Today's Transportation Pulse
U.S. Navy rescues 14 Indian mariners near Hormuz as political tensions flare
The U.S. Navy saved 14 Indian sailors from a distressed merchant vessel on the Hormuz shipping lane. Following the rescue, U.S. Senator Rubio defended continued Hormuz enforcement amid protests from India over recent seafarer deaths.
Also developing:
By the numbers: MIAA acquires Terminal 3 property for $890M
STB Rules for Norfolk Southern in Dispute with CSX at Port of Virginia
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) unanimously ruled in favor of Norfolk Southern Railway, rejecting CSX Transportation’s request for direct on‑dock service at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) in the Port of Virginia. The decision preserves the historic competitive rail structure that has existed since the 1980s, where Norfolk Southern operates its own tracks while CSX accesses the terminal via the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad (NPBL). The board concluded that granting CSX direct access would disrupt the long‑standing balance and could give Norfolk Southern de facto control over the short‑line. The ruling underscores the STB’s commitment to maintaining equitable access for multiple carriers at key intermodal hubs.
BANK ROLLED
In early April, Polymarket odds rose that the Iran‑backed Houthis would close Bab al‑Mandab and resume Red Sea attacks, but the author argues those odds are inflated. Since the February 2026 U.S.–Israeli airstrikes forced the closure of the Strait of...
Maersk Introduces PSS From US Gulf to West Coast South America
Maersk announced a Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) for cargo moving from the US Gulf ports of Houston, Mobile and New Orleans to the West Coast of South America, effective 6 May 2026. The surcharge is $150 per 20‑foot dry container and $300...
Iran's Oil Revenues Soar Amid War-Driven Price Spikes
My view on Iran's surge in revenues since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran with @CoffeeandaMike: "Since the war started, the Iranians have been shipping a lot more crude out of the Strait of Hormuz, they've been selling at...
Ford Issues Another Big Recall Affecting 420,000 Vehicles
Ford announced a recall of 422,613 vehicles, including 2021‑2023 Expeditions, 2022‑2023 Super Duty trucks, and 2021‑2023 Lincoln Navigators, due to faulty windshield wipers that can operate erratically or detach. The defect stems from improperly staked retention plates supplied by Trico,...
Pirates Abandon Hijacked Iranian Dhow After EU Naval Pressure Off Somalia
European naval forces freed the Iranian‑flagged fishing dhow ALWASEEMI on April 5 after a two‑week pirate takeover in the Western Indian Ocean. The vessel, hijacked on March 24, was likely intended as a mothership for attacks on larger ships. EU’s Operation ATALANTA applied...
Picture of the Day: April 7, 2026
AVweb’s Picture of the Day for April 7, 2026 showcases a classic Piper J‑3 Cub piloted by Jim Potter soaring over California’s Anza‑Borrego Desert. The striking photograph, taken by veteran aviator Dave Leedom, highlights the timeless appeal of the lightweight, high‑wing aircraft in...
Tesla’s Huge Sales Spike In Korea Shows What EV Buyers Still Want
Tesla’s price cuts on the Model 3 and Model Y in South Korea sparked a 330 % year‑over‑year sales surge, lifting the brand to roughly 69 % of the imported EV market. The jump demonstrates the high price elasticity of Korean consumers and suggests...
MHI Receives Contract for Renewal of APM System ATL SkyTrain at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' U.S. subsidiary Crystal Mover Services, Inc. (CMSI) won a ten‑year contract to renew and upgrade the Automated People Mover (APM) system at Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The agreement, spanning March 2026 to March 2036, includes replacement of...
Understanding VSR Wheel Failures
The Federal Railroad Administration’s multi‑phase research program is probing why vertical split rim (VSR) failures occur and how to prevent them. Early phases identified that wheel impact detectors alone cannot forecast VSRs, while advanced modeling revealed braking heat and rim...
Iowa’s $257B Economy Gets Fewer Trains than Swiss Summit Daily
Iowa, an economy with a $257 billion GDP, sees fewer trains in a week than this mountaintop station 6,700 feet above sea level in Switzerland does in a day.
India Plans Sovereign Guarantees for Insurers as War Heightens Shipping Risks
India is preparing sovereign guarantee mechanisms to back insurers covering vessels transiting the Persian Gulf amid heightened war risks. The plan features a $1.5 billion government‑backed reinsurance fund and a $300 million industry‑contributed pool to manage liquidity and large claim payouts. War‑risk...
Charleston Airshow Moves Amid Ongoing Conflict
Joint Base Charleston announced that the 2026 Charleston Airshow will no longer be held on the base. Instead, it will become a one‑day, off‑base event on May 2 over Charleston Harbor, positioned between downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant. The revised show...
Transit Briefs: Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, Front Range Passenger Rail
The LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, together with Ventura County and Santa Barbara officials, announced a new daily Amtrak Pacific Surfliner roundtrip launching on May 4, 2026, raising service to six daily trips to Goleta and three to San Luis Obispo. The...
This Hillclimb Toyota Corolla Only Needs A One-Liter Engine To Melt Your Face Off
A Finnish team transformed a modest Toyota Corolla hatchback into a hill‑climb monster by installing a heavily turbocharged 1‑liter 1SZ‑FE engine that now produces roughly 400 horsepower. The rear‑wheel‑drive conversion and lightweight 1,873‑lb chassis propelled the car to an impressive...
How Serious Will the Jet Fuel Crisis in Europe Become?
Jet fuel prices have jumped 95% since the February attacks on Iran, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut roughly 20% of global seaborne jet‑fuel supply. European airports are already imposing restrictions, and airlines such as SAS have...
Southwest Airlines Is Tightening Its Power Bank Rules Even Further… Now Passengers Are Limited to Just One
Southwest Airlines will tighten its power‑bank policy on April 20, 2026, limiting each passenger to a single portable charger that must stay in plain sight and cannot be placed in overhead bins. The airline previously banned in‑bag use of power...
China and Russia Veto UN Resolution on Strait of Hormuz
The United Nations Security Council failed to adopt a draft resolution on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after China and Russia exercised their vetoes on 7 April 2026. The text, championed by Bahrain and Gulf Cooperation Council members,...
STARLUX's Metallic Dream: Sorayama‑Designed A350s Unveiled
January 2026: STARLUX unveils the AIRSORAYAMA dream with Hajime Sorayama in Tokyo. March: silver A350-1000 B-58553 rolls out. April: the golden counterpart B-58554 emerges in Toulouse looking like liquid sunlight. Three years of work, one insane metallic vision.
Etihad Halves Fares as Travelers Shun UAE
Etihad Is Now Selling Seats For Half Price — Because Travelers Are Staying Away From The UAE - View from the Wing https://t.co/9kM3vEzlkI
Overlooked Maintenance: Owner-Ops Stress Tools for Prevention
At the 2026 Mid‑America Trucking Show, owner‑operators from the Trucking Solutions Group highlighted maintenance tasks that are frequently ignored, such as changing the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) filter, monitoring tire pressure, and tracking service records. They demonstrated how simple tools—DEF...
NYT Exposes Widespread Tariff Fraud Since Last Year
Tariff fraud is rampant since last year. Great NY Times piece exposing the fraud today. https://t.co/FMWKsJMk9V
Paper Prices Lag Real Commodity Costs Amid Iran War
Supply chains, with the Iran war, they are seeing a difference between paper prices for affected commodities and what they are paying. Paper is lagging reality. https://t.co/oYEHrq6g23
Lou Thompson: California HSR ‘Has Reached a Dead End’ –– Commentary
Lou Thompson, former chair of California’s High‑Speed Rail Peer Review Group, warned that the state’s flagship HSR project has hit a dead end. He highlighted that the original $33.8 billion Phase I estimate has ballooned to $231 billion, while the Authority’s “optimized” $126 billion...
Duffy Hails Boeing 787 Plant as American Manufacturing Comeback
.@SecDuffy at Boeing 787 factory in South Carolina. "This is great American manufacturing... This is a comeback story for Boeing" on CNBC
Call for Abstracts: CW Tech Days to Explore Thermoplastic Composites in High-Rate Aerospace Manufacturing
CompositesWorld announced its next CW Tech Days will focus on thermoplastic composite solutions for aerospace structures, scheduled for June 24, 2026 at 11 a.m. ET. The virtual event will explore high‑rate manufacturing technologies such as oversized presses, in‑situ AFP, injection overmolding,...
With Gas Prices Above $4, Drivers Across the Country Grapple with Higher Costs: “I Have to Spend It—There’s No Other...
U.S. gasoline prices have risen to a national average of $4.14 per gallon, driven by geopolitical tensions and supply concerns. At the $4 threshold, 59% of Americans say they would modify driving habits, and the share climbs to three‑quarters at...
5 State DOTs Kick Off Construction Season with Infrastructure Projects
State departments of transportation across the Midwest and West are launching the 2026 construction season with a combined investment exceeding $15 billion. Minnesota will execute more than 200 projects, including a $195 million Highway 65 reconstruction, while Ohio leads with $3.4 billion for 977...
Trump Is Losing The War On EVs As New Incentives Kick In
The removal of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit last September has depressed U.S. electric‑vehicle sales, prompting private players to fill the gap. Uber broadened its $4,000 Go Electric incentive nationwide, while Honda introduced a $7,500 discount on the Prologue...
Los Angeles to Open Subway Extension May 8
Los Angeles Metro’s D Line extension will open on May 8, 2026, adding a 3.92‑mile underground stretch from Union Station to La Cienega Boulevard with three new stations. The segment shortens the downtown‑to‑Beverly Hills trip to 21 minutes and is projected to generate 16,200...
Iran War: Russia and China Veto UN Resolution to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after the draft was watered down to avoid their opposition. The vote was 11‑2, with Pakistan and Colombia abstaining, following President Trump’s threat to...
Surely All 14 Previous Owners Took Special Care Of This $49,500 Nissan GT-R
Nissan has officially ended production of the R35 GT‑R, leaving the market to rely on used examples. A 2009 GT‑R with 122,000 miles and 14 prior owners is listed for $49,500, a price that reflects modest depreciation from its roughly...
Ukraine to Prosecute Captain of Detained Cargo Ship for Trips to Crimea
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has moved to prosecute the captain of the cargo vessel Gladius, detained in Odesa last December, for multiple illegal voyages into Russian‑occupied Crimean ports. Evidence uncovered includes voyage plans, pilot cards and radio logs showing trips...
Video: Semicircular Wings Give Cyclone VTOL a Different Kind of Lift
HopFlyt has unveiled the Cyclone, a hybrid VTOL drone that employs a revived 1920s channel‑wing concept with pivoting semi‑circular wings. The design directs propeller‑generated airflow through a half‑circle channel, delivering lift at lower speeds and cutting take‑off power by roughly...
Lexus, Artist Alex Alpert to Present Custom IS 350 at EXPO Chicago
Lexus has teamed up with New York‑based illustrator Alex Alpert to create a one‑off, line‑art‑styled IS 350 sedan. The custom vehicle will be unveiled at EXPO Chicago, the city’s premier design and innovation showcase. Alpert’s distinctive sketch aesthetic is applied...
2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL Test: Rogue-Like
Mitsubishi’s 2026 Outlander SEL adds a rare third‑row seat to the compact SUV segment but swaps to a 174‑hp 1.5‑liter turbo engine paired with a CVT. In testing, the all‑wheel‑drive model weighed 4,034 lb, hitting 0‑60 mph in 8.4 seconds and...
Joby and Air Space Intelligence Team up to Manage US Electric Air Taxi Skies
Joby Aviation and Air Space Intelligence (ASI) have partnered to embed ASI’s Flyways AI platform into U.S. electric air‑taxi operations, aiming to model and manage high‑density eVTOL traffic before commercial service begins later this year. The collaboration leverages ASI’s 4‑D...
Build Global Energy Corridors to Bypass Hormuz, Says Hochstein
".... The only long-term solution is new infrastructure—making a massive, internationally coordinated investment in energy corridors that bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely... " -- @amoshochstein https://t.co/hvu4ACTwok
Drewry Intra-Asia Container Index Jumps 28% on Middle East Disruption
Drewry’s Intra‑Asia Container Index jumped 28% in the first week of April, reaching $865 for a 40‑foot container. The surge marks three consecutive weeks of gains and places the index 29% above its year‑on‑year level. The primary driver was a...
ADG 4/7: Two Way Player
Delta Air Lines announced higher baggage fees—$45 for the first bag, $55 for the second and $200 for a third—citing a surge in jet‑fuel costs that have more than doubled since the start of 2026. Global jet fuel averaged $209...
Walmart to Close Illinois Fulfillment Center
Walmart announced the permanent closure of its Matteson, Illinois fulfillment center, affecting 111 employees. Operations will be transferred to other NextGen facilities in the retailer’s network, and affected workers receive a $7,500 incentive to relocate or transition to open roles....
Customers Adjust Prices Amid Rising Fuel Costs
Truckers: how are customers dealing with fuel spikes? Are you getting price adjustments? (Pic from Gary Johnson out of Needles, CA) https://t.co/Hi9h5ywOyg
Progress Rail Partners With Triton Group to Supply Composite Ties
Progress Rail has signed an exclusive sales and marketing agreement with Triton Group to distribute its composite railroad ties. The ties incorporate 160 lb of recycled plastic and engineered glass fiber, offering a durable, creosote‑free alternative to traditional wood ties. Progress...
Airlines Say Demand Is Still Strong. Is That Enough to Offset Billions in Added Fuel Costs?
Airlines are confronting a sharp rise in jet fuel costs after the Iran war pushed U.S. fuel prices to $4.69 per gallon, more than double recent levels. While passenger demand remains robust, carriers such as Delta, United and JetBlue have...
DOT Budget Blueprint Lifts FMCSA Funding to $946 Million
The Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 budget request allocates $946 million to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, up from prior levels. Of that, $398 million would fund safety operations while $548 million would support safety grants aimed at high‑risk carriers. The broader Department...
Uber Is the Latest to Be Won over by Amazon’s AI Chips
Uber is expanding its Amazon Web Services contract, adding more Graviton ARM‑based servers and launching a trial of AWS's Trainium3 AI chip. The shift moves additional ride‑sharing workloads from Uber's own data centers and from earlier Oracle and Google agreements...
Bag Fees Are Tiny; Airfare Spikes Dominate Concerns
FWIW - Those focused on bag fees are watching the wrong thing. They're a rounding error compared to what is happening in airfares.
Chinese Airlines Ban Cheap Lithium Power Banks on Flights
Having a whole bunch of cheap Chinese no name lithium power banks on planes is one of my biggest worries when traveling. Airlines in China have begun banning them completely, even in carry-ons. https://t.co/DSi33tN31U
Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service in Nashville
Waymo has opened its self‑driving robotaxi service to the public in Nashville, Tennessee, covering roughly 60 square miles of the city. The launch makes Nashville the 11th U.S. metropolitan area where Waymo operates commercial robotaxis. Waymo says the rollout is...
GA-ASI YFQ-42A CCA Prototype Crashes During California Test Flight
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA‑ASI) reported that its YFQ‑42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototype crashed shortly after takeoff on April 6, 2026, at a company‑owned airport in the California desert. The incident marks the first known flight mishap for the U.S....