Week in Review: Meat, Megabytes & Mexican Motorways—Supply Chain Spiciness

Picture cruising down a Mexican highway, hauling a truckload of avocados, when suddenly... well, we'll get to that. Meanwhile, your cousin's small-town butcher shop is buzzing with unexpected activity. Across the country, a port worker in Long Beach is squinting at a computer screen, marveling at real-time cargo updates. In a gleaming lab, a biopharma exec scratches her head over a job listing. And somewhere, a procurement officer is having a lightbulb moment about sustainability.

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Intrigued? You should be! This week’s rundown from the front lines of our supply chains is a window into a world that touches all our lives, even if we don't always see it. So, let's take a closer look at the challenges, innovations, and everyday workers keeping things moving.

Stay Safe on the Road: A Closer Look at Mexico's Alarming Cargo Theft Rates in June

June brought an unsettling rise in cargo theft incidents on Mexico's roadways, with an average of five thefts per day—resulting in 150 reported incidents. Unfortunately, whether you’re a business or a consumer, you’ll feel the impacts somehow.

The Troubling Trend of Tractor-Trailer Thefts

Last month saw a worrying 4.1% increase in tractor-trailer thefts compared to last year, with 843 thefts from January through June. The state of Puebla topped the charts with 210 incidents, closely followed by the State of Mexico with 204. Moreover, these figures likely represent just a fraction of the accurate scale, as they only account for thefts reported to the National Association of Vehicle Tracking and Protection Companies (ANERPV). In fact, according to Luis Villatoro, an advisor at ANERPV, these statistics might only represent 10% of cargo thefts in Mexico.

When & How Thefts Occur: Insights to Enhance Security

The typical theft involves intercepting a tractor-trailer while in transit; over 75% of thefts occurred this way in June alone. The preferred targets? Food and beverage loads, construction materials, and industrial supplies. Timing also plays a significant role—with more than 32% of thefts reported in the morning, and Tuesdays seeing the highest frequency at 23%.  

A Boost for Our Food Supply: Investments to Strengthen & Compete

The food supply chain is getting a serious shake up, thanks to a cool $83 million in USDA grants to beef up its strength and competitive edge. Clearly, the Biden-Harris Administration is going all out to level the playing field for farmers and ranchers alike.  

Meat & Poultry Processing Expansion: What It Means

Working with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, this $83 million investment is breathing new life into 24 independent processors across 15 states. From Colorado to New York, processors are gearing up to serve more local farmers and ranchers while creating much-needed jobs. Take Simla Frozen Food Locker Co. in Colorado, set to welcome 160 new producers and add four full-time positions, or McRez Packing International in New York, with its ambitious plan to serve 2,500 new producers and create 110 jobs.  

Local Meat Capacity Grant Program: Expanding Horizons

The Local MCap grant program is also revitalizing small-scale meat processors across America. Part of the American Rescue Plan, these $26.9 million grants are strengthening local economies, expanding opportunities for small producers, and reconnecting communities with their food sources for 33 businesses across 23 states. Examples include Georgia's White Oak Pastures expanding its animal processing capabilities, Wisconsin's Nordik Meats doubling capacity to support hundreds more family farms, and Virginia's Seven Hills Food Co. to address production bottlenecks and meet rising demand.

Port of Long Beach Gets a Nearly $8M Visibility Boost

The California logistics scene is about to get a major facelift. The Port of Long Beach—which serves 200,000 shippers—is set to supercharge its digital platform. Partnering with UNCOMN since 2019 and backed by $27 million in state funds, the port is now adding $8 million of new funding to the mix.  

Enhancing Cargo Visibility & Speed

Long Beach is betting big on tech with a fresh $7.9 million to turbocharge its Supply Chain Information Highway. Picture this: smart cameras reading container numbers off speeding trains, truckers breezing through pickup appointments, and real-time updates on every type of cargo. Beyond moving goods faster, it should weave together trucks, trains, and ships into a seamless blend of efficiency and intermodal excellence.

Better Planning with Real-Time Shipment Visibility

The port also prioritizes real-time shipment visibility and data integration. With $750,000 dedicated to enhancing exporter data visibility and $430,000 for stakeholder portal integration, the goal is to provide better planning resources. A further $1 million will advance rail tracking and visibility, promising to take the guesswork out of cargo movements. Imagine knowing exactly where your shipment is—down to the minute—so everyone involved can make smarter decisions, plan better, and slash costs.

Bridging the Skills Gap in Biopharma's Digital Supply Chain

Biopharma is racing into the digital age, but there's a catch: the human element. As supply chains go high tech, companies face a pressing question: can their workforce keep up? Can they bridge the skills gap?

The Need for Digital Skills in Biopharma

The digital revolution in biopharma has created a widening skills gap. A 2023 Deloitte survey found that 66% of supply chain leaders struggled to grasp how digital transformation would reshape their roles. Interviews with industry leaders in 2024 confirmed this challenge—highlighting the urgent need for targeted skill development. Yet, even though today's biopharma supply chains require deep expertise in advanced analytics, data science, and AI to drive smart decision making, 83% of leaders acknowledge that simply upskilling isn't enough—employees also need reskilling for entirely new roles.

Overcoming Challenges & Building a Future-Ready Workforce

Biopharma companies need help building a digital-savvy team. They're up against tech giants with deeper pockets, and many skilled workers would rather tinker in R&D labs than manage supply chains. Temp workers help, but fitting them in smoothly can be challenging. European rules add another layer of complexity, with worker councils and labor laws slowing things down. Meanwhile, experienced technicians are heading for retirement, taking years of know-how with them. That’s why tackling these challenges requires companies to put people first. That means valuing hands-on experience over fancy degrees, tailoring tech to fit how people actually work, and helping employees build flexible skills.

Smarter Sustainability: The Key to Resilient Supply Chains

Finally, we have to cover the unprecedented challenges procurement teams face and where smarter, more sustainable supply chain approaches come into play.

The Need for a Smarter Approach

A food industry leader's remark at London Climate Action Week about a "perfect storm of supply chain challenges" rings true for many sectors. Geopolitical conflicts, extreme weather, and new regulations—such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive—are increasing demands on supply chains. Many businesses are tempted to do the bare minimum to comply, but traditional procurement methods are becoming less effective. A smarter approach is essential to protect and grow business value in the coming disruptive decade.

Steps Toward Smarter, Sustainable Supply Chains

Companies are rethinking supply chains using applied futures, systems thinking, and adaptive approaches. While leaders including Aditya Birla Group and IKEA already use these strategies to anticipate disruptions and stay flexible, many lag behind. A 2023 survey found that 40% of North American procurement leaders still ignore sustainability—with only 28% prioritizing it. To catch up, businesses can follow a simple three-step process: diagnose weak points, reimagine value chains creatively, and engage by testing resilient, fair solutions. Mars Wrigley is an excellent example of someone doing it the right way by merging procurement, sustainability, and R&D.

Taming the Supply Chain Beast: Your Tive Toolkit

As we've seen, today's supply chains are a wild frontier of challenges and opportunities. But fear not—Tive has a formidable toolkit that can help you conquer the chaos:

• Trackers: Revolutionize your shipment tracking with Tive's advanced Solo 5G tracker and the newly-released Solo Lite—offering real-time location and condition monitoring for the security and integrity of your cargo.
• Tive Tag: Enhance perishable shipment protection with Tive Tag—an affordable and reusable paper-thin temperature logger—to verify that your goods have remained pristine throughout transit.
• Platform: Streamline your supply chain management with Tive's intuitive cloud platform, offering comprehensive visibility, analytics, and integration capabilities for seamless shipment tracking and monitoring.
• Industries: Tive caters to a diverse range of industries, ensuring tailored solutions for unique supply chain challenges—from perishables to high-value goods to transportation and logistics to pharmaceuticals…and beyond.
• 24/7 Live Monitoring Team: This team is available to help ensure that your shipments are constantly watched over and managed—to guarantee timely and secure delivery.

Arm yourself with innovation: let Tive lead the way in transforming your supply chain operations. Embrace the future of logistics—get started with Tive today.

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