless women carry unseen loads in systems not built for them. We covered: 📦 Volume 1: Tariffs and the toll on the working class 🛤️ Volume 2: Intermodal rail’s return to relevance ⚖️ Volumes 3 & 6: Trade policy fog meets monetary whiplash 🧠 Volume 9: Childless-not-by-choice women navigating silent grief 🌀 Volume 14: Legal pushback, small business strain, and chaos fatigue These weren’t just talking points. They were real moments , experienced by real people , in real roles who are often overlooked. In Volume 14 , when importers pushed back and pl...

In logistics, we plan months in advance. But what happens when policy shifts faster than we can build infrastructure? This week, a coalition of small businesses — including a wine distributor, a cycling apparel company, and a plumbing supply brand — filed a lawsuit against the White House, challenging the use of emergency powers to impose tariffs. Their claim? Trade deficits aren’t national emergencies. And sudden tariffs aren’t policy — they’re panic. For those of us in the trenches of supply chain planning, this isn’t just a legal story — it’s an operational nightmare. Freight doesn’t pivot overnight. We’re already rerouting around China. Now the “safe” alternates — Vietnam, Mexico, India — are under new scrutiny. And U.S. reshoring? Still stuck behind workforce gaps, zoning delays, and infrastructure catch-up. One executive said it best: “Supply chains require long-term planning that is nearly impossible in the current environment.” Meanwhile, planners are juggling: Sourc...

Global manufacturing isn’t anchored anymore. The vessels have set sail. For years, China was the obvious port of call—efficient, fast, and fully equipped. But the tides have shifted. Tariffs, politics, and pressure have pushed companies to chart new courses. The cargo—the global manufacturing base—is in motion. 🛳️ The question is: Which port is ready to receive it? ⛴️ India is waving from the shore, promising tech talent and government-backed incentives—but behind the docks, roads and utilities are still under construction. ⛴️ Vietnam is building berths as fast as possible. Demand is high. But the harbor’s crowded, and the infrastructure is stretching. ⛴️ Mexico is just across the bay—close, familiar, and eager. But political storms and uneven capacity make for a choppy approach. ⛴️ Malaysia and Thailand have calm waters, established routes, and dependable trade winds—but limited room to dock the larger ships coming their way. ⚓ The Port You Choose Matters Vessels don’t...

  📘 Volume 12: The Admin Still Standing Logistics at a Crossroads Not every hero wears a headset or drives a forklift. Some hold it down from behind the desk. 📅 Managing shift swaps. 📬 Coordinating delivery windows. 🧾 Reconciling paperwork that nobody else wants to touch. In logistics, we often highlight the visible wins—vessel arrivals, freight moved, on-time percentages. But the quiet force behind all of it? That’s the admin . 🧩 The Job That Catches Everything They’re the ones who: Catch errors before they hit the warehouse Track orders while managing meeting requests Fill in when dispatch isn’t backfilled Translate chaos into process They’re not just assistants. They’re the operational glue . 🕳️ What Happens When the Support Disappears? In Volume 11, we talked about the disappearing dispatcher —roles that get quietly eliminated, never replaced, and leave holes no one officially owns. Guess who picks up the pieces? The admin team. The logisti...

The Disappearing Dispatcher Roles are getting consolidated. People are burning out. And no one’s backfilling. You don’t always notice when someone disappears in logistics. Because the freight keeps moving. Because someone else steps up. Because “we’ll backfill later” becomes “we’ll figure it out.” But here’s the quiet truth: We’ve been absorbing departures instead of addressing them. And it’s costing us. Dispatchers are now doing planner work. Clerks are handling order entry, billing, and customer escalations. Admins are managing three inboxes and a radio. This isn’t resilience. It’s role erosion . 👤 “We didn’t replace them, but the work still got done.” That sentence might look efficient in a quarterly report — but it hides a fracture. Because the work isn’t getting done the same way. It’s being stretched, rushed, dropped… or automated. 🤖 AI is Here. But Humans Still Hold the Line. Let’s talk about it: AI in dispatching is advancing fast. Routing algorithms, di...

  It is an amazing feeling!

 COMING APRIL 21st!!!! In an industry built on movement, some of the biggest challenges don’t show up in cargo reports or KPI dashboards. They show up in conversations—about leadership, uncertainty, equity, burnout, and resilience. This debut episode introduces the mission behind Logistics at a Crossroads , hosted by 30-year logistics veteran and ovarian cancer survivor, Regina Hunter. 📦 Episode 1: What’s Really Moving Freight We kick off the series with a candid look at the invisible forces powering supply chains—grit, pressure, precision, and the people holding the line when systems strain. 🗓️ New episodes drop weekly starting April 21st. Plus: In the coming weeks, we’ll spotlight the often-overlooked voices of childless-not-by-choice women in logistics —stories of strength, sacrifice, and showing up every day, even when the world doesn’t see the weight they carry. 📣 Follow the show and join the conversation. Because this isn’t just logistics—it’s life in motion. ...

 Ac ross leadership levels, across pay grades. 📉 According to LinkedIn’s latest Workforce and Executive Confidence surveys: ▪ Worker confidence is down 12 points since March 2023 ▪ Executive optimism dropped from +57 to +54 in a single year In logistics, uncertainty isn't new—but this moment feels different. It’s quieter. Heavier. The emotional freight is real: ⚠️ Delayed decisions ⚠️ Thin teams ⚠️ Reorganizations with no roadmap And yet… the work is getting done. 💬 Here's the part we don’t talk about enough: There are days when it feels like everyone’s phoning it in. Like enthusiasm got left at the last budget review. But the trucks still roll. The reports still get filed. The deadlines still get met. Showing up still matters. Even on the days that feel like a grind. Even when motivation is in short supply. Even when leadership is still “recalibrating.” This industry runs on grit. On people who hold the line when it’s not easy. I see you. I am you. So let’...

👩🏽‍💼 A follow-up to my CNBC post — and a call for change in 2025. “What if the strongest person on your team is carrying the heaviest load — and no one sees it?” When I shared my experience in the CNBC piece about childless women in logistics, the response was overwhelming. Women across industries — many of whom never speak up — told me they felt seen, maybe for the first time. This post is for them. And for every leader in logistics ready to listen.  1 in 6 women globally  experience infertility during their lifetime. (World Health Organization, 2023) I’m childless — not by choice. I’m an ovarian cancer survivor. I’ve known pregnancy, but not childbirth. I’ve known grief, and I’ve kept showing up — every single day. 🚫 Misunderstood Responsibilities Being childless doesn't mean being carefree. Many of us care for aging parents, sick siblings, or pour time into community, faith, and causes that matter. These responsibilities may look different from parenting — but they...

Wednesday's market rally, driven by the White House’s tariff pause announcement—excluding China—felt like a flash of sunlight through storm clouds. The EU’s matching 90-day reprieve added to the optimism. But from a planner’s seat, this isn’t clarity—it’s chaos disguised as calm. In logistics, we don’t plan in 90-day windows. We plan for seasons, for manufacturing cycles, for year-over-year forecasts. A temporary easing of tariffs doesn’t give us the runway we need—it gives us turbulence. As a planner, I’m watching schedules shift, contingency plans multiply, and production teams wait for confirmation on which materials they’ll even be using. With China still excluded, critical components remain cost-volatile. And domestic suppliers—already stretched thin by reshoring demands and rising input costs—are under pressure to deliver consistency they simply can’t guarantee. Not when policy signals change week to week. This isn’t just about what’s being taxed—it’s about how we plan around...