DXP Enterprises earned $882,000 in the fourth quarter on revenue of $293.1 million after posting a loss a year ago. The distributor also reported full-year profit of $16.5 million on $1.11 billion in revenue, following a loss in 2020.

Dawn Foods took a low code/no code, automated platform approach to test its technology architecture and help its product owners be effective without necessarily having coding experience, says executive Gireesh Sahukar. "Having them do the QA and make sure it worked the way they wanted it to ... we really lean on our product owners to be that voice of reason on that front," Sahukar says.

CEVA Logistics and Kodiak Robotics have completed their first autonomous freight driverless delivery between Dallas and Oklahoma City. In November, the first delivery was made between Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, and since then, the company has continued moving goods each week; it expanded the program last month to add Oklahoma City.

Transportation management systems should be able to work with autonomous trucks just as they handle other configurations, say Michelle Sodomka of Open Sky Group and Bob Hart of Inspirage. Meanwhile, companies such as TuSimple, Convoy and Emerge are offering new ways for shippers to buy freight capacity on autonomous and conventional trucks.

Distributors should recruit salespeople from the growing number of teachers leaving the profession, as they have solid communication skills, are patient and can balance independence and structure, writes consultant Troy Harrison. Third-party assessments, behavioral interviews and proper onboarding and development can help identify and support the teachers most likely to succeed at sales, Harrison writes.

Business-to-business marketing experts share their thoughts on whether "human-to-human" marketing is simply a buzzword or a concept that offers value to the industry. "[W]hat's more useful (and more universal) is the focus on human understanding," says Eoin Rodgers of TMW Business, adding, "We need to be considering behavioral science and neuroscience."

A gut feeling, or intuition, can be a valuable guide for decision-making, but it can also be colored by unconscious bias and emotion, writes Phil McKinney. "If you're feeling emotional about a decision, it's best to take some time to calm down and think things through before making a choice," McKinney writes.

Help your company develop strategic thinkers and an agile team when your employees participate in this one-week course. The NAW Distribution Leadership Program draws on the latest business practices, tailored to the distribution industry, and those business practices are delivered by award-winning faculty from The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business. Register your leaders today!

You've navigated through a global pandemic and continue to face labor shortages, but you now face potential new supply chain challenges caused by the repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Please join NAW for a 30-minute webinar on Tuesday, March 29, from 2-2:30 pm ET as we discuss the topic Will the Russian/Ukraine Crisis Put New Strain on the Supply Chain? Register now.