Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from The Logistix Company! However you ring it in, know this: TLC will be doing what we do best—keeping your freight moving smoothly into 2026. Here’s to another year of smart, on-time moves. We’re genuinely grateful you trust us with everything from raw materials to finished goods, and we don’t take that […]
Happy Holidays from TLC
Happy holidays to you and your family from your friends at The Logistix Company! Check out Brian Burns, Jameson Mielde, and Joe Hassenfratz of the TLC crew on The Chemical Company’s View from Jamestown Podcast as they recap the year in logistics, discuss the trends we’re currently watching, and what we’re expecting to see in […]
Early Peak For Rejections
Freight markets may be getting a holiday surprise. FreightWaves’ Zach Strickland reports SONAR’s Truckload Rejection Index (STRI) has already topped last year’s Christmas peak. STRI sat just under 9.5% at that peak. Readings above roughly 7–8% often signal a tighter truckload market. They can also push rates higher when capacity runs short. This year’s setup […]
F.R.A. Backs Automated Inspections
Federal regulators have opened the door to wider use of Automated Track Inspection across the U.S. rail network. The FRA approved a five-year waiver that lets railroads pair ATI with fewer visual track inspections on certain routes. Railroads using the waiver must scan all main lines and sidings at least once a month. They must […]
Leasing in a Freight Slump
Trailer leasing is still expanding, but growth has shifted into a lower gear during the freight recession. Industry growth slowed to 8.3% this year, down from 17.7% last year. Utilization has also stepped back from the pandemic peak. Many leasing fleets now sit around 80-85% utilization for leases and about 70% for rentals. Large players […]
Transport M&A Hits the Breaks
In Q3 2025, global transport M&A logged its third straight quarterly decline, with deal volumes down roughly 18% quarter-on-quarter and 47.1% year-on-year. Even the proposed $89 billion Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern mega-merger couldn’t mask the broader slowdown, as most invested capital trended lower amid geopolitical risk, tight trade policy, and delayed rate relief. Strategic, capability-driven acquisitions […]
Freight Upturn Takes Shape
Carrier exits are accelerating, signaling a tighter truckload market ahead. GenLogs reports a 5% weekly drop in active carriers for the week ending Nov. 5 and a 7.3% decline through October, with the smallest fleets thinning fastest. At the same time, Q3 shipment volume fell 2.9% while shipper spend rose, a classic tell that capacity […]
DOT Expands Accountability
In a major shift for U.S. freight regulation, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to expand federal enforcement from trucking carriers to shippers, targeting those who load freight onto trucks operated by non–English-proficient drivers. The move follows heightened scrutiny over road safety and compliance amid immigration and labor debates. Shippers could now face fines or […]
Trade Truce on the Table
The United States and China have agreed to a partial tariff rollback, signaling a fragile truce in their ongoing trade dispute. Following a high-profile meeting in South Korea, the U.S. will reduce tariffs on select Chinese imports linked to fentanyl trafficking from 20% to 10%, while maintaining an overall duty burden near 47%. Both sides […]
Tightening the CDL Pipeline
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s emergency rule restricting non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) is set to reshape the nation’s freight landscape. Initially designed to provide flexibility, the program evolved into a loophole enabling non-residents—often without verified work permits—to enter the trucking workforce. A recent DOT audit revealed over 200,000 such licenses issued, with more than […]
