Guest: Tucker Perkins of the Propane Education & Research Council on powering forklifts; Who pays the price for supply chain shocks?; Changing ocean freight patterns

Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY
Guest: Tucker Perkins of the Propane Education & Research Council on powering forklifts; Who pays the price for supply chain shocks?; Changing ocean freight patterns
Aug 28, 2026 Season 7 Episode 33
AGiLE Business Media & Events

Our guest on this week's episode is Tucker Perkins, President and CEO of the Propane Education & Reseach Council (PERC). Propane has been used for decades as a consistent source of powering industrial trucks, such as the forklifts and other equipment used in distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, ports, transportation yards, and other places in the logistics world. DC Velocity Group Editorial Director David Maloney talks with our guest about the many uses for propane for powering equipment. They also discuss how propane's dominance as a power source is being challenged by new battery technologies.

The consumer economy has been pretty resilient in the face of all the economic ups and downs of the past few years, but a new report shows that consumers are likely to bear the brunt of the supply chain disruptions. This report from London-based researcher BSI surveyed supply chain risk management professionals and found that more than a third of businesses are planning to increase prices to offset costs in the next six months. Senior Editor Victoria Kickham shares the details of the research. 

We’ve talked a lot in recent months about how ocean freight is being impacted by geopolitical forces and regional violence, that have forced changes in how containers move around the globe. But now we’re seeing disruption from a completely different source, which is the extreme weather. Heat waves in Europe have caused the Rhine and Danube rivers to shallow up, meaning less cargo can be transported on the rivers. A drought in Panama has also lowered the depth of the canal. That means that cargo ships moving through the canal have to carry less so that they do not bottom out. 


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:


This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

Episode Artwork Guest: Tucker Perkins of the Propane Education & Research Council on powering forklifts; Who pays the price for supply chain shocks?; Changing ocean freight patterns 22:46 Episode Artwork Guest: Marc Held, CEO of Hoptek, on today’s biggest freight challenges, Eliminating excess packaging; Rising robotic use 22:44 Episode Artwork Guest: Abdil Tunca of Gartner on new restrictions for importing robots; Recognizing elite truck drivers; Hedging supply chain uncertainty 20:48 Episode Artwork Guest: Jo Marini of Mothership Materials on using agricultural waste for new products; The latest health of the logistics industry; Expanding manufacturing capacity of forklifts 22:02 Episode Artwork Guest: Maxime Darmet of Allianz Trade on new tariffs; Taking to the skies; Finding the right fit 25:29 Episode Artwork A national robotics strategy; Rising grocery prices; A data health check 20:05 Episode Artwork Curtis Spencer of Bloodhound Tracking Device on the rise of cargo thefts; The impacts high fuel prices have on trucking; Effective supply chain planning 19:32 Episode Artwork Guest: Victor Thomas of Odyssey Logistics on coming Scope 3 requirements; The trucking industry grapples with artificial intelligence; Peak season comes early in 2026 18:29 Episode Artwork Guest: Kathy Fulton of ALAN on disaster response; The market heats up for humanoid robots; Containers lost at sea 22:04 Episode Artwork Guest: Eric Fullerton of project44 on plastic shortages due to oil restrictions; The logistics behind the World Cup; Getting the most from robots and their humans 19:00 Episode Artwork Guest: Andrei Quinn-Barabanov of Moody’s on inflation risks; Growth drives new demands for cobots; A shift in robotic final mile delivery 19:12 Episode Artwork Guest: Jim Mozer of Crown and ITA on forklift safety; Venture capital invests in warehouses; Strengthening global disaster response 18:55 Episode Artwork Guest: Matt Lekstutis of Efficio on China and world trade; The upbeat forklift market; Automation comes to the high seas 22:04 Episode Artwork Guest Hannah Hurckes of Boss Lady Logistics on fallout from the Supreme Court’s broker decision; Gaining “Momentum” with Agentic AI; A robotics acquisition 19:15 Episode Artwork Guest: Patrick Van den Bossche of Kearney on the 2026 Reshoring Index; Will AI take away jobs? Safety in trucking fleets 21:55 Episode Artwork Guest: Omar Qari of Logicbroker on how retailers and brands respond to shifting geopolitical uncertainty; Carton diversity drives sortation designs; China doubles down on robotics 19:59 Episode Artwork Guest: Lisa Dyer of the GPS Innovation Alliance on vulnerabilities of GPS systems; Growing technology gaps; The clever ways thieves steal cargo 25:50 Episode Artwork Guest: Helaine Rich of ePost Global on rising fuel costs; Truck stops work to accommodate women drivers; Changing shopping patterns 16:38 Episode Artwork Guest: Disney Petit on a better way for customer returns; Managing a variety of robots successfully; Autonomous fulfillment advances 21:18 Episode Artwork Guest: Christelle Keefer of A3 on gaps in automation skills; Robot density is growing; Fleets flex in AI 16:19 Episode Artwork Guest: Stefan Heck of Nauto on distracted driving; Coping with surging diesel prices; Cold storage goes high tech 24:13 Episode Artwork Guest: Ian Massey of S-RM on the ongoing supply chain impacts from the war against Iran; What is “port proximate” and why is it changing?; Work remains to optimize pharmaceutical supply chains. 21:21 Episode Artwork Guest: Mark Becker of G10 Fulfillment on safe handling and shipping of lithium-ion batteries; Workers experience AI anxiety; The logistics behind hyperscaling data centers. 19:38 Episode Artwork Guest: Mike Van Bree of the American Ladder Institute on safety when working at heights; A cybersecurity collaboration; Sensing your way to a smoother supply chain 20:47 Episode Artwork Guest: Jackson Wood of Descartes on what war in the Middle East means for supply chains; Most warehouses lack needed agility; Is trucking ready for a recovery? 23:00