Guest: Christelle Keefer of A3 on gaps in automation skills; Robot density is growing; Fleets flex in AI

Our guest on this week's episode is Christelle Keefer, director of training and certifications at The Association for Advancing Automation (A3).  As labor becomes harder to find for our distribution and manufacturing facilities, companies are turning more and more to automation. This is National Robotics Week  - when the industry celebrates the impacts that these mechanical workers are making on our operations. Our guest speaks with Senior Editor Ben Ames about gaps that still remain when deploying robots to work with human workers.New information from the International Federation of Robotics, or IFR, illustrates just how prevalent robots are becoming in factories and industrial settings around the world. The group released its World Robotics 2025 report this week, which outlines the number of factory robots being used in various regions as compared to the local manufacturing workforce. TD Cowen, a banking and investment analysis firm, shared the results of their quarterly “1Q26 TD Cowen Carrier Survey” this week. It showed that a lot of the companies that operate trucking fleets are looking increasingly to technology for answers, and specifically AI. The survey found that 26% of trucking carriers would be willing to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools entirely instead of relying on human freight brokers. What might this mean for the freight broker industry?Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:The Association for Advancing Automation (A3)Report: robot density surges in Europe, Asia, and the AmericasTD Cowen: 26% of carriers would use AI instead of freight brokers?Visit DC VelocityVisit 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: Werner