Show Notes
We kick off 2026 with Bloodhound CEO Curtis Spencer on how covert, always‑on tracking combats cargo theft, boosts asset utilization, and uses AI, sensors, and mesh connectivity to secure global freight end‑to‑end
Download the episode transcript
=====
This week we, together with Bloodhound CEO Curtis Spencer, unpack the freight security crisis and how covert, always‑on tracking is changing the game. From multi‑network connectivity and AI “patterns of life” analytics to cold‑chain monitoring, asset utilization, and new CO₂ and fentanyl‑sniffing capabilities, we explore how data‑driven visibility can fight theft, tampering, and trafficking across global supply chains.
=====
Guest: Curtis D. Spencer, CEO, IMS Worldwide, Inc. & Bloodhound Tracking Device Inc.
Curtis Spencer is the CEO of IMS Worldwide, Inc. (IMSW) and Bloodhound Tracking Device, Inc., (BTD) headquartered in Houston, Texas. Mr. Spencer is a nationally regarded expert on matters related to: Logistics and Intermodal Shipping Trends, Ports, Inland Ports and Rail-Served Logistics Centers and how they Impact Industrial Real Estate. Development and Utilization of Foreign-Trade Zones for Importers and Exporters Impact of E-Commerce on Logistics and Supply Chains and Industrial Real Estate
After spending 22 years searching for a tracking and security solution, in 2021 Mr. Spencer launched BTD with a pair of NASA engineers and Mr. Steve Schellenberg, another IMSW alumni. BTD is now the leading track, trace and security device for containers, trailers and chassis.
Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
=====
Show Links:
Supply Chain Management SAP Supply Chain Management SAP Insights: Supply Chain
Follow Us on Social Media Richard Howells: LinkedIn, X SAP Digital Supply Chain: LinkedIn
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
=====
Chapters:
00:00:00: Intro 00:02:31: Impact of rising cargo theft on global supply chains 00:03:52: How digitization and data quality reshape freight security 00:05:31: Why real‑time visibility across the whole supply chain matters 00:10:10: Role of AI, sensors, and “patterns of life” in detecting anomalies 00:11:51: Using data for fleet optimization, utilization, and dead‑mile reduction 00:16:56: What's the next wave of freight security 00:18:34: The Future of Supply Chain 00:19:42: Outro
More from The Future of Supply Chain
What if your supply chain system didn't just answer questions but took action? In this episode, Lukas Huber from Deloitte explains the real difference between conversational and agentic AI, shares concrete use cases from shortage mitigation to transport disruption, and makes the case for governance by design.
Kearney's Suketu Gandhi joins us to discuss why the supply chain is now central to corporate strategy—from COO growth optimism and resilience as a competitive weapon to AI industrialization and sustainability's renaissance.
Transportation is no longer just a last-mile function. This week we, together with Tushar Bhalla from CloudPaths, and Dmitry Antanovich from LeverX explore how it's becoming the nerve center of modern supply chains.
Can your supply chain make decisions faster than your competitors? We sit down with Brooks Noonan of NTT DATA to explore the shift from digital visibility to true autonomous execution—and what it actually takes to get there.
In this episode Amy Brachio explains why product-level carbon accounting is reshaping how supply chains buy, invest and compete. And why two factories with identical operations can legally report completely different carbon figures.