Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

US truckload pricing inches higher as trucking’s peak beckons

Journal of Commerce William B. Cassidy October 16, 2025 $Subscription Based

Freight imbalances and changes in capacity in certain lanes are tightening US truckload capacity, but not by much. Lower import volumes and a crackdown on illegal drivers have combined with seasonal peak demand to push spot pricing higher in some lanes, but most measures of dry-van truckload spot pricing have changed little since August.

Q3 TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index highlights how carriers fight margin pressure amid lengthy downcycle

Logistics Management October 16, 2025

The third quarter LTL Freight Index reading, at 65.1%, marked a record high, and is expected to come in at 64.8 in the fourth quarter, which would represent a 1.1% annual gain

Link: TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index  Carriers fight for revenue amid cloudy economic outlook, muted peak forecast: 

J.B. Hunt: Intermodal volume retracts amid cost-cutting measures

Journal of Commerce Ari Ashe October 16, 2025 $Subscription Based

In describing the overall freight market, the company remarked that “it’s no secret, the market hasn’t returned yet,” which has now surpassed three years.

September Class 8 Truck Sales Fall 25% From Year-Ago Period

Transport Topics Connor D. Wolf  October 16, 2025

Sales decreased 25.6% to 16,228 from the 21,813 units reported during the prior-year period. They also declined 9.2% from the 17,876 units reported in August. The only year-over-year increase in 2025 occurred in June.

Wabash bold move: TaaS Pool offering rolled out

Freight Waves John Kingston October 17, 2025

What TaaS Pools adds to that, Petit said, will be trailer assets situated at different locations around the country. They can be accessed by TaaS Pools customers that might need that capacity for a shorter period of time that would not otherwise trigger a longer-term need to get a trailer either through TaasPlus or a more traditional lease.

Link: Wabash Press Release Wabash Redefines Trailer Accessibility With Trailers As A Service

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

A look at Target’s approach to generative AI

Retail Dive Dani James October 16, 2025

The retailer is turning to its generative AI-powered trend intelligence platform, Target Trend Brain, to surface new ideas for its merchants, the company said in a blog post Thursday. Machine intelligence is helping to speed up product development in response to trends.

Link: Target Tech at Target: Powering Possibility in Stores and Beyond

INDUSTRY

Import surge drives new Q2 record for busiest U.S. port

Freight Waves Stuart Chirls October 16, 2025

The Port of Los Angeles handled 883,053 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in September, 7.5% lower from a year ago but enough to help the busiest U.S. import gateway to its best quarter on record.

The record volume comes amid a whipsaw of on-again, off-again tariffs, volatile decisions on trade and uncertain economic indicators.

TECHNOLOGY

Ecommerce Trends: How shoppers will use AI this holiday season

Digital Commerce 360 Brian Warmoth October 16, 2025

New survey data published by Deloitte frames young, Gen Z shoppers as the most enthusiastic about generative AI for a range of holiday shopping use cases. While 33% of all U.S. consumers surveyed indicated in their responses that they plan to use AI for holiday shopping in 2025, the share of Gen Z shoppers planning to do so was 43%.

Link: Deloitte 2025 Deloitte Holiday Retail Survey

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

The Port of Los Angeles Strategies Continue To Deliver Clean Air Gains

The Port of Los Angeles Press Release October 16, 2025

Since 2005, the Port has cut overall emissions of diesel particulate matter (DPM) by 90%, sulfur oxides (SOx) by 98% and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 73%. For every 10,000 containers, emissions of DPM, SOx and NOx are down 93%, 99% and 81%.

California’s Innovative Small E-Fleet program reopening this month with incentives worth $30M

Clean Trucking Jay Traugott October 16, 2025

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has confirmed it will reopen its Innovative Small E-Fleet (ISEF) Set-Aside program, a component of the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), on October 21 with a total of $30.5 million in available incentives.

States Targeted by DOT Respond to Non-Domiciled CDL Freeze

Transport Topics Noël Fletcher October 16, 2025

Six states singled out by the U.S. Department of Transportation for failing to follow federal rules for issuing non-domiciled commercial driver licenses and permits are taking steps to address the agency’s concerns, state representatives said.

California Loses $40 Million in Commercial Vehicle Safety Funding Over English Language Requirements

Heavy Duty Trucking Deborah Lockridge October 16, 2025

California stands to lose more than $40 million in grant funding for motor carrier safety enforcement because it hasn’t been enforcing English Language Proficiency rules, according to an announcement from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

New English exam sidelines 6,000 truckers, testing U.S. supply chain

The Washington Post Rachel Hatzipanagos October 17, 2025 $Subscription Based

In Laredo, Texas, one of the busiest ports for drivers coming from or going to Mexico, more than 90 percent of people speak Spanish at home, according to the Census Bureau. The new rules are “going to hurt a lot,” said Adalberto Campero, CEO of trucking company Unimex, which has offices in Laredo and Pharr in Texas.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

Walmart, Once a Byword for Low Pay, Becomes a Case Study in How to Treat Workers

The Wall Street Journal Sarah Nassauer October 17, 2025 $Subscription Based

This fall, Walmart’s experience will be published as a Harvard Business School case study-—as a success. Hundreds of executives from Blackstone, Bank of America and other firms traveled to Bentonville, Ark., recently to learn about Walmart’s future workforce management and hear the story of the 2015 wage increase from Walmart’s chief executive. The move, he says, launched its current sales tear and online advance.

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