Gulf Freight Rates Surge as Shippers Shift to Trucks
Gulf freight rates jump as shipping companies turn to trucks to move cargo https://t.co/a1MIKGhtCM via @ft
Global Focus Shifts From Hormuz to Another Strategic Waterway
As Hormuz crisis rattles the world, eyes are on another key waterway https://t.co/0RQTD4VCdh via @nbcnews
Walmart Converts Local Stores Into Last‑mile Delivery Hubs
Walmart is repurposing former pharmacies, a thrift store and other small spaces in local communities as last-mile stockrooms for speedier delivery in a battle with Amazon for consumers’ grocery dollars. https://t.co/efSisYVb5J via @ft
BLS Adds Secondhand Apparel to CPI Amid Rising Demand
Given consumer preferences shifting toward secondhand goods & expanding availability & improving quality control of secondhand apparel, BLS incorporated secondhand apparel into the CPI in early 2025 & is researching including other secondhand goods. https://t.co/VsgPCYfAYR
DSV Moves to CargoWise, Tango Becomes Core AI
DSV confirms CargoWise shift as Tango becomes core AI platform - https://t.co/dcq4GR9itu - The Loadstar
Supply Chains Need Faster Decisions, Not Just Visibility
Supply Chains don't need more visibility - They need faster decisions. https://t.co/VKqA67WCvF “We don’t want to be reacting,” said Mike Medeiros, Executive Vice President of Operations at Penske. “We want to identify those opportunities early and often.”
UP-NS Merger Would Give One Firm 50% Rail Control
"A combined UP-NS could place nearly 50% of U.S. freight rail traffic in the hands of a single company that already has a troubled history of abusing market power to the detriment of American businesses & workers.."...
China Shifts From Low‑Value Manufacturing to High‑Tech Dominance
China is increasingly dominating high-tech industries, while the low-value manufacturing sectors that powered the country’s rise are becoming less important economic drivers https://t.co/z2ny9xep3S via @WSJ
China's April Exports Rise; Import Growth Slows
China's April export shipments rose 14.1% while its imports increased 25.3% in April, below the 27.8% in March. https://t.co/NOYBqEfdgZ
Weekly Reverse News Highlights: DuPont, FedEx, Stellantis
Reverse News for the week ending May 8 is posted on the LTI website. https://t.co/BNZpj7FrYa This week, articles on DuPont, FedEx Freight, Stellantis and more. https://t.co/MS6Aqib3pz
Carrier of the Year Awards Overlook Real Safety Risks
Worth the read - Safety assumptions appear misguided in ‘carrier of the year’ honors https://t.co/FA9OMsMFGS via JOC's Ari Ashe.
Better Signage Boosts Efficiency in Global Express Market
A new blog post is posted on the LTI website - Improving Signs in the Global Express Market - https://t.co/ec46Uq3lDg https://t.co/nWgyEYndFg
Sharing Insights on Amazon Supply Chain Services with Loadstar
A big thank you to The Loadstar's Ian Putzger for our lovely chat about Amazon Supply Chain Services. Yeah, I know everyone is pretty much tired of this topic but I was happy to be asked my thoughts. Ian included...
US Fuel Exports Surge 20% to 8.2 Mn Barrels Daily
Last week, the US exported more than 8.2mn barrels a day of refined fuels including gasoline, diesel & jet fuel, an increase of more than 20% from the same period last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration. https://t.co/fTwGskrYWH...
Walmart+ Hits Record 30.7M Members, Up 3.9M
Morgan Stanley April survey data indicated Walmart+ membership rose by about 3.9M in March alone to about 30.7M implied members. The estimate for Walmart+ memberships is the highest ever recorded in the Morgan Stanley survey. https://t.co/GBUJMfUFTU
China E‑commerce Shipments Fell 6% YoY in March
Analysis by Aevean shows that in March, e-commerce volumes from China declined by 6% yoy. https://t.co/OMyf88X13r via @Air_Cargo_News https://t.co/3bjqpr8Srq
Amazon's New Supply Service Mainly Boosts Baseline Capacity
"...We see the overall disruptive impact [Amazon Supply Chain Service] as on the margin, given our view that Amazon's primary motivation for a third-party offering is aimed toward densifying its baseload capacity..." - Bruce Chan, Stifel
Amazon Business Launches Same‑day Grocery Delivery for Firms
Interesting move - Amazon Business is providing same-day delivery of perishable groceries to business customers in more than 2,300 U.S. cities. https://t.co/fq9JaBDdDJ "Amazon Business serves more than eight million organizations globally, including 97 of the Fortune 100."
Siemens and Gray Construction Boost U.S. Manufacturing Investment
A couple of recent press releases from Siemens and Gray Construction highlight U.S. manufacturing investments. https://t.co/Q8ylywuocS
Amazon Opens Logistics Network to All Businesses
Amazon introduces Amazon Supply Chain Services - Opens its logistics network to every business https://t.co/cK9VLBLLxM https://t.co/y5JZf9ynO3
Union Pacific Threatens to Abandon NS Deal over Regulator Demands
UP will walk away from its proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern if federal regulators order widespread trackage rights or line sales as part of their approval of the deal. https://t.co/TaAktc4oJN
CBP's Refund Portal Exceeds Expectations, Funds Return May 11
CBP’s tariff refund portal is performing better than expected https://t.co/WlVJ7uqnK6 via @SupplyChainDive CBP anticipates returning funds to importers as early as May 11 according to the article.
Daily Tonnage Jumps 6.5% with Modest Shipment Growth
* Tonnage per day increase of 6.5% * Shipments per day increase of 1.8% * Weight per shipment increase of 4.6%
UPS Q1 Profit Surges Despite Lower Volumes
UPS' Q1 earnings is out this morning - https://t.co/JtDI52CRxS YoY, volumes lower, revenue per piece higher. Check out UPS SCS's operating profit which was $205 million compared to Q1 2025's 46 million. Middle East impact? We'll see what they say...
Hormuz Closure Cripples India's Energy, Fuels Worker Protests
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has choked energy supplies to India, upending the dreams of assembly-line workers and sparking large labor protests. https://t.co/qA5MhKmLRP via @WSJ
Scenic I‑26 Drive Sparks Question on Hendersonville Intermodal Hub
Driving on I-26 N towards Hendersonville and Asheville yesterday - Such a pretty drive but steep in areas. Has there been any consideration to an intermodal hub around Hendersonville? or is there one already?
Trump's Peace Board Negotiates Gaza Rebuild with DP World
Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ holds talks with DP World on rebuilding Gaza, FT says https://t.co/3sx4Z14CRk
From Warm Battlefield Strolls to Chilly Night Winds
Yesterday was a rather warm day to walk around Kings Mountain National Battlefield. Today is Cowpens National Battlefield & a ride up to Saluda NC to the train museum. But first a trip to store for long pants...temp dropped overnight...
IEEPA Refund Filings Begin Monday – Check Newsletter
Monday's Freight Forward is scheduled. Here's this week's newsletter if missed. - https://t.co/3q798rSjfx Reminder that IEEPA tariff refund filings begin on Monday. Article from The Loadstar worth reading -https://t.co/2plNBxmiUi Wonder how long it will take to receive $? 🤔
J.B. Hunt Q1 Earnings Surge on Cost Cuts, Volume Gains
New blog post - J. B. Hunt Q1 Earnings Boost By Cost Initiatives & Higher Volumes https://t.co/sGDzdAk30f Nothing fancy - I figured I'd mostly share quotes that I found interesting and also a few bits from Stifel's Bruce Chan's note on...
Customers See Tariff Uncertainty as Cost, Not Demand Issue
While trade and tariff uncertainty continues to be part of the backdrop, most customers are viewing this uncertainty primarily as a cost and planning issue rather than a demand issue - Daniel Florness, CEO of Fastenal during the company's Q1...
U.S. Oil Blockade Likely Raises Exports and Pump Prices
U.S. oil blockade is set to boost American exports and prices at the Pump https://t.co/imnRBifyQr
Hundreds of Tankers Rush to US Amid Iran War
More than 100 empty oil tankers are heading to the U.S. to fill up as the war in Iran forces the industry to find new sources of oil according to Fox News. 🤔 https://t.co/mGL1u3xP7X
CAPE Process Begins First Phase April 20, 2026
Per CBP's website - The CAPE process is being deployed in phases, and will launch the first phase of CAPE on April 20, 2026. https://t.co/oIZNrwcGBR
Norfolk Southern Restores Old Fort Loops After Hurricane
🥳 Norfolk Southern has run a train on the Old Fort Loops for the first time since the route was devastated by Hurricane Helene in 2024, marking the completion of rebuilding and repair to this section of the...
Three Supertankers Mark Record Oil Transit Day
Three supertankers appear to move through the Strait of Hormuz, in what may be the biggest day of oil transits since the start of the Iran war. https://t.co/3lv3KUtjOp
Movie Good, but Book Still Reigns Supreme
We saw Hail Mary last night - It was good but not as good as the book, which I'm still reading (Which is true most of the time for me 📚). Ryan Gosling is perfect as Ryland Gosling and Rocky...
New Freight Forward Launches Monday – Catch Up Here
A new Freight Forward goes out on Monday morning. If you missed this week's LI newsletter, here you go - https://t.co/SS8bzaa4hC
March CPI Jumps to 3.3%, Fuel Fuels Surge
Consumer prices were up 3.3% in March from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Friday, much hotter than February’s gain of 2.4% and driven by higher fuel prices. https://t.co/6hdNDDIjdn via @WSJ
Weekly Reverse News Highlights Sustainable Logistics Trends
The weekly Reverse News is out with news about John Deere, Shein, recycled resins, a new reverse logistics association and more. https://t.co/SVQwKB0SJu
Reading Retreats Booming, but $1,000 Price Tag Absurd
I love that reading retreats are taking off but paying up to $1,000 sounds crazy to me. https://t.co/BzasYLe3Bo
UPS Fuel Surcharge Rises Again, Groundhog Day
Another fuel surcharge increase from UPS. Joe Wilkinson of @intelligentaudt describes it as another Ground Hog Day....😆 https://t.co/MRbr6aSvhX From UPS - https://t.co/1ng8p6g3C1
Savannah Port Cuts Shipper Costs Over $1K per Container
New findings from Georgia Tech researchers show the Port of Savannah saves shippers more than $1,000 per container to Atlanta, Memphis and Nashville, compared to West Coast gateways. https://t.co/Sn8LWvsekl
Tomato Blooms Thrive While Spinach Seeds Disappoint
Rats, I thought I saw a teeny spinach sprout this morning. Not to be...I must have done something wrong when planting the seeds or else the weather has not worked out for them. But, on the plus side, I have...
Guest Joins Leah and RoadDogTrucking for Freight Forward Update
That was fun. Thank you again to Leah and @RoadDogTrucking for having me on the show to share this week's Freight Forward news. 😀 Just in case, here's the link to the latest Freight Forward...https://t.co/p8546eE6u3
Hormuz Still Blocked; Shippers Await Post‑ceasefire Safety
The Strait of Hormuz appeared to remain largely blocked on Wednesday, as shipowners try to understand if they can safely transit the vital waterway following a ceasefire between the US and Iran that was announced overnight https://t.co/zdoetY8L6Y
FedEx Freight Mirrors Express Strategy, Pursues High‑Value Sectors
FedEx Freight is targeting high-quality revenue opportunities in SMB, Healthcare, Grocery and Data Centers & Energy. Much of what is being said, from a strategic purpose, sounds similar to what FedEx did for FedEx Express/Ground.
FedEx Freight Investor Day Live at 8 AM – Register Now
For those interested in listening, FedEx Freight Investor Day starts at 8:00 am this morning. To register - https://t.co/TZsxiHyJ7n
800+ Vessels Trapped in Gulf as Owners Seek Release
More than 800 are stuck inside the gulf. Although the terms for safe passage are still unclear, owners are moving to free up their ships writes WSJ's @CostasParis https://t.co/BQY0GcPPvk
Detouring to Asheville Yields a Stunning Mountain Drive
Just got back home from SC. Instead of I85, I went to Asheville and stopped off in Cherokee for a quick walk. It was such a pretty drive. 🥰 https://t.co/k5HiPdZVu2