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

Trucking industry facing ‘horrible’ rates, tariffs, Werner CEO says

Freight Waves Noi Mahoney October 3, 2025

“We’re at a tipping point,” Leathers told attendees. “Capacity is leaving the market little by little. The industry needs significant rate increases to sustain itself. This isn’t just about survival — it’s about making sure trucking can continue to deliver America’s goods safely and reliably in the years ahead.”

Duffy’s halt of non-domiciled CDLs could wipe out illegal operators

Freight Waves Craig Fuller October 5, 2025

Non-domiciled CDL holders have become integral to many trucking operations, especially those focused on maximizing miles while minimizing costs. Industry observers note that these drivers often work under different expectations than American drivers.

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

Sharpie Found a Way to Make Pens More Cheaply—By Manufacturing Them in the U.S.

The Wall Street Journal Natasha Khan October 5, 2025 $Subscription Based

Pen barrels whirl along automated assembly lines that rapidly fill them with ink. At least half a billion Sharpie markers are churned out here every year, each one made of six parts. Only the felt tip is imported, from Japan.

What Amazon shippers should prioritize this peak season

Supply Chain Dive Kelly Stroh October 3, 2025

Peak season is fast approaching and planning ahead is critical for on-time deliveries and avoiding stockouts, especially as shippers battle challenges like foreclosures, customs delays, carrier supply issues and network constraints, Khyati Vaidya, senior manager, product management-technical at Fulfillment by Amazon, said at Amazon Accelerate 2025 in September.

Growth Minded – Inside Amazon RelayCon 2025 and the Small Carrier Surge

Freight Waves Adam Wingfield October 3, 2025

Amazon revealed that freight volumes for Relay carriers are up 15%, even as the rest of the market struggles with rate compression and declining spot activity. That’s not a small number. That’s insulation. And insulation in this environment is currency.

ITS Logistics expands DropFleet trailer service

Trucking Dive Alejandra Carranza October 3, 2025

The service “enables a grab, load, and go anywhere flexibility that streamlines yard operations,” Allen said in an email. “And it helps shippers mature their supply chain with a technologically advanced partner that removes the burden of managing a trailer pool,” he added.

Link: ITS Logistics Press Release ITS Logistics: Demand for Hybrid Capacity Leads to Expansion of DropFleet Trailer Network

INDUSTRY

2025 parcel peak volumes are expected to climb as shippers brace for higher fees, says ShipMatrix

Logistics Management Jeff Berman October 3, 2025

While it expects to see a 5% volume gain for the 2025 peak, ShipMatrix explained that comes with the caveat that, for FedEx and Amazon, volumes are pegged to climb 5%-to-8%, while UPS and USPS are expected to come in flat, should volume growth levels seen over the first half of the year remain intact.

How to build a better pallet load

DC Velocity Victoria Kickham October 3, 2025

Building pallet loads may just be the toughest job in the warehouse—but it’s about to get easier.

Mature technologies that have been helping manufacturers build better pallets for years are now finding their way to the floors of distribution centers to tackle burdensome inbound logistics tasks, for example. And new technologies are helping high-volume fulfillment centers build smarter, safer pallet loads during the picking process.

Savannah to fund Ocean Terminal improvements as lay berth opens

Journal of Commerce Michael Angell October 3, 2025 $Subscription Based

The Port of Savannah has approved the first phase in building out container handling capacity at Ocean Terminal, its second-largest marine terminal that has a new role serving as a lay berth for big ships calling the larger Garden City terminal.

Related: Georgia Ports Press Release Port of Savannah container volumes up 9 percent in August

OPEC and Allies Agree to Boost Oil Production

The Wall Street Journal Rebecca Feng October 5, 2025 $Subscription Based

Oil prices have traded within a range between $65 and $70 in the past three months, indicating relative balance between supply and demand for the world’s most important energy source.

TECHNOLOGY

Top executives jump on AI upskilling

CIO Dive Lindsey Wilkinson October 3, 2025

More than 3 in 5 leaders have attended AI training this year, up from 43% in 2024. A majority of leaders are also encouraging their teams to use AI, jumping to 73% in 2025 from 55% last year.

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

Nearly one-third of EV charging attempts fail, report finds

Freight Waves Thomas Wasson October 3, 2025

A newly released report by ChargerHelp! shows that while 64% of Americans now live within two miles of an electric vehicle charging station, nearly one-third of charging attempts fail. Despite charging infrastructure showing 98.7% to 99% uptime rates, only 71% of charging attempts actually succeed, according to the 2025 EV Charging Reliability Report.

Link: Charger Help 2025 Annual Reliability Report (Registration Required)

California’s road to climate progress, Part 1

Brookings Institution Ben Swedberg and Adie Toner October 3, 2025

However, low-emission vehicles are not an emissions-reduction panacea. In the Scoping Plan, CARB itself acknowledged that switching to zero-emission vehicles alone could not meet the state’s climate and air quality goals. Fleet transition takes time, and though EVs greatly reduce engine-related emissions, their greater weight can increase non-exhaust and particulate emissions, such as those from the wearing down of brakes and tires.

The future of self-driving cars: Safer, smarter, and everywhere

McKinsey & Company Ali Rizvi et al September 2025

The age of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is no longer a distant promise—it’s here. Today’s early fleets of AVs point to a future in which harried commutes turn into productive hours, jammed intersections into orchestrated traffic flows, and all roads into safer corridors. In this edition of The Next Normal, we explore the possibilities, challenges, and choices that will shape the driverless future.

Derek Barrs Joins DOT as New FMCSA Administrator

Transport Topics Eugene Mulero October 3, 2025

“Following extensive advocacy by ATA, we are pleased that the Senate has voted to approve the nomination of Derek Barrs to serve as administrator of FMCSA,” ATA President Chris Spear said. “Mr. Barrs’ confirmation was long overdue, and with rising concerns about motor vehicle safety enforcement, his leadership is urgently needed to drive accountability, strengthen state-level compliance and ensure only qualified commercial drivers operate on our nation’s roadways.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

September ISM Services PMI holds on to growth

Logistics Management Jeff Berman October 3, 2025

“We saw we saw some blips in June and August, and for both of those months, we saw upticks in inventory,” he said. “I think it’s very reasonable to conclude the increase in activity was really getting ahead of tariff impacts and bringing additional inventory in. The overall trajectory for business activity and new orders hasn’t changed. It’s been a three-year slight decline in growth.”

Link: Institute of Supply Management ISM® Services PMI® Report