Container Costs Catch a Rising Tide
Ocean carriers are moving into peak season with sharper pricing, new surcharges, and renewed confidence after months of uneven demand. CMA CGM announced a $2,600 surcharge on 40- and 45-foot dry containers moving from the East Mediterranean to U.S. East Coast ports, effective July 1. The affected origins include Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Egypt, Syria, […]
Taiwan Tariffs Find Their Ceiling
The U.S. and Taiwan have finalized a trade and investment agreement capping certain Section 232 tariffs on specified Taiwan imports at 15%. The measure applies to qualifying auto parts for passenger vehicles and light trucks, timber, lumber and related wood products, plus select non-military aircraft components containing steel, aluminum or copper. The changes are retroactive […]
New Regulations are Shaping a Spot Market Squeeze
Truckload spot rates have reportedly reached all-time highs at $3.73 per mile, as the market absorbs a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II. The decision allows state-law negligent hiring claims against freight brokers, increasing scrutiny around how brokers vet carriers before assigning freight. The ruling lands alongside a broader compliance crackdown, […]
US – China to Establish A Joint Trade Board
The United States and China have reached a preliminary consensus on trade priorities following high-level meetings in Beijing. The agreement includes plans to establish a U.S.-China Board of Trade and a U.S.-China Board of Investment, designed to help manage bilateral trade across selected goods and address market access issues. Agriculture is a central focus. China […]
Class 8 Rig Orders Hit Overdrive
North American Class 8 truck orders climbed sharply in April, with ACT Research reporting a 201% year-over-year jump to 24,800 units and FTR Transportation Intelligence showing a similar 199% increase to 25,500 units. Even with that strength, orders fell about 34% from March, reflecting normal seasonal softness as the industry moves into a traditionally slower […]
Roadcheck Week 2026 Ahead
CVSA’s International Roadcheck is set for May 12–14, bringing a 72-hour inspection and enforcement push across North America. Inspectors will review commercial motor vehicles, drivers, and cargo for compliance with safety and regulatory requirements, with most checks following the North American Standard Level I Inspection process. This year’s driver focus is electronic logging device tampering, […]
Jones Act Waiver Widens Options
President Donald Trump has extended the Jones Act waiver for another 90 days, keeping temporary flexibility in place for coastwise cargo moves as energy markets remain under pressure from the Iran war. The waiver allows certain foreign-flagged vessels to move cargo between U.S. ports, creating additional transportation options outside the usual Jones Act requirement that […]
Hormuz Reopening Not So Strait-Forward
Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz may not normalize for six months or longer after the end of the Iran war, due to the scale and uncertainty of mine-clearing operations. A source familiar with past military operations compared the situation to post-1991 Iraq war recovery efforts, when the U.S. spent six months clearing roughly […]
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, […]
