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
California Zephyr: What $2,000 Might Get You On A 53-Hour Amtrak Trip
The California Zephyr offers a 53‑hour coast‑to‑coast Amtrak experience between Chicago and San Francisco. First‑class, or "deluxe," tickets run about $2,000, though early bookings can dip to $1,200. The premium cabin provides a private room, en‑suite bathroom, meals, lounge access and priority boarding, turning the train into a moving hotel. By contrast, standard coach seats start near $200 and only include a seat.
Domestic Business & First-Class Seats Up 27% Since 2020
Since January 2020, the number of scheduled business and first-class seats on domestic flights has grown 27% https://t.co/g866xPI6oL https://t.co/X2H9UafA9k
Airport Experiences Vary; TSA and Clear Make It Smooth
I think it really depends on the airport I’ve flown 6 times in the last 2 weeks and it’s been fine every time. (Though I do also have TSA + Clear)
ZF 8 Speed Vs. Aisin 8 Speed Transmissions: How Do They Compare?
The article compares ZF’s 8HP and Aisin’s AA80E eight‑speed torque‑converter automatics, tracing their origins to the 2008 Lexus IS F and 2009 BMW M3 respectively. Aisin’s first‑generation unit delivers 100 ms shift times and 406 lb‑ft torque capacity, while ZF’s later design is...
EV Owners Forget Gas Stations Offer Instant, Universal Refueling
What's a gas station? I just plug my car in at home. You mean you have to ... go somewhere special to add range to your car? How interesting.
Weekly NTI Set to Surpass $2.90 per Mile
The national truckload index, daily report, is signaling that weekly NTI is poised to break $2.90/mile tomorrow. Rates firmed sharply late last week. For those following at home or on Blue to Blue, ticker is SONAR: NTID.USA https://t.co/jxA5L55Osk
ISS Monitors Dangerous Vehicles on Brazil's BR-101
Arteris Litoral Sul has equipped Brazil’s BR‑101 corridor with Intelligent Security Systems’ SecurOS Auto Hazardous Cargo module, which uses license‑plate recognition and placard decoding to flag dangerous‑goods vehicles in real time. The solution also incorporates automatic incident detection that spots...
StreetLight’s Closure Tool Aims to Make Impacts
StreetLight Data has introduced Closure Impacts, a new forecasting module within its Traffic Monitor platform, designed to accelerate lane‑closure scenario planning for operations teams. The AI‑driven tool leverages the company’s Route Science engine to predict traffic spillover, identify diversion pressure...
Top Gear Mocked Prius, Now It's Mainstream Reliability
Remember in the late 00s/early 10s when the Top Gear guys would endlessly joke about how the Prius was an unreliable car, reliant on untested technology? I remember.
5 Airports' International Terminals With The World's Best Lounges In 2026
Premium airport lounges are evolving into full‑service lifestyle hubs, offering museum‑grade art, Michelin‑starred dining, and wellness amenities. The article highlights five leading international terminals—Tokyo Haneda, Doha Hamad, Singapore Changi, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Zurich—each delivering unique ultra‑luxury experiences such...
Beyond the Lab: How to Know the Quality of Tires by Testing Them in Reality
The article argues that laboratory tire tests alone cannot capture real‑world performance, urging consumers to rely on on‑road testing and user feedback. It highlights how variables such as road surface, weather, load, and driving habits dramatically influence grip, wear and...
AIM Global to Develop Item Identifier Lookup Service
AIM Global, the ISO International Registration Authority for ISO/IEC 15459, is creating an online IAC‑CIN Lookup Service to replace the current paper‑based Issuing Agency Register. The service will provide a searchable, open, federated database of globally unique identifiers for physical...
Ship Recycling Pauses for Eid
Eid al‑Fitr has temporarily halted ship‑breaking activity across major yards in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. The pause comes as the Middle‑East conflict pushes Brent crude above $100 per barrel, boosting freight earnings and discouraging owners from scrapping vessels. Simultaneously, regional...
Port of Oakland: Exports Continue to Outperform Imports
The Port of Oakland handled 163,254 TEUs in February 2026, a 14.5% year‑over‑year decline and 16.7% drop from January as vessel activity slowed for Lunar New Year. Vessel calls fell to 72, reflecting planned blank sailings, yet export volumes remained...
Republicans Voted Down TSA Funding 7 Times, Now They’re Sending Untrained ICE Agents to Our Airports
Republicans have voted down seven separate bills to fund the Transportation Security Administration, leaving TSA officers without pay and prompting a wave of resignations. The funding stalemate has caused increased absenteeism, longer security lines, and more than 400 workers quitting...
GM Patents A 'Daisy Chain' Charger To Juice Up Multiple EVs At Once
General Motors has filed a patent for a daisy‑chain charging system that links a single high‑power DC fast charger to multiple low‑power access points (LPAPs). Each LPAP can feed an electric vehicle, allowing two cars to charge from one station...
Is The Urban Cruiser Toyota’s Placeholder As It Pivots To BEVs In The Philippines?
Toyota Motor Philippines launched the Urban Cruiser EV at PHP 2.135 million, undercutting its own bZ4x and becoming the brand’s cheapest fully electric model. The vehicle is a completely built unit from Suzuki’s Gujarat plant, reflecting a cost‑saving Toyota‑Suzuki partnership. While priced...
This Is All It Takes to Stop a Train (Lock and Code S07E06)
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) experienced three major network failures between May 2025 and February 2026, each shutting down service for thousands of commuters. The outages stemmed from aging networking equipment that lost train‑location visibility, forcing a system‑wide halt. Repeated crashes exposed...
Thailand Post Trumpets EV Fleet as Fuel Costs Mount
Thailand Post, the state‑run logistics provider, is accelerating its shift to electric vehicles for last‑mile delivery as fuel prices surge amid the Middle East oil crisis. Oil now accounts for roughly 30% of the carrier’s operating costs, prompting a plan...
Trump Orders ICE to Staff TSA Checkpoints Amid NY Airport Delays
President Donald Trump announced that ICE agents will be sent to major U.S. airports on Monday to help alleviate severe TSA security line backlogs, especially in New York City. The move comes as the administration faces pressure over staffing shortages...
Frontier Group CEO Unveils Turnaround Plan: Fleet Right-Sizing, $200M Cuts, Loyalty Push
Frontier Group’s CEO Jimmy Dempsey unveiled a multi‑year turnaround plan that right‑sizes fleet growth to high single‑digit percentages and launches a $200 million cost‑savings program through 2027, half of which comes from rent reductions tied to an AerCap deal. The airline...
The SEC Drops Its Four-Year-Old Investigation Into EV Startup Faraday Future
The SEC closed its four‑year investigation into electric‑vehicle startup Faraday Future, despite staff having issued Wells Notices recommending enforcement. The probe had centered on alleged false statements during the 2021 SPAC merger and purportedly fabricated vehicle sales in 2023. The...
Short‑lived Traffic Managers Fuel Impending Carrier Revenge
The issue at many major shippers is that the tenure of the traffic manager is less than two years. They've never seen a carrier's market. They don't know what its like when truckers have the power. Carrier's Revenge is...
Eco Mode Doesn’t Always Save Gas: 5 Reasons to Reconsider Using It
Gas prices have surged past $3.80 per gallon, prompting drivers to seek fuel‑saving tricks. Eco Mode, marketed as an economy feature, reduces throttle response, shifts earlier, and limits climate‑control power. Independent testing shows it rarely improves mileage and can even increase...
Subaru's Small Hybrid SUV Blends Efficiency with Adventure-Ready Capability
Subaru launched the 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, a subcompact SUV that pairs its 2.5‑liter boxer‑hybrid powertrain with standard symmetrical all‑wheel drive. Priced from $30,625, it offers 194 hp, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and a suite of premium tech, positioning it as one...
Pilot Keeps Flying After Passenger Dies, Body Stored Onboard
🚨CRAZY 30 minutes into a 13-hour flight, a woman died on a British Airways flight Remarkably, the pilot chose to continue the trip instead of turning around and attending to the unfortunate event Come the end of the flight, passengers began complaining...
The OG Four-Door Porsche Sports Sedan Wasn't Even Built By Porsche
The Porsche Panamera’s roots trace back to a one‑off 1967 four‑door 911 built by a Texas dealer and custom fabricators, not Porsche itself. The dealer, William Dick, commissioned Troutman & Barnes to cut, weld, and add factory doors to a...
Volvo Used to Advertise Dependability. Now It’s Ranked Almost Last
Volvo has slipped to near‑bottom in J.D. Power’s 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study, logging 296 problems per 100 vehicles and ranking 30th of 31 brands. The figure marks a sharp rise from 242 problems per 100 vehicles reported in the 2025...
National Trucking Capacity Is About to Tighten Significantly
National dry‑van spot rates surged to $2.89 per mile, the highest level since 2022, after a $0.12 weekly jump. The rise reflects a 20‑25% year‑over‑year recovery on key lanes and volumes at multi‑year highs. Carrier attrition, driver regulations and tender...
West Coast Surge Pulls Long‑Haul Truckers Eastward
The West Coast hasn't been participating in the trucking market surge, as the ports were slow this March due to CNY. That is about to change. We are seeing significant tightening in the Los Angeles freight market as containers start...
United Airlines Misses Opportunity With Polaris Companion Ottoman
United Airlines’ Polaris business‑class cabin features a companion ottoman designed to extend the seat for a second passenger, yet the airline has not packaged it with an adjacent economy seat. The omission leaves a gap in United’s product offering, especially...
Europe Faces Jet Fuel Shortage Amid Kuwait Strikes
Forget TSA lines, the real problem with air travel in the coming weeks is fuel. Some cargoes are already diverting toward the U.S. on a Jones Act waiver, so domestic travel might hold. Europe? Different story. About 1.77M barrels/day of jet fuel...
American Airlines AAdvantage Mileage Expiration Policy: How to Keep Your Miles From Expiring
American Airlines’ AAdvantage miles now expire after 24 months of inactivity, but members under 21 and primary holders of co‑branded credit cards are exempt. Any qualifying earn or redemption activity resets the clock, while expired miles can be reinstated for...
Hellmann Expands Freight Forwarding Network in the Americas
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics is expanding its freight‑forwarding network across the Americas through a partnership with ProTrans, integrating TOC's forwarding activities into its global platform. The move bolsters Hellmann’s presence in the United States and Mexico, key markets in a high‑volume...
American’s Hub Problem Is A Credit Card Problem
Airlines now earn more from co‑branded credit cards than from flying passengers, with Delta pulling $8.2 billion and American $6.2 billion in 2025—amounts that dwarf their operating incomes. Executives like Doug Parker admit that traditional hub profitability models ignore the true value...
Tesla Model Y and 3 Triple Sales of BYD Top 2 EV Models in China
Tesla’s Model Y was the second‑best‑selling vehicle in China in February 2026, while the Model 3 placed fifth among electric cars. Only Geely’s $10,000 Xingyuan sold more units than the Model Y that month. BYD’s Yuan Plus, priced around $16,000, moved just over half the...
BMW I3 Electric Range
The Scammer Edition Sam's getting better but his voice is still a bit hoarse as he drove the Infiniti QX60 Sport AWD. Nicole had her turn in the Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line without a turbo and was still impressed. In the...
Flatbed Market Lacks Capacity, Housing Season Looms
While it is end of the quarter, I’m afraid this is just a small preview of what’s coming. Zero capacity relief in the flatbed market and we haven’t hit housing shipping season yet. https://t.co/VZsgYs7mmA
Federal Immigration Agents Sent to U.S. Airports to Support Security During Budget Impasse
President Donald Trump announced that ICE officers will be deployed to major U.S. airports to assist the TSA amid a partial DHS shutdown caused by a budget impasse. Hundreds of thousands of TSA, Secret Service and Coast Guard employees have...
ATL Airport Delays Reach Four Hours, No TSA Pre‑Check
Believe the videos @ATLairport is insane no clear no tsa pre at the moment estimated time is 4 hours https://t.co/ltR1jTGLHJ
Amazon Overtakes USPS in 2025 Package Deliveries
Amazon delivered more packages than the USPS in 2025, a first. Having worked at Amazon until 2004, that's one of those things that's both stunning and doesn't surprise me at all https://t.co/BypxYnlQgk
Airline Puts Woman, Child in Cockpit to Dodge Compensation
Woman And Child Flew Six Hours In Cockpit Jumpseats — Airline Avoided Paying Overbooking Compensation - View from the Wing https://t.co/22hFCb7EkB
Tesla Secretly Uses LiDAR for Vision Training, Not Production
This is getting dunked somewhat unfairly. Tesla is using LiDAR to get training data to improve their vision-only systems. That should raise some eyebrows - LiDAR is clearly valuable in ways Elon denies. But it's not the same as using...
Considering a Used F250 Purchase This Summer
I’ve been in the market for a used F250. Thinking this summer might be a good opportunity. https://t.co/hlsi7GwL5b
Airlines' Abandoned Fuel Hedges Signal Rising Ticket Prices
Oh no! US airlines are no longer hedged against oil price shocks. Now we will all be paying in higher fares. Just like PJM states who didn't hedge against the recent increase. And California in 2000-2001. Hindsight is 20-20 but...
Houston TSA Delays Reach Two‑and‑half Hours
Two and a half hour wait for TSA in Houston? Is it too obvious to say? Houston, we have a problem. https://t.co/rUJvgxQ9c1
Freight Market Flipping: Unprecedented Capacity Churn Sparks Demand
The SONAR team has been telling shipper and broker clients for months that every capacity signal was warning that the freight market was flipping and it wasn't just holiday peaks or weather. Unprecedented capacity churn with early green shoots in...
2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Delivers Luxurious Compact SUV Experience
The 2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid AWD Premium Plus offers a refined, surprisingly luxurious drive experience. It's a solid compact SUV that I drove for a week. Here are my thoughts and commentary: https://t.co/ezHTzu1mqe #mazda #suv #cars #auto @mazdausa https://t.co/Qbs8FdjBGy
BYD Proves Affordable EVs with 5‑minute Flash Charging Thrive
And amidst the EV slowdown, @BYDCompany is demonstrating that if you can create a product meeting customer needs at the right price point, there is a market to be had... "Flash charging" 70% in 5-min tech provides one such addition......
Routing Guides Collapse, Trucks Vanish, Budgets Suffer
Routing guides getting wrecked. It’s just starting. The “it’s just the weather” crowd is going to have a hard time to explaining to their bosses why trucks aren’t showing up this spring and budgets are getting obliterated.