Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

Click here to view this email in your browser.

The Supply Chain Intelligence Brief is a SMC³ member benefit that provides a snapshot of the day’s key industry news. Stay informed and connected with the SMC³ Supply Chain Intelligence Brief. Opt out at any time, with no impact to other SMC³ communications you may receive. If you would like to add any coworkers to the distribution list for this publication, please reply to this message with their names and email addresses.

TRUCKING

Old Dominion ‘encouraged’ as declines moderate in February

Freight Waves Todd Maiden March 4, 2026

Old Dominion has been carrying the costs associated with holding over 35% excess terminal capacity in anticipation of a turn in the market. Its network is capable of handling 55,000 shipments per day versus the 41,000 it was processing in the fourth quarter.

“Due to our consistent execution of our strategic plan, we have the available capacity necessary to effectively manage incremental volume opportunities as the demand environment improves,” Freeman said

Link: Old Dominion Freight Line Press Release Old Dominion Freight Line Provides Update for First Quarter 2026

Torc Robotics takes autonomous trucks into Michigan’s snow and ice

Freight Waves Thomas Wasson March 4, 2026

The harsh conditions feed directly into Torc’s data-driven development strategy. The company’s trucks carry an array of sensors — cameras, lidar, radar and ultrasonic sensors — designed to handle changing road conditions. That sensor data powers what Torc calls AV 3.0, an end-to-end machine learning approach to perception, prediction and planning.

Link: Torc Press Release Torc Robotics and Daimler Truck Expand Autonomous Truck Testing to Michigan Public Roads

FTR: Strong February truck orders suggest freight sector recovery

DC Velocity March 4, 2026

“February’s very solid y/y increase in net orders extended the firmer tone that has been building since late last year. While a portion of demand still reflects previously deferred replacement purchases reentering the market, the consistency and breadth of recent order activity suggest momentum is now being driven more meaningfully by improving freight fundamentals,” Dan Moyer, senior analyst, commercial vehicles, said in a release.

FMCSA: Trucking Insurance Minimums Fall Short for Fleet Risk

Transport Topics Noël Fletcher March 4, 2026

Current federal minimum insurance levels in the trucking industry fail to adequately cover fleet risk for catastrophic losses as a result of spiraling medical costs across the past four decades, according to a new report to Congress.

Link: FMCSA Examining the Appropriateness of the Current Financial Responsibility and Security Requirements for Motor Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

Broker liability at SCOTUS: judges debate meaning of ‘motor vehicles’

Freight Waves John Kingston March 4, 2026

The need for clarity was part of the statement issued by C.H. Robinson after the day’s arguments. ““A single, uniform federal framework is essential to keeping interstate commerce safe, efficient, and consistent with Congress’s design,” Dorothy Capers, the brokerage’s chief legal officer. “Allowing a patchwork of state tort laws to regulate broker services would undermine that system, increase uncertainty, and disrupt the flow of goods Americans rely on every day.”

‘Brokers could do more’: SCOTUS hears oral arguments in cornerstone liability case

CCJ Jason Cannon March 4, 2026

The case, Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, centers on the scope of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA). The outcome could reshape the liability landscape for the multibillion-dollar logistics industry and affect the rights of victims injured in commercial truck accidents. A decision is expected by the end of the term in June.

Target begins roll out of next-day delivery to 20 more cities

Freight Waves Eric Kulisch March 4, 2026

Target Corp. is expanding next-day delivery to 20 additional metropolitan areas, bringing the total number of cities where consumers can quickly receive online orders to more than 50.

Related: Digital Commerce 360 Target online sales grow amid continued overall sales decline in Q4 2025

INDUSTRY

US Ports See Slower Start to 2026 After Tariff Rush

Transport Topics Connor D. Wolf  March 4, 2026

The Port of Los Angeles reported processing 812,000 20-foot equivalent units, a 12% decline from the 924,245 moved at the start of 2025. This comes after a strong year for the port, its third busiest on record, though momentum slowed toward the end.

See the Strait of Hormuz Shutting Down

The Wall Street Journal Peter Champelli and Costas Paris March 4, 2026 $Subscription Based

The Strait of Hormuz, just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, is a vital waterway connecting the region’s biggest oil producers to the rest of the world.

Normally, more than a hundred ships cross the strait in a given day, but after conflict broke out this past weekend, shipping nearly ground to a halt, according to MarineTraffic data. 

Spiking Diesel Prices Are a Warning Signal for the U.S. Economy

The Wall Street Journal Collin Eaton and Benoit Morenne March 4, 2026 $Subscription Based

Spiking prices at the pump are frustrating farmers, long-haul truckers and other big consumers of diesel fuel. In futures markets, diesel-fuel prices climbed 23% in the first two days of the week to $3.19 a gallon, the highest since October 2023, according to FactSet.

McLeod Updates TMS With Benchmark, AI Features

Transport Topics March 4, 2026

A new module, MPact.Benchmark, provides real-time comparisons of a carrier’s performance against peer groups in the North American truckload market. According to McLeod, the tool draws on live operational data through direct integration with the company’s TMS, allowing users to spot favorable or unfavorable trends and identify possible causes.

Starbucks Plans Nashville Office for Supply Chain Push

Transport Topics/Bloomberg News Redd Brown March 4, 2026

Starbucks laid out a plan to beef up its North American supply chain during its investor day presentation in January as it moves into the next phase of CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround plan. That investment will help support an expanded set of food offerings through more regular, daily deliveries to stores.

Yusen, Rabot Launch Packing AI Across US Sites

Transport Topics March 4, 2026

Channa Ranatunga, co-founder and president of Rabot, said the collaboration embeds the company’s technology into high-volume environments. “By embedding our Vision AI directly into Yusen’s high-performance logistics environments, we’re transforming manual pack stations into intelligent work cells that ensure every order is packed accurately, efficiently and in full compliance,” Ranatunga said.

TECHNOLOGY

Meet the Companies Vibe Coding Their Own CRMs

The Wall Street Journal Isabelle Bousquette March, 4, 2026 $Subscription Based

Predictions that AI tools could help displace established business software are quietly coming true in some segments of the market.

A number of small and midsize companies say they are vibe coding their own customer relationship management software in an effort to get more customized systems at a better price.

Related: Business Insider A16z partner says that the theory that we’ll vibe code everything is ‘flat wrong’

Peer Influence Can Make or Break Your AI Rollout

HBR Nancy Baym et al. March 3, 2026 $Subscription Based

AI adoption stalls not because of weak tools or insufficient training, but because learning remains invisible. Generative AI requires employees to redesign their own workflows, and in uncertain environments many experiment quietly—or not at all. What drives meaningful adoption is peer influence. When employees see trusted colleagues using AI in real tasks, sharing tips, modeling guardrails, and discussing both successes and missteps, AI feels safe, practical, and relevant.

Your AI Dashboard Is Lying to You (And What to Measure Instead)

Methods of Masters Eric Porres March 2, 2026

Eric’s thesis this week is deceptively simple: the thing to measure isn’t AI usage. It’s deletion. What reports stopped getting written? What workflows collapsed from days to hours? What artifacts just… vanished — because an agent replaced them?

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

U.S. economy got off to a choppy start in 2026, the Fed finds. Here’s the good and bad news.

MarketWatch Jeffry Bartash March 4, 2026

Jobs market

Most businesses remained in a low-hire mode: Seven of the 12 Fed districts that cover the entire country reported no change in employment.

Companies were trying to see if artificial intelligence could improve how they do business, but most said the goal was “productivity enhancement rather than worker replacement.”

Link: The Federal Reserve Beige Book

US to hike global tariff to 15% ‘sometime this week,’ Bessent says

Supply Chain Dive Phil Neuffer March 4, 2026

Regardless of the rate, the global tariff will expire after 150 days, unless it is extended by an act of Congress, per Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, the statute Trump is using to implement the fee.

Click here to unsubscribe or to change your Subscription Preferences.