Supply Chain Saga

<p>BJ is founder and CEO of Pacific Mountain Logistics, a full-service 3PL in San Bernardino, California, with 30+ years in warehousing. Recorded April 2026, BJ and Mark cover the state of freight, warehousing, and tariffs — then pivot into a masterclass on total cost of service and what brands should ask when evaluating a 3PL.</p><p>TOPICS COVERED:<br>- 2026 logistics: ocean freight chaos, tariffs, and the end of the trucking freight recession<br>- CDL enforcement and capacity correction on the truckload side<br>- Record warehouse vacancy and the COVID hangover<br>- Housing starts as the leading indicator for warehousing demand<br>- Brick and mortar resilience vs the e-commerce warehouse play<br>- The death of peak season: the July-to-December cycle barely registers<br>- SoCal lease rates during COVID and the "fleeing effect" to Phoenix, Vegas, and Reno<br>- Workforce productivity: Phoenix labor half as productive as the Inland Empire<br>- Total cost of service: drayage, handling, outbound, chargebacks, and why storage cost is the wrong number<br>- Retail compliance, routing guides, and the "Routing Guide Rodeo"<br>- $400K in chargebacks reduced to $11K in two years<br>- Primary vs secondary vs tertiary distribution markets<br>- Walk the warehouse: what a clean, calm operation tells you</p><p>CHAPTERS:<br>0:00 Opening<br>0:40 State of Logistics: Chaos<br>1:21 Trucking: End of the Freight Recession<br>2:44 Warehousing Oversupply and the COVID Hangover<br>5:37 Housing Starts as the Leading Indicator<br>8:01 Brick and Mortar Resilience<br>11:25 Small Box vs Mid-Size Warehousing<br>14:41 The Death of Peak Season<br>17:47 Social Media Impact on Brands<br>20:23 SoCal Lease Rates and the Fleeing Effect<br>25:06 Workforce Productivity in Outlier Markets<br>28:57 Breaking Down Total Cost of Service<br>33:05 Why 40% of US Imports Come Through LA<br>38:26 Retail Compliance and Routing Guides<br>41:11 Chargebacks: Punitive by Nature<br>43:04 From $400K to $11K in Chargebacks<br>48:54 The TSA Analogy for Routing Guides<br>51:06 How to Select a Good 3PL<br>54:33 Tribal Knowledge vs Embedded Processes<br>58:43 Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Markets<br>1:04:42 Single-Point vs Multi-Location Distribution<br>1:08:22 The Supply Pipe Revisited<br>1:13:17 Walk the Warehouse<br>1:18:48 "We Only Get Paid to Do It Once"<br>1:22:29 The Kama Sutra Cookbook Story<br>1:23:51 Closing Thoughts</p><p>ABOUT THE GUEST:<br>BJ Patterson is founder and CEO of Pacific Mountain Logistics, a full-service 3PL in San Bernardino, California. He previously held senior roles at Target, Walmart, and NFI. BJ first appeared on Supply Chain Saga Ep. 001.</p><p>KEY TERMS:<br>BJ Patterson, Pacific Mountain Logistics, total cost of service, 3PL, warehouse vacancy, freight recession, CDL enforcement, tariffs, retail compliance, chargebacks, routing guides, Inland Empire, housing starts, supply pipe, Southern California logistics</p>Supply Chain Saga is produced by Mark Taylor, CEO of Warehouse Republic, a 3PL serving omni-channel e-commerce brands that sell through marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify, as well as retail partners like Nordstrom, Scheels, and Bass Pro Shops.Website: warehouserepublic.comPodcast: supplychainsaga.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/warehouse-republicHost: linkedin.com/in/marktaylorHave a logistics question? Email [email protected]

<p>Megan Smith is a serial entrepreneur who has spent 20 years building businesses in the parts of supply chain most people overlook. Recorded live at BGSA 2026 in West Palm Beach, Megan shares her path from launching an eco-friendly boutique in Denver to running Total Pallet Management sites for Publix and CHEP, to growing a 3PL through acquisition, to now disrupting the moving and storage industry with Packgistics and Ray the Mover in Naples, Florida.</p><p>TOPICS COVERED:<br>- From babysitter to boutique owner to pallet manufacturer: a 20-year entrepreneurial arc<br>- Unity Boutique: eco-friendly fashion in Denver before green was a trend (2006)<br>- Total Pallet Management: how pallets get graded A, B, and C and why it matters<br>- Growing a national pallet network for P&G, Unilever, and Driscoll's<br>- Retail chargebacks: the millions hiding in minutia that new brands never think about<br>- Poshmark boutique with 150,000 followers and the resale economy<br>- Gen Z dupes, Buy Nothing groups, and cultural shifts in consumption<br>- Acquiring a 45-year moving and storage business and why the industry is ripe for disruption<br>- Warehouse decommissioning: the move every 3PL dreads<br>- FF&E, inventory tracking, and order fulfillment during a warehouse relocation</p><p>CHAPTERS:<br>0:00 Introduction<br>0:30 First Impressions of BGSA 2026 at The Breakers<br>3:27 Megan's 20-Year Entrepreneurial Journey<br>5:49 University of Denver and Unity Boutique<br>9:37 From Retail to Pallet Management<br>13:02 Pallet Grading: A, B, and C<br>15:11 Chargebacks and the Cost of Minutia<br>19:44 Just-in-Time, Lean Management, and Breeding Genius<br>21:52 Micro Supply Chains and Buy Nothing<br>25:11 Poshmark and the Resale Economy<br>30:34 Gen Z, Dupes, and Cultural Shifts<br>33:24 From Pallets to Omnichannel 3PL<br>35:14 Founding Packgistics and Acquiring Ray the Mover<br>38:50 Warehouse Relocation: The Move Every 3PL Dreads<br>45:30 What Drives Megan Today<br>47:38 How to Find Megan Smith</p><p>ABOUT THE GUEST:<br>Megan Smith is the founder of Packgistics and owner of Ray the Mover, a 45-year moving and storage business in Naples, Florida. She holds a master's in supply chain from Michigan State University and has spent 20 years in supply chain entrepreneurship spanning pallet management, omnichannel fulfillment, and warehouse relocation services.</p><p>KEY TERMS:<br>Megan Smith, Packgistics, Ray the Mover, serial entrepreneur, pallet management, CHEP, Total Pallet Management, TPM, retail chargebacks, retail compliance, 3PL, warehouse decommissioning, warehouse relocation, FF&E, Poshmark, resale economy, BGSA, omnichannel, P&G, North American Van Lines, CRST</p>Supply Chain Saga is produced by Mark Taylor, CEO of Warehouse Republic, a 3PL serving omni-channel e-commerce brands that sell through marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify, as well as retail partners like Nordstrom, Scheels, and Bass Pro Shops.Website: warehouserepublic.comPodcast: supplychainsaga.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/warehouse-republicHost: linkedin.com/in/marktaylorHave a logistics question? Email [email protected]