Supply Chain Intelligence Brief

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TRUCKING

Knight-Swift CEO Miller details company’s focused approach to building out its national LTL network at SMC³ Jump Start

Logistics Management Jeff Berman January 28, 2026

As for how Knight-Swift plans to move forward on its goal of developing a national LTL network, Miller stated that the company has grown its LTL operations very rapidly in recent years, and is now taking a “breather” as it develops some density in the terminal network it currently has—which will be a focus throughout this year.

Looking ahead, he said that the hope is to see that demand fill in and also look at what will be the right approach to expand its reach into the Northeast.

Knight-Swift CEO Sees Enforcement Rebalancing Freight Market

Transport Topics Seth Clevenger January 28, 2026

Miller shared his perspectives on industry conditions and outlined Knight-Swift’s business initiatives during a Jan. 26 session at SMC³’s Jump Start 2026 conference.

He resisted calling an inflection point in the freight market but expressed cautious optimism.

“It does seem like the worst is behind us,” Miller said. “We may be in a better position here in the near term, particularly on how capacity has come out of the network most recently.”

Knight-Swift CEO notes organic market growth appeal in LTL

Trucking Dive David Taube January 28, 2026

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings’ LTL portfolio might get its national in-house footprint by acquisition or organic growth, CEO Adam Miller said at a supply chain conference, but his comments suggested that the latter might be more likely.

Werner Boosts Dedicated Unit With FirstFleet Acquisition

Transport Topics Keiron Greenhalgh January 28, 2026

The company said the deal would raise its dedicated revenue by about 50% and increase its share of “more resilient” market segments, such as groceries, baked goods and corrugated packaging.

Link: Werner Press Release Werner Acquires FirstFleet, Inc., Expanding Dedicated Market Leadership

UPS Says Pullback From Amazon Is Leading To Cost Savings

Supply Chain 24/7 January 28, 2026

“We intend to glide down another million pieces per day of Amazon volume,” Dykes said, adding that UPS plans further reductions in labor hours, operational positions, and facilities in 2026, while continuing to deploy automation across the network. “We are targeting $3 billion in savings related to the Amazon glide down.”

Schneider announces leadership transition

Freight Waves January 28, 2026

“Schneider’s strength has always been its ability to adapt and lead in a constantly changing environment, and I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” Rourke stated in the announcement. “Jim is absolutely the right person to lead Schneider moving forward. He is a proven leader who understands our business and our customers, and I am confident he will build on our momentum and lead Schneider into an even stronger future.”

SHIPPERS / 3PLs

Home Depot Cuts Jobs and Orders Staff Back to Office

Transport Topics/Bloomberg News Jaewon Kong January 28, 2026

The company is eliminating roles associated with its store support center and mandating a five-day in-office schedule for corporate workers, a spokesman confirmed to Bloomberg News. The goal is to drive “greater agility” and help the retailer move faster, the company spokesman said.

Related: Retail Dive Home Depot cuts 800 jobs

Amazon cuts 16K jobs citing ongoing culture shift

CIO Dive Roberto Torres January 28, 2026

Amazon has been pursuing a cultural shift since 2024, after CEO Andy Jassy declared the need for a flatter organization and faster decision-making. The effort has led to 30,000 job cuts, or close to 10% of Amazon’s roughly 350,000 corporate workers.

Business groups back freight brokers in Supreme Court trucking liability fight

Freight Waves Matthew Leffler January 28, 2026

In a big Supreme Court showdown over trucking accidents, major business groups have filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting freight brokers.

INDUSTRY

US rail networks recovering after weekend snowstorm, but delays persist

Journal of Commerce Ari Ashe January 28, 2026 $Subscription Based

US Class I railroads on Wednesday remained in recovery mode after severe winter weather impacted a large swath of the country over the weekend, with shippers seeing delays as trains operate at slower speeds as a safety precaution.

Changes in US trade policy hitting UPS’ supply chain business

Journal of Commerce Michael Angell January 28, 2026 $Subscription Based

UPS reported Monday that its supply chain business saw fourth-quarter revenue decline 12.7% to $2.7 billion, largely due to the impact of lower rates in its air and ocean forwarding business. The segment was also hit with lower volumes for delivering parcel shipments to the US Postal Service.

Seroka Maps Port of Los Angeles’ Bigger, Smarter Future

Transport Topics Connor D. Wolf  January 28, 2026

“There’s a lot of change in our world right now,” Seroka said. “The global trade map is being redrawn. Shifting trade policies are creating uncertainty and volatility, and the maritime supply chain is at the center of it all. But here’s what hasn’t changed: Cargo remains the lifeblood of the U.S. economy.

TECHNOLOGY

We’re Planning for the Wrong AI Job Disruption

The Wall Street Journal Opinion Stephen Lewarne January 28, 2026 $Subscription Based

But the distinction between task repricing—when technology can take over all or part of a task—and job destruction isn’t semantic, it is economic. When technology lowers the cost of performing specific tasks by lifting some of the load, firms reorganize production. Workers specialize differently. Demand expands in ways that task-based rankings don’t capture.

Teaching employees to use AI could add up to $6.6T to US economy

CIO Dive Lara Ewen January 28, 2026

Augmenting jobs with AI and upskilling employees, instead of replacing workers, could add between $4.8 trillion and $6.6 trillion to the U.S. economy by 2034, roughly 15% of current U.S. GDP at the lower range, according to new research released Jan. 19 from education company Pearson.

Link: Pearson Mind The Learning Gap The Missing Link In AI’s Productivity Promise

SUSTAINABILITY / SAFETY / SECURITY

California ‘smog check’ rule ‘discriminates’ against out-of-state truckers: EPA

CCJ Matt Cole January 28, 2026

CARB, however, said it will continue to enforce the regulation in full at the state level, calling the EPA’s announcement a "whole lot of bluster about bean counting,” said CARB Director of Communications Lindsay Buckley. EPA responded to CARB’s comments noting that without EPA’s approval, the "regulation cannot be enforced outside California’s borders".

US Gained 11,300 Ultrafast Chargers in 2025

Transport Topics/Bloomberg News Kyle Stock January 28, 2026

The time it takes to fuel an electric vehicle, long a stumbling block to EV adoption, is shrinking in the U.S., as more capable cars and trucks plug into a rash of new, high-speed charging machines.

Link: Paren State of the Industry Report: U.S. EV Fast Charging

Trump administration must release EV charger funds, court rules

Utility Dive Diana DiGangi January 27, 2026

The program covers up to 80% of the cost for eligible projects. To qualify, charging stations must have at least four ports that can simultaneously deliver up to 150 kW. It also requires that each AC Level 2 port be capable of providing at least 6 kW per port simultaneously across all AC ports, “with an option to allow the customer to consent to accept a lower power level to allow power sharing or to participate in smart charge management programs.”

6 Regulatory Changes for Trucking to Watch in 2026

Heavy Duty Trucking Deborah Lockridge January 28, 2026

After a year of what safety and compliance expert Brandon Wiseman calls “regulatory turbulence,” what should trucking companies be keeping an eye on in 2026 when it comes to federal safety regulations?

Heavy Duty Trucking recently spoke to Wiseman, a transportation attorney and president of TruckSafe Consulting, about trends to watch from federal safety regulators.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

U.S. Companies Are Still Slashing Jobs to Reverse Pandemic Hiring Boom

The Wall Street Journal Konrad Putzier and Chip Cutter January 28, 2026 $Subscription Based

For the moment at least, the layoff story is centered on bloat. The sectors that recorded some of the top hiring surges in 2020 and 2021—tech and logistics—are now seeing the most layoffs.

Can Customers Find Your Brand? Marketing Strategies for AI-Driven Search

MIT Sloan Management Review Michael Pettiette and Kimberly A. Whitler January 28, 2026 $Subscription Based

Traditional search marketing strategies need a refresh as AI platforms transform how consumers search online. Even market-leading brands risk becoming invisible if they stick with familiar SEO practices. Today, zero-click searches offer fewer consumer touch points, and AI algorithms prioritize results differently than traditional search engines. Companies can adapt by applying the Information Search Marketing framework and reconsidering how they prioritize and allocate resources.

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