Podcast Summary: Supply Chain Now

Episode: Cut costs. Win loyalty. Carrier strategies built for a changing world.

Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Scott Lewton & Tevin Taylor
Guests: Lori Boyer (Director of Content, EasyPost), John Wharf (Director of Sales & Solutions Engineering, EasyPost)
Topic: Carrier Strategies, Cost Reduction, Customer Loyalty, and Adapting to Change in Shipping

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the rapidly evolving shipping and carrier landscape, spotlighting how supply chain professionals can cut costs, sustain customer loyalty, and adapt to the shifting network of carriers, especially around peak season. With insights from EasyPost’s Lori Boyer and John Wharf, listeners gained a wealth of tactical advice combined with real-world trends, tech innovations (notably AI), and practical examples, all delivered in the show’s signature conversational, keep-it-real tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shifts in Carrier Strategy & Market Trends

[09:02–16:23]

• Major Carrier Roles
  • UPS: Best for B2B, guaranteed time-definite shipments
  • FedEx: Go-to for residential and weekend coverage, delivers Saturdays and Sundays at no extra cost
  • USPS: “Godfather of lightweight shipping” for rural, lightweight, P.O. boxes—most affordable, but less suited for heavy items/tracking (D: 09:02)
• Market Evolution (2025)
  • UPS & FedEx are “leaning” their networks, consolidating routes, tightening up on capacity and surcharges for peak season.
  • Lower overall shipping volumes in summer 2025 signal a volatile, capacity-constrained peak ahead.
  • Diversification is Essential: Relying on a single carrier is risky—organizations must diversify and explore emerging options (A: 10:51).
  • New, nimble players: Roadie, Veho, DoorDash, Uber entering local and last-mile delivery.

“The more you can diversify, the more you can split up how your volume is going out the door, it just ensures a smoother process. It ensures your customers are happier.”
— John Wharf [10:51]

2. Rise and Importance of Regional Carriers

[12:43–16:23]

• Regional Carriers on the Rise
  • Amazon Shipping is rapidly capturing market share for metro deliveries with no weekend surcharges.
  • OnTrac and LaserShip merger now covers 70% of the U.S.—“no longer a hunky dory, small deal” (D: 13:58).
  • A quarter of packages, ~3.5 billion/year, now go through regional carriers.
• Benefits
  • Cost savings, good delivery times, high service—IF shippers understand each carrier’s strengths and coverage.

“If you can have a good network of these regional carriers, they can take a huge chunk of the major carrier volume and save you some money in the meantime… It’s almost an essential part of the playbook.”
— John Wharf [14:16]

3. Balancing Cost vs. Time in Transit for Peak Season

[16:54–20:14]

• Cost savings shouldn’t sacrifice service—savings in shipping may drive up costs elsewhere (returns, service complaints).
• Customers value kept promises (“time in transit is less important to consumers as keeping your promises”—A: 00:00, repeated at 16:54).
• Real-time communication and proactive shipment updates are crucial to customer experience.

“Transparency and visibility… simply letting [customers] know, like, hey, we've had a hang up, that's going to make a giant difference in that customer experience as well.”
— Lori Boyer [18:39]

4. Smart Cost-Cutting Without Compromising Customer Experience

[21:29–25:53]

• Must Rate-Shop
  • Automated rate shopping tools crucial for getting the best rates and options in real-time.
  • Analyze post-shipping performance to know if service levels are met.
• Packaging Optimization
  • Data shows shipping box volume often 40% too big—cutting down on dimensional weight saves significantly.
• Claims Management
  • 40% of USPS claims never get filed—automation can recover significant missed dollars.

“If you're not rate shopping, you need to start, end of story… There are so many ways that you can get boxes to consumers and keep costs low while keeping customer expectations high. … Sometimes the monetary amounts… are a staggering amount of money a year that they don't even realize they're spending.”
— John Wharf [21:29]

5. Adoption & Application of Technology

[26:34–32:33]

• AI & Automation
  • EasyPost’s Luma AI tool helps route, cut costs, and simplify the shipping process.
  • Cartonization, load planning, and automated claims tools highlighted for reducing manual labor and errors.
• Industry Lagging in Tech
  • Many shippers still use outdated interfaces and processes; adoption is critical to remain competitive.
• Beyond Discounts
  • True operational improvement requires redesigning networks and processes, not simply chasing lower rates.

“You have to redesign your network… If you're just going to be tactical, chasing a discount, you're going to miss out on the opportunity.”
— Tevin Taylor [32:03]

6. Red Flags—When to Reboot Shipping Strategies

[32:33–37:14]

• Over-reliance on 1-2 carriers = risk and lost savings.
• Outdated technology, manual processes, ignoring high surcharges, and ignoring customer/team feedback are all signals.
• High surcharges (e.g., new $2.50 import fees, $1800 unauthorized package fees) require immediate attention.
• If customer promises aren’t met, or costs climb without operational improvements, it’s time for change.

“If you think you know everything—that’s a mic drop red flag.”
— Lori Boyer [36:12]

7. Actionable Steps to Optimize Peak Performance

[37:54–43:18]

• Diversify NOW: Test different carriers before peak hits; don’t wait until there’s a crisis.
• Tech + Process: Implement automated, real-time rating and routing; evaluate options early and often.
• War Room Approach: Hold internal “war room” meetings now to analyze surcharges, regional options, cross-border practices, packaging, and claims.
• Inventory Tactics: Prepackage and prelabel top SKUs, push inventory closer to the customer to reduce shipping zones and increase flexibility.

“The sandbox for that entire environment is right now... The better setup you can get now, you’re going to have a much smoother peak season throughout.”
— John Wharf [37:54]

“Schedule a war room now, it’s time… do a little bit of testing because the big three carriers are reducing. They're going to cap you.”
— Lori Boyer [39:54]

8. Final Thoughts: Delivery Experience = Brand Experience

[44:14–47:15]

• 84% of customers say a bad delivery experience will make them abandon a brand (D: 44:14).
• Visibility, proactivity, honesty, and even turning mistakes into recovery opportunities are make-or-break factors.

“Customers are far less likely to count it as a bad experience if you were proactive… Those challenging experiences … are actually incredible opportunities to create an above and beyond experience.”
— Lori Boyer [44:43]

9. How to Act Immediately

[45:34–47:29]

• Getting Started with EasyPost
  • New, simple website; quick onboarding; open conversations even for those not intending to become clients.
  • Leverage free resources: blog, podcasts ("Unboxing Logistics"), and direct access to experts via email/LinkedIn.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It's okay to try switching things up if you feel like that service level is going to be what meets the customer's needs.”
  — Lori Boyer [18:39]

• “If you don’t like change, you’re going to hate extinction, right? So you gotta change.”
  — Tevin Taylor quoting Fred Smith [20:14]

• “The biggest shippers in the world have the exact same problems that you do. The scale is just a lot bigger.”
  — John Wharf [27:06]

• “If you’re not looking around, I guarantee you’re leaving money on the table.”
  — John Wharf [21:29]

• “Don’t chase discounts. Diversify who you’re using, use technology, and most importantly, break the status quo. Then you’ll ship smarter, not harder.”
  — Tevin Taylor [47:42]

Timestamps: Important Segments

• [09:02–10:51] Carrier Strategy: UPS, FedEx, USPS breakdown and 2025 shifts
• [12:43–16:23] The Role and Growth of Regional Carriers
• [16:54–20:14] Balancing Cost vs. Service; The Value of Kept Promises
• [21:29–25:53] Cutting Costs Strategically: Rate-Shopping, Packaging, Claims
• [26:34–32:33] Tech Adoption, AI Solutions, and Operational Improvement
• [32:33–37:14] Red Flags for Shipping Strategies
• [37:54–43:18] Peak Season Playbook: Quick Tests and Operational Tweaks
• [44:14–47:15] Delivery Experience as Brand Value
• [45:34–47:29] EasyPost Onboarding & Free Resources

Overall Takeaway

To master an unpredictable shipping landscape:

• Diversify carriers (national and regional),
• Automate rate-shopping, tracking, and claims,
• Use proactive, transparent communication,
• Redesign processes, not just chase discounts,
• Leverage technology and data aggressively, and
• Act immediately—test new solutions before peak season hits.

Final Word:
In logistics, “deeds not words” distinguish the winners—waiting is no longer safe. Evolve, experiment, and communicate, or be left behind.