554: Navigate Fuel Volatility and Disruption, with DeliverDirect
Release Date: 07/20/2026
559: From AI Hype to Business Value: The Future of Supply Chain Intelligence, with Gnosis Freight
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Jake Hoffman of Gnosis Freight talks about AI – trust; misconceptions; data; asking the right questions; measuring success; & why the real innovation isn't AI. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.08] The biggest misconceptions people have about AI in logistics. “There’s a big misconception that AI itself is the differentiator, that if you have good AI that means all your problems go away. AI is just an amplifier of whatever is underneath the surface… People are learning that the hard way.” [04.16] What being an AI-native company means for Gnosis Freight, why they’ve changed how...
info_outline
558: Maintenance Reimagined, with Samsara
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Sean McGee of Samsara talks about maintenance; tackling key pain points; the impact of automation; flexibility, and driving successful change management. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.15] An introduction to Sean, his role at Samsara, and why their conference, Samsara Beyond, is the highlight of the year. [03.31] What the landscape of maintenance has typically looked like, and why Samsara have learned to pay attention to post-it notes. “A lot of operators are trying to figure out how to go from reactive and chaotic to proactive and planned.” [05.52] Why Samsara has gone all-in on...
info_outline
556: Discover AI Applications for Global Supply Chain Management and The Role of Total Landed Cost, with Trade Facilitators
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Dan Gardner of Trade Facilitators talks about AI hype, challenges & opportunities; & how their Total Landed Cost engine is driving big impact for US importers. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.17] Dan’s collection of currency notes, and what they say about his career journey. [05.33] How, and why, Dan transitioned from logistics to global supply chain management. “There’s a lot of competition in that space, so to legitimately differentiate is difficult… I started to look beyond logistics, to see how I could enhance a clients performance in other areas.” [10.26]...
info_outline
555: How to build a technology partnership that drives results, with Samsara Customer XPO
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Tony Graham of XPO talks about their partnership with Samsara; AI; the importance of gaining employee buy-in; & driving impact with new technology solutions. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [01.18] An introduction to Tony and his nearly 30-year career journey at XPO. [02.35] An overview of XPO, what they do, and how they help their customers. “We have about 300 locations, 22,000 employees – we moved 16 billion pounds of freight last year!.. So we play a pretty important role in the North American supply chain.” [03.45] Re-investing in LTL – how XPO has evolved over the past few...
info_outline
554: Navigate Fuel Volatility and Disruption, with DeliverDirect
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Edward Burek of SmartKargo & Marco Ferrara of DeliverDirect talk about issues impacting small parcel delivery; fuel price reality; & keeping costs low & simple. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.04] An introduction to Edward and Marco, and their roles at SmartKargo and DeliverDirect. [03.07] An overview of DeliverDirect – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. [03.29] As the industry deals with ongoing fuel volatility, why Delta Airlines have a structural advantage other carriers don't have, and what it means in practice to have an airline like Delta...
info_outline
553: Engage and Empower Your Team, with Brecham Group
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Chris Hamley of Brecham Group talks about people - ‘accidental’ supply chain careers; leadership; balancing teams & tech; and creating futureproof careers. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.17] An introduction to Chris and the Brecham Group. [04.10] The current pace of change across the industry, and whether it’s actually ready for widespread AI adoption. “The speed of change, and the amount knowledge you have to consume and gain, is amazing.” [06.34] ‘Accidental’ supply chain careers – how Chris sees people entering the industry, and why there are so many ‘accidental’...
info_outline
552: Expand Your Visibility and Achieve Asset Tracking at Scale, with Samsara
Let's Talk Supply Chain
David Gal of Samsara talks about their new Tracking Label; shipment visibility; cargo theft, building a tiered tracking strategy; and becoming proactive. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [01.13] An introduction to David and his role at Samsara. “We digitize everything that’s not a vehicle!” [02.03] What visibility into a shipment's journey typically looks like, the biggest barriers to accurate visibility, the solutions currently on the market – and why they don’t solve the problem. “For consumers, tracking can be frustrating. But, for businesses, it’s a real challenge… The...
info_outline
551: Make Shipping and Shopping Work Better For Everybody, with Veho
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Ita Zur of Veho talks about what they do; the ecommerce industry; the Amazon effect; & balancing cost, speed and optionality for the best customer experience. RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Head over to Veho’s now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Veho and keep up to date with the latest over on , , or , or you can connect with on LinkedIn. Check out our other podcasts .
info_outline
550: Discover The Blueprint For Your Autonomous Supply Chain, with FourKites
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Jimmy Sebastian of FourKites talks about AI; visibility; the problem with ‘AI-washing;’ the simple steps to get started; & how to measure scalable success. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.57] An introduction to Jimmy, his background, and role at FourKites. “I care about AI that’s not just powerful, but explainable, secure, and enterprise-ready.” [04.38] An overview of FourKites, their evolution, the three layers that make up their offering, and the customers they serve. [07.28] How visibility has evolved from differentiator to table stakes, what that means for businesses, and...
info_outline
549: Detect Anomalies Before They Show Up As Cost, with Reveel and GOAT Group
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Gabrielle Murabito of Reveel & Gloria Seckler of GOAT Group talk about anomaly detection; data & visibility; & why automation is key to finding issues early. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.42] An introduction to Gabrielle, her background and role at Reveel; and a reminder of who Reveel are, what they do, and their customer profile. “We help shippers level the playing field with their carriers, and understand where their spend is going across all modes of transportation.” [04.22] An introduction to Gloria, and GOAT Group. [05.18] What anomaly detection means in a shipping...
info_outlineEdward Burek of SmartKargo & Marco Ferrara of DeliverDirect talk about issues impacting small parcel delivery; fuel price reality; & keeping costs low & simple.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[02.04] An introduction to Edward and Marco, and their roles at SmartKargo and DeliverDirect.
[03.07] An overview of DeliverDirect – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.
[03.29] As the industry deals with ongoing fuel volatility, why Delta Airlines have a structural advantage other carriers don't have, and what it means in practice to have an airline like Delta running the middle mile for e-commerce shipments.
“Fuel is the biggest cost with an airline but, because our passenger aircraft are flying around anyway, a lot of that fuel cost is absorbed – we’re able to insulate and reduce what we’re charging our customers.”
[05.52] As shippers see fuel surcharges, accessorial fees, and pricing complexity hit unprecedented levels, have surcharges stopped being about fuel and started becoming part of a business model?
“There are a lot of carriers that are taking advantage of the market forces right now. A lot of businesses are built on surcharges... It’s become a mechanism to dial up your revenue.”
[08.20] How DeliverDirect are approaching pricing differently.
“It’s so easy to forecast – it’s a CFO’s dream!... We want it to be a win-win all the way through the supply chain.”
[10.50] How DeliverDirect pulls together what already exists in the ecosystem, and the role SmartKargo's platform plays in making those pieces work together as a single delivery experience.
[12.42] How SmartKargo is using real-time data and automation to predict shipment issues and recommend corrective actions before DeliverDirect customers feel any disruption.
[13.56] Why quality data is the real foundation behind successful AI in logistics.
“If you don’t have good data, you can’t put an AI engine over that.”
[14.39] From ocean backlogs to cross-border tariff complications, how big industry impacts are translating into challenges for businesses, and the impact of big e-commerce market growth.
[16.42] Whether there are enough packages and profitable demand for everyone competing in a tough market, and how companies are differentiating themselves beyond just lowering prices.
[19.17] The future for small parcel logistics.
“What if it becomes coop-etition?!”
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to DeliverDirect’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with DeliverDirect and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Marco or Edward on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from DeliverDirect, check out 538: Enjoy Ecommerce Delivery at the Speed of Flight, with DeliverDirect.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.