Today's Transportation Pulse
Hormuz minesweeping could delay oil flow for weeks
A preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz includes a minesweeping phase that may take 40‑50 days, using conventional minesweepers and advanced underwater drones to locate up to 1,000 Iranian naval mines. The delay could hold tens of millions of barrels of oil, while daily vessel traffic remains at 12‑15 ships.
Also developing:
Air Cargo Cushioned Tariff Shocks and Powered Trade Growth in 2025
IATA’s 2025 World Cargo Symposium report finds air freight was pivotal in cushioning severe trade‑policy shocks, enabling $157 bn of front‑loaded U.S. imports in Q1. By accelerating shipments and opening new lanes, air cargo helped global trade expand 2.4%, pushing global GDP up 3.2% despite volatile tariffs. The sector also carried more than half the value of AI‑related goods, supporting a $4 tn AI trade boom. These dynamics underscore air cargo’s role as a structural component of economic resilience.
Driver’s Licenses Still Required for Next 3‑5 Years
We talk a lot about incoming autonomous vehicle fleets and revolutions worldwide, but trust me within the next 3-5 years you’ll still need a drivers license.
Northern Powerhouse Rail: Watchdog Queries Governance, Delivery, Growth Strategy Alignment
The National Audit Office released a report on the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme, warning that its governance and alignment with the newly‑announced Northern Growth Strategy are inadequate. The DfT’s £45 billion funding cap forces tough trade‑offs, such as the choice between...
Navigator Holdings Ltd (NVGS) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Scorpio Tankers reported Q4 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $152 million, bringing full‑year adjusted EBITDA to $568 million. The company shifted from a $3.1 billion net‑debt position in 2021 to a $309 million net‑cash balance, supported by $1.7 billion of total liquidity and $450 million of debt...
San Francisco Moves to Expand Curbside Electric Vehicle Charging
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie unveiled legislation to create a permitting pathway for expanding curbside electric‑vehicle (EV) charging stations. The plan targets 100 publicly accessible chargers by 2030, with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency handling permits and private firms...
Trump’s EPA Claims Strong Enforcement. But the Data Tells a Different Story.
The EPA’s recent press release boasts that more enforcement cases were closed in President Donald Trump’s first year of his second term than in any year of the Biden administration. However, EPA records reveal that 75 % of the 61 criminal...
Iran Weaponizes Hormuz, Blocks Oil; US Pushes Escort Reopening
WHEN THE ARTERY THAT SUPPLIES A FIFTH OF GLOBAL OIL NEEDS, THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, IS WEAPONISED. Iran says it won’t let traffic through, bills its continued closure as victory. US wants to reopen it, proposes naval escorts if necessary. Here’s Iran’s Araghchi...
Bristow Receives First Airbus H160s From Milestone for Offshore Transportation in Nigeria
Bristow Group has taken delivery of the first two Airbus H160 medium‑twin helicopters leased from Milestone Aviation, marking the aircraft’s debut on the African continent. The helicopters are undergoing final preparations in Nigeria ahead of entry into offshore oil‑and‑gas transport...
Downtown Brooklyn Office Converts to 1,200 Homes, 300 Affordable
An underutilized office building in Downtown Brooklyn will become 1200 homes (300 permanently affordable), with a new subway entrance. More of this, please.
Record T
I’m at the biggest shipowner conference in North America right now. I live in a very liberal town in Massachusetts and yet I have never seen worse cases of TDS in my life. The London shipping cabal is PISSED
Two Things You Can Control Right Now When Fuel Is Trying to Break You
Diesel prices are edging toward $5 a gallon, squeezing margins for owner‑operators and carriers. While macro forces such as Middle‑East tensions and Fed policy are beyond a driver’s control, two levers remain: where fuel is purchased and how much is...
Embedding Unpredictability Into Boxship Supply Chains
Wan Hai deepens newbuild push with LNG & methanol-ready boxships. Newbuilds vs Iraq war & questions on supply chain design & operation. And the critical logistics. A takeaway from 6 years is how to build unpredictability into supply chains. More...
Aluminum at Hormuz: Supply Chains Won’t Restart Instantly
Add aluminum to the Hormuz choke point. Restarting supply chain trade flows and maritime will not be like turning on a light switch.
Ford Is Giving Its Commercial Fleet Business an AI Makeover
Ford unveiled Ford Pro AI, a generative‑AI chatbot embedded in its Pro telematics platform, to turn fleet telemetry into actionable insights for its 840,000 paid subscribers. The model‑agnostic service runs on Google Cloud, operates in read‑only mode and still requires human oversight,...
Future Drivers Face Tougher Tests as Cars Outpace Safety
Not so crazy prediction: 25 years from now, humans will be monstrously less safe than autonomous cars. What will happen? Driving tests will become more rigorous.
First Operational Speeder Bike Turns Sci‑Fi Dream Real
From Fantasy to Reality: The First Operational Speeder Bike Is Here by @Volonaut #EmergingTech #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/kSjUD6H77P
Why Not: 2027 Ford Super Duty Chassis Cab Now Comes in Luxury Platinum Trim
Ford is launching a 2027 Super Duty chassis‑cab lineup (F‑350, F‑450, F‑550) in a high‑end Platinum trim. The package adds leather seats, a 12‑inch SYNC 4 infotainment screen, a 14‑speaker B&O Unleashed audio system, and distinctive exterior cues such as a...
Blend Engineering and Human Factors for Successful AVs
Quick day trip to Amsterdam🇳🇱 for @intertraffic. And had a fascinating panel discussion on "User Acceptance of Automated Vehicles (AVs)". It's time that we don't differentiate engineering & human factors when it comes to product design. They come together for...
All New Cars Will Be Autonomous Within a Decade
"10 years from now, every single car sold will have autonomous capabilities" - @dkhos at @Abundance360 2026 summit.
Amazon Defrauded: Guilty Plea in $3M+ Fraud Involving Trailers
A Connecticut‑based freight operator, Ameer Nasir, pleaded guilty to wire fraud for submitting more than $3 million in false invoices to Amazon Logistics. Between December 2019 and February 2021, he created 23 phantom trucking companies and used a manual override in...
Navy Warns Danger, Trump Urges Risky Hormuz Passage
If the Navy says it’s too dangerous to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but Trump says tankers should have the guts to sail through. This is some serious mixed messaging.
Charging Delays Make EVs Impractical, Not Propaganda
There is no car in the known universe worth sitting in line waiting to charge my car then waiting while it actually charges Elon must really love this electric car propaganda
Cybercab & Cybertruck With Sensor Racks Spotted in Palo Alto
Two Tesla Cybercab and Cybertruck prototypes equipped with lidar and camera sensor racks were observed driving together on El Camino Real in Palo Alto and Mountain View on March 10, 2026. The vehicles were also spotted a week earlier, indicating...
Put TSA Under FAA for Safer, Efficient Travel
Here’s a move GOP and Democrats should support. Move TSA under the FAA and end this nonsense. FAA’s mission. “Our continuing mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.” https://t.co/owLsvwbRZv
Uber's Platform, Not Car Makers, Will Win Robotaxi Race
Everyone's arguing over who wins the autonomous vehicle race. Tesla? Waymo? Google? Wrong question. Uber is building the Marriott model for robotaxis. Their vision is financial giants & people own their fleets. Uber provides the operating platform. $1 trillion upside.
U.S. Maritime Administrator Carmel Warns U.S. Must Rebuild Entire Maritime ‘System,’ Not Just Shipyards
U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel warned that rebuilding American maritime power requires more than expanding shipyard capacity; the United States must reconstruct an entire maritime ecosystem. He highlighted that the U.S. now produces only 0.1% of global commercial ships and...
Uber Invites Tesla, Aims to Own Ride‑network
Uber has a fascinating response to Elon’s vertical approach to autonomy: “We’d welcome Tesla on the Uber platform.” Smart move. Tesla may own the cars, but Uber wants to OWN the network.
Future Mobility: Hybrid Mix of AVs and Human Drivers
Uber CEO @dkhos mentioned something very important: Our society will not be ALL autonomous vehicles or all human. It's hybrid. AV fleets in some cities, human drivers in others. The binary debate is dead.
Port Pitching for Offshore Wind Hub Says Turbine Trade Could More than Double Its Shipping Traffic
Port of Hastings is positioning itself as Australia’s first dedicated offshore‑wind construction hub through the proposed Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal (VRET). The hub could raise annual vessel visits from 150 to roughly 350, effectively doubling port traffic and supporting Victoria’s...
‘Effective Immediately’: Alaskan Dream Cruises Abruptly Closes, Cancels All Future Sailings
Alaskan Dream Cruises, a Sitka‑based small‑vessel operator, announced it is shutting down immediately after a 15‑year run, cancelling all future sailings. The cruise line, part of the family‑owned Allen Marine Tours, thanked guests and highlighted its role in showcasing Alaska’s...
Amtrak Beats Driving to Airport From NYC
From NYC, the amtrak to Boston for whatever reasons is less than a car to the airport. (The regional, my personal preference).
TTC Operated By ENSCO –– Continuous Welded Rail: Managing Track Buckling and Stability
Continuous welded rail (CWR) underpins modern rail networks by removing joints, lowering maintenance costs, and supporting heavier traffic. However, its thermal sensitivity creates longitudinal forces that can cause tensile breaks in cold weather or compressive buckles in heat. Rail neutral...
Navy Halts Escorts, Raising Hormuz Supply‑Chain Risks
US Navy refusing to escort commercial ships thru the Strait. Saying the risk is too high. Is the end of the war not as close as some infer? Is supply chain risk escalating? Can a prolonged war fracture some of...
Congress Wants to Put Driverless 80,000-Pound Trucks on the Road – Should Small Carriers Be Worried
The SELF DRIVE Act (H.R. 7390) would create a federal framework allowing fully autonomous 80,000‑pound trucks to operate commercially while under testing permits, expanding NHTSA authority and preempting state rules. The bill requires manufacturers to submit a safety case but...
Iran Conflict Adds Second Hit to Indian Airlines
Iran war deals double blow to Indian airlines already hit by Pakistan airspace ban https://t.co/Lrp4mt7658
Port of Vancouver Moves Record Wheat Volume
Port of Vancouver set a new grain export record in 2025, moving 30.3 million tonnes of bulk cargo, driven by a 20 % jump in wheat shipments to 15.9 million tonnes. While wheat volumes surged, canola seed exports slumped 23 % to 6.6 million tonnes...
175D Lands Repeat Order From Royal Canadian Navy
Group Ocean has placed a repeat order for four 12V175D‑MM high‑speed engines, each delivering 1,860 kW at 1,800 rpm and meeting IMO Tier III standards, to power two 24‑metre ASD harbour tugs for the Royal Canadian Navy. The tugs, based on Robert Allan...
TSA Shortages Trigger Hours-Long Airport Delays As DHS Shutdown Drags On
Hours‑long security lines are sweeping U.S. airports as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown leaves about 50,000 TSA screeners working without pay. At Houston Hobby Airport, checkpoint wait times peaked at roughly three hours, prompting the deployment of TSA National...
Mining Hormuz Could Reroute Global Trade Permanently
Iran. Laying mines in the Strait. Is there a point of too many mines that merchant shipping will avoid Hormuz post war? Time required to remove? Who will do it? Will the maritime risks force new ways to serve the...
Huawei and CASCO Release the World’s First FRMCS-Based TACN System
At MWC Barcelona 2026 Huawei and CASCO unveiled the world’s first FRMCS‑based moving‑block train control system, TACN. The solution combines Huawei’s high‑bandwidth FRMCS network with CASCO’s integrated rail‑control suite, delivering sub‑3‑minute headways and a 60% capacity increase on an African...
Uber Gears up for Global Robotaxi Revolution
Autonomous vehicles are the future of transportation. An honor to have @dkhos discuss at @Abundance360 how Uber is preparing for the global rise of robotaxis and self-driving fleets. https://t.co/7voCjMqg6g
The Rearview Mirror Wasn't Just Invented For Safety
The rear‑view mirror debuted in 1911 when Ray Harroun installed a glass pane on his Marmon Wasp to eliminate a riding mechanic and shave weight, winning the first Indianapolis 500. Although conceived for speed, the device proved useful for situational awareness, prompting...
'Decline and Recline': Uber and Lyft Drivers Are Rethinking What Trips to Accept to Navigate Soaring Gas Prices
Rising U.S. gasoline prices, spurred by the Iran conflict, are squeezing Uber and Lyft drivers who see fuel costs climb about $0.40 per gallon in a week. To protect earnings, many drivers are cherry‑picking the most lucrative rides, favoring longer,...
Toyota’s “Walk Me” Wheelchair Climbs Stairs with Tentacle‑like Legs
Toyota’s “Walk Me” Wheelchair Uses Tentacle-Like Legs to Conquer Stairs by @MarchUnofficial #Robotics #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology #Tech https://t.co/OcGrj7j3dc
Risky Sea Passage for Oil Profits Is a Red
Red herring? Why don't you take a ship through a mined narrow sea passage so your boss can sell some oil?
Engineers Australia Underscores Engineering Role in Updated Infrastructure Priority List
Engineers Australia has welcomed Infrastructure Australia’s updated Infrastructure Priority List, which outlines five critical sectors—high‑productivity freight networks, port capacity, high‑capacity urban transport, secure sustainable water, and a net‑zero clean‑energy economy. The list is designed to steer federal and state investment...
Inside Etihad's A380 Residence: Luxury Redefined in the Skies
What's it like to fly in The Residence on Etihad's A380, the most exclusive experience in commercial aviation? Here's my review of the experience in this incredible three-room suite in the skies. https://t.co/qTGvjc9M4I
MG Unveils Its First Electric SUV with a Semi-Solid-State EV Battery
SAIC’s MG brand unveiled the MG4X, its first electric SUV equipped with a semi‑solid‑state battery. The SUV inherits the 53.95 kWh manganese‑based battery, delivering a CLTC range of at least 510 km (316 mi) and will feature a high‑resolution 15.6‑inch infotainment screen. Deliveries...
Gateway Hudson Tunnel Work Resumes Even as Funding Uncertainty Mounts
Construction on the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel, the centerpiece of the Gateway Program, has resumed across New Jersey, Manhattan, and the Hudson River after a court-ordered release of federal funds. The work had been halted in late January when the U.S....
Total Solutions for Your Fleet
Rush Truck Centers launched a comprehensive, one‑stop fleet solution portfolio, covering premium brands, parts, service, and financing. The offering includes 24/7 RushCare Concierge support, customizable maintenance plans, and a fleet of over 800 mobile service trucks. With more than 3,700...