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Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY
Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

Guest: Marc Held, CEO of Hoptek, on today’s biggest freight challenges, Eliminating excess packaging; Rising robotic use

21 August 2026 22:44 AGiLE Business Media & Events

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About this episode

Our guest on this week's episode is Marc Held, CEO of Hoptek. While it appears that the freight recession that the industry has endured the past couple of years might be ending, yet other challenges remain in a very competitive market with still lots of uncertainty. How do shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers meet today’s biggest freight challenges? Senior Editor Victoria Kickham finds out with today’s guest. 

If you’ve ever received a home delivery package of an e-commerce order and pulled out a tiny little object from a large pile of styrofoam packing peanuts, then some new rules coming online in different regions may be able to help reduce that waste. This week, new regulation in the European Union came online, called PPWR, for Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. Senior News Editor Ben Ames reports on these new regulations and another initiative in California designed to reduce excess materials used in packaging.

Demand for robotics continues to rise, and that demand is broadening to reach a wider range of industries. This is according to information from the Association for Advancing Automation, or A3, which released second-quarter data on robot orders earlier this month. Victoria Kickham presents some highlights from the report.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

  • Hoptek
  • European Union activates sustainable packaging rules
  • Second quarter robot orders grew as automation demand broadens
  • Visit DC Velocity
  • Visit Supply Chain Xchange
  • Send feedback about this podcast to [email protected]


This podcast episode is sponsored by: Werner

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