Unboxing the Trends January 2025 With Lori Boyer and Tim Ranagan From EasyPost

Exciting news! In our new Unboxing Logistics segment, Unboxing the Trends, the EasyPost team will be doing a monthly recap of the most impactful shipping and logistics trends in 2025. 

During this episode, Lori Boyer and Tim Ranagan discuss January’s port strike resolution, the devastating California wildfires, and President Trump’s brand-new tariffs. 

What do these events mean for your business? Listen to find out!

Port strikes shed light on automation concerns 

While port strikes were resolved in January, they brought up an important question for businesses and employees alike: how far should we take automation? 

As Lori points out, this was a primary concern for port workers. “One of the aspects that the laborers were looking for was reassurance that their jobs were not going to be replaced by automation.”

While this concern is valid, it’s clear that technological progress isn’t going to halt anytime soon, and Tim recommends that business owners find a balance. “Adopt the technology with your people in mind. … That keeps things moving forward from a relationship standpoint.”

California wildfires emphasize the importance of contingency planning

Despite a few logistics hiccups, the California wildfires didn’t affect shipping as much as some people feared. Still, as Lori and Tim point out, there’s an important lesson to be learned about responding to natural disasters. 

Lori puts it simply: “Natural disasters are here and accelerating.” Tim adds, “This is a good opportunity for business owners out there to look at their preparedness. Do they have any contingency plans for their supply chain in the event of a natural disaster?”

If tariffs stick around, costs could rise

When it comes to the new tariffs, we’re still in wait-and-see mode. But while you’re waiting, you can prepare for different possible outcomes. Lori recommends that business owners ask themselves “If these tariffs stick around for a while, what will that mean for me?”

One potential impact to be ready for? Higher costs. And if costs do rise, you’ll need a plan of action. “As we have to pass price increases on to our consumers, we're going to have to figure out how to balance that. How much of the burden do you take on? How much of the burden do you pass on?” 

Links

• Connect with Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loribboyer/ 
• Connect with Tim on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-ranagan-mba-2717bb125/ 
• Visit EasyPost’s website: https://www.easypost.com/