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
V-Green to Build 99 Fast-Charging Stations in Vietnam
V‑Green, a charge‑point operator and VinFast sister company, announced a plan to build 99 fast‑charging stations across Vietnam this year. The stations will be located along national and provincial highways in 34 provinces, each offering up to 100 chargers delivering 150 kW for a 15‑minute top‑up. The project, backed by a 10 trillion dong (~€330 million) investment, will run on renewable wind and solar energy stored in VinFast‑manufactured battery systems. The rollout aims to support VinFast’s rapidly growing EV fleet, which sold 175,099 units in 2025.
Oil Tanker Market’s Key Rate Thrown Into Chaos
The Baltic Exchange’s TD3 tanker rate, which benchmarks Middle‑East‑to‑China freight, was forced to continue referencing Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura port despite the Strait of Hormuz being effectively closed. With almost no actual voyages, shipbrokers were left to price a hypothetical risk,...
Truck Driver Attacked on Interstate, Motives Unclear
Awful story and I don’t know why his time got reduced or what this really has to do with Trump “Summers, a wife, mother, and grandmother, was driving a truck for RTR Transportation in Tennessee and had been a truck...
A Damaged Culture: Manila’s Maritime Sector Uncovered
Manila’s maritime sector is plagued by entrenched corruption, where manning agents routinely skim pesos from seafarers’ dollar remittances and demand kickbacks from training centres. Cadets are relegated to unpaid “utility” roles, performing menial tasks while awaiting shipboard apprenticeships. Bribery accelerates...
PM Modi to Inaugurate Noida International Airport on March 28
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Noida International Airport in Jewar on March 28, 2026. The airport has secured final security clearance from BCAS and an aerodrome licence from the DGCA, clearing the last regulatory hurdles before commercial service....
Six EV Chargers That Offer Free Charging In North Carolina
Waynesville, North Carolina installed six new Level 2 EV chargers at its recreation park, offering free charging to the public. Each unit costs $700, with the town spending roughly $23,000 for installation and recouping $6,900 through a federal tax credit, bringing...
Century City: California’s Tallest Building Gets Subway Link
Section of west LA showing the Century City neighborhood. Outside of SF and DTLA, Century City has the tallest building in California. It will soon have its own subway station on the D (purple) line. The red skyscraper in the...
Link Labs Extends AirFinder Bluetooth Tag Tracking Beyond the Facility via Hubble’s Gateway Network
Link Labs has partnered with Hubble Network to extend its AirFinder Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags beyond the confines of a managed facility. The integration lets existing BLE tags report location and sensor data through Hubble’s 90‑million‑gateway terrestrial network, delivering...
Tesla Delays FSD Approval in Europe Again, Now Expects April 10
Tesla Europe announced it has finished the final vehicle testing phase for Full Self‑Driving (Supervised) with the Dutch authority RDW, pushing the expected national approval from March 20 to April 10. The company submitted extensive documentation for UN R‑171 and Article 39 exemptions,...
New York Gov. Hochul Issues RFP for Largest Rail Car Order in MTA History
The MTA has issued an RFP for its largest subway‑car purchase ever, seeking a base order of 1,140 R262 cars to replace the aging R62/R62A fleet on the 1, 3 and 6 lines, with an option for an additional 1,250 cars for...
New Mid-America Regional Council Report Highlights Benefits of KC Streetcar Main Street Extension Service
The Mid‑America Regional Council released a study showing that Kansas City’s streetcar system, after its 2025 extension to UMKC, doubled the annual pace of new‑construction permits along both the original downtown corridor and the new route. Permit activity surged following...
Metra to Launch Fare Collection Technology Pilot April 6
Metra will begin a pilot on April 6 that requires riders at selected downtown stations to present a launched Ventra QR code or a paper ticket before boarding. The test uses new handheld scanners on off‑peak trains to evaluate speed,...
A Mercedes G63 Convertible Is Finally Happening: Report
Mercedes‑AMG confirmed development of a G63 Cabriolet, a four‑door convertible version of its flagship G‑Class SUV. Production is slated to begin in the third quarter of 2027 at the Graz, Austria plant, with U.S. deliveries expected in 2028. The model...
TransLink Unveils Burrard Peninsula Area Transport Plan to Improve Regional Transit over 16 Years
TransLink has released the Burrard Peninsula Area Transport Plan, a 16‑year blueprint covering Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and UBC. The strategy calls for 59 bus route adjustments, new services such as a Stanley Park loop, and transit‑priority lanes that dovetail with...
City of Los Angeles Awards GMV $43 Million Contract to Continue Partnership
The City of Los Angeles has awarded GMV a $43 million contract to extend its role as the technology partner for the DASH and Commuter Express services through 2030. The agreement will upgrade more than 400 buses with GMV Hub, an...
Ridership on Santa Maria Transit Sees 8-10% Increase Thanks to High Gas Prices
Santa Maria’s public transit system recorded an 8‑10% jump in March ridership compared with the same month last year, driven by soaring gasoline prices that topped $6 per gallon. The regional fare remains low at $1.50 per ride or $3...
Intelligent Infrastructure Monitoring: From Sensors in the Track to Decisions in the Control Room
Rail operators are adopting intelligent infrastructure monitoring to capture real‑time condition data from turnouts, ballast and other critical assets. voestalpine Railway Systems’ zentrak portfolio demonstrates a modular, multi‑sensor architecture that feeds raw signals into advanced analytics, including hybrid physics‑based and...
Is It Time to Drive 55 Again?
The episode examines whether reinstating a 55 mph speed limit could help curb soaring oil prices amid the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis. Host Paul Krugman outlines the current supply shock—about a 10% cut in global oil flow—and argues that short‑term...
1 in 85: The Cocaine-Positive Truck Driver Turned Pretend SAP Cleared 1,000 Drug Violations
A North Carolina truck driver, Brandon Blackburn, posed as a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) and fraudulently cleared roughly 1,000 CDL drivers with drug violations in the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. He charged $100‑$350 per driver via Zelle and Facebook...
Carriers Back Truckstop Consolidation to Boost Fuel Margins
Little secret: The large truckload carriers love a consolidated truckstop industry. When Pilot and Flying J were contemplating a merger, the DOJ reached out to the largest carriers and asked their opinion. They were generally supportive. They wanted consolidation in retail fuel. Why? Less...
AOPA Board Elects New Chairman
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) board of trustees elected Luke Wippler as its next chairman, succeeding James N. Hauslein, who is stepping down. Wippler brings nearly 25 years of executive experience in financial services and a long history...
Another Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Stopped in the Mediterranean Sea
France intercepted the Russian‑linked tanker Deyna in the Mediterranean, revealing it was sailing under a false Mozambican flag after departing Murmansk. The vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet that evades sanctions by using counterfeit registries. French authorities have seized...
Daimler Truck to Deliver First MCS-Enabled eActros 600 Units Soon
Mercedes‑Benz Trucks will begin customer trials of megawatt‑charging‑system (MCS) enabled eActros 600 trucks in the second half of 2024, deploying them in its own inbound‑logistics operations. The eActros 600, produced since November 2024, is the sole model in the lineup with an...
Hurdles in Persian Gulf Test Carriers Moving Stranded Asian Cargo From India
Container lines are scrambling to move 40,000‑50,000 TEUs that have been temporarily stored at Indian ports toward the Middle East. Nhava Sheva alone has discharged roughly 25,000 TEUs, creating a bottleneck as carriers seek shuttle capacity at Gulf gateways. Alternative...
Lifting Sanctions Boosts Iran's Oil Profits, Not Global Prices
Iranian oil has been sanctioned for many years. The 140 million barrels he is referring to are part of the "dark fleet" that has been shipping Iranian oil to Asia (mainly China) for years. Iran gets money for oil, and...
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This 1,306-Mile Train Route Crosses the Heart of the U.S. From Chicago to Texas—With Big City Stops and Stunning Views
Amtrak’s Texas Eagle spans 1,306 miles from Chicago to San Antonio, stopping in major Midwestern and Southern cities such as St. Louis, Little Rock, Dallas and Fort Worth. The train offers private sleeper cars, a Sightseer lounge and a dining car,...
FAA Bans Visual Separation After Near-Miss at Burbank Airport
The Federal Aviation Administration issued emergency regulations that eliminate visual separation between airplanes and helicopters in high‑traffic airspace after a Beechcraft 99 and a helicopter narrowly avoided a mid‑air collision near Hollywood Burbank Airport. The rule shifts responsibility to air‑traffic...
White House Eases Shipping Rules, Labor Groups Push Back
The White House announced a 60‑day temporary waiver of the Jones Act, allowing non‑U.S.‑built and crewed vessels to transport oil, natural gas, and other energy commodities between domestic ports. The move responds to soaring diesel prices, which have topped $5...
Southern California Tender Rejections Hit 2022 Highs, Signaling Bullish Outlook
Tender rejection rates out of Southern California have surpassed 2022 levels, the start of the Great Freight Recession. This is extremely bullish because volumes are at their softest levels out of LA we will see all year, as S Cal...
Pilot Walks Away From Incident, Fails to Squawk 7700
This caught-on-camera incident was the feature of this week's episode of @flywithaopa's excellent There I Was podcast series. Great job by the PIC to walk away from it. The only thing I noted was it didn't seem he squawked 7700, which...
ACSM’s Offshore Support Vessel Undergoing ‘Major’ Upgrade
ACSM, now part of the Prysmian Group, is refitting its 2003‑built offshore support vessel Genesis at a Portuguese shipyard. The upgrade includes a Heila active‑heave‑compensation crane and enhancements to its 200 HP UHD WC ROV system. At 90.20 meters, Genesis will continue...
Freight Rates Surge as Capacity Constraints Hit
We are well past the major weather disruptions to freight - the bears have run out of reasons to avoid rate inflation. The market melt up is real.
Trucking Spot Rates Stay Elevated Amid War, Fuel Worries
Despite concerns about the war and fuel, the clearing price for trucking spot rates (i.e. what a broker must pay to move a load) has remain elevated the entire time. https://t.co/qu4A4SUtFm
Bosch Presents Electric Powertrain for Heavy-Duty Trucks and Off-Highway Machiner
Bosch Engineering unveiled an 800‑volt electric powertrain at LogiMAT 2026, targeting heavy‑duty intralogistics equipment such as forklifts, truck tractors and port transporters. The SMG230 motor delivers 188 kW continuous power and up to 550 Nm peak torque, while a silicon‑carbide inverter pushes...
Iran War Fuels Asian Surge in EV Demand
The energy crisis caused by the war in Iran is strengthening the case for electric vehicles. The oil price shock drives EV demand in Asia. https://t.co/5yRSoiCS6O https://t.co/aKMZB28ruw
Ken's Data Lacks Conviction, Misleads on Fuel‑Driven Rates
Your reminder than Ken has such little conviction using DAT's data that he wouldn't take a $5k bet, but expects you to bet millions using his data and analysis. He can throw shade all he wants, but doesn't have conviction in...
The Non-Domiciled CDL Crackdown Is Law. Fleets Have 4 Problems.
On March 6 California revoked 13,000 CDLs and on March 16 the FMCSA enacted a rule limiting CDL eligibility to H‑2A, H‑2B and E‑2 visas, stripping DACA, asylum and refugee holders of eligibility. Up to 200,000 drivers—about five percent of the U.S....
Bullish Freight Market Forces Shippers to Accept Higher Rates
The freight market is growing more bullish as we head into one of the busiest parts of the trucking calendar. And we are starting to see the West Coast pull up. Shippers that refuse higher rates risk having trucks not...
Tata Motors to Raise ICE Vehicle Prices by 0.5% From April 1
Tata Motors announced a 0.5 percent weighted increase in prices for its internal‑combustion‑engine (ICE) vehicles, effective April 1, 2026. The hike varies by model and variant and aims to offset rising input, commodity and logistics costs. This move reflects the broader pricing...
NTSB Issues ‘Rail Propulsion Power Systems’ Safety Alert
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a safety alert highlighting critical failures in electric propulsion power systems across aging U.S. rail networks. Investigators documented electrical arcing, fires and smoke caused by water‑intruded cables, worn third‑rail contacts, and corroded connectors, often...
Multiple Disruptions Deepen Global Shipping Crisis
Qatar LNG damage, Yanbu strikes and Hormuz toll threats deepen shipping crisis https://t.co/dzTlspObS5 via @splash_247
Damen Launches Tenth Island Class Ferry for BC Ferries
At Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania, the tenth Island Class ferry for BC Ferries was launched, completing a four‑vessel order and bringing the total to ten vessels in the class. The new ship, Island K ‘asa, adds roughly 200 vehicle...
US Department of Transportation Announces $21 Million in Tribal Road Safety Grants
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced over $21 million in FY2025 Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund grants, supporting 84 projects across 61 tribes in 13 states. Funding will enable safety plans, roadway‑departure countermeasures, infrastructure upgrades such as guardrails and multi‑use pathways,...
Ryanair Opens Biggest In-House MRO at Madrid Barajas, Spain
Ryanair has inaugurated its biggest in‑house maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre at Madrid‑Barajas Airport, marking the airline’s largest dedicated facility to date. The new hub consolidates maintenance for its Boeing 737‑800 fleet, allowing Ryanair to perform more work internally...
Construction Starts on Next Section of Kenyan SGR
President William Ruto inaugurated the next 264km phase of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway, extending the line from Naivasha westward to Kisumu with an 8.7km spur to the new Kisumu Port. The route will then push another 107km to the Malaba...
Air Cargo Backlogs Build as Mid East Disruption Cuts Capacity and Scrambles Networks
Air cargo backlogs are mounting as Middle East airspace closures have stripped roughly 20% of global air‑freight capacity, equivalent to over 500,000 tonnes. Qatar Airways Cargo has resumed limited freighter services under a temporary authorisation, while other regional carriers operate...
INTERTRAFFIC VIDEO: The Best of Amsterdam 2026 – AI Comes of Age
Intertraffic Amsterdam 2026 placed artificial intelligence at the heart of intelligent transportation systems, showcasing how AI now powers enforcement, tolling, traffic management and infrastructure monitoring. Speakers from ERTICO ITS Europe and the Eindhoven AI Systems Institute framed the shift, while...
Nation’s Shortest Car Ferry Travels Just 200 Feet in a National Park
The Green River Ferry in Mammoth Cave National Park is the nation’s shortest car ferry, spanning just 200 feet and completing the crossing in roughly 30 seconds. Established in 1934, the single‑engine barge now transports about 135,000 vehicles and 270,000...
The First Flying Taxis Could Start Operating in 2026 — Will This New Form of Transport Actually Take Off?
Flying‑taxi pioneers Joby Aviation and Archer plan to debut eVTOL services in Dubai by 2026, marking the first commercial rollout of electric vertical take‑off aircraft. However, regulators such as the FAA and EASA still require extensive certification, with experts projecting...
Brazil Launches Public Consultation on National AAM Policy
The Brazilian Ministry of Ports and Airports has opened a public consultation to draft a National Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) policy that will regulate drones and electric vertical take‑off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for cargo and passenger transport. The consultation...