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Estes to surpass 14,000 doors in 2026
Freight Waves Todd Maiden January 8, 2026
Less-than-truckload carrier Estes Express Lines expanded its door count nearly 9% last year, opening four new terminals, expanding four locations and relocating 12 facilities. The company said Thursday it will have over 14,000 doors by the end of 2026.
U.S. Bank and DAT Freight & Analytics partner up for new quarterly rates-focused research report
Logistics Management Jeff Berman January 8, 2026
Key takeaways of the report’s debut included:
- spot rates rose 3.0% in October and then fell 1.1% to $1.65 per mile in November;
- contract rates were steady in recent months and came in at $2.02 in November;
- spot and contract rates increased less than 1% annually; and
- fuel surcharges were up 7.5% in November, even though national diesel prices fell, which the report said highlights how fuel surcharges do not always track pump prices in real time
Related: Freight Waves U.S. Bank, DAT launch quarterly truck freight rates report
Link: U.S. Bank Q1 2026 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index—Rates Edition (Registration Required for Report)
Inventory drop-off drives down Logistics Manager’s Index
Logistics Management Jeff Berman January 8, 2026
While 2025 may now be behind us, the new edition of the Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI), which was released this week, provides some great perspective on how the year ended up, as well as the factors driving logistics output, at a time when logistics activity remains front and center—a feeling that has become, for better or worse, normalized going back to the early days of the pandemic almost six years ago.
Link: CSCMP December 2025 Logistics Managers’ Index
Top trucking trends to watch in 2026
Trucking Dive David Taube and Larry Avila January , 2026
Meanwhile, ArcBest CEO Seth Runser told Trucking Dive that although customers have expressed uncertainty with the market, there could be less volatility, thereby helping demand, as the industry moves through 2026.
But his business is taking an active role in responding to the freight environment.
“We’re not going to sit and wait for a market turn,” he said.
2026 AV bill a game changer for heavy trucking
Freight Waves John Gallagher January 8, 2026
U.S. Reps. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., released this week a discussion draft of a new bill, “Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution (SELF DRIVE) Act” of 2026, the first federal statute – if enacted – aimed at advancing AV safety.
The bipartisan bill moves to dismantle regulatory roadblocks that have kept autonomous freight in a perpetual “testing” phase by allowing limited commercial operations while trucks are evaluated during their pilot stage.
Related: Robotics and Automation News Autonomous trucking: The race to revolutionize freight transport
Uncertainty Still Weighing on Class 8 Sales, McKinsey Says
Transport Topics Mindy Long January 8, 2026
McKinsey expects to see a 10% to 25% year-over-year decrease through the first half of 2026. Rittstieg said right now, fleets only buy new trucks when they have to, adding there is hope that will happen at scale during the second half of this year.
DOT threatens to revoke North Carolina’s CDL authority
Freight Waves John Gallagher January 8, 2026
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy delivered an ultimatum to North Carolina on Thursday following an audit revealing that over half of the commercial trucking licenses issued by the state to foreign drivers were granted illegally.
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