Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

Cass Transportation Index Report: A Truckload Bounce

Cass Information Systems October 13, 2025

For the second straight month, truckload volumes rose slightly within the data, but LTL volumes declined. We think the LTL declines reflect ongoing available TL capacity—where low rates lead shippers to consolidate LTL loads into truckloads—and private fleet insourcing. The positivity in TL volumes may be temporary, as pre-tariff shipping may lead to more air pockets in demand.

Is Trucking Capacity Tighter Than It Looks?

Heavy Duty Trucking Avery Vise October 13, 2025

BLS payroll employment data does not capture the vast majority of very small for-hire carriers because few of them use payroll employees. Based on FTR’s analysis of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration registration data, for-hire carriers with 1 to 5 trucks still have about 38% more drivers than they did before the pandemic.

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

New C.H. Robinson tech enhances drop trailer visibility and utilization

Freight Waves John Paul Hampstead October 13, 2025

C.H. Robinson, a global leader in AI-driven supply chain solutions, has announced a major technological enhancement to its Drop Trailer Plus program with the introduction of the Asset Management System (AMS), which is now live.

In essence, AMS is a technology layer that exists inside Robinson’s Navisphere operating system to manage telematics data and analyze network performance in Robinson’s Drop Trailer Plus program.

Link: C.H. Robinson Press Release New C.H. Robinson drop trailer Asset Management System brings unparalleled control and visibility for shippers

Fastenal Posts Higher Revenue Despite Industry Slowdown

The Wall Street Journal Nicholas G. Miller October 13, 2025 $Subscription Based

“Even though industrial production was still sluggish in the third quarter of 2025, the performance reflects the contribution from improved customer contract signings since the first quarter of 2024,” the company said.

Ford Cuts Production of Five Trucks, SUVs After Fire at Aluminum Supplier

The Wall Street Journal Chritopher Otts and Bob Tita October 13, 2025 $Subscription Based

Starting this week, Ford isn’t producing its lucrative three-row SUVs, the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, at its Kentucky Truck Plant because of the difficulties with aluminum supply, an official from the United Auto Workers told members at the plant last week.

INDUSTRY

SMC³ Online Education Webinar: Developing a Story with Data to Optimize LTL Decision Making

SMC³ Online Education October 16 at 2 PM ET

Analytics is the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data. Often, the communication is expressed as charts, graphs, or various statistics that’s left for anyone to interpret. To be successful with analytics, you need to understand and develop the story that the data communicates. This capstone discussion explores how to bring the story from your data to life.

Guest: Dmitriy Pankratov Director, Profitability & Analytics at Saia

The US and China are about to launch the next front in their trade war

Politico Ari Hawkins and Phelim Kine October 13, 2025

The U.S.-China trade war has lurched from fragile truce to bare-knuckle brawl. It is about to intensify further when the two countries hike fees on each others’ commercial ships Tuesday — a move that, on the U.S. side, could end up raising consumer costs and driving down imports from Asia.

TECHNOLOGY

AI Is Juicing the Economy. Is It Making American Workers More Productive?

The Wall Street Journal Justin Lahart October 13, 2025 $Subscription Based

“The thing about AI is it is such amazing technology, so it feels like the economic impacts should match the emotional impacts,” said Yale Budget Lab executive director Martha Gimbel. “And I don’t think we’re quite there.”

Salesforce unveils its Agentforce 360 platform to build, deploy AI agents

CIO Dive Lindsey Wilkinson October 13, 2025

Salesforce introduced Agentforce 360, a platform for enterprises to more easily build, control and deploy AI agents at scale, the company said Monday at its Dreamforce conference. The platform is the latest release of Agentforce, the agentic system first announced by the company in 2024.

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

White House sanctions threat ups ante ahead of pivotal IMO meeting

Journal of Commerce Greg Knowler October 13, 2025 $Subscription Based

US opposition to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) shipping decarbonization plans has escalated dramatically, with the White House now threatening sanctions on countries who vote in favor of measures to cut shipping’s carbon emissions.

DOE cancels billions in green hydrogen production projects, future of FCEVs uncertain

Clean Trucking Jay Traugott October 13, 2025

The cancellation of green hydrogen projects could be a significant blow for commercial trucking. Green hydrogen, alongside batteries, is one of the few zero-emission technologies capable of powering long-haul, heavy-duty trucks. However, the recent bankruptcies of hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) truck makers Nikola Motors and Hyzon Motors suggest the market is leaning toward battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) as the preferred zero-emission powertrain.

From Employee-Owners to Environmental Champions

MIT Sloan Management Review Jegoo Lee October 13, 2025

Employee-owned companies achieve significantly better environmental performance than traditionally structured businesses. Research shows that for every $83,571 of company stake allocated per employee, companies improve on one additional environmental indicator. When employees become owners, they transform from workers into environmental champions, driving initiatives from waste reduction to renewable energy adoption through enhanced engagement and shared accountability.

Webinar: How Amazon Freight is Driving Sustainable Logistics

Sustainability Magazine Tom Chapman October 13, 2025

Amazon Freight’s latest webinar, Accelerating Sustainable Transportation: Amazon’s Vision for Green Middle Mile Solutions, is essential for leaders seeking to transform their logistics operations for a sustainable future.

In this one-hour session, Sonia Polak, Head of EU End-to-End Transportation Sustainability, and James Moulds, Senior Business Developer at Amazon Freight, will reveal how electrification, intermodal optimisation and advanced sustainability tools can transform middle-mile logistics.

Trucking English language enforcement: The toughest and most lax states

Overdrive Todd Dills October 13, 2025

With the return of English Language Proficiency as a priority for roadside inspectors this year, we’ve had some glimpses of a smattering of states where ELP enforcement has taken on new life — and the opposite, with others (California, certainly) taking their time in adopting new regulations and procedures for state inspectors to enforce the rule, risking federal funding in the process.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

President Trump threatens 100% tariffs on China, escalating trade tensions

Logistics Management Jeff Berman October 13, 2025

While Trump said the 100% on China would take effect on November 1, reports observed that it is unclear, as to if that is definitive, or if it would be delayed. As previously reported, the countries are nearing the end of a 90-day pause, which is set to expire on November 10, current U.S. tariffs on China at 30% and a 10% tariff on U.S. goods imported to China.

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