Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

LTL Segment Health Improving as Q1 Progresses

Transport Topics Keiron Greenhalgh March 11, 2026

February data from publicly traded less-than-truckload carriers indicated the health of the market segment is improving as the first quarter of 2026 progresses beyond just higher rates.

Full enterprise sale of Forward Air ‘unlikely,’ report says

Freight Waves Todd Maiden March 11, 2026

“As disclosed on February 23, 2026, the Company has made progress in its strategic review and we believe we are nearing the conclusion,” Forward Air said in a Wednesday statement to FreightWaves. “This is a comprehensive review to explore all available opportunities to maximize value, including the evaluation of a potential sale, merger or other strategic or financial transactions as well as a review of the components of our portfolio to ensure there is a long-term strategic fit.

Elevated US trucking rates get new boost from diesel gains amid Middle East war

Journal of Commerce Dan Ronan March 11, 2026 $Subscription Based

The US trucking industry may be showing signs of coming out of a nearly four-year-long freight recession as spot rates have remained elevated, especially along the East Coast and in the Midwest, after the disruption caused by snow and ice storms in January and February.

UPS navigates Amazon draw down in hard pivot to premium services

Freight Waves Eric Kulisch March 11, 2026

The parcel carrier is holding onto Amazon business that remains lucrative. The part being shed is outbound deliveries from local Amazon fulfillment centers located within 50 miles of a residential delivery address. “You don’t need an integrated end-to-end network in order to move that kind of volume. Amazon has invested tremendously in their own supply chain.

Link: UPS Raymond James 47th Annual Institutional Investors Conference

How Jim Mullen’s Werner, FMCSA leadership will shape his TCA tenure

Trucking Dive Larry Avila March 11, 2026

Mullen credits his introduction into the trucking industry to his friendship with Clarence Werner and eventual employment with what today is Werner Enterprises.

“I have a tremendous passion for this industry,” Mullen said, noting his deep appreciation for truck drivers moving “72% of the nation’s freight.”

Torc Joins Virginia Autonomous Truck Training Grant

Transport Topics  March 11, 2026

Planning effort with VTTI aims to map workforce needs, develop pathways for self-driving truck inspection and safety roles

Link: TORC Press Release Torc Supports GO Virginia–Funded Effort to Align Autonomous Vehicle Workforce Training Across the Commonwealth

Duffy Touts Safety Potential for Autonomous Vehicles

Transport Topics Eugene Mulero March 11, 2026

Duffy pointed to the ongoing work toward arriving at a robust federal AV framework. He explained the objective is for companies to be able to “develop a vehicle, deploy a vehicle, scale a vehicle” nationwide — a point that carries particular weight for longhaul trucking routes that routinely cross multiple jurisdictions.

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

More than 100 trillion data points fuel C.H. Robinson’s leadership in Agentic Supply Chains

C.H. Robinson Press Release March 11, 2026

For the first time, C.H. Robinson is disclosing the scale of the proprietary data behind its Lean AI operating system, which is built in house and embeds intelligence directly into how logistics gets done for its 75,000 customers. Hundreds of connected AI agents are fed by the unrivaled scale, scope and depth of C.H. Robinson’s data on 37 million shipments a year and enriched by operational context.

INDUSTRY

Ten Maersk ships ‘trapped’ in Persian Gulf

Freight Waves Stuart Chirls March 12, 2026

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran has effectively trapped 10 Maersk ships in the Persian Gulf, its chief executive said.

In separate interviews with CNN and the Wall Street Journal, Vincent Clerc said the Danish carrier’s ships “cannot get out,” are “stuck in the Upper Gulf” and cannot leave the region.

Trump will release 172 million barrels of oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve

CNBC Spencer Kimball March 11, 2026

The U.S. will start releasing barrels next week but it will take about 120 days to deliver them all, Wright said. President Donald Trump said earlier that he would tap the reserve to keep a lid on energy prices.

Link: IEA Press Release IEA Member countries to carry out largest ever oil stock release 

Related: CNBC IEA agrees to release record 400 million barrels of oil to address Iran war supply disruption

Court Reopens Lawsuit Over Trump’s De Minimis Suspension

Supply Chain 24/7 March 11, 2026

A lawsuit challenging the suspension of the de minimis exemption is moving forward again, reopening a closely watched case over the suspension of the exemption for imports under $800.

TECHNOLOGY

AI Isn’t Lightening Workloads. It’s Making Them More Intense.

The Wall Street Journal Ray A. Smith March 11, 2026 $Subscription Based

In fact, AI is increasing the speed, density and complexity of work rather than reducing it, according to an analysis of 164,000 workers’ digital work activity. The data, from workforce analytics and productivity-tracking software company ActivTrak, covers more than 443 million hours of work across 1,111 employers, making it one of the biggest studies of AI’s effects on work habits to date.  

Link: ActivTrak 2026 State of the Workplace

When Using AI Leads to “Brain Fry”

HBR Matthew Kropp et al. March 5, 2026 $Subscription Based

A new study finds that certain patterns of AI use are driving cognitive fatigue, while others can help reduce burnout.

There’s some nuance here, however. We also found when AI is used to replace routine or repetitive tasks, burnout scores—but not mental fatigue scores—are lower.  

Related: CBS News Is AI productivity prompting burnout? Study finds new pattern of "AI brain fry"

Silicon Valley’s New Obsession: Watching Bots Do Their Grunt Work

The Wall Street Journal Kate Clark March 12, 2026 $Subscription Based

What are your bots up to? The topic is the biggest flex—and source of stress—in Silicon Valley, where tech pros and amateurs are competing to see how much of their grunt work they can outsource to AI without things backfiring spectacularly. They’re enlisting agents to code, manage their calendar and respond to emails.

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

The freight market’s new reality: More risk, fewer signals

Supply Chain Management Review Brian Straight March 11, 2026

Emissions: Regulation may shift, shipper expectations haven’t

One approach the Trump administration has taken is to ease and even eliminate some of the more restrictive emissions regulations put in by previous administrations. But, while the requirements may be easing, Phillips doesn’t see the pressure from shippers easing.

“So many of our shippers are still very environmentally conscious,” she said, noting that reporting expectations remain regardless of the regulatory shifts. “They still want to know … what’s the impact I’m having on the environment?”

Run on Less “Messy Middle” Data Shows Multiple Paths Forward for Truck Powertrains  (Video 10m)

Heavy Duty Trucking Deborah Lockridge March 11, 2026

The trucking industry is in what NACFE calls the “messy middle”—a transition period between traditional diesel and future zero-emission trucks.

In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, HDT’s Deborah Lockridge speaks with Mike Roeth, Executive Director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, about the latest insights from Run on Less – Messy Middle

Nation’s first ‘green’ stock exchange hires veteran exec as CFO

ESG Dive Lamar Johnson March 11, 2026

The Green Impact Exchange hired a former Prudential Financial corporate finance and treasury executive to serve as its inaugural chief finance officer.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

Consumer Checkpoint: February spending snapped back strongly, even as wage gaps keep the K-shape firmly in place.

Bank of America Institute David Tinsley et al.  March 11, 2026

Spending growth was very strong in February, according to Bank of America internal credit and debit card data. The year-over-year (YoY) growth rate rose to 3.2%, the highest in over three years. And on a seasonally-adjusted basis, card spending rose a strong 0.9% month-over-month (MoM).

The “K-shape” in spending growth between higher- and lower-income households narrowed slightly in February, but remains very substantial — and a similarly large gap persists between higher- and middle-income households.

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