From surcharge increases to carriers unexpectedly closing their doors, the world of parcel shipping is constantly changing. And according to Nate Skiver, founder of LPF Spend Management, that trend will continue through 2026.

In this episode of Unboxing Logistics, he shares tips for adapting to disruptions, managing risk, choosing the right carriers, and keeping costs low.

When it comes to carriers, Nate says, “There are more options [than ever], which is a good thing, but it introduces complexity.”

Fortunately, technology can help simplify things. Nate continues, “There is technology available to manage that complexity, allow[ing] shippers to introduce new carriers, optimize for cost, delivery, reliability, and speed.”

Bottom line? “There's never been a better time, I think, for shippers to create value through delivery.”

Alternative carriers offer low costs and fast delivery times. But shippers sometimes hesitate to use them, citing concerns with reliability. So, how can you know whether an alternative carrier will fulfill its promises?

According to Nate, it all comes down to research and risk management.

“There are alternative carriers that will exit the market this year. … So it's a legitimate concern.”

He recommends, “Do your due diligence. Learn as much as you can about the company, their customers, all that you can. But don't take on too much risk.”

When carriers increase prices, they don’t broadcast it to the world. For example, Nate shares that two major carriers recently raised surcharges for additional handling and oversized packages—and the increases slipped under many people’s radars.

He says, “It gets announced. It's very subtly posted on [their] websites. Often … the sales contacts for those carriers don't proactively come out and tell customers. So you have to go find it.”

To make sure pricing changes don’t catch you off guard, Nate recommends either having an in-house employee dedicated to staying on top of the parcel market or partnering with a third-party consultant.

1. Connect with Nate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levelplayingfield/
2. Visit LPF Spend Management’s website: https://www.lpfspendmanagement.com/

John Naylor from Trew and Scott Davis from JD Finish Line teamed up to transform a distribution center from mostly manual to automated and efficient—while the center was still operational!

In a recent session at RILA, they shared the details of the project with Lori Boyer, discussing everything from the initial planning stages to the final results and ROI.

If you weren’t able to make it to the session, no worries. We’ve turned the recording into a special episode of Unboxing Logistics. Listen to learn how John and Scott got leadership buy-in, helped employees adopt the new technology, and dealt with unexpected roadblocks.

Throughout the session, a common thread was the need for careful planning. When choosing technology, John and Scott considered two things: whether it would be worth the investment, and how it would hold up to future business growth.

John says, “It really becomes a fairly simple black-and-white math exercise. It's an ROI. Do we invest the money? What is the payback on that?”

He continues, “Are we future proof? Have we painted ourselves into a corner? If our business needs change, or … acquisitions happen, will this be able to accommodate that change?”

An important part of planning is the assumption that things will go wrong at some point. Scott stresses that budgets need to leave room for these unexpected setbacks: “Contingencies are huge. Do you want to go back in a year and ask for more, or would you rather fight the battle upfront so that you can stay within your budgets?”

John chimes in, “Anybody who tells you these projects go flawlessly and on plan is lying to you. … No battle plan survives the first volley.”

Automation projects often come under fire for eliminating human jobs. But for John and Scott, laying off employees was never the goal.

John explains that they forecasted employment needs and made sure not to overhire. The result? “We didn't [need] to lay off people later when [a] job function was eliminated. …

So it was a very … people-focused approach.”

As Scott puts it, the automation project was all about “[doing] more with the same people, not reduc[ing] the people.”

1. Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-davis-03315652/
2. Follow JD Finish Line on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jd-finish-line/
3. Visit Trew’s website: https://www.trewautomation.com/

In February’s episode of Unboxing Logistics, Tim Ranagan sits down with Lori Boyer to discuss what she’s hearing from industry leaders at events like RILA and Manifest. Their conversation focuses on how ecommerce teams are building with disruption in mind.

This year, supply chain leaders are learning to expect the unexpected.

Lori explains that disruption no longer feels temporary. Instead, “It’s the baseline.” So rather than waiting for conditions to stabilize, organizations are designing operations around uncertainty.

She points to data from the 2026 Thomson Reuters Global Trade Report showing that supply chain management has become the number one business concern for enterprise organizations, nearly doubling since last year’s report.

AI was a hot topic at RILA and Manifest last year, and that pattern continued in 2026. But the tone has shifted; earlier excitement around flashy demos has given way to a more practical mindset.

As Lori puts it, “AI is only of interest to people when it can show tangible, real-life returns.”

As she spoke with logistics professionals at the events, she noticed that teams that are considering AI solutions are asking tougher questions about cost savings, decision support, and measurable outcomes.

Another recurring theme in Lori’s conversations was frustration with overloaded tech stacks—solutions that don’t work together, don’t solve the right problems, and ultimately create “tech stack fatigue.”

Her advice is straightforward: “Get your basics down.”

She continues, “You have to start with the problem… then find a tool. Don’t get a tool of any sort and just try to fit it into your company.”

1. Connect with Tim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-ranagan-mba-2717bb125/
2. Connect with Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loribboyer/
3. Visit EasyPost’s website :https://www.easypost.com/

In this episode, Joe Dieter joins Lori Boyer to explore the complexities of enterprise-level shipping and show how EasyPost Enterprise can help.

Joe explains a common misconception: “When people think of enterprise shipping, they assume [it refers to] someone doing lots of volume. … But the reality is, volume is just one component. [What matters more] is enterprise-grade complexity.”

Enterprise-grade complexity can look different for every business, but Joe shares some common examples of the challenges EasyPost’s enterprise shippers face:

1. Time to label is too slow
2. Adding new carriers is difficult and time-consuming
3. Support costs are piling up
4. Shipping software can’t keep up with growth
5. Various systems don’t integrate smoothly
6. You’re seeing too many exceptions

EasyPost Enterprise is a “high-performance shipping engine” designed to address the complexities described above.

Its features include business rules, low-code functionality, multi-carrier automation, label and forms automation, branded tracking notifications, and insights from the industry’s most reliable shipping AI.

But one of the most important benefits is the 24/7 support. Because as Joe puts it, “Support matters when you're an SMB online seller. But if you become an enterprise-grade shipper, support becomes everything.”

Luma AI is like a shipping professional in your pocket—it provides insights and advice based on EasyPost’s vast store of shipment data and your own shipping history. And now, Luma AI can be accessed through EasyPost Enterprise.

Joe shares one example of Luma AI’s precision: “[Luma might] recommend [that] for two-day shipping down to the southwest part of the U.S., you switch from this carrier and service level over to this carrier and service level.”

“And Luma AI tells you [that] you will literally save 25% in costs and over 30% time in transit if you make this exact carrier and service level switch.”

1. Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-dieter/
2. Learn more about EasyPost Enterprise: https://www.easypost.com/products/enterprise/
3. Visit EasyPost’s website: https://www.easypost.com/

Numbers are critical in the logistics industry, but focusing too much on deadlines, quotas, and revenue can cause leaders to overlook what really matters: relationships.

In this episode, Marty Johnson and Fahim Mojawalla from AYM High Consultants share how they prioritize long-lasting relationships with both clients and team members. Listen to learn why they believe relationships beat transactions—every time.

Transactions are a normal (and important) part of business; without them, no company could ever stay afloat. But Fahim warns that having an overly transactional mindset isn’t the best path to growth.

He shares a phrase he coined: “Relationships reap real results regardless of recessions.”

Marty adds, “Customer is a very transactional word,” explaining that he and Fahim prefer to use the words guest or client. “A guest is someone you welcome into your space. … And a client is someone with whom you have a relationship that you do business [with] over and over again.”

Marty and Fahim have a simple goal: “We want to go from satisfied guest to loyal advocate.”

They point out that shipping is often seen as mundane, especially from a consumer’s point of view. But when a business takes the time to understand its client’s needs, the shipping experience becomes enjoyable and memorable.

The result? “They're going to go out and tell all their friends and family, wow, I just had a great time shipping a package. … People are then talking about it and … coming in to experience what you have to offer.”

When hiring, personality comes first for Marty and Fahim. As Marty explains, “[We] hire the smile, train the skills. … Personality has to be number one; heart, authenticity, care have to be number one.”

Fahim gets even more specific, listing six must-have traits for anyone he hires. “So there are six qualities … being hungry, humble, coachable … intelligence, integrity, and enthusiasm. And if you have all six, everything else can be taught in any industry.”

1. Visit AYM High Consultants’ website
2. Connect with Marty on LinkedIn
3. Connect with Fahim on LinkedIn
4. Top logistics trade shows of 2026

It’s a wrap! As season five of Unboxing Logistics concludes, Tim Ranagan and Lori Boyer look back at the issues that mattered most to ecommerce and operations teams this year.

They revisit the standout conversations on peak season, AI, cross-border shipping, and rising costs before sharing what listeners can expect in season six.

Much of season five centered on two ideas that kept surfacing across conversations: cost awareness and the human element.

Lori noted that several experts described teams “not always sure and [not having] visibility into where they might be losing their money.”

At the same time, even the most technical discussions pointed back to people and how real teams work, reinforcing that logistics decisions only succeed when the human side stays front and center.

Almost every guest emphasized how much uncertainty logistics teams are managing right now. And while that can be scary, it’s also exciting.

Lori describes the moment as “a stage that’s primed for opportunity and creativity,” especially for companies looking to close cost gaps or adopt new technology.

Big things are in store for next season! Lori shares that season six will feature a new carrier series designed to help businesses understand “where different carriers might fit well for your particular business model.”

Additionally, listeners can expect even more human-centered conversations and timely discussions tied to industry events.

• Connect with Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loribboyer/
• Connect with Tim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-ranagan-mba-2717bb125/
• Visit EasyPost’s website: https://www.easypost.com/

Have a great idea for a new product? To turn the vision into a reality, you need to partner with reliable suppliers. But finding suppliers you can count on is easier said than done. If sourcing has been giving you grief, this is the Unboxing Logistics episode for you!

Mattia Miglio from Alibaba.com joins Lori to share tips for finding suppliers, making sure they’re a good fit for your business, and building partnerships that last.

When you’re on the hunt for a new partner, Mattia recommends using a platform like Alibaba.com to find vetted suppliers from across the globe. For the most accurate picture of their performance, make sure to read customer reviews and check how long they’ve been active on the platform.

Once you’re ready to move forward, Mattia says, “Always ask for samples. … If you are a beauty brand, for example, you can ask for [un]customized samples. Then you can go to customized samples, and then you place the first order with minimal quantities. Then if you're happy, you can scale up.”

According to Mattia, the safest course for a small business is to always have at least three suppliers.

If one partner runs into manufacturing or shipping delays, you’ll be able to rely on your others.

He also notes, “Logistics costs are a big component. So if you find another supplier [that] can reduce your logistics costs, that will have an impact.”

Sourcing is a careful balance; while you want to build trusting, long-term partnerships, you also have to be open to change.

“I always recommend [finding] the right partner, not [just] a supplier. … These relationships should go for the long term. But always compare prices. Always have a backup plan.”

• Connect with Mattia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattiamiglio/
• Visit Alibaba.com’s website: https://www.alibaba.com/

Are you taking advantage of the $100 of shipping insurance included for select USPS labels? Most businesses aren’t. They don’t file claims, leaving thousands of dollars on the table.

Fortunately, there’s a way to recoup lost funds without the filing hassle. In this EasyPost Insider episode, Tyler Diestel joins Lori to share everything you need to know about EasyPost’s USPS Claims service.

Tyler explains, “USPS Claims is an amazing product that makes it easy for shippers to get money back … from [USPS]. Because we have a treasure trove of data, we can tell when a package is lost or damaged. … We're able to file claims … to help our shippers recoup [their money].”

Many merchants don’t file insurance claims because they don’t realize that shipping insurance is included in the label price. But for others, it’s simply a matter of time.

“They don't have time to figure out which of their shipments are actually eligible. They don't have time to go in and file a claim for each of those shipments. They don't have time to follow up on the progress of those claims.”

For these busy logistics teams, USPS Claims is a huge time saver.

Getting started with USPS Claims is easy—you can enroll in the program right from the EasyPost dashboard.

While the process is almost entirely automatic, Tyler does note that if you don’t provide product values at label purchase, you’ll need to add that information after the fact. “As we go through our claims process and identify shipments that can be filed, we will send you an email saying, there are 20 shipments that need additional info … please log into the portal [and] fill it out.”

When claims are approved, the funds go back into your EasyPost Wallet for future label purchases.

• Connect with Tyler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdiestel/
• Learn more about USPS Claims by EasyPost: https://www.easypost.com/usps-claims