Today's Transportation Pulse
Logistics costs dip to $2.4 trillion as volatility becomes the new normal
The 2026 State of Logistics Report finds U.S. logistics expenses fell to $2.4 trillion, or 7.8% of GDP, down from $2.6 trillion in 2025. The study declares supply‑chain volatility a permanent condition driven by uneven global growth, tighter finance, geoeconomic shifts, labor constraints and energy price swings.
Also developing:
By the numbers: US IDFC partners with Chubb on $20B maritime reinsurance plan
Australia's Kulani Kinis Inks European Distribution Partnership with Bleckmann
Australian swimwear label Kulani Kinis has signed a European distribution agreement with Dutch logistics specialist Bleckmann. The partnership gives Kulani Kinis access to warehousing, order fulfillment and returns processing at Bleckmann’s Venlo hub, marking the brand’s first physical logistics footprint in Europe. Europe now represents about 10% of the company’s revenue and is earmarked as a core growth pillar for both direct‑to‑consumer and wholesale channels. The deal follows successful U.S. expansion and recent appearances at France’s Splash trade show.
Volkswagen Readies Bidirectional Charging for Germany
Volkswagen and its energy subsidiary Elli will roll out a fully integrated Vehicle‑to‑Grid (V2G) service for German private customers in the fourth quarter of 2026, with pre‑registration opening in June. The package bundles a bidirectional DC charger, smart meter, dynamic...
Europe Tests ‘Third Way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will It Work?
A European-led coalition of more than 30 nations is convening in Paris to craft a "credible proposal" for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which roughly 34% of global oil trade passed last year. The effort deliberately excludes...
Waymo Means Way Mo’ Cars, According To Uber Docs
Uber’s investor briefing downplays Waymo as a threat, arguing that autonomous taxis increase overall ride‑hailing demand rather than cannibalize existing trips. The company cites growth in Austin, Atlanta and San Francisco where Waymo’s presence coincided with higher Uber ride volumes. Uber’s...
StradVision Wins India Commercial Vehicle ADAS Deal
StradVision has been chosen by an unnamed global commercial‑vehicle OEM to roll out its SVNet AI perception software across the OEM’s India lineup, targeting a fleet‑scale ADAS deployment. The platform will provide automatic emergency braking, forward‑collision warning and lane‑departure warning...
Etihad Guest Silver & Gold Fast Track Offers Select Countries April 16 – July 15, 2026 (Book By April 30)
Etihad Airways is running a limited‑time Fast Track promotion that lets travelers from 16 Asian and Middle Eastern airports earn Etihad Guest Silver status by flying economy or Gold status by flying business on a return trip via Abu Dhabi....
TRIM Issues Another Batch Of Siding Lease RFPs To Accelerate Rail Access
South Africa’s Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) has issued a new batch of sidings lease Requests for Proposals covering nine rail siding facilities in the Eastern and Central regions. The 10‑year lease contracts require bidders to invest in upgrades such...
Snowy Elbows Out Origin and Others to Land $1.9 Billion Renewable Power Deal for State’s Trains and Electric Buses
Snowy Hydro's retail arm, Snowy Energy, secured a seven‑year contract worth about $1.9 billion Australian dollars (≈$1.25 billion USD) to supply renewable electricity for New South Wales' trains, trams and electric buses. The deal consolidates the state's transport power procurement under a...
Resilience Is Top Priority for Food Supply Chain
Food and beverage firms are elevating supply‑chain resilience as tariffs, regulations and geopolitical shifts intensify volatility. A Lineage Cold Chain Insights Survey of 1,000 North‑American decision‑makers shows 73% expect tariffs to erode finances in 2026, while 72% report growing demand...
Friday Video(s): Kidical Mass, Night-Biking in Tokyo, and More
Streetsblog’s weekly video roundup spotlights seven YouTube pieces covering bike‑lane design, e‑bike geopolitics, autonomous‑vehicle labor impacts, pedestrian safety, family‑focused Kidical Mass rides, a night tour of Tokyo, and an Oslo short film. The clips illustrate how cyclists intersect with emergency services,...
Iran War Exposes Economic Fragility of Pacific Islands
The Iran‑related conflict has tightened the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global fuel shipments and raising prices worldwide. Pacific Small Island Developing States, already dependent on a scant 40‑50 container calls per year, now face acute diesel shortages. Tuvalu declared a...
Panama Canal Traffic Jam Spurs $4M Line-Jumping Payment
A severe traffic jam at the Panama Canal, driven by the Iran‑related near‑shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, has forced vessels into three‑and‑a‑half day delays. An LPG tanker paid a $4 million auction fee to jump the line, far above the...
Argentine Port Expands as Latin America Tightens Grip on India’s Log Trade
Argentina’s Concepción del Uruguay river port is boosting timber storage to handle a surge in logs destined for India. Latin American producers now account for 37% of India’s log imports, driven by record‑high domestic poplar and eucalypt prices. Brazil has...
EV Announcements Have Dried Up Enormously, Even Tesla’s — The Trump Slump Is Real
After years of frequent EV press releases, announcements in the United States have sharply dried up, a trend the author attributes to the Trump administration's hostile stance toward clean‑tech and the rollback of federal incentives. Legacy automakers have begun canceling...
Singapore Airlines CEO Meets Tata Sons Chairman Chandrasekaran
Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong met Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran and senior Tata executives in Mumbai to discuss the struggling Air India, in which Singapore Airlines owns a 25.1% stake. The talks come as Air India reports a...
Lexus' Latest Fuel Pump Recall Could Leave Drivers Stranded
Toyota announced a recall affecting over 9,100 Lexus vehicles built between 2015 and 2022, including RC, GS, and 2022 IS models. The defect stems from a fuel‑pump impeller that can swell, potentially causing the pump to fail and the engine...
C8Rtech Launches as Standalone Airline-Catering Technology Company
C8Rtech has launched as an independent airline‑catering technology firm after spinning out of LSG Group in Frankfurt. The company brings 25 years of industry expertise and two integrated platforms—Catering Suite and Inflight Suite—to digitize shop‑floor operations and airline‑caterer collaboration. Its mobile‑first,...
This US EV Market Share Chart Is Quite Lame
Cox Automotive’s latest Kelley Blue Book report shows U.S. electric‑vehicle (EV) sales fell 7.8% quarter‑over‑quarter to 216,399 units in Q1 2026, leaving EVs at a flat 5.8% share of total vehicle sales. The year‑over‑year decline eased to 27%, but the market...
Handcrafted Hoverboard Gives You Real‑Life Hero Feel
Ride a Handmade Pseudo-Hoverboard and Feel Like a Real-Life Hero via @ZappyZappy7 #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/9CV5IImhAF
2025 Ford Expedition: Massive Space and Heavy‑Towing Power
The 2025 @Ford Expedition is enormous, but that makes is both spacious and capable of towing even the heaviest boats or trailers. Here's my drive experience after a week traveling around Colorado: https://t.co/ur6Py747OB #cars #auto #ford #expedition https://t.co/yA82cEjH8K
Breakthrough Kia Pop-Up Tiny Camper Van Is Even Slicker than Expected
Sussex Campervans has unveiled the Kingfisher, a pop‑up tiny camper built on Kia’s PV5 electric van. The conversion features bamboo‑style interiors, a spacious kitchen powered directly from the 71‑kWh traction battery, and a rapid‑folding Rock ’n’ Roll bed that transforms...
State Threatens to Step in if Regulator and Networks Fail to Remove EV Charging “Handbrakes” And Sort Out Tariffs
Victoria’s Labor government issued a Charging Regulatory Statement outlining four priority actions—network tariff reforms, demand‑charge adjustments, data transparency, and a review of the Victorian Service and Installation Rules—to eliminate “handbrakes” on electric‑vehicle charging. The state warns it will step in...
Shipbuilding Workforce
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, Virginia, has graduated 1,350 workers through its Accelerated Training and Defense Manufacturing program, helping meet the U.S. shipbuilding sector’s need for 250,000 new workers over the next decade. The effort is...
Robotic 3D Printing Crafts 12‑Meter Ship Hull
Robotic #3D Printing Revolutionizes Shipbuilding with 12-Meter Hull Demo by @lukas_m_ziegler #3Dprinted #Technology #Innovation #EmergingTech #TechForGood https://t.co/BRUyMndjr8
U.S. Secures Two Key Shipping Routes to Counter China’s African Rare‑Earth Grip
The United States has moved to dominate the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca, adding two critical maritime corridors to its strategic toolkit against China’s expanding rare‑earth foothold in Africa. The shift aims to diversify supply‑chain logistics and...
Stellantis Invests 100 Million Euros to Keep Site Near Paris Open
Stellantis announced a €100 million (about $108 million) investment to modernize its Poissy assembly plant near Paris. The plant will continue building the Opel Mokka and DS SUVs through 2028 before transitioning to auto‑parts production, recycling and 3‑D printing. Stellantis pledged to...
RWE Secures 300 GWh Offshore Wind Deal with Network Rail, Covering 65% of Non‑Traction Power
RWE has signed a five‑year corporate power purchase agreement to deliver 300 GWh of offshore wind electricity each year to Network Rail, covering roughly 65% of the rail operator’s non‑traction demand. The deal, the first public‑sector CoPPA under the UK Government...
ZIM CEO Eli Glickman to Exit as $4.2 B Merger with Hapag‑Lloyd Nears Completion
Eli Glickman, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services' president and CEO, announced he will step down after nine years, remaining for a six‑month transition as the Israeli carrier prepares for a $4.2 billion acquisition by Germany’s Hapag‑Lloyd. The departure underscores strategic tension over...
Matternet and SoftBank Robotics America Partner to Accelerate Drone Delivery Networks
Matternet and SoftBank Robotics America have formed a strategic partnership to commercialize autonomous drone delivery for healthcare, retail and enterprise logistics. The alliance will combine Matternet's certified drone platform with SoftBank's manufacturing and rollout capabilities, targeting rapid deployment of end‑to‑end...
Renault Master E-Tech Confirmed for Australia: Electric Full-Size Van Arriving to Fight Ford E-Transit and Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Renault announced that the next‑generation Master van will be offered in a fully electric version in Australia, with deliveries slated for June 2026. The Master E‑Tech is powered by an 87 kWh battery that Renault claims delivers over 400 km of WLTP range...
Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Could Trigger 10M B/D Oil Shortfall
Due to the logistical disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Wood Mackenzie estimates global markets could be short ~10M b/d. That’s roughly the scale of the demand collapse during the first year of the Covid pandemic. THE WORLD IS FACING A...
2026 Toyota bZ Conquers Mountain Trip to Breckenridge
EV curious? Wondering if you can drive an EV to zero by heading into the mountains? I gave it a try with a day trip to beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado, with a 2026 @Toyota bZ FWD Plus EV. Here's how it...
Honda to Shut Two Plants in China Jointly Owned with GAC, Dongfeng, Magazine Says
Honda Motor will close two internal‑combustion‑engine plants in China—a joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group in June and a Dongfeng‑owned facility next year—reducing its local production capacity to about 720,000 vehicles. The shutdown follows a write‑down of its China business...
Korean Air Opens Refreshed Lounges at Seoul Incheon International Airport This Week
Korean Air is completing a major overhaul of its premium lounges at Seoul Incheon International Airport, adding new Prestige Class Garden Lounges and expanding existing facilities. The total lounge footprint will increase 2.5‑fold and seating capacity will double, bringing the...
Europe-Middle East Aviation: Flights Still Under Half 2025 Numbers in First Week of Iran Ceasefire
In the first week of the Iran war ceasefire (8‑14 Apr 2026), Europe‑Middle East flight movements rose 13% from the prior week but stayed 51.7% below the same period in 2025. The shortfall has dragged overall European traffic lower, despite modest growth...
Hollywood Execs Forced Onto Commercial Flights Amid Trump‑Vegas Airfield Shutdown
Literally all the Hollywood brass is being forced to fly commercial bc Trump visit to Las Vegas has shut down private airfield. Possible crisis. #cinemacon
Nigerian Airlines Suspend Flights Monday over Soaring Oil Costs
Airlines In Nigeria Claim They’ll Stop Flying On Monday Due To High Oil Prices https://t.co/hBj7xdzSh4
Airlines In Nigeria Claim They’ll Stop Flying On Monday Due To High Oil Prices
Nigerian airline operators warned they will suspend all domestic flights on April 20, 2026 unless jet fuel prices fall. Jet fuel costs have jumped roughly 270% since February, climbing from about $0.67 to $2.46 per liter—around $10 per gallon for...
Video of the Week: Fleet First, Fuel Later - Asia's Diverging Green Growth
Aviation sustainability in the Asia‑Pacific is moving from advocacy to early execution, as Singapore, Japan and South Korea roll out structured SAF policies. Investment in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel value chain is expanding, yet supply remains limited and costly for...
Picture of the Day: April 16, 2026
AVweb’s Picture of the Day features a restored Fokker F.VII Trimotor on display at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault‑Saint‑Marie. The iconic three‑engine aircraft, photographed by Mike Brown, exemplifies early commercial aviation design. The centre’s exhibit showcases the aircraft...
Michael Curtis Broughton: From Combat to Supply Chains
Michael Curtis Broughton, a former U.S. Army infantryman, has parlayed battlefield logistics into a distinguished career in industrial engineering and supply‑chain strategy. His early work with the Joint Precision Airdrop System demonstrated how GPS‑guided deliveries can save lives, shaping his...
Honda Is Determined To Sell More EVs In The US, One Way Or Another
Honda’s Fastport venture has teamed with Third Lane Mobility and micromobility operators Bird and Spin to launch the eQuad, a four‑wheeled, pedal‑powered cargo EV designed to run inside a standard 48‑inch bike lane. The eQuad leverages Honda’s Mobile Power Pack with...
Nile Cruise Boom Drives Egypt’s Tourism Revitalization
Egypt’s Nile river cruise sector is expanding rapidly, with new vessels slated through 2028 and all‑inclusive packages linking Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. The surge is lifting visitor numbers, prompting airlines to add flights and local economies to adapt to year‑round...
Philadelphia Mayor Defends $1‑Per‑Ride Uber/Lyft Tax to Fund School Budget
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker reiterated her plan to levy a $1 surcharge on every Uber and Lyft ride, projecting $48 million a year to plug a $300 million school‑district deficit. Uber and Lyft argue the fee will be passed to riders and...
Iran War Slashes Indian Exports 7% as Hormuz Blockade Chokes Oil Flows
India’s merchandise exports dropped 7% in March to $38.9 bn, driven by the Iran war and a U.S.-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that has trapped Gulf oil. The disruption has pushed oil import bills to a 13‑month low and...
Analysts Warn Tesla Robotaxi Service Could Falter Amid Regulatory and Market Challenges
Industry analysts say Tesla's upcoming robotaxi network could stumble because of safety concerns, regulatory roadblocks, and fierce competition. The warning highlights the risk to the billions of revenue Tesla expects from a fully autonomous ride‑hailing fleet.
U.S. Sanctions Hit 17 Iranian Oil Entities and 9 Tankers Amid War Talks
The United States Treasury blacklisted three individuals, 17 entities and nine oil tankers linked to an Iranian shipping network on April 16, seeking to cut off Tehran's oil earnings amid stalled war‑negotiations. The move escalates pressure on Iran as the...
Waymo's Early Vision: Tiny Wheel‑less Two‑seat Autonomous Car
Waymo’s original vision for what autonomy would look like, ten years ago. A small two seat car with no steering wheel or pedals. Kind of reminds me of the Cybercab, but less sexy. https://t.co/84uLzT68Wt
Zoox Debuts Wheel‑less Rides in Austin
First @zoox I’ve seen in Austin. The no steering wheel is wild. Talk about burning the bridges. https://t.co/9tJMhXqNdJ
Council to Assess China’s Call for Direct Flight Routes
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council received a Chinese letter urging the restoration of direct flights from five mainland airports—Urumqi, Xian, Harbin, Kunming and Lanzhou. The council will evaluate the request, but local airlines say demand is weak because Chinese residents cannot...