Q2 Rate Pressure Building
Truckload and less-than-truckload pricing moved higher in the first quarter, with second-quarter pressure already building. According to the TD Cowen-AFS Freight Index, LTL rates remained elevated as carriers stayed disciplined on yield while higher diesel costs added fresh momentum. The data points to LTL rates reaching a new high in Q2, with shipment weights also […]
Mexico Freight Blockades
A nationwide strike by Mexican truckers and farmers has disrupted freight flows across at least 20 states, blocking key highways that connect manufacturing centers, ports, Mexico City, and major U.S.-Mexico border crossings. Routes affected include core lanes such as Mexico–Querétaro, Mexico–Puebla, Mexico–Guadalajara, Federal Highway 45 in the Bajío, and access points in Ciudad Juárez, Tijuana, […]
Strait Path to Global Pricing Pressure
Manufacturers are preparing for broader cost pressure as the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts one of the world’s most important energy corridors. According to the source material, roughly 30% of global seaborne oil trade and 20% of liquid natural gas trade have been affected since the Iran war began, with knock-on impacts […]
“Chameleon Carrier” Crackdown
The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) is tightening oversight of carrier registration practices with a new bulletin warning that improperly transferred USDOT and MC numbers can be deactivated or revoked. The move is aimed squarely at “chameleon carriers” — operators that reappear under new identities to sidestep penalties, scrutiny, or insurance consequences. Under the guidance, […]
Rising Rates Despite Softening Demand
Cass data for February 2026 points to a familiar but important split in the truckload market: shipment volumes remain soft, while pricing power continues to build. The Cass Shipments Index fell 7.2% year over year, though it rebounded 10.4% from January as networks recovered from winter weather disruptions. At the same time, the truckload linehaul […]
Hormuz Fears Fuel Record Diesel Spike
U.S. diesel markets just posted a historic move. The DOE/EIA weekly retail diesel benchmark jumped 96.2 cents per gallon to $4.859, the largest one-week increase since the series began in 1994. That tops the prior record set in March 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The surge also extends an eight-week run of increases, lifting […]
War Risk Fees: A New Kind of Surcharge
Global supply chains are tightening after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a fresh wave of disruption across the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and adjacent air corridors. Ocean carriers are shifting networks to reduce exposure: multiple lines have paused bookings, suspended key transits (including the Strait of Hormuz and Suez-linked routings), and are sending […]
Another Northeast Blizzard Lockdown
A powerful nor’easter—described by the National Weather Service as a “classic bomb cyclone”—blanketed the Northeast on Feb. 23, triggering blizzard warnings from Maryland to Maine and forcing widespread road travel bans. Snowfall rates reached 2–3 inches per hour in parts of the region, with totals topping 22 inches on Long Island and roughly 15 inches […]
Hapag-Lloyd to Acquire ZIM
Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire Israel-based ZIM Integrated Shipping Services in an all-cash deal valued at $4.2 billion, marking another major step in ocean carrier consolidation. The transaction prices ZIM at $35 per share, representing a significant premium to recent trading levels. The deal is expected to close in late 2026, pending ZIM shareholder and […]
Panama Canal Checks China’s Influence
A court ruling in Panama has reignited global attention on the Panama Canal—this time as a U.S.-China power contest, not a capacity story. Panama’s top court voided a license held by a CK Hutchison subsidiary to operate two container terminals at either end of the canal, a route that handles roughly 40% of U.S. container […]
