Decision Pillar
Supply Chain & Operations
Sourcing, inventory, logistics and operations decisions — what the field data shows once vendor claims are stripped out.
Why Importers Forfeit 99% Duty Refunds
Drawback refunds up to 99% of the duty paid on imports that are later exported or destroyed. That one rule changes the math of moving a factory.
Nearshoring Doesn't Move the Trade Case
Two U.S. trade cases opened against Mexico on the same day. On September 30, 2026, the U.S.
Diesel Hits $6.20: Why Shippers Still Pay Extra for Electric Freight
U.S. on-highway diesel fell to $6.199 a gallon the week of Oct. 5, dropping 33 cents in two weeks.
Will Your Control Tower Auto-Resolve the Theft It Can't See?
A load stolen by a fake carrier never shows up as a late load.
Your Last-Mile Carbon Number Is a Rate Table
A last-mile carbon claim is activity times a published factor, and two federal agencies publish two different grid factors for the same kilowatt-hour.
A Late Container's Bill Carries Two 30-Day Clocks
A late fee for a delayed shipping container — demurrage, in trade terms — now carries two strict 30-day clocks.
Your Fuel Surcharge Hides Three Negotiated Numbers
The price of diesel does not set your freight fuel bill.
Higher Rates Meet Historically Lean Inventories
The Federal Reserve raised its main interest rate by a quarter point to a range of 3-3/4 to 4 percent, its first hike in three years.
Inventory Carrying Cost Is 20–30% a Year, Not Your 7% Borrowing Rate
The true cost to hold a dollar of stock runs 20% to 30% a year, yet most models load only the 7.00% bank prime rate.
Amazon Builds the Robots; Walmart Builds for What They Can't Lift
Amazon announced a $100 million plant in Indiana on Sept. 24 to build the gear that runs its shipping network.
Forecast Accuracy: A 32% Boost Will Not Stop El Niño
A new test shows an Artificial Intelligence (AI) forecast beat the old sales plan in 15 of 15 live rollouts, cutting errors by 32% on average.
Safety Stock Sizing: Why Your Buffer Uses the Wrong Number
Feed a safety-stock formula the standard spread of demand, and it builds a much bigger buffer than the forecast actually needs.
A 1% Mispick Rate Is a Seven-Figure Line Item
A single wrong pick looks like a rounding error until a team prices the annual leak.
The $5.8 Billion Freight Bet Meets a Market That Won't Commit
C.H. Robinson is spending $5.8 billion to build the densest freight network in North America.
The Sticker Price Lies: Why Mexico Beats China on Total Landed Cost
A product that costs $100 at a factory in China lands in the US at $136. The same item built for $108 in Mexico lands at just $110.
The Tariff Split in Two — Reshoring Took the Heavy Half
On September 28, Washington advised cutting trade taxes on $60 billion of basic goods like toys and home items.
Washington Cuts the Tariff on the Goods. The Fee on the Ship Is About to Snap Back.
On Sept. 27, the U.S.-China Board of Trade recommended cutting tariffs on $30 billion of everyday goods in each direction.
Planning AI Buys Capability, Not Autonomy
By 2030, just 5% of firms with supply chain software will let it make 10% of choices on its own.
Electric Trucks Just Doubled Overnight — and the Battery Wasn't the Reason
Top brands like Microsoft, PepsiCo, Ikea, and Red Bull just ordered 2,500 heavy-duty electric trucks.
The Same-Day Delivery Race Is Undoing a Decade of Route Optimization
On Sept. 30, Amazon and the United States Postal Service (USPS) turned on a quiet test to speed up local shipping.
Reshoring Didn't Kill Tariff Risk — It Moved Upstream Into Packaging
Coca-Cola just pledged $10 billion for U.S. plants by 2030, which its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) calls a growth plan rather than a tariff shield.
Coast-to-Coast Rail Merger Clears First Big Test
On Sept. 18, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) unanimously refused to block the proposed Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) merger.
CFOs Are Pricing In the Tariff Cliff
Washington just pushed the United States–China tariff truce to Jan. 10, 2027, and American companies are not buying the calm.