Amid the many moving parts in logistics, at the moment, including things like the election, port labor issues, a potential bottoming (and hopefully a rebound) in the freight market, and the ongoing emergence of AI, among others, one consistent—and ostensibly permanent—theme throughout is that consumer spending is what powers the nation’s economic engine more than … Read more

A “new truckload freight cycle” has arrived, with September spot truckload volumes and rates highlighting how a typical cadence of cyclical demand for truckload capacity is heading up, according to the new edition of the DAT Truckload Volume Index, which issued today by DAT Freight and Analytics. The DAT Truckload Volume Index reflects the change in … Read more

The national average price per gallon of diesel gasoline increased for the fourth consecutive week, according to data recently issued by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA). With a 4.7-cent increase, the national average came in at $3.631, following a $0.04-cent increase, to $3.584, for the week of October 7. That was preceded by … Read more

Earlier this week, Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings announced it acquired Lakewood, N.J.-based Sellercloud, a provider of omnichannel e-commerce services. Descartes said that the acquisition price was roughly $110 million. Sellercloud’s customer base is comprised of small and mid-market retailers, distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers with multi-channel ecommerce operations, according to Descartes. … Read more

When top executives at high-profile logistics companies share a stage together, it stands to reason that their opinions and insights will be valuable. That was certainly the case earlier this month, when Hamid Moghadam, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of San Francisco-based real estate investment trust Prologis, and Fred Smith, founder and executive chairman of Memphis-based … Read more

For the second straight year, concern over the state of the nation’s economy was the highest-ranked industry issue for trucking executives, according to an authoritative survey of industry issues by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). This year’s ATRI list includes the Economy, Truck Parking, Lawsuit Abuse Reform, Insurance Cost, and Availability, and rising four … Read more

The new edition of the September Global Shipping Report, which was recently issued by Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, pointed to another strong month of United States-bound import levels. The is the 38th edition of the Global Shipping Report, going back to its debut in August 2021. From August to September, the report … Read more

Roberto Isaias has had a busy few years. The Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Mattel faced the complexities of COVID before the Barbie movie became the biggest hit of 2023, putting extra pressure on the supply chain to keep up. But for Isaias, it was just another day at the office. A native of Mexico, he has … Read more

United States rail carload and intermodal volumes, for the week ending October 5, saw annual declines, according to data issued earlier this week by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Rail carloads, at 225,280, fell 3.5% annually, trailing the weeks ending September 28 and September 21, at 227,046, and 232,818, respectively. AAR reported that four … Read more

As Floridians struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) has begun supporting relief efforts – and reminding members of the supply chain community that sharing their logistics know-how, space, equipment and services is one of the most vital ways they can be of help.  “The devastation Hurricane Milton and … Read more