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Some LTL tonnage improves, but carriers report mixed freight performance
Trucking Dive David Taube March 10, 2026
Carriers reported a mix of freight dynamics for mid-quarter Q1, suggesting different exposures and advantages to the market.
Heavier freight and higher volumes benefited some carriers, perhaps overlapping with positive manufacturing sentiment in the first few months of the year, a notable shift from 2025.
DAT Dry Van Market Conditions
DAT Freight & Analytics Dean Croke March 10, 2026
Despite a surge in the previous week due to end-of-month shipments, dry van load post volumes saw an 8% decrease last week to start March. However, these volumes remain strong, standing 53% higher than the same period last year and nearly double the 10-year average (excluding the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022). Concurrently, equipment posts also dropped by 6%. As a result of these shifts, the national load-to-truck ratio slightly decreased, settling at 8.10 last week.
Record Diesel-Price Surge Hits U.S. Truckers, Retailers and Manufacturers
The Wall Street Journal Paul Berger March 10, 2026 $Subscription Based
Diesel prices for U.S. truckers rose a record 96 cents a gallon this past week, an ominous sign for retailers and manufacturers juggling tariffs and bracing for higher shipping costs following the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Rising Fuel Costs Pressure Airlines and Truckers
The New York Times Niraj Chokshi March 9, 2026 $Subscription Based
Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, said the recent jump in the diesel price “would meaningfully affect shippers’ freight bills,” but added that the increase would vary across the trucking sector.
IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Release From Strategic Reserves
The Wall Street Journal Matthew Dalton et al. March 11, 2026 $Subscription Based
The release of 400 million barrels of oil would more than double the agency’s biggest prior release, when IEA member countries in 2022 put 182 million barrels on the market after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the officials said.
Related: CNBC Oil ticks higher to $85 as traders await possible historic reserve release
The Non-Domiciled CDL Crackdown Has Arrived – 13,000 Drivers Out, a National Rule A Few Days Away
Freight Waves Adam Wingfield March 10, 2026
California cancelled 13,000 commercial driver’s licenses on March 6 under federal pressure, and the rule that narrows eligibility for nearly every non-domiciled driver in the country takes effect in six days.
FedEx Tops UPS in Market Value for First Time
Transport Topics/Bloomberg News Matthew Griffin March 10, 2026
“It is a bit surprising,” Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, said of FedEx’s leapfrog of its rival’s value. “The emergence and eventual dominance of Amazon has turned this industry upside down.”
The real barrier to driverless trucks is no longer software
Freight Waves Thomas Wasson March 10, 2026
“When you want to start to get to scale, you need a solution that is more scalable,” said Abuelsamid. “When you’re building vehicles onesie-twosie, upfitting them, the build processes tend to be a little more artisanal. You can’t necessarily guarantee that every vehicle is going to be built exactly the same way — and that’s what you need, especially for a commercial vehicle.”
Link: Telemetry Report Automated Trucking Scale Will Depend on Factory Integration
Mexico truck production plunges nearly 50% in February
Freight Waves Noi Mahoney March 11, 2026
Mexico’s heavy-vehicle industry posted sharp year-over-year declines in production, exports and sales in February, signaling continued weakness across the country’s truck manufacturing sector.
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