Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

State of Freight five takeaways: a strong market likely sticking around

Freight Waves John Kingston February 19, 2026

And as FreightWaves and SONAR CEO Craig Fuller and SONAR Zach Strickland looked out over a radically different freight landscape than just three to four months ago, it raised the inevitable question: does this rally have legs?

The answer from both of them was unequivocal: yes, it does.

DAT: Spot market rates showed welcome increase in January

DC Velocity February 19, 2026

Truckload freight volumes declined in January following the holiday shipping season, while spot market rates continued to build on December gains, reported DAT Freight & Analytics.

Related: DAT Freight & Analytics Dry van report: Capacity shrink drives up freight rates despite low volumes

TFI already seeing a tough set of first quarter numbers

Freight Waves John Kingston February 19, 2026

Saperstein said TFI has probably lost about 100 basis points of U.S. LTL margin because of the weather and its impact on both revenue and costs. 

Truckload shippers look to minimize growing regulatory risks

Journal of Commerce Ari Ashe February 19, 2026 $Subscription Based

US shippers negotiating truckload contracts in 2026 are weighing the implications of the federal crackdown on non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and the English language proficiency of drivers, exploring how to best mitigate their exposure.

Duffy Shuts Down Trio of Alleged Chameleon Carriers

Transport Topics Noël Fletcher February 19, 2026

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced an investigation into alleged so-called chameleon carriers connected to a fatal truck-van collision in Indiana, widening scrutiny across several trucking companies and a CDL training school as federal officials probe whether entities linked to the driver attempted to evade oversight.

CDL Mill Sweep Highlights DOT Enforcement Efforts

Transport Topics Noël Fletcher February 19, 2026

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Feb. 18 that investigators inspected more than 1,400 schools and shut down 550 operations deemed “shams,” marking one of the largest crackdowns on CDL training to date.

Link: U.S. Department of Transportation Press Release Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Moves to Shut Down Hundreds of CDL Mills Violating Federal Regulations

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

Discipline Meets Disruption: Dave Bozeman on Building with Lean AI

The Exchange LinkedIn Asutosh Padhi Senior Partner McKinsey February 19, 2026

I recently had the opportunity to reconnect with David Bozeman, President and CEO of C.H. Robinson, for a follow-up conversation one year after our last discussion.

Our conversation covered a range of topics: from what Dave calls "Lean AI" to how operating models must shift to keep up with today’s velocity, to the role of leadership in building a culture of trust, speed, and discovery.

Walmart e-commerce sales top $150B for first time

Freight Waves Eric Kulisch February 19, 2026

U.S. e-commerce as a share of Walmart’s total sales reached a record 23% in the fourth quarter after growing 27% year over year and drove the majority of its sales growth, underscoring the retail titan’s ability to compete with Amazon in the online and delivery space.

Link: Walmart Q4 FY26 Financial Presentation

How Walmart Turned Its Stores Into a Secret E-Commerce Weapon

Supply Chain 24/7 February 19, 2026

In the U.S., eCommerce sales rose 27%. Sales through expedited store-fulfilled delivery channels grew more than 50% during the quarter, reflecting continued demand for faster local fulfillment.

Walmart touts early AI wins as revenues rise

CIO Dive Roberto Torres February 19, 2026

“The way we’re using technology and AI is helping us create great customer solutions, reduce friction, simplify decision-making and pinpoint where our inventory is — all while maintaining the trust we’ve earned from our customers and members,” said CEO John Furner during his first earnings call as CEO. Furner succeeded former CEO Doug McMillon on Feb. 1.

Amazon Dethrones Walmart as World’s Biggest Company by Sales

Transport Topics/Bloomberg News Spencer Soper February 19, 2026

But the revenue story is more about Amazon’s dominance in cloud computing, a business Walmart doesn’t compete in. Without AWS, Amazon’s 2025 revenue would have been $588 billion. So its ascendance rests largely on the importance of data centers as critical infrastructure in the age of artificial intelligence.

Amazon Is Now America’s Biggest Company. Its 17-Year Journey to Surpass Walmart.

The Wall Street Journal Sarah Nassauer and Sean McLain February 19, 2026 $Subscription Based

It marks the rapid rise of Amazon, from its beginnings as an online bookseller started in Jeff Bezos’ garage to a behemoth seeking to dominate the corporate landscape from cloud computing, artificial intelligence and entertainment to online sales.

Last year, Amazon’s sales grew 12.4% while Walmart clocked 4.7% growth.

INDUSTRY

Mexico Overtakes Canada as No. 1 Destination For U.S. Exports

The Wall Street Journal Paul Vieira February 19, 2026 $Subscription Based

Commerce Department figures indicate that in 2025 the U.S. shipped $337.9 billion in goods to Mexico, or 15.5% of total American exports. That overtakes Canada, where U.S. exports totaled $336.5 billion or 15.4% of the total.

Link: Bureau of Economic Analysis U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services December and Annual 2025

January U.S. Container Imports Post Seasonal Rebound as Policy Uncertainty Persists

Descartes Global Shipping Report February 19, 2026

In January 2026, U.S. containerized imports totaled 2,318,722 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) as volumes rebounded from December’s seasonal slowdown. While imports declined on a year-over-year basis, January volumes exceeded the historical average for the month, likely pointing to a more normalized trade environment shaped by steady demand rather than frontloading activity.

TECHNOLOGY

Accenture tells senior staff to use AI tools or risk losing out on leadership promotions

CNBC Sawdah Bhaimiya February 19, 2026

The company’s AI strategy “requires the adoption of the latest tools and technologies to serve our clients most effectively,” a spokesperson told CNBC.

Google announces Gemini 3.1 Pro for ‘complex problem-solving’

 9to5 Google Abner Li February 19, 2026

This “advanced reasoning” translates to practical applications like when “you’re looking for a clear, visual explanation of a complex topic, a way to synthesize data into a single view, or bringing a creative project to life.”

Link: Google Gemini 3.1 Pro: A smarter model for your most complex tasks

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

Decarbonizing Supply Chains with C.H. Robinson

MIT Center For Transportation and Logistics February 18, 2026

In this episode, we discuss how companies are navigating the complex transition toward decarbonization while upholding efficiency and affordability.

Joining the discussion are Dr. Sreedevi Rajagopalan and Tori Arnold from the MIT Sustainable Supply Chain Lab, alongside Rachel Schwalbach, Vice President of ESG at C.H. Robinson, and Brittany Brama, Sustainability Director at C.H. Robinson. From the complexities of Scope 3 data collection to the practical implementation of alternative fuels and "book and claim" models, they examine how their collaboration between academia and industry is turning sustainability research into measurable impact.

Detroit readies rollout of new 2027 engines

CCJ Jason Cannon February 19, 2026

More than 100 trucks today produce the same nitrogen oxide emissions as a single truck in the 1990s; however, with the clock ticking toward the most stringent emissions standards in U.S. history, Detroit Diesel this week rolled out its sixth-generation engine platform—updated DD13, DD15, and DD16 engines that will meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2027 regulations. These rules slash tailpipe nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by more than 80% and reduce particulate matter by 50%.

Detroit Bets on Evolution, Not Reinvention, for EPA 2027

Heavy Duty Trucking Deborah Lockridge February 19, 2026

Detroit’s DD13, DD15, and DD16 engines get a pre-SCR boost, 3% fuel-efficiency gains, and familiar service intervals as Daimler prepares for trucking’s next emissions era.

Kodiak AI adds Safety Cloud to its autonomous trucking solution

The Trucker Dana Guthrie February 19, 2026

Under the collaboration, Kodiak will use Safety Cloud to deliver real-time safety alerts to approaching vehicles and motorists, providing beyond-line-of-sight information to enhance roadway safety.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

America Imported a Record Amount Last Year Despite Seismic Trade Policy Changes

The Wall Street Journal Matt Grossman February 19, 2026 $Subscription Based

Imports to the U.S. grew to a record high in 2025, leaving the trade deficit little changed despite steep Trump administration tariffs aimed at closing trade gaps.

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