Today's Transportation Pulse
Shipowners demand safety guarantees before Hormuz transits resume
A tentative U.S.-Iran agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, granting a 60‑day window of free transits before Iran begins charging for navigation services. Shipowners and major Japanese lines remain cautious, citing missing safety details and the need for coordination with governments and insurers. BIMCO stresses that credible assurances are required before vessels resume the route.
Also developing:
Dry Van and Reefer Spot Rates Slip as Flatbed Spot Rates Climb
Dry van and refrigerated spot rates slipped week‑over‑week, with dry van down about 6 cents and reefer down roughly 17 cents, yet both remain 22‑33% above last year. Flatbed spot rates, by contrast, posted modest gains of just over 4 cents and are up about 9% year‑over‑year, accompanied by a 4.7% rise in volumes. The data, sourced from FTR and DAT, highlights diverging equipment trends amid typical seasonal softness for van and reefer segments. Overall, the market retains strong YoY pricing across all three modes.
WA: Light Rail Carried over 200K Riders on Seahawks Super Bowl Parade Day
Sound Transit’s 1 Line logged more than 200,000 boardings on the Seahawks Super Bowl parade day, setting a new regional transit record. The figure eclipses the previous high of 160,000 rides recorded during a multi‑event weekend in September. Heavy fan participation...
TX: Costs, Crime Rates and Riders: Five Charts that Show How People Use DART
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is confronting a funding crisis as half of its 13 member cities consider exiting, prompting scrutiny of ridership, costs and safety. Ridership has rebounded to about 78% of pre‑COVID levels, with the newly added Silver...
CA: Long-Sought Coaster Extension to San Diego Convention Center Will Break Ground This Year
North County Transit District (NCTD) will break ground this year on a $33 million extension of the Coaster commuter rail to San Diego’s Convention Center, creating a new downtown station steps from Petco Park, the Gaslamp Quarter and the Rady Shell. The...
PA: Next Stop, Centre County? New Survey Seeks Residents’ Input on Passenger Rail
The Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization, together with Penn State, launched a 10‑15‑minute survey on Feb. 9 to assess resident interest in passenger rail options for the region. Backed by $60,000—$48,000 from the Federal Highway Administration and $12,000 local match—the study...
Smarter Flood Monitoring: Cutting Delays and Costs
AI specialist Purple Transform and delivery partner Central Alliance deployed the SIYTE platform to unify flood‑monitoring sensors and cameras on Network Rail’s Western Route. The single web‑and‑mobile interface gave engineers real‑time visibility of the drainage ecosystem, replacing fragmented data silos....
Boeing Lands up to 90 Jets From Vietnam Carriers
Boeing has secured major aircraft orders from two Vietnam-based carriers — Vietnam Airlines and Sun PhuQuoc Airways — covering up to 90 jets across narrowbody and widebody programmes. The deals signal continued fleet expansion in one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing aviation...
From Edison’s Labs to Powering Three‑Quarters of Flights
GE Aerospace traces its roots back to Thomas Edison. Founded in 1892, it started with electricity and industrial technology before building its first aircraft engine during World War I. Today, GE Aerospace and its partners power around 50,000 commercial aircraft engines...
FMCSA Shuts Down 500 'CDL Mills' After Wave of In-Person Audits
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the shutdown of 550 sham commercial driver’s license (CDL) training schools after a massive wave of in‑person audits. Over 1,400 investigations were carried out in December, contributing to a total of more...
Atlanta Expands I-285, Razes Homes for 1950s Vision
Destroying homes in order to add new capacity for an Atlanta interstate. The dream of the 1950s is alive in Georgia in 2026. https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/dekalb-county/dekalb-county-residents-working-roadblock-multi-lane-expansion-i-285/SWUIGAK62JAXZFU4A67C647REQ/
Federation of Professional Truckers Explains ELD Exemption Push with FMCSA
The newly formed Federation of Professional Truckers (FOPT) has filed a petition with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requesting an exemption that would let its members and other carriers use traditional paper driver logs instead of electronic logging...
Movement on Earth
The article highlights massive human mobility events, noting 9.95 billion trips across China during the Lunar New Year and 650 million pilgrims converging on India’s 2025 Kumbh Mela. It describes how temporary megacities are erected for such gatherings and contrasts them with centuries‑old...
TWA 514 Miscommunication Redefined Aviation Safety Standards
A Fatal Misunderstanding During This Flight Affected Aviation Forever… TWA Flight 514 (Part 1) #aviation #airplane #pilot #planes #mentourpilot
University of Illinois Chicago Unveils New Study Highlighting Economic Value of Rural Transit
The University of Illinois Chicago’s Urban Transportation Center released a study quantifying the economic impact of rural public transit. It finds that every $1 invested generates roughly $4 in societal benefits, driven by better health outcomes, higher workforce participation, and...
SFRTA Breaks Ground on Link at Boca TOD Project
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) broke ground on the Link at Boca transit‑oriented development adjacent to the Tri‑Rail Boca Raton station. The eight‑story mixed‑use project, built through a public‑private partnership with 13th Floor Investments and Rockpoint, will deliver...
San Antonio Mayor Asks VIA About Plans for Six-Month Fare-Free Pilot
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has formally asked VIA Metropolitan Transit to draft a written plan for a six‑month fare‑free pilot on the system’s five busiest routes, which carry roughly 25 % of total ridership. The mayor’s letter, dated early 2026,...
Heidi Alexander Shares Her Vision with the Rail Industry
Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander delivered the Bradshaw address, outlining the new Great British Railways (GBR) framework. She highlighted reforms such as a single profit‑and‑loss structure, a frozen passenger fare for the first time in 30 years, and...
Chicago Freight Bottleneck Named Worst in Nation, ATRI Reports
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has named the I‑294/I‑290/I‑88 interchange in Chicago the most congested truck bottleneck in the United States, overtaking Fort Lee, New Jersey. The 15th annual Top Truck Bottleneck List, based on 2025 GPS‑based truck data, shows...
AGX Freight Goes Bust, Stiffs Carriers, Starts New MC
AGX Freight abruptly shut down after a dispute with Huntington Bank, leaving an estimated hundreds to a thousand carrier partners unpaid. The broker pledged its receivables to the lender, effectively giving the bank first claim on any incoming payments. Within...
FMCSA Revokes Nine ELDs; Carriers Have 60 Days to Replace Noncompliant Devices
On February 12, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration revoked nine electronic logging devices—GTS ELD, UTruckin, ELD365 ELOG, Ironman ELD, Factor ELD, and four AirELD versions—after they failed to meet Title 49 CFR technical standards. Motor carriers have a 60‑day...
'She's the Rock': Owner-Operator Patrick White Leans on Solid Partner in Tough Times
Top Notch Transport owner‑operator Patrick White was named Overdrive Radio’s Trucker of the Month, highlighting his perseverance after a broken leg and multiple accidents. White credits his wife, Ashlyn, for managing dispatch, paperwork, and compliance, effectively running the business while...
Atlanta's Downtown Interstates: Unnecessary, Damaging Urban Planning
Two images of the same section of Atlanta, before and after the freeways. It’s probably inevitable that we'd have one expressway in the middle of the city. Even the U.S. cites that avoided the worst of interstate damage still have...
Real-World Fuel Savings Vs. Fuel Economy: What’s the Difference?
Fleet managers often receive aerodynamic device claims of 5 % fuel‑economy improvement, but those figures stem from controlled tests that may not reflect daily operations. Real‑world fuel savings emerge when test results are combined with a fleet’s specific speed, mileage, load,...
Comparing the 2026 FedEx and UPS General Rate Increases
The 2026 FedEx and UPS General Rate Increases both headline a 5.9% base‑rate hike, but the report shows that minimum‑charge adjustments, accessorial fees, fuel surcharges and off‑cycle rate changes add significant hidden costs. By juxtaposing domestic, international and ground services,...
USS Truxtun Collides with USNS Supply: Feb 2026 Incident
Collision Between USS Truxtun and USNS Supply, Feb 11, 2026. Check out full video on YouTube at What's Going on With Shipping #truxtun #supply #collision
Guest: Lisa DeNight of Newmark on the Industrial Real Estate Market on the Rise; Thoughts on Improving Infrastructure; Striving for...
Lisa DeNight, Newmark’s North American Industrial Research head, discussed a rebound in industrial real estate as manufacturers seek new facilities. The National Association of Manufacturers highlighted chronic infrastructure underinvestment, linking highway congestion to higher freight costs. A recent Infios survey...
Shippers Wary of Rising Transportation Costs
The 2026 State of Transportation Report shows shippers overwhelmingly expect tariffs to lift transportation costs, with 97% flagging price pressure and nearly half foreseeing higher contract rates. Carriers are curbing capital spending, as 64% postponed equipment upgrades and 47% plan...
Market Views: Shipping and the Future World Trade Map
Rapid geopolitical shifts and evolving trade patterns are redefining global shipping routes, according to DNV’s Market Views episode hosted by Jakub Walenkiewicz with maritime‑insight CEO Christopher Pålsson. The discussion highlights how short‑term disruptions—such as sanctions, regional conflicts, and supply‑chain volatility—are...
New Video Reveals Details of Truxtun‑Supply Collision
#Collision Between USS #Truxtun and USNS #Supply, Feb 11, 2026. Clearer quality video. Check full analysis on YouTube at What's Going on With Shipping.
Key Trucking Acquired by Division of Estes Express Lines
Estes Logistics, a division of privately held freight giant Estes Express Lines, has acquired Washington‑based Key Trucking, adding the regional carrier’s 21 trucks and established Pacific Northwest network to its portfolio. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, preserves...
Charlotte's Lynx Blue Line Fuels Rapid City Growth
🤯 Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in America, and one of the reasons is its Light Rail. Here’s the story of how this financial hub got its Lynx Blue Line and how it focused on transit oriented...
Tampered ELDs the Focus of CVSA’s Annual Roadcheck
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) announced that false‑log violations stemming from electronic logging device (ELD) tampering will be classified as an out‑of‑service violation effective April 1. Its annual International Roadcheck, scheduled for May 12‑14, will place special emphasis on detecting ELD...
Egypt Prioritizes People-Centered Cities with National Active Mobility Strategy
The Egyptian government has unveiled the Egypt Active Mobility Strategy 2025‑2034, a national plan that puts walking and cycling at the core of urban transport planning. The framework targets chronic congestion, air‑pollution, and unsafe streets in Cairo, Alexandria and other...
Atlanta Needs More Walkable, Transit‑adjacent Shopping Experiences
I enjoy my visits to Toco Hills Shopping Center because there are some great stores there. But my wife has to drive us, and walking through the parking lot to get from place to place is really unpleasant. Meanwhile, the...
Give Bikes and Buses Priority to Beat Car Dominance
Imagine if bikes and buses had priority on all major streets in the city, allowing them to be truly competitive with solo car trips. Scenes from my walk to the MARTA station this evening after work.
Nominations Are Open for the 2027 Sustainable Transport Award
The Sustainable Transport Award (STA) has opened nominations for its 2027 cycle, inviting cities, regions, and transport agencies worldwide to showcase recent advances in mobility, street design, and policy. The award is administered by a committee of international experts who...
DHL eCommerce Taps Georgia Tech to Build Engineering Talent Pipeline
DHL eCommerce announced a strategic partnership with Georgia Tech’s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering to create a direct pipeline of engineering talent. The agreement includes on‑campus recruiting, advisory board participation, and sponsorship of a senior‑level student...
Is Your Fleet Ready to Grow? 5 Key Considerations for Carriers
Carriers eye fleet expansion when freight volume steadies, but adding trucks reshapes risk, costs, and operational complexity. Insurance premiums rise with each new vehicle, and driver retention becomes a critical factor as industry turnover climbs. Adequate cash flow and maintenance...