Today's Transportation Pulse
UK seizes first dark‑fleet tanker in English Channel
The United Kingdom boarded and seized the 2009‑built, 106,969‑dwt tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel. The vessel, flagged in Cameroon and owned by Hong‑Kong‑based Zhao Yao Shipping, had been sanctioned for transporting Russian oil. Royal Marine Commandos, supported by HMS Sutherland and HMS Led, carried out a six‑hour operation.
Also developing:
By the numbers: MIAA acquires Terminal 3 property for $890M
Mekong Delta Ports to See Major Box Terminal Capacity Expansion
Vietnam’s Greater Mekong Delta is set for a major container‑terminal boost as CMA CGM’s Gemalink Phase 2 will nearly double capacity from 1.7 m to about 3 m TEU by Q4 2027. The Vietnamese government also approved a $5 bn Can Gio International Transhipment and Gateway Port, targeting 4.8 m TEU by 2030 and up to 16 m TEU over two decades. Together the projects will raise deep‑sea terminal handling capacity by roughly 30 % and reinforce Vietnam’s ambition to become a Southeast Asian logistics hub. The expansions arrive amid a regional transshipment race with Singapore, Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas.
Cottbus Deploys First Hydrogen Buses on Public Routes
Cottbusverkehr has begun testing four Wrightbus Kite Hydroliner fuel‑cell buses on regular city routes, marking the first hydrogen‑powered service in the area. A mobile hydrogen refueling station was commissioned this month to keep the buses running until a permanent depot is...
Guidance: Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) Modules
The UK Ministry of Defence has released a suite of Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) modules aimed at up‑skilling military CAMO units. The practical workshops, led by consultants, build on foundational CAMO courses and cover topics from regulatory intent to...
1Q26 LEAP Deliveries +63% to 520 Engines
GE Aerospace reported a 63% year‑over‑year jump in CFM LEAP engine deliveries for Q1 2026, moving from 319 units in Q1 2025 to 520 engines. The previous year’s output had been constrained by a Safran‑related supplier issue, which also caused 2024 deliveries to...
Truckload Rates Hit Two-Year Highs as Diesel Costs Surge
Truckload freight rates have surged to two‑year highs in March, propelled mainly by rising diesel costs. Spot rates climbed to $2.52 per mile for vans, $2.97 for reefers and $3.09 for flatbeds, with fuel surcharges accounting for most of the...
Get Ready for More Canceled Flights
Airlines across Asia and Europe are scrambling to cancel flights as jet‑fuel supplies tighten, a development analysts say mirrors the early COVID‑19 shock in Italy. The International Energy Agency warned Europe could run out of jet fuel within six weeks,...
CargoLand by LGG Targets Taiwan as a Strategic Hub for Semiconductor Flows Between Asia and Europe
CargoLand by LGG reported handling 1.32 million tonnes in 2025, a 14% increase, and is expanding its 100% freighter‑focused model to serve high‑value, time‑sensitive cargo. The company is positioning Taiwan‑Europe semiconductor flows as a strategic corridor, leveraging airline partnerships and its...
China Eastern Airlines Launches Vienna–Xi’an Route, Boosting Cargo Capacity at Vienna International Airport
China Eastern Airlines has inaugurated a nonstop service between Xi’an and Vienna, operating three times weekly with an Airbus A330‑200. The inaugural flight carried about 12 tonnes of cargo, highlighting immediate demand. The route adds substantial belly‑hold capacity for e‑commerce, pharmaceuticals...
China's Great Wall Motor Seeks European Comeback with Launch of 10 New Cars
Great Wall Motor (GWM) announced a European comeback plan, targeting the launch of at least ten new models over the next two years. The lineup will span electric, hybrid, and conventional petrol vehicles, beginning with the Ora 5 in early 2026,...
Cargo Theft ‘Way Way up’ as Crime Gangs Get Ever More Sophisticated
Global cargo theft surged in 2025, with trucks responsible for roughly 70% of incidents and U.S. losses climbing to an estimated $725 million—a 60% year‑over‑year increase. Rail‑freight theft doubled its share in the United States, while sea piracy rose 85% in...
Amazon Adding Heavy-Duty EV Trucks From Einride as It Spreads Bets on Freight Decarbonization
Amazon Relay is integrating 75 manually operated electric heavy‑duty trucks from Sweden’s Einride, expanding the retailer’s middle‑mile freight network. The trucks are expected to travel up to three million electric miles each year, powered by zero‑tailpipe emissions and managed with...
Tested: 1993 Honda Prelude Goes VTEC
Honda’s 1993 Prelude receives a VTEC upgrade, boosting power from 160 hp to 190 hp and raising the price to about $23,000. The new variable‑valve‑timing system kicks in around 4,800 rpm, delivering a smoother high‑revving character and shaving 0.3 seconds off the 0‑60 time...
Blume: Volkswagen to Cut One Million More Units of Capacity
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume announced a further cut of one million vehicles from the group’s global production capacity, lowering the target to nine million units per year from an original 12 million. The reduction follows a previous million‑unit cut in China...
Port of Long Beach Awards Contract to Improve Heavy Haul Route Infrastructure
The Port of Long Beach has awarded a $5.5 million contract to Sully‑Miller Contracting to widen and realign the Heavy Haul Route, the key corridor for oversized and overweight trucks. Construction is slated to start in May 2026 and finish early...
German Bike Maker Riese & Müller to Exit U.S. Market
German e‑bike specialist Riese & Müller announced it will cease all U.S. business activities by July 31, 2026, shifting its focus to the European market. The company cited volatile market conditions, pricing pressure and a fragmented dealer network as primary reasons...
Bring On the Jet Fuel Shortages
Peter Zeihan warns that even if the Iran ceasefire holds, a months‑long global jet‑fuel shortage is already baked in. The shutdown of medium‑heavy sour crude production in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia—key feedstock for jet fuel—has removed the primary supply...
Talking Transports: Girteka on Europe’s Trucking Stabilization
Girteka CEO Edvardas Liachovicius told Bloomberg Intelligence that Europe’s trucking market is finally stabilizing after a two‑year slump, but driver shortages remain the dominant constraint. Overcapacity and weak demand in 2023‑24 depressed freight rates, yet early signs of balance appear...
Horse Powertrain Unveils Hybrid System for BEV Platforms
Horse Powertrain, the Renault‑Geely joint venture, unveiled the X‑Range C15 Direct Drive hybrid system at Auto China 2026. The modular unit combines a 1.5‑litre four‑cylinder engine, transmission, power electronics and two electric motors, allowing BEV platforms to be reconfigured as...
OnStar Partners with Skywards Everyday to Turn Everyday Drives Into Everyday Rewards
OnStar, General Motors' connected‑car platform, has partnered with Emirates Skywards Everyday in the UAE, allowing subscribers to earn airline miles for using the service. The program awards one Skywards Mile for every AED 3 (approximately $0.81) spent on an OnStar Core...
FedEx Conducts India's First Intra-City Drone Delivery Trials in Bengaluru
FedEx announced the successful completion of India’s first intra‑city drone delivery trial in Bengaluru, partnering with IIT‑Madras and securing DGCA clearance. The drone flew a 39‑42 km direct route in about 21 minutes, cutting a typical one‑hour ground trip. In the same...
108mph Train Narrowly Misses Maintenance Van
A passenger train traveling at 108 mph narrowly missed a parked maintenance van by just one to two feet on the fast line near Millbrook, Bedfordshire. The van, occupied by a Network Rail site warden, was positioned after a night‑shift crew...
EU Mulls Fuel-Sharing as Airlines Juggle Costs and Capacity
EU transport ministers are debating a bloc‑wide jet‑fuel‑sharing scheme as Middle East tensions threaten both fuel prices and availability. Airlines such as Lufthansa CityLine have already suspended routes, while KLM plans to cut about 80 European return flights to protect...
Gadkari Calls for 100% Ethanol Blending as West Asia Crisis Exposes Supply Vulnerabilities
India’s transport minister Nitin Gadkari urged the country to target 100% ethanol blending in gasoline, citing the West Asia war‑driven energy crunch. He highlighted that India already runs an E20 blend with modest engine adjustments and imports about 87% of...
Hormuz Crisis Drives Coal Surge, Lifts Dry Bulk Rates
Dry bulk freight rates poised to rise as Hormuz crisis bolsters coal demand ▶️A substitution effect could occur where power plants burn more coal instead of crude oil products or gas to mitigate rising costs ▶️One industry player expects dry bulk freight...
Iranian Shadow Fleet Sends Over 20 Ships Past US Blockade
At least 26 Iranian shadow fleet vessels bypass US blockade ▶️More than 10 vessels have transited past the US blockade line since the terms were expanded last week ▶️Eleven tankers laden with Iranian cargo have left the Gulf of Oman or Middle...
How the Aviation Industry Is Turning Captured Carbon and Sunshine Into Jet Fuel
The aviation sector, responsible for about 4 % of global emissions, is turning to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to meet rising demand while cutting its carbon footprint. SAF is produced via Fischer‑Tropsch synthesis, merging captured CO₂ with hydrogen, but the process...
Airlines Demand Ratings without Giving Attendants Proper Tools
Airlines don’t provide flight attendants with the tools they need to do the job, but they want passengers to rate crew performance. Tell me what’s wrong with this picture?
Clean Aviation Forum Highlights Competitiveness, Sustainability, Sovereignty
'Competitiveness, Sustainability and Technological Sovereignty' - 3 key topics at the Clean Aviation Annual Forum in Brussels. RAeS Head of Research Naomi Allen reports. #avgeek https://t.co/74ypOdKVw1 https://t.co/QAGBajr8Ps
PG&E and Tesla Integrate Cybertruck Into V2G Programme
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Tesla have added the Cybertruck to PG&E’s residential vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) program, allowing bidirectional AC charging that lets the truck feed power to homes and the grid. The integration uses Tesla’s Powershare Gateway and Universal...
Schrödinger's Strait: Is the Hormuz Passage Open or Closed?
Schrödinger's Strait: Is It Open or Closed | Week 7 Strait of Hormuz Recap (April 12 to 19) 🚨This video was filmed prior to the US seizure of Touska on April 19🚨 https://t.co/S1MyLGxu6t
Supply Chain Digitalisation Fails when You Never Start
The biggest risk in supply chain digitalisation isn't picking the wrong technology. It's not starting at all. Davy Baars from @ConnectedLoadCarrier on what actually needs to happen before the first sensor is installed 🎧 https://t.co/DBWWiDVpOg
Overloaded School Vehicles Fined, Illegal Ones Go Scot-Free in Mangaluru
Mangaluru traffic police recorded 386 overload violations involving school buses, vans and autorickshaws in 2025 and Q1 2026, issuing fines totalling roughly $544 for buses and $265 for rickshaws. No penalties were levied against unlicensed white‑board shuttles that operate without permits,...
Volkswagen Introduces Voice AI in China Cars
JUST IN: Volkswagen is launching voice AI in their China-market cars starting later this year.
Virginia Focuses on Reducing Crashes in National Work Zone Awareness Week
Virginia’s Department of Transportation is using National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 20‑24) to spotlight a sharp rise in work‑zone crashes. Preliminary 2024 data show more than 4,000 crashes, 2,300 injuries and 17 fatalities, up from 3,700 crashes, 1,500 injuries...
Rolls-Royce Nets USCG Maintenance Contract for National Security Cutter
Rolls‑Royce Power Systems secured a firm‑fixed‑price, ten‑year contract with the U.S. Coast Guard to provide dockside scheduled maintenance and emergent repairs for its national security cutter fleet. The agreement covers ten cutters equipped with mtu Series 1163 diesel propulsion engines and...
US Navy Boards Sanctioned Tanker Tifani in INDOPACOM
The tanker MT TIFANI was boarded by US forces. The tanker has a questionable history. The boarding was staged from a @MSCSealift ESB, probably USS Miguel Keith.
Europe-LatAm Volume Growth Stalls, but Shippers Remain Hopeful
Container Trade Statistics data shows Europe‑to‑Latin America ocean volumes slipping 10.6% year‑on‑year to 127,100 TEU in January 2026 and a further 6.1% dip in February, while the reverse LatAm‑to‑Europe lane rebounded 9.7% to 191,700 TEU in January and held a...
UK’s Portland Port Approved for LNG Ship-to-Ship Transfers
Portland Port in South Dorset has secured a full licence to conduct liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship‑to‑ship (STS) transfers, expanding its existing oil and LPG services. The approval allows transfers at a berth or while anchored in the inner or outer...
FedEx, UPS and DHL Detail Tariff Refund Approach for Customers
FedEx, UPS and DHL Express announced they will pursue refunds for duties paid under the now‑defunct International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs and return the money to the original payors. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched a...
Tender for the Manufacture and Supply of Track Motor Vehicle with Cranes and Track Electric Vehicle with Cranes
Israel Railways Ltd (ISR) has issued Tender 42237 for the manufacture and supply of track motor vehicles with cranes and track electric vehicles with cranes. The procurement follows Israeli Mandatory Tender Laws and the International Agreement on Government Procurement. Bids...
Nam Cheong Sells Two Offshore Support Vessels for US$36.7 Million
Nam Cheong announced the sale of two offshore support vessels for US$36.7 million, comprising a new‑build multi‑purpose vessel and a 120‑tonne anchor‑handling tug that will turn 16 this year. The buyers are a vessel operator in Indonesia and a government‑linked operator...
Over 7k+ Complaints and Counting: Delhi’s Parking Crisis Turns Violent
Delhi’s parking crisis has escalated into a public safety issue, with police recording more than 7,000 parking‑related complaints in 2025. The disputes have turned violent, resulting in at least three deaths, shootings, stabbings and vehicle arson since late 2025. Psychiatrists...
New State Law Could Legalize Grey Area E-Bikes but Complicates Other Electric Bike Rules
Minnesota lawmakers introduced HF3785 to address the growing gray‑area of high‑powered electric two‑wheelers that sit between traditional e‑bikes and motorcycles. The bill retains the existing Class 1‑3 definitions up to 750 W, but adds a new “motorized bicycle” category for vehicles between...
The Fastest Bike We've Ever Tested, but Is It Actually Any Good to Ride? Cérvelo S5 Review
Cervélo’s latest S5 is positioned as the fastest aero road bike on the market, featuring a new one‑piece cockpit, refined tube shapes, and a weight of 7.98 kg. The Dura‑Ace‑spec build retails for $14,350, delivering a 6.3‑watt aerodynamic gain over its...
BKT Eyes 7-8% Share of Domestic Two-Wheeler Tyre Market, Plans Europe Push
Indian tyre maker BKT Tyres announced its entry into the domestic two‑wheeler tyre market, aiming for a 7‑8% share of a segment projected to grow to $5.5 billion by FY30. The company will initially target the high‑volume replacement market in tier‑3...
Industrial AI for the Physical World: Siemens’s Peter Koerte
In a recent MIT Sloan podcast, Siemens chief strategy and technology officer Peter Koerte explained how the company is using industrial AI to boost efficiency across factories, energy grids, buildings and transportation. He highlighted concrete use cases such as AI‑driven building...
Konecranes Expands Fleet at Lomé Container Terminal
Konecranes will deliver nine new lift trucks to Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) in Q2 2026, comprising two SMV 4632 TC5 reach stackers and seven SMV 7/8 ECC90 empty‑container handlers. The addition supports LCT’s ongoing expansion and rising cargo volumes, replacing older equipment with machines that...
Supply Chains Evolved Overnight; Others Still Catching Up
I stepped away from running supply chains for a few years. When I came back, like Rip Van Winkle in the classic tale, I found a completely new world. Lots of others are still catching up. Read the tale: https://t.co/yfprjLcO7C #SupplyChainDisruption #ReGlobalization https://t.co/0UfBaNqGwQ
WRD 3.0 Secures Fourth Consecutive Win in China’s Urban Intelligent Driving Competition
WeRide Driving’s WRD 3.0 platform captured first place at the Wuhu round of China’s Second Urban Intelligent Driving Competition, edging out Horizon Robotics and XPeng by more than ten points. The win marks the system’s fourth consecutive victory, underscoring the strength...
LATAM Cargo Teams up with Quick Cargo Service on SAF
LATAM Cargo has partnered with freight forwarder Quick Cargo Service to deploy Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on its Frankfurt‑São Paulo cargo flights during the 2025‑26 winter season. The agreement calls for 24,000 litres of SAF, delivering an estimated 55.8 metric tons of CO₂e...