Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

Diesel shock puts floor under trucking rates as demand shows some life

Journal of Commerce Dan Ronan March 25, 2026 $Subscription Based

Soaring diesel fuel prices and the nationwide crackdown by the federal government on non-domiciled commercial drivers is tightening truckload capacity in the US, putting a floor under rates. And new data showing that demand may be perking up has raised hopes in the trucking industry, albeit cautiously, that the freight recession going on four years could be nearing an end.

Current run on diesel prices affects fleets differently than 2022 spike

CCJ Jason Cannon March 25, 2026

"Unless there is a quick resolution to hostilities that allows vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, national diesel prices are likely to surpass their mid-2022 high-water mark of $5.810 per gallon within three weeks," forecast Jason Miller, professor of supply chain management at the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University.

FedEx launches ‘SameDay Local’ service, tapping OneRail to power delivery nationwide

Logistics Management Jeff Berman March 25, 2026

FedEx explained that FedEx SameDay Local enables consumers to choose either two-hour or end-of-day delivery at checkout, in turn connecting customers to a national network comprised of more than 1,000 delivery partners—with orders subsequently matched to the appropriate vehicle and driver, quickly dispatched and tracked with live updates from pickup to delivery.

Link: FedEx Press Release FedEx To Offer Faster Delivery with Launch of FedEx SameDay® Local

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

Echo Global Logistics expands platform with ITS acquisition

Freight Waves Todd Maiden March 25, 2026

Echo Global Logistics announced Wednesday that it has completed the acquisition of ITS Logistics, creating an AI-enabled 3PL with over $5 billion in annual revenue. The deal merges two of the industry’s largest brokerage platforms, broadening the scope of transportation service offerings for both companies.

Link: Echo Global Logistics Press Release Echo Global Logistics Completes Acquisition of ITS Logistics, Expanding Integrated Full Supply Chain Solutions

INDUSTRY

Diesel in California Reaches Highest Price Ever Recorded

Transport Topics/Bloomberg News Will Kubzansky March 25, 2026

A gallon of diesel costs an average of $7.018 a gallon, according to the latest data from the American Automobile Association. That topped the previous record of $7.012 in June 2022, in the first months of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Link: AAA Fuel Prices

Postal Service plans 8% fuel surcharge as Iran war raises transport costs

Freight Waves Eric Kulisch March 25, 2026

The U.S. Postal Service is seeking permission to impose a fuel surcharge on parcel products for the first time ever to cover soaring transportation costs for gasoline and diesel fuel, which have jumped more than 30% since the invasion of Iran by the United States and Israel nearly a month ago.

Related: The Wall Street Journal  Postal Service to Impose Its First-Ever Fuel Surcharge on Packages

Bunker fuel shortages in Asia at tipping point as war disruption continues

Journal of Commerce Greg Knowler March 25, 2026 $Subscription Based

The availability of bunker fuel in Asia for ocean carriers is manageable for now but beginning to tighten, and global suppliers warn that shortages will be felt around the world should the Strait of Hormuz remain closed to ship traffic for much longer.

Norfolk Southern says higher fuel costs could spur intermodal volumes

Supply Chain Dive Alejandra Carranza March 25, 2026

Regardless, higher fuel prices will still have a major impact on rail companies’ expenses. George noted that it burns about a million gallons of diesel fuel a day, equating to about 30 million gallons a month.

Cold-Storage Vacancies Hit 20-Year High

The Wall Street Journal Liz Young March 26, 2026 $Subscription Based

Two years after a cold-storage operator delivered the year’s largest public offering, the U.S. market for refrigerated warehouse space is in the deep freeze.

SCOTUS hears arguments on driver status: intra or interstate?

Freight Waves John Kingston March 25, 2026

If a driver takes a product from point A to point B wholly within a state, never crossing a  boundary with another, can that worker be considered an interstate worker?

That question made it to the Supreme Court Wednesday, as the two sides in Brock vs. Flowers Foods made their case to the nine justices.

TECHNOLOGY

The AI skills gap is here, says AI company, and power users are pulling ahead

TechCrunch Rebecca Bellan March 25, 2026

Anthropic’s latest research suggests that while AI is rapidly changing the way work gets done, it hasn’t meaningfully eliminated jobs. At least, not yet. But beneath what Anthropic’s head of economics, Peter McCrory, says is a “still healthy” labor market, early signs are pointing to uneven impacts, especially for younger workers just entering the workforce.

Link: Anthropic Economic Index report: Learning curves

Create an Onboarding Plan for AI Agents

HBR Joseph Fuller March 25, 2026 $Subscription Based

Companies are missing out on AI’s value because they have not changed the way work is organized around it. Treating AI agents less like new technology and more like employees—with defined roles, clear boundaries, explicit accountability, and regular evaluation—helps leaders decide what should be done by humans versus machines.

Are Bots Replacing Workers? These Skeptics Aren’t So Sure

The Wall Street Journal Callum Borchers March 25, 2026 $Subscription Based

“AI washing is pervasive right now,” says J.P. Gownder, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. “It sounds so much better to say, ‘We’re laying people off because we’re so good at AI and we’re creating all these efficiencies.’ That sounds so much more rational and innovative.”

Big Returns From AI Investments Are Here, CFOs Say

The Wall Street Journal Kristin Broughton and Jennifer Williams March 25, 2026 $Subscription Based

Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s CFO Council Summit in Palo Alto, Calif., finance chiefs from the tech, retail and financial services sectors said their companies are seeing big gains in efficiency and productivity—in some cases worth millions of dollars—from their investments in generative AI.

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

NACFE: Diesel hits 11.5 mpg while Tesla Semi runs 460 miles in real-world test

Freight Waves Thomas Wasson March 25, 2026

Diesel trucks reached 11.5 miles per gallon and a Tesla Semi ran 460 miles on a single charge during NACFE’s 18-day “Run on Less – Messy Middle” demonstration, the most detailed real-world powertrain study yet released at TMC 2026.

Decarbonization still messy but manageable, NACFE real-world data proves

Fleet Owner Josh Fisher March 25, 2026

Diesel efficiency is peaking: Modern diesel operations are achieving unprecedented fuel economy—up to 11.8 mpg in real-world freight operations—proving there are still massive near-term emission and cost reductions to be found in the baseline technology.

Adding solar panels to semi trucks helps slash diesel emissions

Electrek Jo Borrás March 25, 2026

Dubbed EPEQ Solar Assist, Vanair’s self-described “ecosystem” fights those costs by pairing a modular battery pack with flexible solar panels mounted to the truck’s cab fairing to work as a replacement for traditional, diesel-powered APUs. The all-electric Vanair system powers the truck’s HVAC, lift gates, and onboard electronics without firing up the main engine.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

Trump Says the Energy Shock Will Be Short-Lived. CEOs Paint a Scarier Picture

The Wall Street Journal Benoît Morenne and Collin Eaton March 25, 2026 $Subscription Based

Some oil and gas executives are privately expressing frustration with the administration’s optimistic messaging and say the disruption is already far-reaching.

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