Guest: Brodie Sutherland of Patriot Critical Minerals Corp. on securing a domestic supply of critical minerals; Supply chain digitalization becomes a priority; The market expands for self-driving trucks

Our guest on this week's episode is Brodie Sutherland, CEO of Patriot Critical Minerals Corp. Just yesterday a major issue on the agenda for the meeting between President Trump and China’s President Xi’s was access to critical minerals, including rare earth minerals. It looks like the Chinese ban on exporting these crucial minerals will now be lifted, but that ban reminds us of how vulnerable our supply chains are to assuring that critical minerals are available for production of semiconductors, military equipment, and the electronics that run our everyday lives. Sutherland leads a company that is looking to begin mining of America’s largest deposit of tungsten, located in Nevada. He shares about the importance of assuring a domestic supply of critical minerals. As technologies advance, companies are finding even greater need for digitalization of their supply chains. Nearly 40% of companies surveyed recently say they will allocate more than a quarter of their 2026 budgets to technology investments, according to information from logistics technology platform and solutions provider Ontegos Cloud.This week we’ve seen continued momentum in companies expanding their networks of self driving cars and trucks. Most of what we’re seeing falls into the category of carriers dipping their toe in the water, and trying out pilot projects or proof of concept trials. But the technology does seem to be getting more reliable and these week we see two more examples. We discuss what is being done and how human drivers are reacting to the potential of being replaced. Supply Chain Xchange  also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. A new series is now available on Top Threats to our Supply Chains. It covers topics including Geopolitical Risks, Economic Instability, Cybersecurity Risks, Threats to energy and electric grids; Supplier Risks, and Transportation Disruptions  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes. The podcast is also available at www.thescxchange.com.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:Patriot Critical Minerals CorporationLogistics companies will prioritize digitalization in the year aheadSelf-driving freight tech vendor Aurora expands trucking service in TexasVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to [email protected] podcast episode is sponsored by:  Storage SolutionsOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITY