Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

Truckload’s value in critical lane is on the rise despite weak demand

Freight Waves Zach Strickland November 15, 2025

Long-term contract rates (purple) from Los Angeles to Chicago have increased nearly 32% over the past two years, according to SONAR’s invoice data. In contrast, the same dataset shows a 10% decline in intermodal rates (orange) over that period. Truckload spot rates (green) on this lane have become increasingly volatile but have also risen overall.

FMCSA’s non-domiciled CDL rule in limbo after court grants emergency stay motion

OverDrive Alex Lockie November 14, 2025

"The administrative stay, issued on Monday, was a temporary hold on the rule while the court of appeals considered our emergency motion to stay the rule," said Wendy Liu, an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group, which brought the case.

"The D.C. Circuit has now granted our emergency motion. That means that the rule is now on hold, and not in effect, for the months that it will take for the lawsuit to be litigated," she said.

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

C.H. Robinson expands El Paso operations with 450,000 square-foot facility to meet rising Mexico trade demand

Logistics Management Jeff Berman November 14, 2025

“We continue to see El Paso emerge as a vital gateway for not just high-tech freight, but also automotive, medical devices, and healthcare products,” said Jay Cornmesser, vice president for Mexico cross-border services at C.H. Robinson.

Link: C.H. Robinson Press Release C.H. Robinson Scales Up Border Operations to Support Growing U.S. – Mexico Trade

Uber Freight expands last-mile capabilities through new partnership and investment in Better Trucks

Logistics Management Jeff Berman November 14, 2025

Uber Freight officials said that through this partnership the company will be able to take advantage of Better Trucks’ services, including technology, operational capability, and scaled delivery network, so it can expand its last-mile service offerings—and also enable its customers be able to extend delivery from its store or fulfillment locations to consumers’ residences.

Link: Better Trucks Press Release Uber Freight Invests in Last Mile, Expands Commercial Partnership with Better Trucks

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon to retire, John Furner to succeed

Retail Dive Dani James November 14, 2025

“I’ve worked with John for more than 20 years,” McMillon said in a statement. “His love for our associates and this company runs deep. His curiosity and digital acumen combined with a deep commitment to our people and culture will enable him to take us to the next level. He’s uniquely capable of leading the company through this next AI-driven transformation. He’s a merchant, an operator, an innovator, and a builder.”

Related: Digital Commerce 360 Walmart announced new CEO to replace Doug McMillon

Supreme Court broker liability case now has a schedule

Freight Waves John Kingston November 14, 2025

The court Thursday agreed to a request from the attorney for original plaintiff Shawn Montgomery, referred to before the court as the petitioner as it was Montgomery that sought and was granted Supreme Court review, to set a December 1 deadline for Montgomery’s brief to be filed.

INDUSTRY

Data shows US intermodal has a long-term growth problem

Journal of Commerce Larry Gross November 14, 2025 $Subscription Based

Intermodal performance in recent years has largely been a function of international, or inland point intermodal (IPI), volume. Robust imports coupled with East Coast labor issues and then tariff frontloading have combined to provide a powerful boost to the volume of ISO containers moving via intermodal.

BlueGrace Logistics Confidence Index™

Blue Grace Logistics Q1 2026 Logistics Confidence Index®

Q1 2026 data shows modest improvement in revenue expectations. Positive sentiment rose 2.7 points to 72%, the highest since Q2 2025, while neutral responses declined and negative sentiment edged up to 17%. Average expected revenue growth increased to 3.1%, and the median forecast reached 3%, signaling renewed confidence entering 2026. Year-over-year, sentiment remains stronger, though expectations reflect cautious optimism amid mixed macro conditions.

USPS reports 5.7% decline in parcel volumes, $9B loss

Freight Waves Eric Kulisch November 14, 2025

The USPS, which delivered an average of 23.9 million packages per day in 2024, controls more than 30% of the parcel market by volume. Despite being the market share leader, it only gets about 17% of the market’s total revenue, compared to UPS’s nearly 32% of revenues and FedEx, with 25% of the available revenue, according to ShipMatrix.

Trucking exodus: A new threat to US ocean logistics

Freight Waves Stuart Chirls November 14, 2025

But ITS warned that “[a]s we get closer to 2026, there are some items we are keeping a close eye on that could drastically change the landscape in North American port and ramp operations.”

Fewer but larger transport M&As in Q3: Study

Freight Waves Stuart Chirls November 14, 2025

Looking ahead, the M&A outlook for the transport sector is characterized by a mix of cautious optimism and strategic maneuvering. Investors are expected to continue navigating alternative deal structures – such as minority stakes and continuation vehicles – to bridge valuation gaps in an effort to preserve flexibility in timing.

TECHNOLOGY

These Small-Business Owners Are Putting AI to Good Use

The Wall Street Journal Katherine Bindley November 15, 2025 $Subscription Based

Mike Salvatore, owner of Heritage Hospitality Group in Chicago, used to run reports once or twice a year on the cost of goods for the two cafes, two bars and the bike shop he owns. He would spend hours crunching potential price adjustments manually, based on the expense of raw materials. Now, he does it every three weeks with the help of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Link: U.S. Chamber of Commerce The Majority of Small Businesses Embrace Artificial Intelligence

Now Tech Moguls Want to Build Data Centers in Outer Space

The Wall Street Journal Tim Higgins November 16, 2025 $Subscription Based

In space, the sun’s rays can be direct and constant for solar panels to collect—no clouds, no rainstorms, no nighttime. Demands for cooling could also be cut because of the vacuum of space.

Plus, there aren’t those pesky regulations that executives like to complain about, slowing construction of new power plants to meet the data-center needs. In space, no one can hear the Nimbys scream.

Link: Google Exploring a space-based, scalable AI infrastructure system design

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

Trucking Fleets Turn to Renewable Diesel for Cleaner Runs

Transport Topics Mindy Long November 14, 2025

“Companies that are trying to mitigate their [carbon dioxide] and [greenhouse gas] footprint ask us where they can get the product and how they can use it more often,” Tippin said, adding that Penske Truck Leasing’s fueling locations in California pump renewable diesel exclusively, which makes up about 10% to 15% of its total bulk fuel sales.

Renewable Natural Gas Gains Interest From Fleets

Transport Topics Stephen Bennett November 14, 2025

The use of natural gas as a fuel for heavy-duty trucks is receiving a boost from a combination of recent developments, including the rollout of a more powerful natural gas engine from Cummins Inc., the growing availability of renewable natural gas to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the embrace of both by fleet operators such as UPS Inc.

EU Parliament votes to weaken corporate sustainability laws

ESG Dive Lamar Johnson November 14, 2025

Under the changes, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive would only apply to large and very large businesses, respectively.

Europe banned new gas cars after 2035 — now it’s reconsidering

The Verge William Boston November 17, 2025

“Taking a more pragmatic approach could be a way of delivering on Europe’s climate goals more effectively,” he said. “The ultimate target of achieving CO2 neutrality in the EU by 2050 remains firmly in place. What changes is the path to get there.”

ATA, CVSA Call for Third-Party ELD Certification

Transport Topics Seth Clevenger November 14, 2025

American Trucking Associations and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance are calling for third-party certification of electronic logging devices to help prevent bad actors from illegally falsifying driver logbook data.

Verbiage, storytelling matter in court, industry lawyers say

Trucking Dive David Taube November 14, 2025

Even language in policies can be used against companies. Despite a carrier having safety at its forefront, using terms such as “students” instead of “placement drivers” who get report cards on their developing skills can create legal challenges, session panelist and Werner Enterprises President and Chief Legal Officer Nathan Meisgeier said.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ is expanding fast, and that should worry everyone

TechCrunch Connie Loizos November 16, 2025

The statistics back up his unease. Buy-now-pay-later services have exploded to 91.5 million users in the United States, according to the financial services firm Empower, with 25% using the services to finance their groceries as of earlier this year, according to survey data released in late October by lending marketplace Lending Tree.

Consumer Checkpoint: Holiday prep or schlep?

Bank of America Institute David Tinsey et al. November 14, 2025

Total credit and debit card spending per household rose 2.4% year-over-year (YoY) in October — the strongest annual growth since early 2024, according to Bank of America aggregated card data. Seasonally adjusted spending rose 0.3% month-over-month (MoM), the fifth consecutive month of gains, with services contributing the most to monthly spending growth for the second straight month.

INDUSTRY EVENTS

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