USTR Launches Section 301 Hearings on Global Manufacturing Overcapacity
The U.S. Trade Representative launched Section 301 hearings to examine structural excess capacity across 16 foreign economies, including China, the EU and several Asian nations. The investigations will assess whether overproduction and subsidies constitute unreasonable or discriminatory practices that harm U.S. commerce. Industry groups such as the National Retail Federation, America Cement Association and NEMA urged a targeted, sector‑specific approach rather than sweeping tariffs. The hearings reflect the Trump administration’s broader push to reshore critical supply chains and protect American jobs.
U.S. Industrial Leasing Surges in Q1 as Supply Chain Shifts Drive Demand, Reports JLL
U.S. industrial leasing surged 17.8% year‑over‑year in Q1 2026, reaching 145 million square feet, with 71.6% of that volume representing new leases. Asking rents rose modestly 0.8% to $10.34 per square foot, while mega‑box rates jumped 14.5% and big‑box leasing grew...
Preliminary April Class 8 Truck Net Orders See Another Strong Month of Annual Gains
Preliminary April Class 8 truck net orders dropped 34% from March but surged 199% year‑over‑year, reaching 25,500 units per FTR data and 24,800 units per ACT. The 12‑month cumulative orders hit 298,105 units, marking the third consecutive month with annual growth...
April Services PMI Signals Steady Expansion Despite Cost Pressures and Weaker Demand
The Institute for Supply Management reported an April Services PMI of 53.6, marking the 22nd straight month of expansion but a 0.4‑point dip from March. The reading stays 1.1 points above the 12‑month average, indicating continued growth despite a slower...
U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index Shows Lower Volumes but Significant Jump in Shipping Spending Levels
The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index’s Q1 2026 shipment index slipped 0.3% quarter‑over‑quarter to 75.9, yet the spend index surged 12.9% to 216.7, marking a 21.8% year‑over‑year rise. Volume growth was modest and uneven across regions, while shipping costs accelerated...
Shippers Expand 3PL Use Amid Tech Gains and Market Shifts, Notes New Armstrong & Associates Report
Armstrong & Associates’ new report finds 94% of Fortune 500 firms now use at least one third‑party logistics provider, a 46% increase since 2001. The U.S. 3PL market is projected to generate $424.3 billion in revenue in 2025, within a global market...
Manufacturing Expands for Fourth Straight Month in April as Prices Surge and Hiring Lags
The Institute for Supply Management reported a PMI of 52.7 for April, matching March and marking the fourth consecutive month of manufacturing expansion. New orders rose to 54.1 while production growth slowed and employment fell to a 46.4 index, extending...
2026 Parcel Express Roundtable: From Volume to Value, Parcel Carriers Are Rewriting the Playbook
The parcel market is moving from a volume‑driven model to a margin‑focused, competitive landscape. UPS and FedEx are cutting costs, consolidating networks and investing in automation, while Amazon, regional carriers and new last‑mile startups are eroding the Big 3’s share, which...
Global Logistics: Freight Forwarders Adapt and Grow in a Volatile Global Market
The global freight forwarding market is forecast to expand 2.9% in real terms by 2025, despite a backdrop of tariff volatility, geopolitical tensions and supply‑chain shocks. Forwarders are shifting from pure transportation execution to integrated risk‑management partners, leveraging diversified services,...
The Supply Chain Control Tower: Myth & Reality, Part II—The Rise of Intelligent Orchestration
Supply chain control towers are evolving from simple visibility tools into AI‑powered orchestration platforms. Leveraging machine learning, generative AI and advanced cloud computing, modern towers can simulate scenarios, prescribe actions and even execute decisions autonomously. Deloitte’s analysis highlights how these...
2026 Technology Roundtable: The Next Phase of Supply Chain Technology
The 2026 Technology Roundtable highlighted a pivotal shift in supply chain tech from mere visibility to actionable execution. AI is moving beyond dashboards to embedded decision‑intelligence that optimizes inventory placement, warehouse slotting, and transportation routing. Vendors are emphasizing orchestration software—integrating...
Making Self-Funding Supply Chains Real
Supply chains lag in digital maturity—only 36% overall and 21% for autonomous processes—making them costly and slow. Accenture proposes a self‑funding model that uses AI to target high‑impact cost drivers, capture early savings, and reinvest them for broader transformation. The...
Beyond the Buzz: Supply Chain Technology Gets to Work
The latest May Technology Issue highlights that supply‑chain technology is moving from buzzwords to tangible maturity. AI, automation, and digital twins are shifting from experimental concepts to practical tools that connect planning, execution, transportation, and warehousing. Freight forwarders are expanding...
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Refile Merger Application with Surface Transportation Board
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have refiled their $85 billion merger application with the Surface Transportation Board after the STB rejected the initial filing for incompleteness. The amended filing adds full system impact analyses, market‑share projections, and a commitment to divest...
Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady for Fourth Straight Meeting as Inflation Risks Persist
The Federal Reserve held the federal funds target range at 3.5%‑3.75% for the fourth consecutive meeting, citing persistent inflation and heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Inflation measured by the PCE index rose 3.5% year‑over‑year, with core PCE at 3.2%, while the unemployment...
Industry Coalition Urges DOJ to Act as Cargo Theft and Organized Retail Crime Surge Nationwide
A coalition of 24 freight, retail and manufacturing groups has written to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the Department of Justice to deploy FY 2026 appropriations for dedicated special prosecutors targeting cargo theft and organized retail crime (ORC). The letter...
Geopolitics, Energy Prices, and Supply Chains Drive Uncertain Path for U.S. Inflation
U.S. consumer prices rose 3.3% year‑over‑year in March, with a 0.9% month‑to‑month gain largely fueled by higher energy costs. The OECD has upgraded its 2026 inflation outlook to 4.2%, well above its prior 2.8% estimate and the Federal Reserve’s 2.7%...
UPS Posts Second Quarter Earnings Decline
UPS reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $21.2 billion, down 1.6% year‑over‑year, while basic earnings per share rose to $1.07, beating estimates. Operating profit slipped 23.9% to $1.267 billion. International package revenue grew 3.8%, but U.S. domestic and supply‑chain segments declined. CEO Carol...
Roadie and Centiro Integration Streamlines Same-Day Delivery for Retailers
UPS subsidiary Roadie has partnered with Swedish delivery‑management software firm Centiro to launch a seamless integration that embeds Roadie’s nationwide same‑day delivery network into Centiro’s platform. The joint solution lets retailers and third‑party logistics providers activate Roadie’s speed and flexibility...
Intermodal Volumes See March Gains, Reports IANA
Intermodal volumes in March rose 2.3% year‑over‑year to 1,606,602 units, marking a slowdown from February’s 2.7% gain and January’s 5.9% surge. Domestic containers drove the growth, up 9.5% YoY, while international trailers (ISO) were the only segment to decline, falling...
U.S.-bound Imports Fall in March, for Seventh Consecutive Month, Reports S&P Global Market Intelligence
U.S.-bound containerized freight imports slipped 0.5% year‑over‑year in March to 2.46 million TEU, marking the seventh straight month of annual declines. The slowdown was partially offset by a surge in automotive components, furniture and consumer durables, which grew double‑digit percentages. Average...
Spot Market Gains Signal Tightening Truckload Capacity, Notes DAT Truckload Volume Index
DAT Freight & Analytics reported a sharp rise in March spot truckload volumes and rates, with the Van TVI hitting 253, a 12% month‑over‑month gain, and flatbed TVI soaring 18% to 314. Spot rates climbed to $2.52 per mile for...
Echo Global Logistics Expands EchoChill Network with New Sacramento Cold Storage Facility
Echo Global Logistics has added a new refrigerated storage cooler in Sacramento, expanding its EchoChill less‑than‑truckload (LTL) network across the Pacific Northwest, Northern California and Upper Mountain states. The facility enables strategic freight consolidation, keeping shipments on a single trailer...
POLA, POLB Close Out Q1 on Strong Footing as Tariffs and Global Tensions Cloud Outlook
The Port of Los Angeles (POLA) handled 752,250 TEU in March, a 3% year‑over‑year decline, while its first‑quarter total of 2.39 million TEU was flat with the five‑year average. The Port of Long Beach (POLB) saw a larger 5.2% drop to...
Warehouse Automation Expands Real Estate Value as Adoption Accelerates, Notes Prologis Report
Prologis’ new report links rising warehouse automation to higher demand for well‑located, technology‑enabled logistics real estate. Automation now powers roughly 30% of U.S. warehouses, up from 20‑25% five years ago, and is projected to hit 50% by 2035. The study...
U.S.-bound Imports Post Strong March Gains, Notes Descartes Global Shipping Report
Descartes' 56th Global Shipping Report shows U.S.-bound container imports surged 12.4% month‑over‑month in March to 2.35 million TEU, the fourth‑highest monthly total on record. Imports remain 32.3% above pre‑pandemic March 2019 levels despite a 4.8% year‑to‑date decline. China‑origin shipments slipped slightly,...
FTR Trucking Conditions Index Hits Highest Reading in Four Years
Freight transportation consultancy FTR reported its Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) rose to 10.2 in February, the strongest reading in four years. The index, which gauges freight volumes, rates, capacity, fuel costs and financing, moved up from 9.3 in January and...
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Address Revised Merger Application at NEARS
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern plan to file a revised $85 billion merger application with the Surface Transportation Board by April 30, after the Board rejected their initial filing for lacking required data. The companies highlighted a $2.1 billion integration budget aimed at...
Preliminary Class 8 Truck Net Orders See Strong Annual Gains in March
Preliminary March data show Class 8 truck net orders jumping to 38,200 units, a 137% year‑over‑year increase according to FTR and 126% YoY to 37,200 units per ACT. The surge marks the fourth straight month of over 20% annual growth and...
Same Old Story for Shippers, Asked to Recover From Steep Fuel Surcharges Again
U.S. diesel prices surged to an average $5.64 per gallon in April, up from $3.76 before the U.S.-Israel conflict, pushing fuel costs for truckers and freight carriers higher. The spike inflates per‑mile operating expenses, squeezes carrier margins and fuels broader...
Project44 Announces Acquisition of LunaPath.ai
Chicago‑based project44, a leading supply‑chain visibility platform, announced the all‑cash acquisition of LunaPath.ai, an AI‑native logistics automation firm. LunaPath adds more than 50 purpose‑built agents that automate routine tasks such as missed pickups, appointment scheduling and document retrieval, embedding them...
Iran Conflict and Tariffs Push U.S. Import Volumes Down While Fuel Costs Rise, Reports Port Tracker
U.S. container imports dropped 7.5% in February to 1.95 million TEU, reflecting the combined impact of higher fuel costs tied to the Iran‑Hormuz conflict and a series of new tariffs. The NRF and Hackett Associates report projects modest recovery in May‑June...
U.S. Rail Carload Volumes Rise in Q1 as Carloads Rise and Intermodal Holds Near Record Levels, Reports AAR
U.S. rail carloads rose 4.2% to 2.68 million in the first quarter, marking the highest weekly average since 2019. Grain shipments jumped 17.8%, while coal and chemicals posted modest gains. Excluding coal, carloads hit 1.98 million, the strongest level since 2015. Intermodal...
NMFTA Acts to Slow $6.6 Billion-a-Year Fraud Industry in Trucking
The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) has launched the Freight Fraud Prevention Hub, a centralized resource aimed at curbing an estimated $6.6 billion annual loss from freight fraud in the United States. The hub provides educational content, best‑practice guides, webinars,...
Amazon Cuts USPS Volume by 20% in New Deal, Averting Major Revenue Loss for Postal Service
Amazon and the United States Postal Service have reached a new agreement that trims Amazon’s parcel volume to roughly 80% of current levels, equating to about 1.7 billion packages and $6 billion in annual revenue for USPS. The reduction, a 20% cut,...
National Diesel Average Rises for the 14th Consecutive Week, Reports Energy Information Administration
The Energy Information Administration reported diesel prices rose to $5.643 per gallon for the week of April 6, marking the 14th consecutive weekly increase and a $2.00 jump from a year ago. The price is up 24.2 cents from the previous...
U.S. Seaport Activity Stabilizes at Elevated Levels, States New Report From Colliers
Colliers’ 2026 U.S. Seaports Outlook reports that container volumes across major gateways have settled at historically elevated levels after pandemic volatility. Growth is concentrated in East and Gulf Coast ports, driven by proximity to population centers, rail links and ongoing...
DAT iQ ‘Signal’ Report Points to Rising Freight Rates, Shrinking Capacity, and Carrier Gains
The DAT iQ March Signal Report shows U.S. truckload markets tightening, with dry‑van spot rates up 21% YoY and temperature‑controlled rates up 13% in February. Positive New Rate Differentials across dry van (+4.2%), reefer (+3.9%) and flatbed (+5.4%) indicate carriers...
March Services PMI Signals Continued Growth as Costs and Global Tensions Weigh on Outlook
The Institute for Supply Management reported a March Services PMI of 54.0, marking the 21st consecutive month of expansion but a 2.1% dip from February. New orders surged to 60.6, while the employment sub‑index slipped to 45.2, indicating job contraction....
UPS, Teamsters Reach Nationwide Agreement on Driver Choice Program, Following Disputes
UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have reached a nationwide agreement on the company’s Driver Choice Program, a voluntary buyout offering $150,000 severance to eligible drivers. The deal caps the total number of severance packages at 7,500 and applies...
One Year After ‘Liberation Day,’ Tariffs Reshape Global Trade Landscape
April 2, 2025 marked "Liberation Day," when the U.S. invoked the International Economic Emergency Powers Act to impose sweeping tariffs on most trading partners. The tariffs aimed to shrink the trade deficit, curb fentanyl inflows, and boost domestic manufacturing, but...
Q&A: Jett McCandless, Founder and CEO, Project44
Project44’s CEO Jett McCandless highlighted that multi‑year agreements now represent 73% of the company’s annual recurring revenue, reflecting heightened market confidence in its platform. He detailed the Decision Intelligence Platform, which layers AI‑driven visibility, predictive analytics, and automated execution across...
Truckload Rates Climb for Fourth Straight Month Despite Weak Volumes, Notes U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index-Rates Edition
The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index‑Rates Edition shows truckload pricing climbing for a fourth consecutive month. February spot rates rose 3.6% from January while contract rates edged up only 0.1%, pushing spot linehaul to $2.01 per mile, up from $1.65 in...
Retail Sales See Gains, Reports Commerce
United States retail sales in February rose 0.6% month‑over‑month to $738.4 billion, marking a 3.7% increase year‑over‑year. Non‑store retailers, led by e‑commerce, posted a 7.5% annual gain while food services rose 5.2%. The National Retail Federation (NRF) now forecasts 2026 retail...
Top 50 Trucking Companies: Strategy Separates the Leaders
Logistics Management’s 2025 Top 50 trucking list highlights carriers that combine long‑term strategy, strong culture, and disciplined execution to thrive in a $1 trillion U.S. freight network. The report separates the 25 largest truckload firms from the 25 leading less‑than‑truckload (LTL) operators,...
Notes From the Field: Building a Smarter Ocean Transportation Strategy
Companies importing to the U.S. often treat ocean freight as a simple spot‑market expense, missing opportunities for cost control and service improvement. A structured ocean transportation strategy begins with accurate TEU volume forecasts, enabling volume‑based rate negotiations and balanced use...
Global Logistics: Europe Recalibrates in a Volatile Trade Landscape
A 10% global tariff announced by President Trump, with a possible rise to 15%, has stalled EU‑US trade agreement ratification and created legal uncertainty for European shippers. In response, the EU accelerated trade pacts with Mercosur and India, promising up...
Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern Merger: Reshaping the Rail Industry
Union Pacific has filed to acquire Norfolk Southern, creating the nation’s first true transcontinental railroad with over 50,000 miles of track across 43 states. The combined entity would control roughly 40% of U.S. rail freight, matching BNSF’s current market share....
Viewpoint: As the Stakes Rise, so Does the Value of Logistics Managers
Logistics managers have shifted from behind‑the‑scenes operators to strategic C‑suite partners, a change highlighted by the 2026 Salary & Compensation Study. Average base pay rose to $126,400, with nearly a third earning $150,000‑$250,000, and responsibilities have expanded across risk, technology,...
Amazon Freight Increases Dry Van Trailer Count to 80,000
Amazon Freight announced its North American dry‑van fleet has reached 80,000 trailers, up from 70,000 less than a year ago. The expansion adds 10,000 units to its over‑the‑road capacity, complementing an existing inventory of more than 24,000 intermodal containers. Amazon...