Supply-chain talent management is Topic A for many executives -- even though they harbor a number of misperceptions about the subject, according to Shay Scott, managing director of the Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Tennessee.

Tim Voulopos grew up around transportation, majored in logistics and then worked his way up to an executive position at Cardinal Logistics Management. Today there is more technology and fewer drivers, which presents a real challenge, but the basics of trucking really haven't changed, he says.

Finding logistics workers with the right skills is a growing challenge for all companies. One approach that promises to help is a national certification program funded by the Department of Labor and being developed by two universities and nine community colleges.