Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

State of Freight takeaways: sagging volume, but capacity tightening a bit

Freight Waves John Kingston November 26, 2025

Strickland and Hampstead reviewed data in SONAR’s Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) and it shows that demand for that capacity is soft by any measure.

“The tender volume index is not very impressive at this point,” Strickland said, pointing to “the big dip.” He said volume is down about 11% from this point in the calendar last year though last year at this point, the OTVI was taking a sudden counter seasonal downturn.

Judy McReynolds of ArcBest on Freight, Tech and Leadership (Podcast 42m/Transcript Available)

Bloomberg Talking Transports Lee Klaskow November 25, 2025

The North American freight market is soft, with excess capacity and uncertainty in manufacturing, retail and housing weighing on demand. In this episode of Talking Transports, ArcBest Chairman and CEO Judy McReynolds joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior transportation and logistics analyst, Lee Klaskow, to discuss how the company is navigating the prolonged freight recession. McReynolds shares how ArcBest is leveraging technology, AI and data to drive efficiency — from route optimization to dock automation — and how acquisitions like MoLo have strengthened its integrated logistics network.

Kodiak sets sights on next phase of growth after showing revenue gains

Trucking Dive Larry Avila November 25, 2025

Kodiak AI expects to fully deploy its autonomous technology in the long-haul trucking segment before the end of next year.

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

Lowe’s advances inventory optimization efforts

Supply Chain Dive Kelly Stroh November 25, 2025

The retailer is on pace to cut 15% of its SKUs by the end of 2025 while upgrading demand planning, allocation and replenishment.

Best Buy online sales, total revenue grow in Q3 despite slow September

Digital Commerce 360 Abbas Haleem November 25, 2025

Best Buy said computing, gaming and mobile phone merchandise drove the largest increases in comparable sales. Declines in sales of home theater equipment and appliances offset growth in those leading categories, the retailer shared.

Highway’s new feature allows brokers to screen carriers with non-domiciled CDL drivers

Freight Waves Craig Fuller November 25, 2025

Highway, a leading firm in freight fraud mitigation and carrier identity, has introduced a feature allowing brokers to screen out carriers employing drivers with non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs).

INDUSTRY

Benchmark diesel price declines after four weeks of increases

Freight Waves John Kingston November 25, 2025

The Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration average weekly retail diesel price declined 3.7 cents/gallon to $3.831/g. The one-week decline comes after a four-week stretch in which the price rose 24.8 cts/g to $3.868/g.

Links: U.S. Energy Information Administration  Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update  and Weekly U.S. No 2 Diesel Ultra Low Sulfur (0-15 ppm) Retail Prices (Chart)

Trade Data Shows Varied Effects of U.S. Tariffs on Downstream Industries

Descartes November 2025

Descartes Datamyne trade data indicates the current U.S. tariff regime has reshaped trade flows. But shifting implementation dates, fluctuating rates, and exemptions for select trade goods have muted impact on trade. Case in point: Automobile & light truck imports

UP CEO Vena cites benefits of proposed $85 billion Norfolk Southern merger

Logistics Management Jeff Berman November 25, 2025

What’s more, he explained that, post-merger, with a focus on taking trucks off the road, coupled with having an operating plan up and running, with the trucks running today to go from UP to NS by truck, or another railroad through Chicago, will come off and subsequently move via rail the entire way.

USPS projects package deliveries will drive FY26 revenue boost

Supply Chain Dive Max Garland November 25, 2025

The U.S. Postal Service is preparing for a 9.4% year-over-year revenue jump in its package delivery segment, according to projections submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission on Wednesday.

TECHNOLOGY

AI Agents Aren’t Ready for Consumer-Facing Work—But They Can Excel at Internal Processes

HBR Nathan Furr et al. November 25, 2025 $Subscription Based

Companies can create value with agentic AI, but they often start in the wrong place. While it can be tempting to use agentic AI for customer-facing applications, those tend to be complex, messy, and unforgiving of errors—not ideal for agentic AI. Back-end operations, however, are a better fit.

The Advisor You Didn’t Know You Had

Methods of Masters Jeremy Utley November 24, 2025

Here’s my favorite phrase for getting honest feedback: "Act like a Cold War era Russian Olympic judge." Most people use AI to hear they did a good job. They want the validation. But if you want to get better? If you actually want to improve?

Try this prompt next time:

"I’m going to share a transcript of [my presentation/interview/meeting]. Act like a Cold War era Russian Olympic judge—be exacting and brutally honest with me. I want to improve, not hear that I did well. Analyze my performance and tell me specifically where I fell short and how I could have been better. Don’t pull any punches."

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

Car influencers love Chinese EVs — and China loves them back

The Verge Andrew J. Hawkins November 25, 2025

By most metrics, China’s EV growth in the last decade has been off the charts. The country went from being a middling player in the global auto industry just a few years ago to the largest auto market in the world and number one exporter of EVs.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

Consumer Confidence in November Slides to Lowest Since April

Transport Topics/Associated Press Christopher Rugaber November 25, 2025

The Conference Board said Nov. 25 that its consumer confidence index dropped to 88.7 in November from an upwardly revised October reading of 95.5, the lowest reading since April, when President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs that caused the stock market to plunge.

Link: The Conference Board US Consumer Confidence Fell Sharply in November

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