Global Freight Market Update April 2026 Supply Chain Outlook Crane Worldwide Logistics

Ontario, California, outbound volumes have been trending up the last two weeks, while volumes in Joliet, Illinois, started to recover but have flatlined. Outbound demand in Fort Worth, Texas, is up for the second week in a row, and diesel prices have stopped increasing but show no sign of which direction they will go next. From ocean container flows to intermodal rail movements and truckload tenders, our white paper lays out the impact of the port strike.

Volvo Autonomous Solutions to remove safety drivers in Q1 2027

Port Houston officials say continuous training and early preparation allow the port to restore operations after hurricanes. Regulators for the first time approved a controversial $5 billion project in U.S. waters to produce liquefied natural gas for export. Under https://www.gottifredimaffioli.com/en/about-bio-based-dyneema/ National Registry 2, the physician is now required to upload the results directly to the FMCSA, which then transmits the data to the state. The driver’s career and the carrier’s compliance both depend on a workflow that the physician may not understand exists.

Port of Los Angeles sees April volume jump despite Iran war shadow

Express parcel cost per package came in higher than initially forecast, reaching 8.5% above the January 2018 baseline in Q1. That upward trend is expected to continue in Q2, with the express parcel index projected to reach a record high of 10.3% in Q — up 6.4% YoY. Gulf Coast jet fuel spiked 38% YoY in March, fuel surcharges shot up, too, coming in 46% higher than Q1 levels a year ago. Chemical shipments, which had shown steady improvement on surging industrial activity, gave up some of those gains as volume fell by 1.1% on-year.

Layered Sensing: The Multi-Spectrum Future

Under pressure from the Teamsters, UPS has retrofitted 2,000 package cars with air conditioning and the union says its enforcement campaign is forcing company compliance across many areas of their labor contract. The 9th Annual Modernization of Cross-Border Trade conference highlighted how legal and operational risks are changing freight movement between the U.S. and Mexico. Canada Post announced it plans to transition nearly 500,000 more people to centralized community mailboxes because home delivery https://www.prtice.info/the-ultimate-guide-to-5/ is too expensive. The Small Business in Transportation Coalition has asked a federal court to push for decertification of CDL programs in New York and California. Trade experts at Flexport say July could bring sweeping tariff changes, new compliance requirements and legal battles over U.S. trade policy. As the freight cycle recovers and utilization rises, the industry is confronting a massive accumulation of deferred maintenance from the prolonged freight recession of 2022–2026.

April conditions reflected tightening capacity and rising cost pressure across air, ocean, and U.S. ground markets, with geopolitical disruption and fuel volatility remaining the dominant risk factors. Automated Track Inspection, or ATI, uses lasers, cameras, sensors, and sometimes ground-penetrating radar mounted on regular freight trains or special rail cars. As trains roll along at normal speeds, these systems scan the tracks for defects.

Relay Payments snags its latest partner: Platform Science

The drivers arrived at Global Protection’s warehouse in Lynn, Massachusetts, with the correct shipment numbers and paperwork. Believing they were dealing with the legitimate carrier that had won the load, warehouse employees loaded the freight without suspicion. The release of the CAVRA Standard comes as transportation companies face increasing challenges from cargo theft, fraud, double brokering and litigation involving motor carrier selection. Over the past month, the drivers of freight volumes have continued to be imports and from just about every port.

• Robinson connects 450,000 carriers with 75,000 customers and manages 37 million shipments annually, representing about $23 billion in freight.
• The freight market in Lexington, Kentucky, continues to heat up, as Jacksonville, Florida, cools down.
• The good news on the jobs front is that continuing claims are on the decline, falling to 3.39 million, a drop of 144,000.
• North American rail volume for the week on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 337,700 carloads, up 1.7%, and 379,536 intermodal units, up 9.3% from this past year.
• The freight experts at The UPS Store can build the crate at The UPS Store, pack your item(s) securely inside, and ship it to its destination.
• Dallas-area logistics provider Alan Ritchey Inc. said it will close an Irving transfer center and lay off 232 employees beginning in September, according to a WARN notice filed with state officials.

Get trusted intelligence on global trade, the economy and development in your inbox. By mid-2024, the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) had more than doubled compared to late 2023. According to the latest available data, as of 18 October 2024, the SCFI was down 45% from its 2024 high and 60% below its record level during COVID-19. However, it remained 115% above the pre-pandemic average and more than double the 2023 average. After July, the report predicts a weakening in import volume as consumer uncertainty remains high and the impact of increasing inflation takes its toll.

Port Houston’s hurricane playbook: Safety first, cargo moving fast

• Outbound tender rejection rates in Memphis fell hard to the lowest value since April 2020, while outbound volumes in Philadelphia continue to rise.
• Some fleets are implementing pay raises for drivers early in the truckload market’s recovery.
• Rising truckload rates have seen railroads pick up substantial volume in domestic intermodal.
• A fire chief said they hoped to have Ridgeland Avenue open to traffic for the evening commute, but he says Central Avenue near 107th Street is a different story because the road was damaged there as the train came through.
• According to Findling, the company has reduced its dependence on brokers and is actively building additional direct relationships with carriers to strengthen supply chain security.
• SONAR data for Sept. 12 shows reefer volumes in Memphis are heating up, while the larger reefer market of Milwaukee is seeing a decrease.

Its tonnage growth also accelerated in May on a two-year-stacked comparison, as it is seeing more truckload-rated shipments in the network. ArcBest announced Monday a 5.9% increase to general rates and charges for less-than-truckload services in both of its business units. This year’s general rate increase is a little ahead of the 11-month cadence the company has followed over the past few years.

BidBoardX lets carriers search, bid on, and secure committed freight opportunities through a single digital marketplace. BidBoardX gives certified carriers a single digital interface to search opportunities across multiple categories, submit bids for full or partial volume, and track activity without the traditional manual back-and-forth. McDonough said carriers gain access to opportunities spanning local or short-haul, dedicated freight and the company’s Drop Trailer Plus and 4PL programs. SONAR’s data will help monitor freight market health, inform regulatory enforcement, and supply timely insights to the Department’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology.

Watch: Central Freight Lines’ impact on the LTL market

Those goals are meant to establish a shared framework that would inform how the DOT awards competitive grants and shapes federal regulations affecting freight. Shippers can now use the e-commerce giant’s network to deliver freight to third-party sites, the company announced Wednesday. Global freight flows have entered a period of transformation as the U.S.-led trade war and other policy changes have upended the business landscape for international shipping.

Improved cybersecurity for freight operators is also mentioned in this area. Prosecutors say a group accused of impersonating legitimate trucking carriers diverted millions of dollars in freight before the cargo was allegedly moved, stored and resold. The indictment details six separate theft incidents spanning multiple states.