Art of Supply

Επεισόδια

• FedEx Freight's Independence Day 04.06.2026 17λ

  On Monday, June 1st, FedEx Freight CEO John Smith rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate the fact that the company is now operating (and trading) independently. This story dates back to the summer of 2024, when the idea of separating out FedEx's LTL operating unit was just a very believable rumor. Now they are the largest LTL provider in North America, and what one outlet described as a $9 Billion startup, with 40,000 employees. And yet, for all of the company-led fanfare, the media coverage was… uninspired? With one notable exception that is…  In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers what we know about FedEx Freight's immediate plans for their corporate freedom: - What they plan to focus on as a company, both from a growth standpoint and operationally - Where the company stands on the question of emissions reduction, regulatory changes, and driverless fleets - How soon we might have some idea of how successful they will be   Links: Will FedEx Freight hit the open road? (AOS, December 2024): https://artofprocurement.com/blog/supply-will-fedex-freight-hit-the-open-road  Kelly Barner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-barner-6884443/  Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/art-of-supply-6895142546301960193  Art of Supply on AOP: http://www.artofsupply.com  Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe   
• Red Lobster's Comeback Gamble 28.05.2026 17λ

  Endless Shrimp is BACK at Red Lobster… a headline few people in the business world would have predicted.  The promotion played an over-hyped role in the company's 2024 bankruptcy filing, mostly because it was easier to explain than a bad real estate leaseback deal led by investors at the time – the actual cause of Red Lobster's financial trouble. Their new CEO, Damola Adamolekun, is best known for leading the turnaround at P.F. Chang's and was handpicked by Fortress Investment Group, the investors that bought Red Lobster out of bankruptcy. In November 2024, Adamolekun told Today he had ended the Endless Shrimp promotion "Because I know how to do math." And yet… six weeks before the end of the company's fiscal year… it looks like their best hope. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner looks back at Red Lobster: - How much progress the company has made since their bankruptcy - The cost pressures, both internal and external, they are struggling to overcome - And the impact a media-savvy CEO has been able to have on restaurant traffic   Links: Ultimate Endless Real Estate Costs at Red Lobster https://artofprocurement.com/blog/supply-ultimate-endless-real-estate-costs-at-red-lobster Kelly Barner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-barner-6884443/  Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/art-of-supply-6895142546301960193  Art of Supply on AOP: http://www.artofsupply.com  Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe   
• Why is nobody talking about China's new supply chain regulations? 21.05.2026 20λ

  China's new supply chain regulations may be one of the biggest global trade and sourcing stories that almost nobody is talking about. Decree 834 and 835 quietly took effect - immediately - on April 7th and 13th. If China decides to enforce them, they could fundamentally change how multinational companies approach sourcing, reshoring, compliance, and supplier diversification. In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner breaks down China's newly enacted Decrees 834 and 835 — regulations designed to protect Chinese industrial and supply chain security, while potentially penalizing companies that attempt to diversify away from China. Listen to discover: - What China's Decrees 834 and 835 mean for Western (and China-owned) businesses - Why reshoring and China +1 strategies may now carry new risks - How companies could become trapped between conflicting U.S., EU, and Chinese regulations - Why ordinary supplier due diligence and compliance audits may now face additional scrutiny - The growing concern over "extraterritorial" enforcement and China's expanding economic leverage - Potential penalties ranging from market restrictions to sanctions on individuals Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-barner-6884443/ Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/art-of-supply-6895142546301960193 Art of Supply on AOP: https://artofsupply.com Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
• Consumption Challenges at Boston Beer Company 14.05.2026 20λ

  During the pandemic, some buyers and suppliers made aggressive bets about the future.  Demand was surging, capacity was constrained, and everyone worried more about shortages than oversupply. For a while, it looked like the logic was sound, but now one of those agreements has turned into a $175.5 Million jury verdict. Boston Beer Company (through its subsidiary American Craft Brewery) has been found liable in a dispute with their supplier Ardagh Metal Packaging over minimum can purchase requirements. The contracts that offer safety during times of scarcity can quickly become liabilities when markets normalize. Companies increasingly have to navigate both realities at the same time. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers:  - The background of the Ardagh Metal Packaging and Boston Beer Company dispute  - Why pandemic-era supply assumptions created long-tail contractual risk  - The legal arguments around minimum purchase commitments and supplier quality claims  - What this case teaches us about flexibility, forecasting, and commercial risk allocation   Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter
• Social Value as Strategy in Public Sector Procurement W/ Guy Battle 07.05.2026 38λ

  "We have seen a transformation between the public sector and the private sector in terms of their relationship. We've seen enormous change in this country." - Guy Battle, CEO of Social Value Portal The U.K. Social Value Act of 2012 requires all public sector buyers to ask suppliers how much their business will contribute to the community if they win the work up for bidding. It has not just become a differentiator among supplier proposals, it has shifted how the government is awarding its contracts. Contributions to social value are now being included in the award process alongside cost and quality. Guy Battle is the CEO of the Social Value Portal, and the author of a recent article published in the Journal of Public Procurement: "Social value as a lever for achieving value for money and community outcomes in procurement." He describes social value as a business's answer to the question: How do you contribute to our environment, support the local community, and bolster the local economy? In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Guy discusses social value with Kelly Barner in the context of: The longer term corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) movement Current regulations, and how they started a shift that has moved beyond compliance What has been required to allow social value to build momentum and achieve scale How public sector policy can drive change across the private sector supply base   Links: Guy Battle on LinkedIn JoPP Article: Social value as a lever for achieving value for money and community outcomes in procurement Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter  
• Pricing the Last Mile: Amazon, USPS, and the Fight for Profitability 30.04.2026 16λ

  Amazon packages represent 15% of the United States Postal Service's package volume, but about 7.5% of their revenue. Amazon is USPS's biggest customer, even though Amazon passed the USPS to become the largest domestic parcel carrier in 2025. The current Amazon - USPS agreement expires on September 30, 2026, just days before the USPS may run out of the cash required to operate. Amazon has signaled that they would like to replace the USPS with their own network, but doing so will be more expensive than the company may have bargained for. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers the public positioning and power dynamics playing out between Amazon and the U.S. Postal Service: The history and current status of the relationship between the two organizations How the U.S. Post Office is trying to bring market pricing into their negotiations with shippers - and how Amazon responded to that strategy Why the final outcome in this story is something all consumers may be affected by Links: UPS Picks Profitability Over Volume, and The Teamsters Push Back Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter  
• UPS Picks Profitability Over Volume, and The Teamsters Push Back 23.04.2026 18λ

  "This was a company that was once all about volume, was all about customer service, was all about growth, was all about sales, was all about creating jobs." - Sean O'Brien, General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters In 2024, Amazon accounted for 11% of UPS's revenue but between 20% and 25% of U.S. network volume. When UPS announced that they were planning to reduce their Amazon package volume by over 50% in early 2025, the market responded negatively. Not only did their revenue decline, but they were also forced to reduce headcount by 48,000, shutter 93 facilities, and restructure their delivery network. UPS is working through the fallout resulting from that decision, which includes offering six-figure buyouts to unionized drivers. The Teamsters are pushing back hard, arguing that even voluntary driver buyouts violate contract terms and undermine union protections. This may look like a story about cost cutting, but it's really about UPS's efforts to shift from volume to profit margin in a competitive market. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: Why UPS is cutting Amazon volume and what that means for them financially, operationally, and from a labor perspective The structure and controversy of the 2025 and 2026 driver buyout programs The Teamsters' legal and contractual response to the company's current plan The broader implications for supply chains and labor  Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter  
• Everyone Has a Role in Growing the Value Chain W/ Andrew Quincey 16.04.2026 28λ

  "If you focus too much on efficiency, you might get something cheap – but it doesn't deliver what you want. If you focus too much on effectiveness, you might spend more than you need. Those two sides need to be balanced." - Andrew Quincey It is much more difficult to measure value than savings, so even the most skilled procurement professionals tend to focus on savings instead of value. If, however, it is possible to identify why something is being done and how it is being done, procurement will be positioned to drive better overall outcomes.  Andrew Quincey is a procurement professional and academic with Leeds University Business School in the U.K. In this episode of Art of Supply, he comments on a recent article he wrote for the Journal of Public Procurement: "Achieving Value for Money Equilibrium." He highlights how procurement can move beyond execution to play a more strategic role across the entire value chain, with a special focus on complex public-sector environments. In this episode, Andrew and Kelly Barner discuss: The concept of "value for money equilibrium" and how balancing effectiveness and efficiency can lead to better outcomes How and why complexity increases exponentially in procurement projects, and what to do about it Practical ways procurement can move upstream, influence strategy, and engage more effectively in the "why" behind purchasing decisions Links: Achieving value for money equilibrium (Emerald Publishing) Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter  
• From Ports to Geopolitics: Protecting U.S. Cargo Worldwide with Chairman Laura DiBella 09.04.2026 37λ

  "What happens clear across the world has a very, very big impact, potentially, to U.S. cargo. We've had to take a wider lens look at all of the risks." - FMC Chairman Laura DiBella The Federal Maritime Commission is an independent, bipartisan agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for overseeing the international ocean transportation system as it relates to U.S. cargo. The FMC's jurisdiction centers specifically on U.S. cargo wherever it moves globally, regardless of vessel ownership or location. FMC Chairman Laura DiBella has a diverse background that spans commercial real estate, economic development, and maritime operations. Before joining the FMC, she served as Florida's Secretary of Commerce and held leadership roles supporting port operations and maritime stakeholders, including the Florida Harbor Pilots Association. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Chairman DiBella and Kelly Barner discuss three major ongoing cases that the FMC is actively involved in: An investigation into global chokepoints, including the Northern Sea Passage, English Channel, Malacca Strait, Singapore Strait, Strait of Gibraltar, Panama Canal, and Suez Canal How flags of convenience are impacting worker safety and perpetuating the "shadow fleet" An investigation into allegations that Spain has blocked U.S. ships from docking in their ports   Links: Chairman Laura DiBella on LinkedIn Federal Maritime Commission Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter  
• Building Ethical Leaders in Freight: Inside TIA's Freight Leadership Lab 02.04.2026 38λ

  "If you don't figure out a way to treat your carriers ethically and help them make money, you're not going to have them." - Michael Riccio, former TIA Chairman and founder of More Than Miles Consulting In this episode, Kelly Barner is joined by two leaders from the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA): Michael Riccio, former TIA Chairman and founder of More Than Miles Consulting, and David Abell, CEO of AM Transport Services and a TIA Board Member. Together, they explore the newly launched Freight Leadership Lab, a program designed to elevate leadership, ethics, and professionalism across the freight brokerage industry. From personal career journeys to the realities of ethical decision-making under pressure, this conversation offers both practical insights and a compelling vision for the future of freight. Listen in to hear Mike, David, and Kelly discuss: How the TIA's new Freight Leadership Lab is developing the next generation of freight brokerage leaders The importance of ethics in freight brokerage, including how leaders can navigate gray-area decisions under time pressure Practical insights into the role of culture, values, and "extreme ownership" in building stronger teams and better decision-making habits A broader perspective on the future of freight brokerage, including why investing in people and relationships is key to raising professional standards across the industry This conversation goes beyond freight—it's about leadership under pressure, ethical decision-making, and building sustainable businesses. Whether you're in logistics, procurement, or any fast-moving industry, the lessons here are broadly applicable. Links: Mike Riccio on LinkedIn David Abell on LinkedIn TIA's Freight Leadership Lab Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter  
• Foreign-trade Zones Explained & Applied 26.03.2026 31λ

  "With tariffs in the news again and the trade policy environment shifting, folks are back to wanting to relearn about the [foreign-trade zone] program."  Foreign-trade zones (FTZs) allow companies to bring goods into secure U.S. locations without immediately entering U.S. commerce for customs purposes. They allow businesses to defer duties, taxes, and fees until goods officially enter the market, or avoid them altogether if those goods are ultimately exported.  FTZs are often used by manufacturers to store inventory or assemble kits, but given the current level of trade uncertainty, they have also become a way to address the unpredictability of tariffs. Melissa Irmen is the Director of Advocacy and Strategic Relations for the National Association of Foreign-trade Zones (NAFTZ), and she joins this episode to share practical advice about what FTZs are, how they work, and why they are drawing renewed attention in today's tariff-heavy trade environment. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Melissa and Kelly Barner discuss: Which companies tend to benefit most from FTZ participation, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, electronics companies, pharmaceutical firms, and industrial businesses  How FTZs offer flexibility during periods of trade disruption, helping importers pause, store, stage, or re-strategize inventory while tariffs and policy conditions shift How the FTZ program has evolved, including a streamlined application process, ongoing regulatory modernization efforts, and current advocacy priorities related to Congress, Customs and Border Protection, and USMCA This episode makes a compelling case for taking a first (or another) look at foreign-trade zones. Links: Melissa Irmen on LinkedIn National Association of Foreign-trade Zones Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP  
• Brewing Uncertainty: The Coffee Supply Chain Shock 19.03.2026 18λ

  Coffee is one of those products people think of as routine, almost automatic. It is part of the morning, part of the commute, part of the office, part of the café economy. So when something changes in the coffee supply chain, people feel it. In late 2025, coffee prices started rising thanks to a combination of forces: weather shocks in major producing countries, tariff policy changes that altered landed cost, shrinking exchange inventories, currency volatility, and the lag effect that happens when sourcing decisions do not hit the consumer shelf for months.  What makes coffee especially revealing is that this is not just a story about one bad harvest or policy move. It is a story about how a globally traded commodity reacts when short-term disruption and long-term structural risk overlap. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers:  How weather in Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia tightened supply and pushed coffee futures higher Why tariffs mattered even in a market where climate and crop conditions were already under strain How those upstream shocks moved through inventories, contracts, roasters, and retail pricing, but with a delay What this example reveals about uncertainty, substitution, margin pressure, and strategic repositioning   Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  
• The Panama Canal Power Struggle 12.03.2026 18λ

  The ports of Balboa and Cristóbal bookend the Panama canal. They don't control the canal, and they have been privately operated by CK Hutchison's Panama Ports Company for decades.  Those old contracts are now in the middle of a legal fight, a sovereignty debate, and a live test of how far national power competitions can reach into commercial infrastructure. Panama's Supreme Court recently ruled that the legal terms underlying CK Hutchison's port concession were unconstitutional. The concessions have been canceled and Panama has selected two different operators to take over responsibility for the ports while new owners are determined. If that wasn't complicated enough, Hong Kong-based CK Hutchinson intended to sell the ports to U.S.-headquartered BlackRock, a move that China was not too happy about.  The ports are now in the middle of a high stakes proxy war, with China and CK Hutchison on one side, and BlackRock and the Trump Administration on the other. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers the short and long term implications of uncertain Panama Canal port ownership: Panama's disputed Supreme Court ruling  Why the original $23 billion BlackRock-MSC transaction now looks much more complicated than a straightforward ownership transfer. How BlackRock, Maersk, MSC, and other bidders are repositioning around the two terminals. What to watch for when a local concession dispute becomes a multi-jurisdiction legal and geopolitical risk event Links: Who owns the Panama Canal? Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  
• How iRobot's Supply Chain Became Its Last Resort 05.03.2026 19λ

  At its peak, iRobot generated nearly $1.6 Billion in annual revenue, and by 2022 Amazon believed the company was worth $1.7 Billion. By just a few years later, the company that pioneered consumer robotics would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company that ultimately took ownership of iRobot wasn't Amazon or another Silicon Valley tech firm or even a U.S. competitor. It was the company's own overseas contract manufacturer. How does a company go from being a pioneering leader in robotics to being owned by the very supplier that once built its products? The answer is a story about regulation, supply chains, debt, competition, and unintended consequences. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: The rise of iRobot and the creation of the Roomba line of vacuums Amazon's $1.7 Billion acquisition attempt — and why global regulators blocked it How financial pressure, debt, and supply chain decisions reshaped the company, right into the ground And how iRobot ultimately ended up owned by its largest manufacturing partner Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  
• National Security Starts in the Supply Chain 26.02.2026 45λ

  "There are a lot of different ways to hold all of the conspirators who are involved in the effort to intentionally smuggle counterfeit goods into the U.S. and into U.S. systems accountable."  Most modern supply chains are complex, sprawling beasts. Their global scale is highly strategic, but it also creates opportunities for criminal organizations to threaten companies, the Federal government, warfighters, and first responders.  The Government Supply Chain Investigations Unit (GSCIU) was created as the result of a 2022 Congressional request for Homeland Security Investigations to address concerns about the risk of counterfeit components finding their way into U.S. military supply chains. Since then, they have operated as a task force, analyzing interagency information to identify and combat threats to relevant supply chains. Brian Andersen is a supervisory special agent at Homeland Security Investigations Global Trade Division, part of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, and the Government Supply Chain Investigations Unit, which he had the opportunity to help build from the ground up. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Brian and Kelly Barner discuss: The priorities of the Government Supply Chain Investigations Unit How they partner with other agencies and private businesses to root out risk within the supply chain and hold criminals accountable What procurement and supply chain professionals should be on the lookout for as warning signs that they have acquired or encountered counterfeit products  Links: Brian Andersen on LinkedIn National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  
• How a $3M Company Destroyed $17B in Freight Market Value 19.02.2026 19λ

  How could a company worth about $3 Million wipe out more than $17 Billion in transportation market value in a single day? On February 12th, a press release from Algorhythm Holdings, a company that started its life as a karaoke machine manufacturer, announced that its AI-enabled freight platform SemiCab could reduce empty truck miles by more than 70 percent. By midday, major logistics firms were down as much as 20 percent. C.H. Robinson, Landstar, J.B. Hunt, railroads, and airlines all felt the shockwave. If SemiCab's technology works as described, it could reduce waste, lower emissions, and save shippers billions. At the same time, it could compress margins, erode pricing power, and expose just how much excess capacity the freight market really has. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: The sequence of events: how a small-cap AI announcement triggered a historic sell-off The claims behind SemiCab, and how Algorhythm evolved from karaoke to freight tech Why reducing empty or "deadhead" miles (which sounds like unqualified good news) could actually hurt incumbent logistics firms Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  
• Sanctioned at Sea: Addressing the Shadow Fleet 12.02.2026 17λ

  "Shipping in 2026 is going to get darker." - Michelle Wiese Bockmann, Senior Maritime Intelligence Analyst, Windward  Right now, somewhere between 900 and 2,000 aging oil tankers are operating in the shadows. They are carrying sanctioned crude from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. This so-called "shadow fleet" often sails under false flags, spoofs its locations, turns off monitoring systems, transfers their cargo at sea, and sometimes operates without insurance. These dangerous vessels are increasingly being boarded, seized, escorted into port, and tied up in court, but enforcement at sea is messy, expensive, and legally complex.  One company… GMS… thinks they have an answer. They believe they can scrap about 100 of these seized, sanctioned ships annually - if (and it is a big IF) they are given permission by the U.S. Treasury to acquire them. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner explores three interconnected questions: What is actually being done to get shadow fleet tankers off the water? What happens to the ships — and the oil, and the crew — after they are seized? And what are the second- and third-order effects for global shipping markets, risk, and supply chains? Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  
• Freight Capacity v. Paperwork & Politics 05.02.2026 16λ

  "Capacity reduction is clearly under way. Regulatory enforcement of qualifications and safety standards was arguably the most welcome development in 2025 for our industry." - Adam Miller, CEO of Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings The trucking industry has been flooded with headlines about enforcement: English language proficiency checks, non-domiciled CDL restrictions, immigration raids, and court stays. On the surface, this might look like a political story or an emotional response to a few high-profile fatal crashes, but it is not primarily about either paperwork or politics. It's about freight market capacity. Who is allowed to operate? Where are they willing to operate? Can they operate profitably while following the rules? And how quickly can excess freight capacity be removed without destabilizing the whole system? In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: Why CDL enforcement has become a de facto freight capacity lever What the data says about drivers and smaller freight companies leaving the market How localized disruption is starting to show up before national trends And what we should be watching instead of (or at least in addition to) the headlines Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• One Railroad to Rule Them All? Inside the Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern Merger 29.01.2026 16λ

  Imagine a single railroad company that could move freight seamlessly from the ports of Los Angeles to the ports of New York without handoffs, interchange delays, or needing to switch carriers mid-journey. That's the promise behind the proposed merger between the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads. If the deal is approved, it will create the first single-line transcontinental railroad in U.S. history, spanning more than 50,000 miles across 43 states and nearly 100 ports. Supporters say this could make rail a more serious competitor to long-haul trucking, lowering costs and improving supply chain efficiency. Critics say it risks concentrating too much power in too few hands in an industry where four railroads already control more than 90% of U.S. freight. Earlier this month, regulators hit the reset button. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) rejected the merger application - not on its merits, but because the paperwork was incomplete. In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner covers: What Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are proposing, and why it would be historically significant The arguments for the merger, including efficiency, cost, and competition with trucking The arguments against it, from labor, shippers, competitors, and policy advocates Where the Surface Transportation Board fits in, and what the January 2026 rejection means from an approval and timeline standpoint Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  
• Cautious Optimism in the Suez Canal 22.01.2026 17λ

  In late 2023, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints effectively broke. After Hamas' October 7th attack on Israel, Houthi militants began targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Initially, their target was Israel-linked vessels, then they increasingly started targeting anything that passed through. What followed was a near-collapse of confidence in the Suez Canal, a route that normally handles roughly 10–12% of global seaborne trade. Ocean carriers rerouted thousands of ships around the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks, cost, fuel burn, and complexity to global supply chains. Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026, and something quietly significant happened: Maersk, the world's second-largest container carrier, sent ships back through the Red Sea. It wasn't a full return or a declaration of victory, but it was a meaningful test. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers:  Why Maersk's Red Sea test voyages matter more than they may appear The economic and capacity pressures pushing carriers back toward Suez Why a "safe reopening" may still create winners and losers What procurement and supply chain leaders should be watching for next Links: High Stakes in the Red Sea Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement