Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

Estes acquires Washington-based Key Trucking

CCJ Jason Cannon February 13, 2026

Estes Logistics, a division of Estes Express Lines has acquired Key Trucking, marking a strategic expansion for Richmond-based Estes into the high-demand corridors of Western Washington and the broader Pacific Northwest. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

FedEx plans to close over 475 stations due to Network 2.0

Supply Chain Dive Max Garland February 13, 2026

About 25% of FedEx’s eligible average daily volume in the U.S. and Canada is currently flowing through more than 360 facilities “optimized” for Network 2.0, according to Ray. By the 2026 peak season, the carrier expects that figure will rise to 65% as the integration continues to scale.

Shippers wary of rising transportation costs as fleets put the brakes on spending

CCJ Jason Cannon February 13, 2026

Nearly all shippers (97%) anticipate that tariffs will raise transportation costs this year, with close to half (48%) expecting tariffs to contribute to higher contract rates and reduced pricing leverage, according to the 2026 State of Transportation Report released by Breakthrough.

Link: Breakthrough 2026 State of Transportation Report (Registration Required For Report)

Don’t Look – But We Might Be on the Brink of a Market Breakout

Freight Waves Adam Wingfield February 15, 2026

This is not a guarantee. It’s not “the market is back.”…….

It is simply this: several key indicators are shifting at the same time. And when that happens, you pay attention. Let’s walk through it in plain language.

INDUSTRY

Borderlands Mexico: Exports of Mexican-made trucks to US fall 54% in January

Freight Waves Noi Mahoney February 15, 2026

Mexico exported 5,076 heavy vehicles in January, down 53.8% year over year, according to data from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The U.S.remained by far the primary destination, accounting for 94.2% of those exports, or 4,783 units.

U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes head down, for week ending February 7, reports AAR

Logistics Management February 13, 2026

Intermodal containers and trailers, at 278,446, were down 2.0% annually, topping the weeks ending January 31 and January 24, at 243,173, and 266,924, respectively.

TECHNOLOGY

Airbnb says a third of its customer support is now handled by AI in the US and Canada

Tech Crunch Sarah Perez February 13, 2026

Airbnb has successfully implemented a custom-built AI agent that now manages roughly one-third of its customer support issues in the United States and Canada. CEO Brian Chesky emphasized that this transition is expected to be "massive," not only by reducing the cost of customer service but also by delivering a "huge step change" in quality.

To Thrive in the AI Era, Companies Need Agent Managers

HBR Suraj Srinivasan and Vivienne Wei February 12, 2026 $Subscription Based

As autonomous AI agents move from experimentation to execution, companies are discovering they need a new kind of leader to manage them. Drawing on examples from Salesforce and other large organizations, this article introduces the role of the agent manager—leaders responsible for orchestrating how AI agents learn, collaborate, perform, and work safely alongside humans. Just as product managers emerged during the software revolution, agent managers are becoming essential to translating strategic intent into reliable outcomes in an AI-powered, hybrid workforce.

AI Coding Tools for Knowledge Work: What Executives Need to Know

MIT Sloan Management Review Rama Ramakrishnan February 12, 2026 $Subscription Based

If you’re just using AI chatbot tools like Claude and ChatGPT, you’re missing out on an important shift for knowledge workers. Agentic AI coding tools like Claude Code have more capabilities than chatbots — and not just for developers. Working directly with files on your computer, these tools enable automation options and teamwide sharing of best practices and knowledge. Here are some examples of how leaders and their teams are using AI coding tools, and advice on experimenting with them.

Demand for tech talent remains high as skills gaps widen

CIO Dive Roberto Torres February 13, 2026

AI and machine learning top the list of skills where a gap is most prevalent, according to the report. Survey takers also cited IT operations and infrastructure, governance and compliance and cloud architecture as areas of high demand.

Link: Robert Half Survey: Only 6% of organizations have the talent they need to complete priority projects

Brace Yourself for the AI Tsunami

The Wall Street Journal Opinion Peggy Noonan February 12, 2026 $Subscription Based

Current models are light years ahead of even six months ago. In 2022, AI couldn’t do basic arithmetic reliably. “By 2023, it could pass the bar exam. By 2024, it could write working software and explain graduate-level science.” Last week, “new models arrived that made everything before them feel like a different era.”

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

EPA eliminates 2009 endangerment finding

Trucking Dive David Taube February 13, 2026

Because of the absence of the scientific finding, the agency is also rescinding Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 greenhouse gas emissions rulemakings for heavy-duty vehicles, the EPA said.

Link: EPA Press Release President Trump and Administrator Zeldin Deliver Single Largest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History

After Nikola’s fall, Hyroad Energy rises in hydrogen trucking

Clean Trucking Jay Traugott February 13, 2026

Nikola’s bankruptcy left a vacuum—and Hyroad Energy is moving fast to fill it with hydrogen infrastructure.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

The Break Is Over. Companies Are Jacking Up Prices Again.

The Wall Street Journal Ruth Simon February 15, 2026 $Subscription Based

Companies from Levi Strauss & Co. to McCormick & Co., among others, say they are raising prices early this year on items from bluejeans and spices to housewares and industrial products.

After holding the line on prices for several months, companies—big and small—have begun a new round of increases, in some cases by high-single-digit percentage points.

US companies, consumers bear nearly 90% of tariff costs: New York Fed

Retail Dive Jim Tyson February 13, 2026

U.S. companies and consumers last year shouldered nearly 90% of the costs from tariffs imposed beginning in April 2025, Federal Reserve Bank of New York researchers said Thursday, countering a claim by the Trump administration that foreigners bear the burden from the import taxes.

Link: New York Federal Reserve/Liberty Street Economics Who Is Paying for the 2025 U.S. Tariffs?

INDUSTRY EVENTS

CLDA

February 18-20 Austin, TX

Final Mile Forum

Truckload Carriers Association

February 28 -March 3 Kissimmee, FL

Truckload 2026

S&P Global

March 1-4 Long Beach, CA

TPM 26

NMFTA