Global Supply Chain Week is here: What you need to know

Tuesday kicks off FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week, a three-day immersive virtual experience that will feature dozens of leaders in global trade who will dive deep into the supply chains of various industries, including retail, consumer packaged goods, automotive and heavy industries.

The flow of trade is changing before our eyes. And while the pandemic did not create these changes, it did highlight some of the structural issues in global trade patterns. New technologies and tools being developed and implemented will need to be nimble and flexible to accompany global supply chains that are in the midst of change. 

Some notable speakers at this event include Nikola Corp. CEO Michael Lohscheller; Julian Van Erlach, senior vice president of supply chain at FabFitFun; and Matt Cicinelli, vice president of operations and technology at Hello Fresh. 

Here’s a look at some of the topics and speakers you will hear from. 

Day 1: Maritime

Tuesday will begin with a keynote address from Van Erlach, who will talk about the challenges that come with DIY warehousing, packaging and a realistic approach of where to cut the budget and where to splurge.

— How container lines will navigate post-boom era

Container shipping has entered a downturn in the wake of a historic boom. Industry expert Lars Jensen gives his views on the future of global shipping alliances, the looming fallout from a record-high orderbook and the outlook for both spot and annual contract rates in the Asia-U.S. trade.

— Examining the current landscape of global maritime

FreightWaves’ Kaylee Nix sits down with Gordon Downes, CEO of NYSHEX, for a zoomed-in view of the current ocean shipping market and how it could change the rest of this year.

— Post-pandemic maritime trends

Jackie Gonsalez, vice president of supply chain business development at Crowley Logistics, discusses maritime industry trends, the impacts of nearshoring and reshoring and what to watch for as the maritime space evolves in the post-pandemic era.

— Outlook for container shipping annual contract rates

Spot container shipping rates in the trans-Pacific market collapsed back to pre-pandemic levels last fall. Long-term rates are now following the same downward trajectory. Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund shares his outlook on 2023 annual contract negotiations in the trans-Pacific.

Day 2: CPG, retail, e-commerce and food and beverage

On Wednesday, the day begins with Nix sitting down with Cicinelli to learn how Hello Fresh is changing its approach to customer attraction and retention while handling the challenges that come up in a post-COVID world. 

— Shipping food and beverage by rail

Mike Baudendistel, FreightWaves’ head of intermodal solutions, interviews Herman Haksteen, president of the Private Railcar Food and Beverage Association, to discuss how shippers can overcome rail service issues and other challenges to effectively incorporate rail into their supply chains.

— Pharmaceutical supply chains in the wake of the pandemic

Christina Hultsch is an attorney with the Benesch law firm and a specialist in pharmaceutical law. She speaks with FreightWaves’ John Kingston on the state of the pharmaceutical supply chain after the pandemic, how it held up during those difficult days and why moving away from Chinese supplies is a tough thing to make happen.

— US supply chains and the threat of inaction

Supply chains and infrastructure became mainstream talking points around the country and inside the Beltway over the last three years, but the threat of inaction is a concern as things begin to normalize. Consumer goods supply chain executive Tom Madrecki discusses the types of legislation on which Congress will need to maintain focus so that the next disruption will cause less volatility for the economy.

— A new way to build a resilient supply chain

The last few years have been an exercise in creating a flexible supply chain. Having a sustainable and resilient supply chain is a must-have of 2023. Alex Winston, president of Expedite All and Reefer Van Network, and FreightWaves’ Mary O’Connell will chat about the importance of resilient supply chains and some creative ways to build them.

— WHAT THE TRUCK?!?

On Wednesday’s show, host Tim Dooner will be talking to Kristin Toth, president and COO of Fernish, about reverse logistics. Quickloadz founder and CEO Sean Jones will do a live automated trailer load. And Waabi’s head of transportation, Dustin Kohl, will talk about autonomous vehicles.

Day 3: Automotive, industrial, heavy industry and oil and gas

The final day will begin with Nikola Corp. CEO Lohscheller, who will discuss what is needed to get hydrogen — Earth’s most abundant element — captured and distributed to power fuel cell trucks, starting with Nikola’s own Tre FCEV in the second half of the year. He says mobile fueling is part of the solution for the long-term infrastructure.

— How various government policies on energy might impact diesel supply

David Faikov, head of government operations for both National Association of Truck Stop Operators and the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America, will discuss various policies under consideration in Washington regarding alternative fuels that might spill back into impacting the supply of diesel. 

— How the fuels supply chain held up during the pandemic

There were plenty of pandemic days when fear of diesel shortages and outright unavailability gripped the trucking market. Gary Bevers, longtime consultant to the fuel distribution supply chain, will talk about how the diesel market might have gotten expensive but it ultimately did not break down and fuel was available throughout some tight times over the last few years.

— Disrupting the oilfield equipment supply chain

Tim Neal is the co-founder and CEO of GoExpedi, which has brought e-commerce practices and technology to the supply chain that gets necessary products into the oil patch. He’s also scaling the GoExpedi value proposition into manufacturing. He will discuss how his company has brought this change in a relatively short time and what lessons he learned from Amazon.

— Sorting through supply chain issues for autonomous trucks

Autonomous trucks are so few in number that they risk falling to the back of the line when it comes to getting parts. Aurora Innovation leverages partnerships with manufacturers Volvo Trucks and Paccar Inc. to avoid development delays. Dave Maday, Aurora senior vice president of business development and product strategy, will talk about other supply chain challenges to driverless trucks.

How to register

Register here for this don’t-miss event.