Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

FMCSA auditing 1,500 CDL schools as part of training provider registry purge

Overdrive Alex Lockie December 9, 2025

The Department of Transportation in early December announced the removal of nearly 3,000 CDL training providers from the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry and warned an additional 4,500 providers about potential non-compliance.

Dry van report: ATA October tonnage drop signals stubborn market headwinds

DAT Freight & Analytics Dean Croke December 9, 2025

The latest data from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) confirms what many in our industry are feeling: the freight market remains exceptionally difficult. The October For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index registered a significant monthly decline, marking the most substantial drop in nearly two years.

Daimler Truck, Torc Robotics ink LiDAR upgrade deal for autonomous Freightliner Cascadia

Freight Waves Thomas Wasson December 9, 2025

Developing a Level 4 autonomous truck—one fully operated without a human on board—requires extra steps compared with a regular Class 8 truck. Daimler Truck and Torc will use a combination of sensor technologies, including LiDAR, radar and camera systems, to detect the vehicle’s surroundings regardless of weather and other conditions.

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

U.S. Manufacturers Slow Orders Ahead of Supreme Court Tariff Ruling

The Wall Street Journal Paul Berger December 10, 2025 $Subscription Based

Buying activity among North American manufacturers, measured in a global poll of 27,000 businesses by GEP and S&P Market Intelligence, in November hit its lowest level since May.

INDUSTRY

Two-week plunge in benchmark diesel takes it down more than 16 cts/g

Freight Waves John Kingston December 9, 2025

The diesel price used as the benchmark for most fuel surcharges recorded the biggest two-week decline in two years with its latest posting.

The Energy Information Administration/Department of Energy price dropped 9.3 cents gallon to $3.665/g.

Links: U.S. Energy Information Administration  Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update  and Weekly U.S. No 2 Diesel Ultra Low Sulfur (0-15 ppm) Retail Prices (Chart)

Port Tracker report points to ongoing import declines as 2025 ends and into 2026

Logistics Management Jeff Berman December 9, 2025

The ongoing stretch of annual declines in United States-bound retail container imports is expected to remain intact into 2026, according to the according to the new edition of the Global Port Tracker report, which was recently issued by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and maritime consultancy Hackett Associates,

Link: National Retail Federation Declining Import Cargo Volume Expected to Continue in 2026

Rail service shakes off prior disruptions to close 2025 on high note

Journal of Commerce Ari Ashe December 9, 2025 $Subscription Based

US Class I railroads have delivered a year of consistent, reliable intermodal service based on publicly reported metrics such as train speeds, railcars idling with containers on top, and the number of trains stopped while in transit.

AI will change UP-NS merger review in ways the industry has never seen

Journal of Commerce Paul Tonsager December 9, 2025 $Subscription Based

For the first time, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) can evaluate a rail merger not on assertions, but on what the data actually shows — and they can do it in hours, not months.

A Billion-Barrel Oil Glut Is Forming at Sea

The Wall Street Journal Carol Ryan December 10, 2025 $Subscription Based

The oil market is grappling with whether sanctioned Russian and Iranian cargoes should still be counted as supply. This may explain why oil prices have been slow to react to a huge glut that is building on the ocean.

TECHNOLOGY

Study: AI now embedded in 60% of warehouses

Supply Chain Xchange December 9, 2025

The study of more than 2,000 supply chain and warehousing professionals found that 60% of warehouses have implemented some form of AI or ML, and that nearly 90% are operating at automation levels that are “beyond basic.” 

CEOs Are All-In on AI

The Wall Street Journal Steven Rosenbush December 9, 2025 $Subscription Based

“What I saw in this poll…is unbridled enthusiasm for AI,” said Stagwell Chairman and Chief Executive Mark Penn, a former Microsoft chief strategist and presidential pollster and strategist. Ninety-five percent of CEO respondents said AI would be transformative, while 5% viewed it as overhyped.

Link: Stagwell Press Release 78% of American CEOs are Bullish on AI’s Impact on Workplace Efficiency and Innovation, New Stagwell (STGW) Study Reveals

AI eats the world

Benedict Evans November 2025

Twice a year, I produce a big presentation exploring macro and strategic trends in the tech industry. New in November 2025, ‘AI eats the world’.

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

Amazon targets carbon emission cuts at grocery fulfillment centers

Supply Chain Dive Philip Neuffer December 9, 2025

The e-commerce giant recorded a 15% reduction at three sites in a pilot deployment of Trane Technologies’ BrainBox AI tool, which will be deployed nationally.

EU legislators reach agreement to simplify sustainability reporting

ESG Dive Lamar Johnson December 9, 2025

The revised agreement would remove around 90% of companies from the CSRD’s scope, and 70% of companies from the CSDDD’s remit.

Waymo crosses 450,000 weekly paid rides as Alphabet robotaxi unit widens lead on Tesla

CNBC Jasmine Wu and Deirdre Bosa December 8, 2025

Waymo, the robotaxi unit owned by Alphabet, has crossed 450,000 weekly paid rides, according to a letter from investor Tiger Global viewed by CNBC.

That’s almost double the milestone it hit in April, when Waymo reported 250,000 paid robotaxi rides a week in the U.S.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

Small-Business Optimism Rises on Strong Sales Outlook

Transport Topics/Bloomberg News Julia Fanzeres December 9, 2025

A 9-point improvement in sales expectations was the biggest contributor to the overall increase in the optimism index, NFIB said. A net 15% of owners anticipate higher sales volumes in the next three months, the largest share since the start of the year.

Link: NFIB Small Business Optimism Index

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the US Declined Again in September

The Conference Board December 9, 2025

“The US LEI fell again in September, marking a second consecutive decline,” said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at The Conference Board. “Weakening expectations from consumers and businesses led the overall contraction in the Index.

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