Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

Transportation capacity index hits 4-year low in December

Freight Waves Todd Maiden January 6, 2026

Transportation capacity plummeted in December while rates continued to rise, according to a monthly survey of supply chain managers. The drop in available capacity appears more pronounced than in prior holiday shopping seasons.

The Tuesday report acknowledged the impact English-language crackdowns have had, but said “the proliferation of holiday season deliveries” likely had a larger impact on capacity in December.

Link: CSCMP December 2025 Logistics Managers’ Index

Amazon, Aumovio Team Up to Boost Autonomous Truck Deployment

Transport Topics Seth Clevenger January 6, 2026

Automotive technology supplier Aumovio has partnered with cloud computing giant Amazon Web Services to speed up the deployment of autonomous vehicles, starting with Aurora Innovation’s fleet of self-driving commercial trucks.

Link: AUMOVIO Press Release AUMOVIO and AWS join forces to transform autonomous driving development

McKinsey at CES: 2026 Begins with More Economic Pain Up Front

Heavy Duty Trucking Jack Roberts January 7, 2026

McKinsey & Company partner Moritz Rittstieg ‘s view of the U.S. truck market this year is blunt: 2025 was “extremely challenging,” he said. And he is projecting 2026 to start out “equally challenging.”

However, Rittsteig and fellow McKinsey partner Tobias Schneiderbauer were cautiously optimistic that the economic conditions in trucking could improve toward the back half of the year.

Standard Forwarding Freight Suspends Operations

Transport Topics Keiron Greenhalgh January 6, 2026

Formed in 1934, Standard Forwarding had around 375 employees, 300 tractors and 600 trailers at the time of the takeover. The carrier served customers in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. It focused on next-day and second-day freight services.

Link: Standard Forwarding Freight Press Release Standard Forwarding Freight Announces Suspension of Operations Following Strategic Review

Preliminary Class 8 Net Orders for December

ACT Research January 5, 2026

“After spending most of 2025 in the doldrums, amid stagnant freight rates and beset by policy and regulatory uncertainty, new vehicle demand jolted awake in December,” shared Carter Vieth, Research Analyst at ACT Research. “A firmer economic foundation, increasingly aged fleets, and the certainty of higher costs and new technologies in 2027 were the impetus, in our opinion, for the sudden change of heart.

Autonomous trucking faces growing product liability risks

Freight Waves Thomas Wasson January 7, 2026

Autonomous trucking technology is advancing rapidly. As with any emerging technology, questions arise when it fails or underperforms. A key challenge for the autonomous vehicle community is that technological development is outpacing legal frameworks, creating potential complications.

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

How is C.H. Robinson using AI? Its CFO has a story to tell

Freight Waves John Kingston January 6, 2026

There are two numbers that might help define the impact of AI at 3PL giant C.H. Robinson.

One of them is 55.3%. That’s the growth in the company’s stock price during 2025. There are no other logistics companies that had a record like that in the recently-completed year. Every analyst would say AI is a key part of that surge.

The second is 30. That’s the number of actual agentic AI tools in use at C.H. Robinson.

Echo Global Logistics introduces new U.S.-Mexico cross-border customs brokerage service

Logistics Management Jeff Berman January 6, 2026

Chicago-based third-party logistics and technology-enabled transportation services provider Echo Global Logistics announced earlier today it has rolled out a new offering focused on what it called “seamless” United States and Mexico customs brokerage services.

Link: Echo Global Press Release Echo Global Logistics Announces EchoXBorder: Expanded Cross-Border Solutions for U.S. and Mexico

Amazon expands rural delivery with Oklahoma last-mile station

Supply Chain Dive Kelly Stroh January 6, 2026

Earlier this year, Amazon announced plans to invest $4 billion into its U.S. rural delivery network by 2026. The investment aims to drive faster shipping times in less populated areas covered by delivery stations that prepare packages for the last-mile journey. By the end of next year, the e-commerce giant plans to have tripled the footprint of its rural delivery network.

INDUSTRY

eShipping lands new private equity owner

Freight Waves Todd Maiden January 6, 2026

“Greenbriar brings a deep understanding of the managed transportation sector and a proven track record of scaling platforms like ours,” said Chad Earwood, founder and CEO at eShipping, in a Tuesday news release. “Their investment will enable us to continue enhancing our technology and expanding our product capabilities while maintaining our focus on delivering exceptional service to our customers.”

Link: Greenbriar Press Release Greenbriar Equity Group Announces Acquisition of eShipping

National diesel average falls for seventh consecutive week, reports EIA

Logistics Management Jeff Berman January 6, 2026

Falling 2.3 cents, the national average, for the week of January 5, came in at $3.477, following a 4.4-cent decline, to $3.500, for the week of December 29

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)

Diesel Prices to Decrease in 2026, Analysts Say

Transport Topics Keiron Greenhalgh January 6, 2026

Fleet managers can expect U.S. diesel prices to fall slightly in 2026, according to federal government statisticians and analysts, even after a steep decline in December.

However, uncertainty surrounding geopolitical hot spots that are sources of either crude oil or petroleum product exports is again likely to provide a floor for wholesale and retail diesel prices in the United States.

Stord acquires Shipwire to expand global fulfillment network and accelerate AI supply chain strategy

Logistics Management Jeff Berman January 6, 2026

Earlier this week, Atlanta-based Stord, a provider of cloud-based, end-to-end supply chain services for e-commerce and omnichannel brands, announced it has completed its acquisition of CEVA Logistics subsidiary, Shipwire, a 3PL and fulfillment platform services for e-commerce shippers and retailers.

Link: Stord Press Release Stord Acquires Shipwire from CEVA Logistics Extending Nationwide and Global Coverage

Soft volumes to keep West Coast ports congestion-free in early 2026

Journal of Commerce Bill Mongelluzzo January 6, 2026 $Subscription Based

Container gateways on the US West Coast in 2025 were able to hold onto market share gained in 2024 as importers frontloading seasonal merchandise from Asia due to tariff uncertainties took advantage of transit times that are at least two weeks shorter than East Coast routings. West Coast gateways remained relatively free from congestion throughout the year, and those conditions are likely to continue given the weak import volumes forecast for the first quarter of 2026.

The $160,000 Mechanic Job That Ford Can’t Fill

The Wall Street Journal Christopher Otts January 6, 2026 $Subscription Based

The automotive industry faces a significant mechanic shortage, with Ford CEO Jim Farley noting 5,000 open jobs at Ford dealerships.

TECHNOLOGY

Five Trends in AI and Data Science for 2026

MIT Sloan Management Review Thomas H. Davenport and Randy Bean January 6, 2026

MIT SMR columnists Thomas H. Davenport and Randy Bean see five AI trends to pay attention to in 2026: deflation of the AI bubble and subsequent hits to the economy; growth of the “factory” infrastructure for all-in AI adapters; greater focus on generative AI as an organizational resource rather than an individual one; continued progression toward value from agentic AI, despite the hype; and ongoing questions around who should manage data and AI.

Mobileye to Acquire Humanoid Robot Maker Mentee for $900M

Transport Topics/Bloomberg News Marissa Newman January 6, 2026

Carmakers are increasingly experimenting with making general-purpose humanoid robots. That includes Tesla Inc.’s Optimus and Hyundai Motor Co.’s acquisition of robot company Boston Dynamics, as well as a major push into the sector by Chinese automotive companies.

How Google Got Its Groove Back and Edged Ahead of OpenAI

The Wall Street Journal Katherine Blunt January 6, 2026 $Subscription Based

Google’s deep roots in science and research, willingness to pour billions of dollars into developing custom hardware, and leadership changes in recent years that cleared the way for faster experimentation are now paying off. It also has managed to protect its all-important search business—at least for now—from the surging popularity of chatbots, which are changing how consumers use the internet.

From S&OP to explainable AI: A Q&A with a supply chain planning expert

Supply Chain Management Review January 6, 2026

Traditional S&OP is breaking under complexity. Siloed data, political friction, and manual information handoffs make legacy planning models too slow and fragile for today’s tariff-driven and disruption-prone supply chains.
AI’s real value is explainability, not automation. The biggest breakthrough is not faster calculations, but the ability to understand the “why” behind numbers and translate changes into business impact across functions.

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

$126M incentive program for zero-emission trucks nears launch in Washington

Oregon Public Broadcasting Jake Goldstein-Street January 6, 2026

Washington is close to opening a new incentive program for commercial fleet operators to transition trucks and other vehicles to models that run on electric or hydrogen power.

Industry groups and climate advocates anxiously await the $126 million initiative.

$9,500 tariff on a new truck? 2027 emissions regs pre-buy in question

Overdrive Alex Lockie January 6, 2026

Owner-operator Joe Bielucki recently looked into how much it would cost to replace his 2023 International HX before the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2027 emissions regs spike prices.

One line in the quote the cautious, experienced owner-op got back from a trusted dealer gave him a little bit of a sticker shock: a $9,500 tariff line-item fee on the truck.

Northeast Freight Corridor Charging Plan

RMI Lynn Daniels et al. January 6, 2026

Medium- and heavy-duty trucks are the backbone of regional and national economies. As electric truck adoption accelerates, providing reliable and accessible corridor-based public fast charging will be essential.

Link: RMI Northeast Freight Corridor Charging Plan Roadmap Report