Amy Roach, Senior Editor
Amy is a veteran business journalist and editor with a deep background in B2B publishing, who has written extensively on the trends and strategies shaping global supply chains. In her current role, she oversees strategy for Inbound Logistics content including social media, email newsletters, webinars, video podcasts, whitepapers, and other strategic initiatives. Throughout her career, she has contributed to a wide array of publications and businesses in logistics, technology, retail, real estate, financial services, and higher education.
Articles by Amy Roach
Six Technologies Reshaping Logistics Execution
Faced with rising customer expectations, labor shortages, and increasing pressure to operate sustainably, shippers and their logistics partners can no longer rely on yesterday’s processes. Digital logistics technologies help organizations scale rapidly as modernizing supply chains becomes a non-negotiable, especially in high variability situations like inbound workflows. Companies that embrace this new reality are already […]
The Case Against Treating Micro-Fulfillment as a Permanent Model
Micro-fulfillment is having a moment. It is being framed as the inevitable next evolution of logistics: smaller footprints, closer to demand, faster delivery, lower risk. For some sectors, that narrative holds. For many others, it doesn’t.
Carrier Fraud Prevention: Who’s Really Vetting Your Carriers?
Q. Carrier fraud is getting a lot of attention across the industry right now. Where does the problem actually come from? A. Public load boards. Carrier fraud does not typically originate with shippers—it originates on public load boards that lack user subscription vetting controls. When a broker posts a load to a public board to […]
Order Cycle Time: Definition, How to Measure, and Why It Matters
Every business that ships products to customers depends on one metric more than almost any other: order cycle time. This figure tells you how long it takes an order to travel from the moment a customer places it to the moment it lands on their doorstep, and it touches nearly every function within a supply […]
Cash to Cash Time: Definition, Calculation, and Ways to Improve
Managing working capital effectively is a top priority for modern supply chain and logistics professionals. A critical metric used to evaluate this efficiency is cash to cash time. This metric serves as a vital indicator of financial health and operational agility across the enterprise. This informational article provides a comprehensive overview of the net operating […]
DOE Injects $17.5 Billion Into Nuclear Supply Chain to Head Off Long-Lead Bottlenecks
By Amy Roach | June 23, 2026 Building a nuclear reactor in America has historically been a high-stakes, logistical nightmare with multi-year delays and busted budgets as par for the course. Hyper-specialized components that take years just to order, let alone forge, add to the challenge. Now, the federal government is trying a radically different […]
Why the Best Logistics Operations Never Stop Improving
In logistics and supply chain operations, change is constant. Customer expectations, labor conditions, demand patterns, technology, and costs are always moving. Continuous improvement gives organizations a disciplined way to adapt, improve, and create lasting value. In this Q&A, Tony Viguerie, director of continuous improvement at Saddle Creek Logistics Services, explains why continuous improvement should be […]
4 Most Critical Less-than-Truckload (LTL) KPIs for Shippers
Transportation spend is the most significant portion of overall supply chain costs, with the average company typically allocating 7% to 10% of their annual sales revenue towards transportation expenses. From manufacturing to retail, optimizing less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping is essential. It helps you control costs to avoid overpaying while still managing the complexities of commingled freight, […]
The Fertilizer Bottleneck Hiding Behind Food Prices
Food prices usually get noticed at the grocery shelf. A tomato costs more. A bag of flour feels oddly expensive. A restaurant menu quietly drops a side dish or raises the price of a bowl by a dollar. By then, the real story is already old. Some of the pressure started months earlier, before the […]
How Adaptable Fulfillment Networks Strengthen Supply Chain Resiliency
Brian Mattingly, Executive Vice President, Operations at Saddle Creek Logistics Services, explains why resilient supply chains are now a cost-control strategy and a competitive advantage. Q. Why is supply chain resiliency so important right now? A. Supply chain resiliency is important because disruption is no longer an occasional event. It is part of the operating […]
Orchestrating Inbound Freight: How Proven Dedicated Processes Keep Yards Flowing
Inbound freight should feel predictable. A trailer hits the gate, gets spotted to the door it was scheduled for, is unloaded inside its window, and the empty clears the yard before the next live load shows up. When that sequence holds, the yard breathes. When it breaks down at any step, the yard fills, dock […]
Who Pays the Freight? Why This Idiom Matters
The party responsible for freight controls the visibility, execution, and oversight of transportation decisions
USPS, DHL eCommerce Expand Long-Term Final-Mile Partnership With $10 Billion Parcel Delivery Agreement
For USPS, the agreement offers stable parcel volume growth as the organization continues trying to offset structural declines in traditional mail. For DHL, the partnership avoids the substantial capital investment required to build a nationwide residential delivery operation from scratch.
Macrologistics & Micrologistics: A Modern Framework for Unlocking Logistics Performance
In today’s competitive landscape, logistics has evolved from a back‑office necessity into one of the most powerful levers for business performance and differentiation. Yet despite its potential, many organizations still struggle to extract meaningful value from their logistics operations. The reason is straightforward: logistics is often treated as a single, monolithic function—broad, complex, and difficult […]
10 Tips for Maximizing the Value of Technology in Your Supply Chain
Since 2020, supply chains have been in a period of transformation. Companies first sought to maintain continuity in the face of massive disruption and then pivoted to improve resiliency and manage growth in emerging channels, all while contending with persistent labor shortages and shifting customer expectations. The DHL Supply Chain Insight 2030 report indicates the […]
Clean Tech Hits Its Stride as Freight Faces a Defining Moment
ACT Expo 2026 signals a shift from experimentation to execution across fleets, fuels, and automation.
Driver Shortage—or Market Reset? How Compliance, Demographics, and Capacity Are Reshaping Freight
By Amy Roach | April 24, 2026 The trucking industry’s long-running “driver shortage” debate has taken on new urgency in 2026. But this year, the shortage doesn’t look quite the way it used to. As freight markets begin to tighten after years of excess capacity, a mix of regulatory enforcement, demographic pressure, and shifting labor […]
Beyond the Hype: How AI Is Really Improving Warehouse Performance
Artificial intelligence has quickly become one of the most talked-about forces in supply chain transformation. For logistics leaders, the opportunity is real—but so is the confusion. Between bold vendor claims and headlines about “lights-out warehouses,” it can be difficult to distinguish what AI actually delivers today versus what remains aspirational. For organizations responsible for warehousing […]
Not Having Parcel Functionality in Your TMS Is a Blind Spot
Some shippers treat parcel shipping like a utility bill. A bill paid weekly that is occasionally higher than usual, but you aren’t totally sure why. For businesses where parcel shipments are not the primary way products reach end-users, parcel expenses get lumped in with other internal shipping expenses. The result is a blind spot on […]
Freight Mode Optimization: When to Shift Between Road, Sea, and Air in a Volatile Market
Freight markets remain unpredictable, with rates fluctuating, capacity tightening, and disruption affecting all modes at different times. For businesses moving goods within the UK and internationally, transport decisions can no longer be treated as fixed. They require regular review and adjustment in line with changing conditions. What Is Freight Mode Optimization? Freight mode optimization refers […]
10 Tips to Strengthen Your Carrier Partnerships
In today’s volatile freight market, shippers and carriers succeed when they operate with clarity, consistency, and trust. Yet the path to a productive carrier relationship isn’t always straightforward. These 10 tips highlight what matters most.
Iran Conflict Strains Global Supply Chains, With Secondary Impacts Emerging
Rising fuel costs and shipping delays are just the start, as the Iran conflict begins to ripple through global logistics, manufacturing, and industrial markets.
Building an Automation-Ready Warehouse Workforce in a Volatile Labor Market
Why workforce readiness—not technology alone—has become the defining factor in warehouse resilience.
Fuel Volatility is Back: Diesel Prices Top $5 for First Time Since 2022
Diesel prices surpass $5 for the first time since in four years, raising transportation costs and adding new pressure on trucking, freight, and supply chains.
New Restrictions on Non-Domiciled CDLs Spark Debate Over Safety, Workforce Impact
As regulators review non-domiciled CDL licensing practices, fleets and logistics providers are watching closely for changes that could affect driver availability, compliance requirements, and freight capacity.
Tariff Ruling, Refund Uncertainty and Border Violence: Mounting Risk for Supply Chains
By Amy Roach | February 24, 2026 A trio of fast-moving developments is reshaping the risk landscape for supply chain and logistics leaders: the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidates key tariffs imposed under emergency powers; mounting legal and political uncertainty over whether importers will receive billions in tariff refunds; and escalating cartel violence […]
“Essential, Not Optional”: FedEx CEO Elevates AI to Strategic Imperative
By Amy Roach | February 19, 2026 In remarks delivered at the AI Impact Summit 2026 this week, Rajesh Subramanian, president and CEO of FedEx Corporation, positioned artificial intelligence as a cornerstone of modern logistics — not a nice-to-have, but an essential infrastructure for the future of global commerce and supply chain resilience. Addressing an […]
John Deere Bolsters U.S. Supply Chain With New Distribution Hub, Doubling Down on Domestic Manufacturing
John Deere is expanding its U.S. industrial footprint with a major investment in a new distribution center near Hebron, Indiana, positioning the agricultural and construction equipment maker to sharpen parts logistics and reinforce its supply chain resilience. The facility, announced alongside a new excavator manufacturing plant in Kernersville, North Carolina, underscores Deere’s strategy to bring […]
18 Must-Attend Logistics and Supply Chain Trade Shows in 2026
It’s trade show time! Plan ahead and be sure these 19 top events are on your calendar for 2026.
J&J Strengthens U.S. Pharma Supply Chain with Two Next-Gen Facilities
The company is making moves to strengthen its pharmaceutical supply chain, boost resilience, and support advanced manufacturing capabilities.