Supply Chain Matt

SCM & Logistics Exec. calling balls and strikes in the SCM world. Tweets are my own/not those of my employer. RT's ≠ Endorsement

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

“Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics”

-Omar Bradley

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

Wait, so you are telling me all those AI chips weren’t for companies in Singapore?

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

This pretty much sums up what a visit to one of my DC’s looks like when they haven’t been following our SOPs.

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

@logisticsviewpt Great article

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

😂😂

[Logistics Viewpoints @logisticsviewpt]

A control tower that produces 400 alerts before lunch has technically found everything except the problem.

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

Bingo!

[HUNTSMAN 🇺🇲 @maphumanintent]

I'm going to put my account's "logistics wizard" hat back on for a moment and teach you exactly how something like this could (realistically) happen, even if it's ultimately not the specific case here.

Buckle up...

🤫 Fun fact: there's a consortium of large U.S.-based manufacturers that does aggregated group buys for global maritime and air freight shipments. This massive volume drives rates down across all of the consortium member through cooperative scale.

There's a catch, however - no freight forwarder may bid on any of the lanes if they do not have wholly owned offices in EACH country where ANY member of the consortium could book a shipment (either to or from).

So, if a forwarder wants to be in the pool of service providers, it agrees that it must be able to theoretically service EVERY LANE for EVERY MEMBER completely in-house, without using an agent network.

That means that only massive, multinational forwarders (mostly based in Europe, excepting perhaps CH Robinson and Expeditors) fit the criteria.

🤔 What does this mean to U.S. national security?

Given that some of the manufacturers source parts from and/or sell to China, it means that any logistics provider who wants the business of any of the consortium members must have offices in China.

Thus, every freight forwarder involved has their own offices and their own internal systems inside of China, staffed by Chinese nationals.

This presents an obvious insider risk wherein a Chinese national employee of a contracted freight forwarder could theoretically poke around company systems and see the commercial shipping documents and other confidential information, even on shipments the employee isn't managing...

...Or, in this case, simply REBOOK and REDIRECT a specific shipment of goods desired by the Chinese government. One relatively small change, unnoticed until much too late by the consortium member.

Moreover, utilizing Chinese internet to carry data in/out of company systems is a whole different domain of issues for reasons obvious.

🤯 Here's why all of that matters:

Lockheed Martin controls almost all of its own global supply chain movements, including routing of subcontracted parts and components, for everything it buys, makes, and sells.

And it has long been one of the core members of that logistics consortium.

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

😡

This was no accident.

[Mark Satter @marksatter]

🚨🚨SCOOP: A shipment of F-35 fighter jet parts was rerouted to Hong Kong this summer — then vanished.

Congress and DOD are investigating, amid the possibility that China may now have access to the highly-classified program.

W/ @audrey_decker9

https://t.co/u5Ip309Ke9

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

@LogTechEric Looks aren’t everything.

Jobs was a notorious asshat

You are not.

Please keep that distinction 😁

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

It’s almost as if the market is voting with their feet or in this case their fuel.

[Chris Clayton @ChrisClaytonDTN]

So here is my rant: We spent a lot of govt. money to build out E85 fuel pumps, but in US only 6 flex-fuel models fo 2026. I have a 14-year-old flex-fuel pickup, but can't get anything newer if I wanted one. I could if I were Brazilian... Same manufacturers.

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

I’m guessing we won’t be seeing Ryan’s name on the leaderboard anytime soon.

[Cathy Roberson @cmroberson06]

Flexport beats Peloton’s $33.7m FMC claim https://t.co/kWR3PHOy6I via @splash_247

[Polymarket @Polymarket]

JUST IN: Mark Carney declares Canada will only resume trade talks with the U.S. when Americans “stop doing memes”

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

1. This was theft by an organization not an individual. They already know how to move this beer.

2. Pabst is getting more media value from this loss than the beer was worth.

[Polymarket @Polymarket]

JUST IN: Pabst is now offering a reward for the safe return of its stolen beer, telling the thief, “You have exactly 18 days and 44 minutes to return our truckload of beer, no questions asked.”

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

This is not new nor is it a record.

As someone who used to manage freight for a major brewer I can assure you this has happened many, many times before.

[ABC7 Eyewitness News @ABC7]

A truck carrying an estimated 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer was stolen in Montclair in what may be the biggest beer heist ever. The stolen truck was loaded with what is equivalent to more than 50,000 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. https://t.co/sWE5lfi1Y0

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

So true.

[The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee]

Every Single Person In Country Suddenly Expert On Complex International Trade Agreements https://t.co/smXgVGLII9

[Cathy Roberson @cmroberson06]

Singapore-based Apex Logistics ‘fully cooperating’ in US probe into alleged smuggling of Nvidia chips https://t.co/4N3tyycdJK

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

The Pinkertons knew how to fix this problem….

[Cathy Roberson @cmroberson06]

US trainyards have become a popular hotspot for thieves, creating a $200 million problem for railroads across the country https://t.co/vu4giNvsC9

[Wall Street Mav @WallStreetMav]

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern tried to keep their employee impact data hidden, but the STB forced them to make it public, and now we know why.

They wanted this bit buried: over 1,100 job eliminations and 500+ forced transfers will occur if this merger gets approved. The Union Pacific CEO said workers would “benefit” from the merger...benefit them how, exactly?

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

Couldn’t happen to a more deserving broker.

[FreightCaviar 🚛 @freightcaviar]

🚨 NEW: A Dallas jury hit C.H. Robinson and its carrier with a $604M verdict over a 2021 crash that killed three people.

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

I saw #Herbie trending and my first thought was not the car but The Goal.

[Craig Fuller 🛩🚛🚂⚓️ @FreightAlley]

The Department of Defense is the largest logistics firm in the world.

[Supply Chain Matt @SCMATT2]

The meaning behind my profile pic.

[Super 70s Sports @Super70sSports]

Today in 1977, Jim Rockford wonders if $200 a day plus expenses is really enough for all the bullshit he’s dealing with.