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It’s just a single report and the words of one person quoted in it, but an outlook by TD Cowen on what broker insurance might do in the wake of the Montgomery decision is sobering.

In a report from the transportation team at TD Cowen led by managing director Jason Seidl, based on a phone call with an unidentified “trucking insurance agency executive,” TD Cowen said what it has heard so so far on the looming rise in insurance premiums for brokers due to Montgomery fallout has been enough that “commentary from our call keeps us negative on the brokers.”

That negative outlook at TD Cowen is for three companies, TD Cowen said: RXO (NYSE: RXO), C.H. Robinson (NASDAQ: CHRW) and Landstar (NASDAQ: LSTR). 

The Montgomery decision from May removed liability and negligence protection for brokers that had been provided by several court decisions involving an interpretation of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (F4A).

Tripling of premiums

TD Cowen said an unidentified “top 10” freight broker recently saw a tripling of its liability insurance that was recently renewed. 

Overall, TD Cowen said, “we estimate that large brokers currently have (approximate) mid-teens rate and mid-20’s rate (increases)…that imply material premium inflation.”

TD Cowen’s guest commentator said there was likely to be “sizeable inflation” in insurance premiums.

And it’s not as if the brokers can easily turn to competitors for a cheaper quote. “There are only ~10 underwriters involved in broker auto liability that will likely decrease over time,” TD Cowen said, with the likelihood that will decline to eight in the future.

That group of ten insurers already has shrunk, the report said: “exits have already begun with two observed recently.”

The specifics on a recent increase in premiums, TD Cowen said, is that “a large broker which the agent secured coverage for saw premium costs increase from $3 million to $10 million in their excess coverage layer above the $15 million primary layers.”

Up and down post big decisions

What constitutes a level of acceptable coverage beyond the “primary layer” both after the Montgomery Supreme Court decision and the $600 million nuclear verdict against C.H. Robinson in the case of Lipe vs. Lupus Superior has thrown the insurance market into volatility just in the last three to four months, Seidl said.

The insurance executive interviewed by Seidl said post-Montgomery, which came down May 14, “everything went ballistic,” Seidl said. But insurance rates after that first surge fell, according to the insurance executive, “then post the Lipe case (which produced its nuclear verdict in late July), everything started going haywire again.”

Seidl said in an interview with FreightWaves that the view of the insurance executive is that sort of volatility “is a clear sign that the insurers aren’t yet comfortable with the amount of liability they’re taking on, because they’re trying to assess it themselves and it’s quickly developing. So it matters when you renew.”

Nobody’s rushing to take their place. “Appetite to reinsure this group of carriers has also diminished with some recent exits,” the report said. “Underwriters are still in early stages of pricing and could see more inflation ahead as they analyze loss rates and risk.”

Brokerage universe to shrink?

The guest executive added his voice to a growing view that Montgomery, and the list of higher costs that will come with it in insurance and vetting, will combine to reduce the number of 3PLs operating in the market. 

“Our panelist believes that over time we should expect industry consolidation among

freight brokers,” the TD Cowen report said. “With roughly 22K brokers in the industry, the top 100 control 84%; smaller carriers will likely face unsustainable insurance headwinds in the coming years.”

Shippers are going to look closer at their carriers or the brokers that hire them, the insurance executive said, according to TD Cowen, even though recent attempts to drag shippers into negligence cases have fallen short. 

The end result, the TD Cowen report said, is that “small brokers will face increased scrutiny from their shipper base, impacting their top line, and insurance headwinds (and the lost ability to cut corners) should pressure margins.”

C.H. Robinson and RXO more assuring

The somewhat apocalyptic tone of the TD Cowen report, and the statements of the guest commentator from the insurance industry, stand in stark contrast to comments made by C.H. Robinson CEO David Bozeman at a recent investors’ conference hosted by Deutsche Bank.

According to a transcript of his remarks, Bozeman said insurance “on a gross revenue basis is a very immaterial number for us.”

That doesn’t mean the company expects their insurance costs to hold steady, Bozeman said. “We do not believe this inflation is going to drive it to a material number for us going forward,” Bozeman said. “And whatever that inflation is, we’ll offset that and continue to deliver the results that we’ve been delivering.”

But more broadly, Bozeman said the higher costs faced by brokers will eventually blend into the landscape.

“Ultimately, that cost will become part of the freight rate environment,” he said. “It will become part of every load we quote, and it will become part of the shippers’ cost, and it will be passed on to consumers. So we do not see a scenario where higher insurance cost is just a burden that we will absorb 100%. Ultimately, like every other inflation, the consumer will ultimately pay the cost.”

The advantage of a larger 3PL in securing insurance rate increases that will be less than smaller competitors was also alluded to at that Deutsche Bank conference by Jared Weisfeld, the chief strategy officer at RXO. 

“Given what we’ve seen over the last couple of years because of…the (RXO) safety record, the processes, the compliance, we’ve outperformed significantly over the last few years, and our expectation is that heading into 2027, we will outperform again,” he said about potential rate increases.

Weisfeld echoed Bozeman in discussing who will pay the ultimate cost. “Costs  will get passed along to shippers and then eventually the end consumer, where ultimately, if the cost of doing business goes higher, we need to still earn a fair margin,” he said. 

Seidl said in his interview that it might not be that easy for a broker looking to add to their coverage first absorb and then pass on the cost.

“A lot of brokers are trying to go above $50 million now because other than the really large brokers, you didn’t have a lot of guys insured for over $100 million,” Seidl said. “I think some of them are going to want to do that, but they’re going to find that insurance a hell of a lot more expensive.”

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Long wrote that roughly half of the load would go to Atlanta. The remaining marijuana would travel to Orlando, Florida. Georgia permits marijuana only through limited medical provisions. Florida allows medical marijuana, while California permits adult recreational use.

Sheriff warns of interstate illicit trade

Long framed the seizure as evidence that state legalization cannot end illicit marijuana sales. “But here is the reality: the black market isn’t going away,” he wrote. “The illegal marijuana trade does not stop at the state line,” Long added. His statement warned Georgia lawmakers against treating legalization as a complete solution.

The release described Mexican drug-trafficking organizations and other criminal groups as major interstate suppliers. Long argued that their operations continue despite legal cannabis markets. His statement did not connect this particular load to any named cartel. Officials have not announced a connection to a specific organization.

Long wrote that legal businesses face taxes, licensing fees, testing requirements and regulatory costs. He argued that criminal organizations avoid those expenses. That difference, he wrote, lets illegal sellers undercut licensed competitors. He also warned that high entry costs can give organized crime another advantage.

Long compared the issue to Prohibition. He argued that government cannot legislate away demand or the black market. His statement cited unsuccessful Colorado efforts to repeal personal-use provisions after legalization. It also referenced California’s repeated tax and regulatory changes.

Long urges lawmakers to study other states

The sheriff urged Georgia lawmakers to study those states before changing their own laws. “That should be a warning to Georgia,” Long wrote. He criticized discussions in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Long also questioned whether marijuana lobbyists influence some lawmakers.

Long wrote that his statement did not settle the legalization debate. Instead, he urged legislators to create a smarter approach before any broader change. He predicted Georgia would spend years revising poorly written legislation after legalization. “Georgia, let’s get it right the first time,” Long wrote.

DEA Atlanta directed FreightWaves to the Butts County Sheriff’s Office for case questions. The agency offered no additional details. Long’s release does not identify a person or business connected to the shipment. It also does not announce arrests or charges.

Why It Matters

Cargo theft is not the only threat moving through freight networks. Drug traffickers can exploit the same routes, trailers and handoffs that legitimate shippers use every day. That makes freight visibility and clear communication between every party handling a shipment critical when something does not match expectations.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

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“This investment will improve reliability, increase efficiency, and extend locomotive life, helping us deliver safe, dependable service for customers,” NS (NYSE: NSC) Chief Operating Officer Brian Barr said in a release. “Together with Wabtec (NYSE: WAB), we’re continuing to invest in technologies that improve fleet performance and maximize the value of existing assets.”

Along with the conversion to AC traction, the project will also include upgraded control systems and advanced digital technology. The companies say the upgraded locomotives will deliver higher productivity with lower lifecycle maintenance requirements. Among the digital features will be enhanced locomotive diagnostics and maintenance planning.

“This new modernization program underscores the strength of our longstanding partnership with Norfolk Southern and our shared focus on delivering operational value,” said Sameer Gaur, president of Wabtec’s Freight Services. “By combining innovative technology, engineering excellence, and deep service expertise, we’re helping our customers maximize the value of their assets while positioning their fleet for the future.”

Railroads convert older DC-traction locomotives to AC traction mainly because AC propulsion delivers substantially better low-speed pulling power, adhesion, reliability, and lifecycle economics, without buying an entirely new locomotive.

The work will be performed at Wabtec’s facilities in Fort Worth, Texas, and Erie, Pa. The first of the locomotives was shipped to NS this month; the program will continue through 2027.

Norfolk Southern was the launch customer for the ES44DC in 2004. Since 2015, the railroad and manufacturer have collaborated on more than 1,000 DC-to-AC locomotive conversions.

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At approximately 13.1 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) against an operating fleet of about 33.8 million TEUs, that’s an orderbook-to-fleet ratio of roughly 38.7%, meaning that vessels on order represent nearly two-fifths of the existing fleet’s capacity.
That calculates to global fleet growth this year of about 4.2%, against expected container-trade growth of roughly 3-4%. Contracts in the second quarter alone for 164 vessels totaled approximately 866,000 TEUs.

The orderbook is heavily skewed toward large mainline vessels rather than feeders and smaller regional ships.

Global Ship Lease of Athens, using Maritime Strategies International data as of June 30, estimated the orderbook-to-fleet ratio at 39.1% of the overall operating fleet, with more than half, or 55.2%, for ships 10,000 TEUs and larger, and 24.7% for smaller vessels.

That puts the industry’s greatest exposure in the large ships used on Asia-Europe, trans-Pacific and other arterial trades.

The feeder and intermediate sectors have a more favorable supply picture. Q2 ordering was active in the 1,000–2,000 TEU range, or 31.5% of the vessels ordered in the quarter, but that still does not create the same fleet-growth risk as the large-ship pipeline because the existing small- and medium-sized fleet is older and has experienced relatively little replacement.

Global Ship Lease estimates that the median age of the oldest 25% of vessels in several sub-10,000-TEU segments is between 21 and 28 years. It calculates that, if vessels older than 25 years were scrapped, the implied net growth of the sub-10,000-TEU fleet through 2030 would be only about 0.7%.

Charter markets for modern feeders and intermediate vessels remain relatively firm. MPC similarly describes modern feeder tonnage as scarce, with ordering concentrated in larger vessel classes and the existing fleet aging.

Supply growth may exceed demand

Vessel supply is likely to grow faster than container demand once the orderbook delivers. Current estimates suggest:

• Container trade growth in 2026: Approximately 3%–4%
• Full-year fleet growth: approximately 4.2%
• Potentially stronger supply growth in 2027–2029 as deliveries accelerate.

While those numbers may prompt fears of weaker rates, capacity is affected by slow steaming, port congestion, vessel idling, blank sailings, network changes and geopolitical diversions. The continuing avoidance of the Red Sea, for example, has absorbed more than 2 million TEUs per year since 2023 ships by adding miles and voyage days. The MPC report estimates that a return to the Suez route could release an effective-capacity increase equivalent to roughly 12% more TEU-miles.

A number of carriers this year have redeployed scheduled rotations to the route despite renewed violence against merchant shipping by Houthi rebels based in Yemen.

Fuel and shipyard trends

China continues to dominate containership newbuilding activity. In Q2 2026, Chinese yards secured most of the new contracts, while South Korean yards obtained only 10 orders, said MPC.

The alternative-fuel picture is less straightforward than it first appears. One recent industry estimate places alternative-fuel ships at approximately 65% of the existing containership orderbook by TEU capacity. However, Clarksons data cited by MPC indicates that most of the new orders placed during Q2 itself were conventionally fueled, with relatively few vessels propelled by liquefied natural gas.

The broad trend is that the existing orderbook contains a substantial number of LNG-, methanol- or otherwise alternative-fuel-capable vessels, but ordering momentum in 2026 has become more cautious as owners weigh fuel availability, regulation and technology uncertainty.

Who ordered the ships?

The orderbook is being driven mainly by the liner companies and their affiliated or associated tonnage providers:

• Large carriers are ordering vessels to defend or expand market share
• Independent owners are ordering ships for long-term charters to major liners
• Some orders are effectively fleet-renewal programs rather than purely speculative additions

Global Ship Lease, for example, ordered 15 mid-sized vessels with charters attached, scheduled for delivery from late 2028 through early 2030. The company characterizes these ships as fleet-renewal investments aimed at aging mid-sized tonnage rather than simple exposure to the large-vessel cycle.

The orderbook is likely to pressure freight markets after disruptions normalize, the reports say, although carrier consolidation and network rationalization will matter. Carriers may absorb excess capacity through slow steaming, service withdrawals, blank sailings and redeployment into north–south or regional trades.

Ports will see continuing vessel-size pressure. Even if total trade grows slowly, the new fleet will increase calls by large vessels, peak crane demand, berth requirements, yard pressure and the need for deeper inland networks. The orderbook favors major maritime hubs able to handle 14,000–24,000-TEU vessels efficiently, while smaller regional ports may benefit more from the relatively tighter feeder market.

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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The port’s July container volume compared with 392,829 TEUs during the same month in 2025.

Despite the monthly decline, container activity remained slightly ahead of last year’s pace through the first seven months of 2026. Port Houston handled nearly 2.6 million TEUs from January through July, up 1% from 2.56 million TEUs during the same period in 2025.

Port officials said overall container growth has moderated following stronger activity associated with frontloading earlier in the year.

Loaded imports totaled 181,808 TEUs in July, down 3% year over year from 187,367 TEUs. Loaded exports declined 6% to 124,814 TEUs from 133,137 TEUs.

For the year to date, however, loaded imports remained a source of growth, rising 5% to 1.21 million TEUs. Loaded exports totaled 925,781 TEUs through July, down 1% from the same period last year.

East Asia continued to drive import growth at Port Houston, with loaded container imports from the region increasing 10% year to date and representing 57% of total import volume. 

Port officials said apparel, resins and plastics, machinery and electronics helped drive the increase, according to a news release.

Total revenue tonnage at Port Houston’s public facilities reached 4.57 million tons in July, down 12% from 5.19 million tons a year earlier. Through July, the port handled 32.81 million tons, essentially flat compared with 32.65 million tons during the first seven months of 2025.

General cargo was one of the strongest areas during the month. Port Houston handled 104,048 tons of general cargo in July, a 42% increase from 73,290 tons a year earlier. Year-to-date general cargo reached 796,982 tons, up 35% from 590,555 tons in 2025.

Steel continued to move in the opposite direction. Steel tonnage fell 37% year over year in July to 357,625 tons, while steel imports declined 36% to 331,271 tons. Through July, total steel tonnage was down 18% to 2.34 million tons.

Other bulk categories showed stronger year-to-date results. Dry bulk tonnage totaled 3.56 million tons through July, up 1%, while liquid bulk increased 13% to 1.89 million tons. Total container tonnage rose 1% to 24.22 million tons.

Vessel activity also increased. Port Houston recorded 710 vessel calls in July, up 4% from 684 during July 2025. Through the first seven months of the year, vessel calls totaled 5,054, a 7% increase from 4,723 a year earlier.

Across the broader Houston Ship Channel, deep-draft transits increased 3% year over year in July to 1,523, while barge transits jumped 11% to 19,552. Through July, deep-draft traffic was up 7% and barge traffic increased 6%.

“Our region remains resilient through evolving global trade conditions. Vessel activity in the nation’s busiest waterway is up, and we continue to see steady cargo movement that helps power industries like energy, manufacturing and retail, crucial to our national economy,” Port Houston CEO Charlie Jenkins said in a statement.

The latest cargo figures come as a new economic impact study underscores the Houston Ship Channel’s role in the national economy.

Marine cargo activity through the public and private facilities along the Houston Ship Channel supported $986.9 billion in annual U.S. economic value and nearly 3.53 million jobs in 2025, according to a study by Martin Associates released Tuesday.

In Texas, activity supported $537.7 billion in annual economic value, equivalent to 18.5% of the state’s gross domestic product, along with approximately 1.89 million jobs and $15.6 billion in state and local tax revenue.

The study found the economic value supported by Houston-area maritime activity increased $98.4 billion between 2022 and 2025. Nationwide economic value increased 9% over that period, while the number of jobs supported nationally increased 5%.

The broader Houston Ship Channel region has also recorded strong trade tonnage this year. Through June, total trade tonnage increased 16% year over year to 135.05 million tons, driven by a 22% increase in exports to 109.5 million tons. Imports declined 4% to 25.55 million tons.

Why it matters: Port Houston’s July slowdown shows the effects of earlier import frontloading beginning to fade, but rising year-to-date container imports, vessel activity and general cargo volumes indicate freight demand through the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage remains resilient.

The post Port Houston container volumes fall 6% in July as import surge cools  appeared first on FreightWaves.

Financial terms of the transaction were not provided, according to a news release issued by Calder Capital, which represented Behnke Logistics in the deal.

Piedmont, South Carolina-based AG Freight offers full truckload, less-than-truckload, expedited and drayage transportation.

“AG Freight gives us a real foothold in the Southeast,” said Behnke Logistics CEO Ben Behnke. “We’ve been a Midwest operation for four generations, and the Greenville market — with its manufacturing base and the inland port — is a natural extension of what we already do well.”

Battle Creek, Michigan-based Behnke Logistics provides dedicated and over-the-road TL transportation across the Midwest with a fleet of more than 50 power units. It also offers warehousing and distribution services.

Viking Mergers and Acquisitions represented AG Freight in the transaction.

Why it matters? The deal highlights the ongoing trend of regional carriers expanding their geographic footprint through strategic acquisitions. It demonstrates how a regional player like Behnke Logistics can gain a crucial outpost in a key logistics hub like Inland Port Greer without starting from scratch.

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Canada Border Services Agency officers referred the truck for secondary examination at the port of entry. During that review, officers detected and seized the suspected narcotics. CBSA arrested the driver after the discovery. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police then took over the criminal investigation.

Charges follow secondary examination

The RCMP charged the individual with importing a controlled substance. Investigators also brought a possession-for-trafficking charge. Both counts fall under Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The government noted that the court must validate those charges.

Officials did not identify the driver in the joint CBSA and RCMP release. They also did not name a carrier or disclose tractor ownership. The announcement omitted the declared cargo, shipment origin and destination. Authorities also withheld details about the concealment method.

Michael Prosia leads CBSA’s Southern Ontario Region as regional director general. He called the Blue Water Bridge seizure a demonstration of officer expertise. “Every day, they are working with law enforcement partners to secure Canada’s border and prevent harm in our communities.” Superintendent Dale Foote leads Border Integrity for RCMP Federal Policing’s Central Region.

More than 4,500 kilograms seized last fiscal year

CBSA reported more than 4,500 kilograms of cocaine and crack seizures during fiscal 2025-26. That figure includes coca leaves, coca paste and cocaine products. The agency also highlighted a July announcement involving nearly 1.7 tonnes of illegal drugs in Southern Ontario. That case ranked among Ontario’s largest drug busts by weight.

The government release does not identify where the truck began its trip. It also does not establish whether a trucking company faced scrutiny. No court file, carrier records or further operational details appeared with the announcement. FreightWaves reached out for comment before publication.

Why it matters

Commercial freight moves through busy border crossings every day. This seizure shows why border screening remains a critical layer in cross-border supply-chain security.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

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Truck Parking Club sells that solution as Fleet Parking, targeting 5 or more spaces for trucks, trailers or combinations depending on fleet needs.

“Hey, instead of having to drive two hours to the truck whenever you go home, I’ll just book a spot five minutes from your house and your commute’s five minutes,” said Reed Loustalot, CMO of Truck Parking Club, in an interview with FreightWaves, recounting what the operator told a new hire. “So it’s a modest investment for a huge headache gone.”

To help fuel that fleet expansion, the company announced Aug. 13 that Chief Relationship Officer Brent Hutto was selected for the Board of Directors of the Texas Trucking Association, where he already chairs its Truck Parking Committee. Texas is Truck Parking Club’s largest market, with more than 700 Property Member locations and nearly 14,000 truck and trailer parking spaces.

Nationally the network lists more than 6,400 locations across 50 states. That’s up from the 5,000 it passed in April, and it is targeting 10,000 by the end of 2026. Drivers from 93 of the top 100 fleets have already parked at its locations. One fleet that plugs into the platform gains yard capacity it never has to sign a lease for.

The retention math fleets never ran

Large fleets know they have a turnover problem. Until recently, almost none of them treated parking as a lever. Loustalot said the gap surfaces the moment he asks a direct question on a trade show floor.

“Oftentimes if I’m at a conference and I’m talking to somebody who’s a fleet manager or something like that or just in ops, I’ll ask them, ‘Do you do anything to provide parking for your drivers?’ And for a lot of them they’re kind of just like, ‘Well, I don’t really know what I could do, right?'”

They had a point, he said, because the alternative involves time and a lot of guesswork.

“They could essentially just fire up Google Maps and say, ‘Hey driver, you can go check this rest area out. I have no clue if there’s any space but there you go.'”

The benefits run downstream from there. A driver who knows where to park in advance does not burn an hour from the clock looking for it. For high-value freight, it can now sit behind a secured fence overnight.

“Your drivers aren’t stopping an hour short of their drive time every day to park,” Loustalot said. “If they’re transporting sensitive freight, you can book them higher security locations.”

When surveyed, drivers consistently rank the parking problem nearly at the top of their list. Truck parking placed second among commercial drivers in the American Transportation Research Institute’s 2025 survey of more than 4,200 industry stakeholders, behind only compensation, and fourth among all respondents.

Fleet truck parking accounts built like a toll pass

Truck Parking Club has spent three and a half years building the account structure that lets a fleet decide who does the booking. Drivers can hold company accounts funded by a shared payment method or a deposit, and dispatchers, safety staff or fleet managers can book on their behalf instead.

“In the same way that you would like a toll pass. Fleets just fill up the toll pass and drivers go use it and that’s that. It’s the same sort of idea. We can do that,” Loustalot said.

The reporting layer is the key part of what turns it into a viable fleet product.

“All the while the fleet has all the visibility of where the bookings are, what locations they’re parking at, who’s doing it, how much are they spending,” Loustalot said.

Volume data suggests the plumbing holds. More than 500,000 units have parked through the network, Loustalot said, spanning solo drivers booking a night to fleets dropping 500 trailers across 50 locations.

What fleets are really renting is real estate they cannot otherwise touch.

“They can’t go out and sign a bunch of long-term leases on property all over the country. … They just don’t want to deal with it. And why would they? But we just give you essentially access to yards anywhere,” Loustalot said.

Why every parking conversation ends up in Texas

Hutto joined Truck Parking Club in 2025 after more than two decades in freight technology and media, including a run as chief relationship officer at Truckstop and leadership roles at Randall Reilly. TXTA was founded in 1932 and represents hundreds of member companies, from small family fleets to Fortune 500 carriers.

“Every parking conversation in this industry eventually becomes a conversation about Texas,” Hutto said. “The freight is here, the drivers are here, and the shortage is here. Serving on the board widens that work to the full set of issues facing trucking in Texas.”

The state’s public rest areas hold 1,409 truck parking spaces, or 7.6 spaces for every 100 miles of National Highway System roadway, according to state-level data ATRI released in April 2025. Texas spends $17,033 a year maintaining each of those public spaces. Two parking supplies exist in the state, and the gap between them is whether a driver can reserve the space before arriving.

The board seat puts a parking vendor in the room where Texas carriers set their policy agenda.

“Brent’s expertise in addressing one of our industry’s most pressing challenges, safe and accessible truck parking, will be a tremendous asset as we continue advancing the interests of Texas trucking,” said TXTA President and CEO John Esparza.

Association work runs parallel to the company’s sales push into large fleets, and Loustalot said the two feed each other because the education has to happen before a fleet manager knows the category exists.

“A big part of our job is education. And when I say education, I don’t mean we have all the answers,” Loustalot said. “Everything that we’ve learned about how to use us, we’ve actually really just learned from our customers.”

State associations are where that transfer scales. The company has a representative working with the Kentucky Trucking Association, Loustalot said, and Hutto’s board role reaches past anything it books out of it.

“He’s been tapped on the shoulder to help steer,” Loustalot said. “He’s going to bring a lot of value to them and so that goes above and beyond his mission with us.”

The truck parking shortage as a routing input

Large fleets automated two decisions on every long haul years ago: where to buy diesel and which tolls to skip. The third one, where the truck sleeps, still runs on guesswork and phone calls. Extending the same optimization logic to the overnight spot is not the hard part, Loustalot said, and he puts the difficulty squarely on the supply side.

“The routing and the decision-making logic and the technology around that, it’s not obviously simple, but that’s the easy part. The hard part is the network that you plug into to facilitate it,” he said. “Just think about how much more optimized you are when you have access to hundreds of thousands of additional spaces that you can operate with a certainty that they’re going to exist.”

Loustalot used an example of electric car charger routing logic to describe the destination.

“If you’ve ever driven a Tesla and you’ve plugged in a route, say from Chattanooga to Chicago, the battery is not going to take you the whole way. So what Tesla does is they say, ‘Hey, here’s your route. It’s 650 miles or whatever. You need to charge here,'” he said. “That’s probably a close analogy to what we’re doing and where we’re going, which is a world where you as a driver can have that same sort of experience, but instead of charging your Tesla, it’s where you park in your truck.”

None of it gets marketed on the machine learning underneath.

“Nobody cares about how the sausage is made,” Loustalot said. “They care that it works and that it provides serious value.”

Interfaces are the next build. A voice booking flow keeps a driver’s hands on the wheel, and third-party portals put the network in front of fleets already running someone else’s software.

Truck Parking Club announced an integration with fleet platform provider Platform Science in July 2025.

“If a driver could make a phone call on a headset and find a spot and basically have like a travel agent, but like a parking agent essentially, that’s a realistic kind of user interface we could bolt on to our network,” Loustalot said. “The more ways we can do it, the more kind of interfaces we can plug into, whether it’s ours or some of our third party partners like Platform Science.”

The in-cab version is the one that would put parking in the same tier as fuel routing.

“We’re having serious conversations with some of the companies who are in a position to put us in the cabs to provide that sort of experience at a very large scale,” Loustalot said. “And so that’s where we’re going.”

The post For trucking fleets, a place to park may be the next driver perk appeared first on FreightWaves.

Incorporating the train’s speed and reliability into the middle-mile network has reduced transit time and carbon emissions. Management is pleased with the results so far, spokesman Steve Kelly said. 

Meanwhile, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is deploying e-cargo bikes — a decidedly slower, but tactically efficient mode for dense, urban environments — in the U.S. West Coast for the first time. 

The e-commerce platform this year contracted with three Japan Railway companies to haul parcels on three high-speed routes connecting Amazon fulfillment centers in the Greater Tokyo area with the Hakodate, Aomori and Kanazawa areas. Packages are stored in non-passenger compartments. 

Traveling at speeds of up to 200 mph, the Sinkansen network is recognized for its high level of punctuality, enabling Amazon to provide faster and more secure deliveries, according to the company.

Using the trains helps reduce emissions and road congestion compared to long-distance truck transport between cities.

The new package delivery system began in March on the Tohoku Shinkansen and Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen lines, and in May on the Hokuriku line.

Bullet trains are not the only creative method Amazon uses to get packages to customers faster and more sustainably. 

In more than 50 cities across Europe, compact e-cargo bikes are a convenient way for associates to make deliveries in crowded neighborhoods, reduce noise and zero tailpipe emissions, and take vehicles off the road.

Amazon is also testing e-cargo bikes, which resemble golf carts with a rear compartment,  in Washington, D.C.. Last week it launched e-cargo bike operations in Culver City, California., outside of Los Angeles. The service, which will be operated by two independent delivery partners, began with 25 bikes and will ramp up to full capability over the next four to six weeks, spokeswoman Leigh Anne Gullett said. 

Amazon also plans to roll out e-cargo bikes in the Los Angeles County city of Burbank in the next few weeks.

Both Culver City and Burbank e-cargo bike operations are permanent. Full implementation takes several weeks because couriers need to be trained and delivery service providers want to deploy in small batches on shorter routes to ensure deliveries run smoothly while operators learn on the job. The gentle onramp gives them room to work through any hiccups that pop up during a launch. Eventually, Amazon will operate dozens of routes out of the Culver City and Burbank delivery stations, said Gullett.

Amazon’s e-bike training covers safety, local road regulations, onsite procedures, on-road delivery methods, and daily vehicle safety inspections, followed by a practical assessment and a road course test. The e-bikes also include multiple safety features, such as rear cameras, regenerative braking to help control speed downhill, automatic parking brakes, and electronic locks. Drivers wear helmets and reflective safety vests. 

Each pedal-assist e-bike, which can reach a top speed of 12 mph, can carry around 240 packages per shift, using one refill stop. The vehicles open a wider pool of hiring candidates because a drivers’ license is required to operate them.

The retailer’s logistics arm this year is also scaling up drone delivery across the United States and has launched operations in England.

On Michigan’s Mackinac Island, where motor vehicles have been banned since the end of the nineteenth century, the resort’s 500 or so residents rely on horse-drawn carriages to receive their deliveries. And in Venice, last-mile deliveries are often made by boat on the city’s famous waterways. 

To reach the small island of Monhegan, 10 miles off the central coast of Maine, Amazon partners with the operator of a 65-foot wooden boat to transport packages. The Laura B. was built in 1943 and sailed in the South Pacific during World War II as a patrol boat carrying troops, supplies and two 50-caliber machine guns on deck. When the boat arrives at the dock in Monhegan, the local mail carrier loads the packages into her pickup truck for delivery.

Why It Matters: Amazon’s focus on pleasing the customer means it will try any mode that increases speed, efficiency or access to remote areas, which few companies are able to do.

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper articles by Eric Kulisch.

Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.

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The northern California hub handled 179,999 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July, virtually unchanged from June. Compared with July 2025, however, total container volume declined 11.4%.

Full imports totaled 79,426 TEUs during the month, down 14% year over year. Full exports reached 60,005 TEUs, an 8.5% decrease from July 2025. Combined laden cargo volume fell 11.7% to 139,431 TEUs.

Month over month, full imports increased 1.7% from June, while full exports declined 7.9%. Empty container volume totaled 40,568 TEUs, down 10.2% from July 2025.

Through July, Oakland handled 1,294,664 total TEUs, a 3.8% decline from the same period in 2025. The year-to-date decrease was driven primarily by lower empty-container activity, which fell 11.4%. Laden cargo volume declined by 1.5% over the same period.

Full exports were slightly ahead of last year through July, increasing 0.4%, while full imports declined 3.1%. The results leave the port’s core loaded cargo activity broadly stable, even as overall container movements remain under pressure.

“July was a challenging month compared to last year, but our laden volumes remain essentially flat year to date and exports are slightly ahead of 2025,” said Jason Garben, the port’s acting maritime director, in a release. “Despite uncertainty in the market, we are hearing a positive outlook from our ocean carrier partners for the remainder of the year.”

This week Hapag-Lloyd resumed scheduled services with the arrival of the Missouri Express, the first vessel to call Oakland as part of the WC5 U.S.-flag service.

The gateway recorded 81 vessel calls in July, compared with 95 calls during the same month a year ago. The decline accompanied the year-over-year reduction in total and laden container volume.

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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The post Port of Oakland: Steady July amid import drop appeared first on FreightWaves.

California deputies recovered more than $123,000 in Brooks running shoes after a suspected BNSF train boxcar burglary. San Bernardino County deputies found two abandoned vans while traveling toward Ludlow on Aug. 22. BNSF Railway Police had requested assistance after a train made an emergency stop nearby. Authorities had noticed three vehicles near the train under suspicious circumstances.

Deputies inspected both vans and discovered numerous boxes inside each vehicle. BNSF Police confirmed the boxes came from the boxcar, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announcement. Authorities identified the recovered merchandise as Brooks running shoes. The department valued the footwear at more than $123,000.

Emergency stop prompted response

The incident occurred near Ludlow and Daggett in San Bernardino County, California. Those communities sit along National Trails Highway in the High Desert. BNSF Police asked deputies to help investigate the suspected burglary after the emergency stop. Deputies then spotted two vehicles matching the description of vehicles near the rail equipment.

“Deputies inspected the vans, discovering numerous boxes inside each of them,” the sheriff’s department wrote. “Upon examination, BNSF Police confirmed the boxes contained were from the boxcar.” The announcement does not identify the train’s origin or destination. Officials also did not describe how the boxes left the railcar.

Investigation remains open

BNSF declined to comment on the specific incident but called organized cargo theft a growing threat to public safety, law enforcement and the nation’s supply chain. “Cargo theft is not a victimless crime,” BNSF wrote in a statement to FreightWaves. The railroad noted that stolen packages can include medicine, food and other critical supplies.

The sheriff’s department has not identified suspects or announced arrests. Authorities did not name the owners of the abandoned vehicles. The announcement does not state whether deputies recovered all missing merchandise. The investigation remains open.

Anyone with information can contact Sheriff’s Dispatch at 760-956-5001. Anonymous callers can call or text REPORT to We-Tip at 844-909-3006. The sheriff’s department also provided an online reporting option. FreightWaves requested additional information from BNSF Railway Police and will update this story if officials respond.

Why it matters

Rail theft can move high-value freight out of the supply chain before a shipper, buyer or carrier identifies the loss. This case shows how quickly merchandise can leave rail equipment and enter vehicles on the ground. Fast reporting and coordination between railroad police and local law enforcement can improve recovery efforts.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

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The post Abandoned vans lead deputies to $123K in Brooks shoes from BNSF boxcar theft appeared first on FreightWaves.

Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, according to her publicist. A cause of death was not disclosed, according to the Associated Press.

Her death comes almost exactly two months after Parton made a surprise appearance June 24 at the grand opening of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee, along Interstate 65.

The appearance is believed to have been one of Parton’s last public appearances.

Parton greeted hundreds of fans, travelers and community members at the opening and helped cut the ribbon with rhinestone-covered scissors.

“Well, the doors are open and I could not be prouder,” Parton said at the opening. “Whether you are hauling loads, hauling the family, or just passing through, we built this place for you.”

The travel center, located at Exit 22 off I-65 about an hour south of Nashville, represented Parton’s entry into an industry closely connected to the road and trucking — something she said was a natural extension of decades spent touring the country.

“I have spent the bulk of my life on the road, and more specifically on a bus,” Parton said when the venture was announced in March. “I believe we will fill a void out there on the highways, all while bringing the heart and soul of Tennessee.”

Related: Dolly Parton launches truck stop venture

Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop was created through a partnership involving Parton, Sachs Capital Group Chairman and CEO Gregory H. Sachs and Danny Nozell, founder and CEO of CTK Enterprises and Parton’s longtime manager.

The original Tennessean Travel Stop was rebranded and expanded into a roadside destination designed for professional drivers, families and tourists. The facility includes truck parking, fuel, showers and laundry facilities, along with restaurants, retail, a coffee shop, dog park, EV charging stations, event space and other amenities.

The Cornersville location was intended to be only the beginning.

When the partnership was announced, the companies said the flagship location would serve as a proof of concept for additional Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stops across Tennessee and potentially elsewhere in the U.S.

The project also reflected Parton’s longstanding ties to Tennessee and her reputation as both an entertainer and entrepreneur.

Born into a poor family in the Tennessee mountains, Parton became one of the most recognizable performers in American music, writing hundreds of songs including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “Islands in the Stream,” a duet with Kenny Rogers.

One of Parton’s biggest hits is the title song from “9 to 5,” the 1980 comedy starring Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. She also had starring movie roles in “The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas” and “Steel Magnolias.” 

Her recordings sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and accumulated more than 1 billion online streams.

Parton also wrote books and memoirs, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and was given a lifetime achievement award by the Recording Academy. She was selected for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2025.

With 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins, Parton is the third-most nominated woman in Grammy history, only behind Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

Her business empire extended well beyond music.

Parton helped turn Dollywood in East Tennessee into a major tourism and economic engine for Appalachia. She also established the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, which distributes free books to children.

The travel stop became one of the final additions to that business legacy — and one directly tied to the highways Parton traveled throughout her career.

At the Cornersville opening, she described the concept as a place where people traveling for work or pleasure could find “good food, real rest, a little music, and people who are genuinely glad you stopped in.”

“That’s what the road has always deserved,” Parton said, “and that is what you will find here.”

Why it matters: Parton’s death comes just two months after she personally opened a travel center designed in part for professional truck drivers, leaving the planned expansion of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop as one of the final chapters of her decades-long business career.

The post Dolly Parton dies at 80, two months after opening Tennessee truck stop  appeared first on FreightWaves.

The announcement adds to rising cost pressures felt by shippers this year, especially since the Iran war choked off many Middle East oil supplies and increased fuel prices.

Rates for Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select services will increase 6%, beginning Oct. 4 through Jan. 17, 2027, according to the proposal. Last year’s peak season surcharge was about 4% to 5%, depending on the product.

The temporary price adjustment will bring rates for retail and commercial customers in line with competitors and help the organization meet financial targets so it can remain solvent amid rising costs and declining mail volume.

The Postal Regulatory Commission must first review and bless the rate increase before it can be enacted.

In April, the Postal Service slapped an 8% surcharge on parcel shipments to cover rising fuel and transportation costs. The fuel surcharge is also scheduled to last until Jan. 17.

Carriers implement peak-season surcharges because costs, shipment handling, staffing and equipment increase to maintain service.

Why It Matters: Parcel shippers are feeling the impact of add-on fees this year. Hikes in the fuel surcharge and new fees for heavier packages and premium services helped push up ground and express parcel costs by 5% to 6% in the second quarter, according to a report from AFS Logistics and TD/Cowen investment bank. Many businesses are switching to independent carriers to hold the line on rising costs, analysts say. 

FedEx last month unveiled its domestic demand surcharges for the peak shipping season, layering them on top of accessorial charges that have increased since last year. The fees, which are higher than the prior year, run from Oct. 26 to Jan. 17. And international peak surcharges, which include an $8.80 additional handling fee and a $95.75 charge for oversize parcels, go into effect Sept. 21 and continue until Feb. 7. The FedEx (NYSE: FDX) surcharge helps to cover the cost of securing additional air and truck capacity during a period of high demand and higher operating costs, it said. The largest percentage increases hit some of the most common delivery categories used by e-commerce shippers.

“Peak season is increasingly becoming a collection of different pricing windows rather than one uniform holiday period,” said consultancy LJM on LinkedIn. Shippers should review historical package characteristics and identify ones that are likely to trigger the charges,” it recommended.

UPS has not announced demand surcharges for the upcoming season, but is expected to do so.

DHL Express, in a rare industry reversal, on Aug. 3 cut its fuel surcharge index by a flat 2 points for export and import shipments, along with associated surcharges.   

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.

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Looking over the statistics released by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Association (CVSA) on May’s International Roadcheck Week, the data looks pretty much like that of Roadcheck Week 2025.

With one big exception: English language proficiency (ELP).

That category of driver violation last year was not in the top 5 of reasons why a driver was given an Out of Service (OOS) order (as opposed to an OOS order for a vehicle violation).

In 2025, the top five violations for combined U.S. and Canada inspections for driver-related OOS orders accounted for 86.8% of the total. English proficiency was not in the top five. Where it fit in the remaining 13.2% was not disclosed. 

The smallest percentage of the top five that were listed last year was driving with a suspended license, which accounted for 5.1% of all driver-related OOS orders. That means whatever percentage English language proficiency accounted for all OOS was cited in 2025, it was less than that. 

In the results of 2026 International Roadcheck, released Tuesday by CVSA, there were 361 drivers taken OOS for failing to be able to demonstrate English proficiency. That accounted for 9.1% of all driver-related OOS orders.

That wasn’t the only change in the driver-related violations resulting in an OOS order between 2025 and 2026. 

In 2025, the biggest category was Hours of Service violations, 1,076, accounting for 32.4% of all violations. “No medical card” was 493 violations, or 14.9% of all OOS orders.

This year, “no medical card” shot up to 1,072 violations, or 27% of all driver-related OOS infractions, while HOS violations dropped to 929, or 23.4% of all OOS orders.

The other top OOS violations for drivers this year were no CDL, 620 violations for 15.6% of the total compared to 24.4% last year with 810 violations; false logs, 266 violations this year for 6.7% of the total compared to 332 violations and 10% of the total last year; and suspended license, which last year was 170 violations of 5.1% of the total but this year was pushed out of the top five by the inclusion of English language proficiency.

Changes since last year

Between last year and this year, English language proficiency–which already was on the books–received heightened attention because of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April 2025 affirming the regulation that already was on the books, and a federal effort to further codify that regulation.

Other data in the report for International Roadcheck showed differences with 2025 but nothing on the scale of the ELP surge in the rankings.

CVSA inspection data for vehicle violations is combined for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. For driver violations, it is just U.S. and Canada combined.

Total “decals” handed out by inspectors, which show other officials who might pull over a vehicle that the a truck has been given a clean bill of health, rose to 11,880 power units from 11,441 last year, with total decals (including trailers and buses) rising to 17,680 from 16,521.

While cargo securement was an announced priority this year, that push barely changed the numbers. There were 1,737 OOS violations for that category last year, and 1,724 this year. 

Brakes at the top

The leading category of vehicle violations in 2026 leading to an OOS order was brake systems, 3,379 this year for 24.3% of the total and 3,304 last year for 24.4% of the total. 

The top five categories for OOS orders related to a vehicle were unchanged in order between the two years: brake systems, tires, 20% defective brakes, cargo securement and lights. They were 84.4% of all vehicle-related OOS orders last year, and 86.7% this year.

Roadcheck’s focus for driver violations didn’t make the top 5: “electronic logging device (ELD) tampering, falsification or manipulation,” as CVSA described it. There were 146 OOS orders issued for that violation, 3.7% of the total and seventh biggest category.

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The post A newcomer to Roadcheck driver violations top 5: speaking English appeared first on FreightWaves.

Mexican trucking industry leaders are calling on U.S. border officials to establish clearer and more consistent rules governing B-1 visa revocations amid concerns that drivers are losing their ability to operate cross-border routes over alleged cabotage violations.

Ismael Reyes de la Rosa, the National Chamber of Freight Transportation’s (CANACAR) representative in Mexicali, Mexico, said Mexican carriers want U.S. Customs and Border Protection to clearly define what constitutes an irregularity involving cabotage and explain the process used when revoking a driver’s visa.

Mexicali, Mexico lies across the border from Calexico, California, and is an important commercial port of entry for cross-border transportation. The Calexico-Mexicali crossing handled $71.82 million in U.S. exports in June, down 1.33% from the same month a year earlier, according to U.S. Census data analyzed by WorldCity.

Reyes said CANACAR has historically maintained a good working relationship with CBP and met with the agency earlier this year as concerns about visa revocations began emerging.

“We have always had a very good relationship as a chamber, as an institution,” Reyes said during an Aug. 21 news conference posted by Cree En La Noticia.

Reyes said CANACAR met with CBP around February and was initially told that nothing had changed regarding enforcement procedures. But visa revocations continued after the meeting, he said.

“They calm down for two, three weeks, a week, and then suddenly the operation comes all week,” Reyes said, describing periodic enforcement actions in which multiple drivers have their visas revoked.

About six weeks ago, CANACAR sought another meeting with CBP, according to Reyes, but was told by email that nothing had changed and another meeting was unnecessary.

“That is very worrying, that they no longer want to have a dialogue with us,” Reyes said.

Related: US revokes 20,000 visas for Mexican truckers as cabotage crackdown expands

For Mexican drivers, CANACAR said losing a B-1 visa can eliminate income earned from international freight trips.

Reyes said CANACAR estimates that between 150 and 200 drivers in the Mexicali region have had their visas revoked so far in 2026.

CANACAR representatives have separately estimated that roughly 25,000 visas have been revoked from Mexican commercial truck drivers across the country’s northern border, although U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed that figure.

The dispute centers on how cabotage rules are being interpreted during international freight movements.

Cabotage generally involves a foreign carrier transporting freight between two points within the United States rather than conducting an international movement. CANACAR officials said they recognize that Mexican B-1 drivers cannot transport domestic U.S. freight but contend that enforcement officials are applying different interpretations to legitimate international trips.

Industry representatives want officials to clearly define what actions constitute a violation because they believe the rules are being interpreted differently by enforcement personnel along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Alfonso Esquer Millán, vice president of CANACAR’s Northwest region, pointed to differing interpretations over what happens after a Mexican truck delivers an international shipment in the United States.

Some officials, he said, apparently believe the truck must return to Mexico empty after completing the delivery and then reenter the United States empty before picking up another international shipment. Others allow a Mexican driver who delivers a shipment in the U.S. to reposition the truck, pick up a Mexico-bound load and return south.

CANACAR maintains that neither scenario constitutes cabotage as long as the driver isn’t transporting freight between two domestic U.S. points.

“While the Mexican operator with the B1 visa is on an international trip, there is no problem, loaded or empty,” Esquer said the same news conference as Reyes. “Cabotage is moving cargo between two points in the United States. We know that is prohibited; we are not doing that.”

The uncertainty comes amid heightened scrutiny of Mexican commercial drivers at the border. CANACAR said some drivers have been subjected to inspections of their trucks and phones, while Reyes alleged that in some instances officers covered cameras installed inside trucks before conducting inspections.

Reyes and Esquer also said that losing experienced cross-border drivers could have unintended safety consequences for carriers scrambling to replace them.

Carriers could be forced into the labor market to replace drivers quickly, potentially increasing the risk of hiring someone who is less qualified, according to Reyes.

“Our concern is that we have to go to a market of unemployed operators with a need to hire quickly, and we can make a mistake in the replacement of a driver not fully qualified from the perspective of security,” Reyes said.

CANACAR said the visa revocations are affecting not only Mexican carriers and drivers but also manufacturers and maquiladoras that rely on cross-border trucking to move goods between Mexico and the United States.

The post Mexican trucking group urges US to clarify B-1 visa revocations  appeared first on FreightWaves.

Asia-U.S. West Coast prices increased 1% to $6,826 per forty foot equivalent unit (FEU), according to the latest Baltic Index from SONAR data contributor Freightos. Asia-U.S. East Coast prices were 2% higher, at $9,576 per FEU.

Events that could pressure container traffic on the trans-Pacific are being closely watched. The United States is trying to tighten economic sanctions on countries doing business with Iran as the impasse over control of the Strait of Hormuz is about to enter its seventh month. 

Tense U.S. trade relations with China could be further tested, although analysts say it’s unlikely Beijing, Iran’s top customer for crude oil, would support the penalties. Still others point to the changing approach by the Trump administration that seems to validate a position on the part of Tehran that it will simply wait out the remainder of the U.S. president’s term.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. has joined other global liners in a return to the southern Red Sea despite a resumption of attacks on vessels by Houthi rebels based in Yemen. 

”These steps are sparking some optimism that we are seeing the start of a gradual return to normal levels of container traffic through the waterway,” wrote Freightos (NASDAQ: CRGO) analyst Judah Levine, in a note to clients.

“The concern that the White House would substantially increase tariff levels to close July may have been one factor driving the early start to peak season demand and spiking container rates back in June,” said Levine. “That tariffs remained about level, and that the window until possibly higher tariffs remains open, may help explain the current, surprising, sustained container demand and peak rate levels on the trans-Pacific.”

Rates from Asia to the U.S. West Coast this week ticked up to  $7,600 per FEU last seen in early July. That’s about $5,000 higher prior to the start of the peak season in late May. East Coast prices have been steady near $9,000 but have gradually climbed another $800 in August.

Reductions in capacity by carriers, and congestion at major ports in China have also helped support elevated rates in the trans-Pacific. Levine said a trimming of transits by the Panama Canal – and carrier canal surcharges – “could put upward pressure on rates for some Asia -U.S. East Coast services.”

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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The money will support expansion of Gatik’s driverless freight operations from the dozens of trucks today to thousands in the years ahead. Gatik has completed 85,000 fully driverless orders. The company reports more than $600 million in contracted revenue and 99% on-time delivery across operations in Texas, Arizona, Arkansas and Canada.

“This round, led by some of the world’s leading financial institutions, is a clear validation of Gatik’s commercial leadership in autonomous freight,” said Gautam Narang, CEO and co-founder of Gatik. “We have built Gatik with real revenue, deep customer demand, and AI-driven autonomous technology proven every day in live supply chains. This round gives us the capital to scale with speed and discipline, serve the world’s largest companies, and define the future of autonomous freight.”

Seven Months, 25,000 More Driverless Orders

Seven months of driverless operations added 25,000 orders to that total. Gatik reported 60,000 completed driverless orders earlier in January, which also cited more than $600 million in contracted revenue.

Gatik had raised roughly $270 million in total before this round, Forbes reported in January.

Scaling Driverless Freight Operations From Dozens to Thousands

Gatik’s trucks run high-frequency regional routes between distribution centers and stores. Those routes can reach up to 400 miles at highway speeds with the trucks running nearly around the clock, FreightWaves reported. The target lanes are time-sensitive and operationally complex.

Gatik’s system is purpose-built for both highways and surface streets. This makes distribution-center-to-store routes viable. To manage capacity, the trucks use dynamic routing to respond to shifting demand, distribution center activity and pickup and drop-off needs.

The 99% on-time delivery figure benefits retail planners as these routes replenish store shelves on fixed windows.

“Autonomous trucking should meaningfully lower the cost of transporting goods and reshape modern supply chains,” said Tasha Keeney, director of research for autonomous technology and robotics at ARK Invest. “Gatik is leading this transformation by bringing driverless technology to regional networks and unlocking value for customers.”

The customer list already includes major retail and beverage shippers. Gatik moves freight for PepsiCo across roughly 250 retail locations in Texas, Arizona and Arkansas. PepsiCo announced the multi-year agreement in June, FreightWaves reported.

Gatik plans to mass-produce its trucks with Isuzu at a South Carolina plant expected to come online in late 2027, the same report said.

“What we’re seeing today is autonomy moving beyond a promising technology into real-world commercial operations,” said Byron Knight, president of Koch Disruptive Technologies. “Gatik has demonstrated a practical approach to that transition, and we look forward to supporting the company’s continued growth.”

Sovereign Wealth Fund Backs Autonomous Trucking

QIA is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, established in 2005. Its lead position puts state capital behind a U.S. driverless freight operator. The round also brings in Millennium Management and ARK Invest, both better known for public-market investing. Koch Disruptive Technologies first invested in Gatik in 2021.

“Autonomous freight is transforming the global logistics industry, making it more efficient and reliable,” said Abdulla Al-Kuwari, head of industrials at QIA. “QIA is committed to supporting next-generation solutions providers like Gatik that are shaping the future of freight infrastructure.”

“We are no longer debating the potential of autonomous trucking. This category will be led by the companies that have proven technology, rigorous safety standards and the commercial discipline to operate at scale,” said Justin Smith-Lorenzetti, managing director at Intact Private Capital. “We have tripled our commitment with this latest round, driven by the conviction that Gatik has the execution record, customer traction and technical maturity to be the leader in autonomous freight across North America.”

The post Gatik raises $200M to scale driverless freight to thousands appeared first on FreightWaves.

The call came at about 7:04 a.m. Monday near westbound Interstate 40 in Daggett. While heading toward the location, Barstow Station personnel saw a vehicle matching the suspects’ description. The driver headed west on I-40 before officers initiated a stop. Navarre exited and ran, according to the sheriff’s department.

Foot pursuit ends with arrest

Officers pursued Navarre on foot and took him into custody. BNSF Police inspected the stopped vehicle following the arrest. Railroad officers confirmed the merchandise came from a boxcar. The items included New Balance footwear valued above $150,000.

Authorities list BNSF Railroad as the victim in the cargo-theft case. Sheriff’s records identify Navarre as a transient from Perris, California. Perris is a city in Riverside County, southwest of the Barstow-Daggett area. Officials assigned case No. 082601378 to the investigation.

Sheriff’s department seeks information

The department has not identified other people connected to the reported break-in. Authorities also have not released the train’s route, shipper or intended destination. Investigators continue working the case, according to the announcement. The release does not say how many people entered the boxcars.

Anyone with information can contact Barstow Sheriff’s Station at 760-256-4838. Callers may also reach Sheriff Dispatch at 760-956-5001. Anonymous tipsters can text REPORT to We-Tip at 844-909-3006. The department also provides an online reporting portal.

Why It Matters

Rail cargo theft can move high-value inventory from a railcar to a highway within minutes. Freight professionals benefit from understanding how quickly a reported break-in can turn into a cargo-loss investigation.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

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Canada announced retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on billions of dollars of U.S. goods Tuesday, escalating a trade dispute between the two countries after negotiations collapsed over the weekend.

Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Ottawa will impose “dollar-for-dollar” counter-tariffs on about $27.6 billion worth of U.S. imports, with rates of 15%, 25% and 50%. The tariffs are scheduled to take effect Sept. 8.

“This is an unprecedented challenge imposed on Canada, but Canada will meet the moment,” Champagne said during a news conference in Ottawa, according to ABC News.

Champagne said Canada’s tariffs will match U.S. duties “dollar for dollar, rate for rate.” The targeted imports represent about 8% of total U.S. exports to Canada, based on 2025 Census Bureau data.

The counter-tariffs cover a broad range of American products, including seafood, dairy products, paper products, furniture, apparel, cosmetics, tools, motorcycles, steel and aluminum.
The announcement comes after U.S.-Canada trade negotiations collapsed over the weekend and the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods Saturday.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Saturday that U.S. negotiators had demanded concessions Ottawa was unwilling to make.

“They asked too much and offered too little,” Carney said.

The escalating tariffs could have significant implications for freight moving across the world’s busiest bilateral commercial relationship.

From January through June, the U.S. exported $175.8 billion in goods to Canada — the second biggest export trading partner after Mexico — accounting for 14% of all U.S. exports, according to the Census Bureau. The U.S. imported $200 billion in all goods from Canada during the first half of the year, accounting for 11.5% of all U.S. imports.

Approximately 5.5 million commercial trucks enter the U.S. from Canada annually, averaging about 15,000 trucks per day and carrying an estimated $396 billion in goods. Trucks account for more than 55% of the value of freight traded between the two countries, with Detroit, Port Huron, Michigan, and Buffalo, New York, among the busiest truck crossings.

President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. will increase tariffs on Canadian-made automobiles and auto parts from 25% to 50% beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The higher tariff will also apply to steel and trucks, according to the president.

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“The index has not experienced this level of rate inflation since pandemic-era surges, with the second quarter hitting both the highest year-over-year reading and largest sequential increase since the second quarter of 2021,” the report said.

RXO’s (NYSE: RXO) Curve Report showed second-quarter spot rates were up 32.4% y/y, an acceleration from the 16.5% y/y increase booked in the first quarter. So far in the third quarter, the index is up 43% y/y.

Rate data from FreightWaves shows the spot market has cooled following a July 5 peak. Truckload activity typically slows following the holiday and remains relatively weak in the weeks leading up to peak season.

Corey Klujsza, RXO’s vice president of pricing and procurement, said shipper routing guides are seeing “increased strain” as spot rates have “consistently outpaced contract rates” this year.

“That trend is not only continuing but picking up steam as we head into peak season,” Klujsza said. “Though we’ve been in a year-over-year inflationary environment for over two years, the truckload market is starting to feel materially different.”

A steady exodus of capacity due to heightened regulatory enforcement and years of poor carrier economics has materially tightened the market even in the absence of a meaningful demand inflection.

Jared Weisfeld, chief strategy officer at RXO, said the inflationary rate environment is likely to continue even with muted freight volumes. He noted carrier operating costs are up 29% (ex-fuel) from the prior cycle peak, meaning rates still need to move significantly higher to improve carrier margins.

“Any sustained increase in shipping volumes will further strain an already diminished supply base and add more inflationary pressure on rates,” Weisfeld said.

RXO’s all-in cost-per-mile index, which includes fuel surcharges, stood at 154.9 in the second quarter, the highest reading since the 2022 first quarter.

Data from Cass Information Systems (NASDAQ: CASS) showed contract rates (excluding fuel and accessorial surcharges) were up 6% y/y on average in the second quarter, which was a step up from the 2.4% average y/y increase logged in the first quarter. Cass’ TL linehaul rate index was 8.6% higher y/y in July.

Public TL carriers reported large y/y contractual rate increases in the second quarter as shippers have become more selective. This shift is largely driven by concerns over potential legal liabilities tied to employing non-compliant carriers, alongside fears of carriers defaulting on capacity obligations throughout peak season.

Schneider National’s (NYSE: SNDR) one-way fleet recorded double-digit rate increases on contract renewals in the second quarter. The company plans to place additional equipment into the spot market to take advantage of favorable market dynamics after losing a large dedicated customer.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) reported a 10% y/y increase in revenue per total mile in the recent period. It forecast a 10% to 13% y/y increase in rate per mile for the third quarter.

RXO noted “a few reasons to be optimistic heading into this peak season,” as retailers continue to log same-store sales growth while their inventories remain “healthy.”

“If demand follows typical seasonality, we would expect even further rate volatility to close out 2026.”

Why it matters? These rate trends signal a shift in market leverage where tightening capacity and rising carrier costs have ushered in more aggressive pricing strategies to improve margins. This environment, characterized by spot rates outpacing contract agreements, underscores the urgent need for shippers to secure reliable carrier capacity and proactively manage potential routing guide deterioration ahead of peak season.

More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden:

• Descartes acquires Tai for $100M
• Teamsters reveal TP Freight’s sudden shutdown
• Truckload linehaul rates rip higher in July, Cass says

The post Broker RXO sees TL spot rate surge extend into Q3 appeared first on FreightWaves.

Proponents see the merger of Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) to create the first transcontinental railroad as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage local support and transform the Atlanta metroplex passenger rail network.

A shift of thousands of commuters from road to rail would likely also improve fluidity for trucking logistics in the city, a crossroads of industry in the Deep South.   

The rail merger is currently being evaluated by the Surface Transportation Board, which isn’t expected to rule on the $85-billion consolidation until 2027.

The tie-up has attracted its share of detractors who claim the monopolistic effects of shrinking the number of U.S. Class I carriers will raise rates and degrade service for shippers. But other stakeholders see a prime chance to extract valuable concessions. Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) recently did just that in an access agreement that would expand its operations to the Mexican border while giving UP-NS access to a route around the congested hub of Chicago.

It is precisely that ‘belt line’ bypass an embryonic coalition wants to bring to Atlanta, which would free up hundreds of miles of track for passenger trains and help thin out the city’s legendary traffic jam.

Like the I-285 interstate, the idea first envisioned a decade ago by Mark Hitchcock of Jacobs Engineering would divert freight trains that currently run through the heart of Atlanta onto existing track operated by NS and CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) in a U-shape route around the city. If 80% of freight trains were diverted, it would open up capacity for 14 commuter rail lines, Hitchcock said in an interview with the local Saporta Report. 

The merger process could help establish an operating agreement between NS and CSX, and kickstart construction of about 12 miles of new track in Atlanta’s southeastern region needed to complete the bypass, said Hitchcock, a member of the nonprofit Atlanta Design Roundtable backing the project.

Shifting thousands of commuters from road to rail will improve the fluidity for freight logistics in and around Atlanta, a business crossroads of the South. Hitchcock admits it’s no small lift, and compared development on the same magnitude of building Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with a price tag of as much as $6 billion. But that’s a bargain compared to the $90 billion price tag a Georgia State House committee last week estimated the state would need to spend on roads by 2050 to keep up with growing truck volume and highway repairs.

“We are going to double the amount of freight between now and 2050,” Hitchcock said. “I don’t think we can build our way out of it. Right now, if there’s no change, 86% of all freight will be going by truck.”

Mayor Andre Dickens has expressed interest in the bypass, and connected the nonprofit with a regional commission for further discussions. Presumably, political support could be cultivated after Union Pacific in its merger applications said it plans to move more than 500 management jobs from NS headquarters in Atlanta to its own base in Omaha. 

“This is a 50-year vision,” Hitchcock said, and compared it to the Georgia Road Improvement Plan (GRIP) launched in 1989 that is 72% percent complete. “Leadership would have to come from the state.”

Stakeholders have until Sept. 4 to sign on to the merger evaluation process with the STB.

Subscribe to FreightWaves’ Rail e-newsletter and get the latest insights on rail freight right in your inbox.

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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The post Rail mega-merger revives proposal for new, expanded Atlanta passenger services — and there’s a trucking angle appeared first on FreightWaves.

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges hit an important milestone this week: it is at its highest level since military action commenced against Iran in early March.

The weekly Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration average weekly retail diesel price rose 19.8 cents/gallon to $5.652/g, effective Monday but published Tuesday. The previous high price was $5.643/g set April 6. 

That price is now up 39.5 cts/g in the last two weeks.

But after increasing for 12 out of 13 trading days through Friday, which translated into the higher retail price published by DOE/EIA, ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) on the CMD commodity exchange declined Monday by 22.72 cts/g, falling to $4.2677/g. At approximately 10 a.m. Monday, it was up slightly though had been down about 6 cts/g earlier. 

The high settlement during that runup was Friday, when it settled just under $4.50/g, starting to push closer to the March 20 settlement of $4.6084/g that marked the highest settle since military action against Iran began.

The sudden downward turn in prices that began as soon as trading on the CME commenced for the week Sunday evening U.S. time has been attributed to the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying the Trump administration will focus more on economic pressure on Iran rather than renewed military action. 

The diesel market has been marked in recent weeks by its strengthening on the retail level, even as retail gasoline has not moved anywhere near as much.

For example, the AAA average daily gasoline price Tuesday was $4.0969/g. A month ago, it was $4.1109/g.

Retail diesel was $5.2778/g a month ago, according to AAA. On Tuesday, it was $5.6199/g.

Diesel markets have their own set of bullish factors that gasoline avoids: Ukrainian strikes on diesel-oriented Russian refineries; the physical qualities of Middle East crudes that aren’t getting to market, which tend to produce high quantities of diesel; and as has been the case for several years, reduced demand for the marginal barrel of gasoline because of steady adoption of electric vehicles around the world (though less so in the U.S.)

One debate that is ongoing in oil markets in the last several days has been wide swings in estimates of the amount of oil getting through the Strait of Hormuz.

Much of the debate was spurred by reporting from Axios, which quoted unidentified U.S. officials as saying a “stealth” transit led by the U.S. through the southern portion of the Gulf, to avoid Iranian attacks, has helped the supply of oil out of the Gulf get up to 10 million b/d, which is still only about half of the pre-war level. 

But given that the source of that information were Trump administration officials, the number received significant pushback in social media. 

David Wech, the chief economist at tanker-tracking firm Vortexa, told CNBC Friday that the number it sees fluctuates. While he did not refer to the Axios report directly, he indirectly said it could be accurate on some days.

“Currently, where we are seeing it depends a lot on which time period you look at,” Wech said. “On the average of the last month, we see six to seven million barrels per day of crude oil going through. There are peaks in our data on the seven-day moving average of up to close to 10 million barrels per day, and the best day we saw was 40 million barrels per day. So it depends really a lot what time period you’re looking at.”

More articles by John Kingston

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Likely BMO swan song shows trucking credit strengthening

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In what might be the last publication of a revealing look at the credit conditions in the trucking industry, the quarterly earnings of bank BMO released Tuesday showed the stronger freight market impacting its numbers.

BMO, the former Bank of Montreal and one of the largest lenders to the trucking industry, has announced its plans to sell its transportation unit to private equity firm Stonepeak in May. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year; the next earnings release for BMO is scheduled for December 2.

While net writeoffs in the third quarter ended July 31 were barely changed from the prior quarter, declining to Ca $24 million (US $17.32 million) from $25 million, that number is more of a backward-looking figure.

Provisions and allowances, as well as the size of the company’s gross loans considered impaired, which are a bank’s expectations of future troubled loans and estimates of the size of its issued credit that is under pressure, showed significant declines in the third quarter.

Provisions for credit losses fell to $15 million from $41 million in the second quarter. A year ago that figure was $50 million. The $15 million figure is the lowest since the first quarter of 2023.

Allowances for credit losses slid to $73 million from $86 million. That figure was less than that just three quarters ago, in the fourth quarter of 2025 when it was $71 million. 

Allowances are a hit on a company’s balance sheet, while a provision impacts its income reporting. But both are reflections of distressed loans.

Gross impaired loans fell hard, to $440 million from $576 million one quarter earlier and $585 million in the fourth quarter of last year. That is another sign of a strengthening freight market boosting BMO’s transportation business which is believed to be about 90% lending to trucking.

While the size of BMO’s transportation book has been pared back in recent quarters, possibly in anticipation of a sale, the latest report shows relative stability. 

Gross loans and acceptances for the transportation sector were $12.78 billion, up from $12.65 billion in the second quarter. That figure peaked at $15.6 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

But one place where the banks’ preparation for sale is apparent is in the size of transportation group loan originations. In the second quarter, it was $114 million. In the just-concluded third quarter, it was $11 million. 

More articles by John Kingston

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The post Likely BMO swan song shows trucking credit strengthening appeared first on FreightWaves.

Federal prosecutors accuse three Houston U.S. Postal Service carriers of stealing checks worth nearly $24 million. A federal grand jury charged five people in the Southern District of Texas on Aug. 19. The indictment describes a scheme involving $23,973,338.15 in stolen checks. Prosecutors say the group offered those instruments through Telegram and used FedEx for deliveries.

The court filing names Tryston Tremaine Vaughn, Catherine Clauzelle Kilpatrick, Drakkor Jamar Alexander, Malcolm Tiree Joubert and Alyssa Nadine Bryant. Kilpatrick, Alexander and Joubert worked as Postal Service carriers, according to the indictment. Vaughn and Bryant allegedly purchased stolen checks from the employees. The group then marketed them through a Telegram channel called “slipsandchips.”

Checks moved from mail routes to online buyers

Federal prosecutors claim Vaughn recruited the carriers to remove checks from Houston delivery routes. The alleged conspiracy began around October 2022 and continued through September 2024. Court records state that participants shipped checks to buyers across the country through FedEx. The filing does not identify the buyers or unnamed co-conspirators.

One count centers on a check worth $1,517,875.27. Prosecutors accuse Joubert of taking that BMO Bank check from the mail during May 2024. The indictment also lists smaller checks tied to Chase, Amegy Bank, Citibank and Stellar Bank. It does not state how much buyers paid for the stolen instruments.

A grand jury returned nine counts against the five defendants. All face charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. Kilpatrick, Alexander and Joubert also face charges for theft of mail matter by a postal employee. An indictment contains accusations, and each defendant remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Federal filing details alleged roles

FBI agents worked alongside the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and Postal Inspection Service. Treasury OIG and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration also assisted. Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Houston and Stafford joined the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas told FreightWaves that Vaughn remains the only defendant in custody.

Reitz said, “USPS carriers took an oath to protect and faithfully deliver the mail.” He called the allegations a “suspected calculated betrayal of public trust.” Federal prosecutors have not accused FedEx of wrongdoing. Officials declined to release further photographs or case materials.

Why it matters

Freight and parcel professionals face growing risks when criminals use legitimate transportation networks to move fraud-related materials. This case shows how insider access, online sales channels and shipment services can work together.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

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The post Feds: USPS carriers stole nearly $24M in checks, shipped them through FedEx appeared first on FreightWaves.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Klaus-Michael Kühne in 1958 joined the company co-founded by his grandfather 68 years earlier in Breman, Germany. In 1966, at age 29, he took over as chief executive officer of K+N Speditions-AG, as the company was called at the time.  In 1974, with the internationalization of the business, both K+N and Klaus Michael moved to Switzerland. In 1979, he opened K+N’s first office in China. The company moved its headquarters to its current location in Schindellegi, Switzerland, in 1992, when he also added the chairman’s title. In 1994, Klaus-Michael took the company public on the Swiss stock exchange.

Since 2011, Klaus-Michael has held the position of honorary chairman of the board. He established Kuhne Logistics University in Hamburg and the philanthropic Kühne Foundation.

He owns about 30% of container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd and about 17% of German airline Lufthansa.

He is considered one of the key figures in the logistics industry for helping to expand global trade through air and ocean freight forwarding, warehousing and supply chain management across multiple continents. 

“His entrepreneurial outlook was always firmly directed towards the future. He challenged Kuehne+Nagel to think internationally, pursue new opportunities and keep moving forward,” current CEO Stefan Paul said on LinkedIn. “The Management Board and I are deeply conscious of our responsibility to build on what he set in motion: to remain entrepreneurial, embrace change and continue developing Kuehne+Nagel for the future. We will carry this responsibility forward with great respect for our history and the ambition to write the next chapter of Kuehne+Nagel.”

Kuehne+Nagel is one of the top five logistics companies in the world by revenue.

Expressions of respect for his legacy have poured in from around the world.

“For those of us who have devoted much of our professional lives to freight forwarding, logistics, and global supply chains, Klaus-Michael Kühne was one of the defining figures of our industry.

His vision, entrepreneurial spirit, international mindset, and determination to keep moving forward helped shape not only Kuehne+Nagel, but also the evolution of modern global logistics,” wrote Diego Gonzalez Skvasik, CEO of Sterker Group Logistics Brazil, on LinkedIn. “Having spent decades in this industry, I have profound respect for what he built and for the legacy he leaves behind. True industry builders are rare, and their influence extends far beyond any single company — through the standards they set, the ideas they championed, and the generations they inspired.”

Klaus-Michael is survived by his wife Christine.

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.

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Complete with a video showing him booting a metal container and declaring that New York City was not going to “kick the can down the road” any longer on repairing the key freight thoroughfare of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway’s (BQE) cantilevered section, Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a plan to rebuild the highway.

Earlier plans to “rehabilitate”–the city’s term–the roughly 1.5 miles of the BQE that is owned by the city, and which includes the cantilevered section that has been under such strain, have either been withdrawn or replaced with short-term measures like stronger enforcement of weight limits.

But Mamdani’s plan announced Monday is a more extensive project to do extensive repairs on the section while allowing traffic to keep moving.

At its core is the construction of an alternate temporary roadway so that vehicles can continue move in the right-of-way that connects traffic coming off the Verrazano Narrows Bridge across Staten Island up to a key highway serving Long Island and other routes that go north into the Bronx, upstate New York and New England and vice versa.

13K trucks a day

The estimate is that 13,000 to 14,000 heavy-duty trucks use the section of the highway each day that has been dubbed BQE Central. It is located in Brooklyn along that borough’s border with the lower portion of the East River and contains exits used for vehicles looking to cross the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge into Manhattan.

In its announcement of its plans Monday, the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) did not use the word “rebuild” to describe its project. Instead, the city said it was “proposing to repair and strengthen the existing BQE Central structure. This work is called rehabilitation.”

The city plans to “fix deteriorated parts of the structure, including repairs to the highway deck, walls, joints and other structural elements,” according to the DOT’s media release on the plan. It also speaks of fixing drainage, railings and lighting. 

Two lanes still the plan

For the freight industry, there are two key parts of the plan beyond just improving the road.

First, the road isn’t going to be expanded beyond two lanes. Additionally, there aren’t any plans to change the interchanges on BQE Central. Current exits will remain as they are now.

Second, in what is easily the biggest change in the Mamdani program compared to those of previous mayors Bill DeBlasio and Eric Adams, a temporary two-level bypass will be constructed for “some locations.”

The proposal in the Mamdani plan would be a bypass that would travel over Furman Street, which is one block east from the BQE. The bypass’ height, according to the DOT, would “be no higher than the existing Queens-bound level.”

There would also be a bypass that would travel above the existing BQE north of the Furman Street bypass. The city said these temporary roads would be removed after the project was completed.

40 more years

The work is expected to extend the life of BQE Central by 40 years, the city said. But it might not need all that time; the city’s statement gave a silent nod to voices calling for the entire structure to be replaced, noting that the latest project “(maintains) the option for future reenvisioning of the full BQE corridor.”

One of the earlier proposals for rehabilitation called for a temporary road to be built over the Brooklyn Height Promenade during a BQE reconstruction, a popular public spot with stunning views of lower Manhattan and the New York harbor. That was the DeBlasio plan for what to do with the traffic that would still need to flow during the rehabilitation without shifting it down on into downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights local streets. 

But the Promenade plan was greeted with enormous pushback from local communities and was ultimately scrapped.

Groundbreaking for the project is expected in 2030, with a 10-year timeline on the project’s duration. The city’s City Environmental Quality Review, necessary for the project to proceed, is expected to take 18 to 24 months, the city said. 

A DOT spokesman said the weight limit enforcement would continue. 

TANY happy with the project

Zach Miller,  the vice president for government affairs at the Trucking Association of New York (TANY), in words even he conceded were unusual, heaped praise on the Mamdani administration for its plan.

“We applaud the administration’s commitment to this,” Miller said. His group will review the draft of the work necessary as well as the environmental impact, “but we are very supportive of the administration’s announcement today.”

While Miller did not mention the “kicking the can” description, he did say that from the moment TANY began discussions with the Mamdani administration over the issue of the BQE, “it really was going to fall on them to do something about it because we are so so close to the point where if nothing was done, trucks would have to be banned from the corridor, which was the situation we all wanted to avoid.”

“We have to live in reality, and I believe that’s exactly what this administration is doing,” Miller said.

In the video, Mamdani speaks of Robert Moses, New York City’s master road builder and owner of a mixed legacy as somebody who both got things done but often rammed through car-centric development that have been seen as damaging neighborhoods. The BQE was a Moses project.

“When (Moses) finished the BQE Central in 1954, it was only designed to handle around 50,000 car trips a day and last for 50 years,” Mamdani said in the video. “But here we are, 70 years later, with more than 130,000 vehicles driving on it daily, including 13,000 heavy trucks, you do the math. This isn’t a new problem. For decades, prior administrations have been trying to figure out a way to address the urgently needed repairs of the BQE.”

Mamdani in the video that “every year we don’t do something about the BQE, it costs the city $160 million.”

“This plan allows us to safely fix the current problem without slowing our city down and wasting decades more waiting while the BQE continues to get worse,” he says in the video. “This won’t be easy, won’t be quick, but we’re done waiting on one of the city’s most severe infrastructure issues. Let’s get to work.”

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A shortage of B-1 visa drivers is tightening U.S.-Mexico trucking capacity and contributing to freight backlogs in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, as cross-border demand continues to grow, according to Uber Freight.

Zeid Houssami, senior vice president at Uber Freight, said increased enforcement involving B-1 drivers has escalated since earlier this year, reducing the pool of drivers available to move northbound freight from Mexico into the U.S.

“There’s a fundamental driver shortage right now in the market, as it relates to northbound cargo,” Houssami told FreightWaves.

The capacity squeeze comes as northbound freight demand continues to outpace southbound volumes, creating an imbalance that has become increasingly difficult for carriers to manage.

“There are tremendous backlogs of cargo right now forming in Nuevo Laredo,” Houssami said. “Carriers are being opportunistic. They’re using this market as an opportunity to maximize their margins as much as possible.”

Houssami said carriers are using revenue management strategies to determine which customers receive limited capacity.

The problem isn’t a shortage of trucking equipment, he said.

“For every driver, there’s something like nine trailers available,” Houssami said. “There’s plenty of actual capacity to put freight in. It’s a matter of just actually transporting it across the border.”

SONAR data shows north, south imbalance in Laredo capacity

FreightWaves SONAR data suggests domestic truckload capacity originating in Laredo has loosened in recent weeks, even as cross-border B-1 driver availability remains constrained.

Laredo’s tender rejection rate fell from 12.24% on July 24 to 6.93% on Aug. 24, approaching balanced market conditions. The divergence suggests the capacity problem may be concentrated in the cross-border segment needed to move freight from Mexico into the U.S., rather than a broader shortage of trucks available to haul freight north from Laredo.

Uber Freight recently cited Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data showing the number of active Mexican-domiciled southern border carriers declined 6.3% between Dec. 26 and June 26. The company said stricter cabotage enforcement and English-language proficiency requirements are likely contributing to the decline.

Houssami said carriers are also reporting that B-1 visa renewals have become more difficult and that some drivers are reluctant to cross into the U.S. because of increased scrutiny of their previous operations.

At the same time, demand for cross-border freight remains strong.

Uber Freight said the value of trade moving through Port Laredo increased 19.36% year over year in May, while produce exports through Laredo rose 8% during the second quarter.

“When you couple that with a driver shortage, you see rate levels shooting through the roof,” Houssami said, adding that spot-market rates are significantly outpacing contract rates.

Mexican carriers look south for new drivers

Mexican trucking companies are responding to the driver shortage by recruiting farther south in Mexico, Houssami said.

Carriers are relocating recruits to training academies where they can improve their English proficiency and learn the requirements necessary to operate as B-1 drivers.

“They’re recruiting drivers from the south of Mexico, relocating them into different academies and developing their English skills, educating them on B-1 requirements and really giving them the training and tools that they need to become B-1 qualified drivers,” Houssami said.

The strategy represents a longer-term investment rather than an immediate solution to the capacity shortage.

Houssami said one of the biggest questions for the remainder of 2026 will be how quickly Mexican carriers can bring that new supply of qualified drivers into the market.

“I think that’s going to be a wild card,” he said.

Transloading offers alternative to B-1 capacity

Uber Freight is also encouraging shippers to reconsider how freight moves through Laredo.

In its Aug. 13 cross-border market update, the company described B-1 capacity as a “structural” constraint and said the existing driver pool is no longer capable of absorbing market growth. Export loads in Nuevo Laredo are increasingly being delayed while waiting for northbound B-1 drivers, according to the company.

One alternative is transloading freight in Laredo.

Under that model, a Mexican driver moves the shipment to the border, where the freight is transferred into another trailer and hauled north by a U.S. driver. That effectively allows shippers to tap a much larger driver pool rather than waiting for B-1 capacity.

Uber Freight said transloading can decouple export movements from the availability of northbound B-1 drivers, potentially preventing freight from becoming stranded at the border.

Houssami said the cost of transloading can be roughly comparable to direct B-1 service depending on the lane, but adoption has been slower than Uber Freight expected.

The biggest obstacle is risk.

Transloading requires additional handling as freight is unloaded, staged and reloaded, increasing potential exposure to cargo damage and theft.

“We expected that to be more widely adopted throughout the industry,” Houssami said. “It really hasn’t been.”

Some shippers instead appear willing to tolerate delays in Laredo while waiting for direct capacity.

Higher-value shipments are one exception. Houssami said some customers are using transloading when the working-capital cost of leaving expensive freight sitting at the border outweighs concerns about additional handling.

“For those shippers, speed is more important than cost,” he said.

Nearshoring investments slow amid trade uncertainty

The B-1 driver shortage isn’t the only uncertainty confronting cross-border supply chains.

Uber Freight said shippers continue to navigate changing tariff policies, potential rules-of-origin changes and uncertainty surrounding the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Despite those concerns, the company’s network data shows freight volumes remain steady across North America.

Houssami said tariff volatility has become almost routine for many businesses, but uncertainty over the future U.S.-Mexico trade relationship appears to be affecting longer-term investment decisions.

“We’ve definitely seen a slowdown with some of the nearshoring efforts that we saw over the last five years,” Houssami said.

Several Uber Freight customers have indicated they are slowing manufacturing expansions in Mexico until there is greater clarity about future trade rules, he said.

Houssami doesn’t expect the B-1 capacity problem to disappear soon, particularly if demand remains strong and the U.S. maintains stringent visa requirements.

“It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better,” he said.

For shippers, Uber Freight recommends improving volume forecasts, using spot-market capacity to supplement contract carriers when necessary and considering transloading to access capacity that doesn’t depend on B-1 drivers.

“Contract rates are not always getting prioritized, and tender acceptances are low,” Houssami said.

Despite the challenges, Uber Freight hasn’t seen a significant decline in overall Mexico freight demand. Houssami said the company’s cross-border portfolio remains strong, while an earlier shift of some freight from over-the-road trucking to intermodal appears to have stabilized.

The constraint remains getting enough drivers to move growing volumes across the border.

The post Uber Freight: US-Mexico capacity crunch could ‘get worse before it gets better’ appeared first on FreightWaves.

The Panama Canal Authority in an advisory to shipping reduced daily vessel transits beginning in September and postponed previously announced draft increases for Neopanamax vessels. 

The measures reflect a deteriorating outlook linked to below-average rainfall and the prospect of a severe 2026–2027 El Niño weather event.

The early warning indicates that the water supply in Lake Gatun supplying the canal’s lock system is again becoming a direct constraint on the reliability, cost and routing of cargo moving through U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports.

The authority said rainfall across the Canal watershed during the May–August period was 34% below historical average, while watershed inflows were 44% below average. Although Panama’s rainy season had begun, the ACP said the watershed was not producing the expected hydrologic response. Forecasts also pointed to additional precipitation and runoff risks during the remainder of the wet season.

The authority’s concern is not limited to current lake levels. It is trying to conserve enough water to support reliable operations during the 2027 dry season, which runs from January through April, while also safeguarding water supplies for human consumption. 

The Sept. 4 reduction is from 36 to 34 daily transits, within an allocation of nine Neopanamax transits and 25 Panamax transits. 

The subsequent Sept. 15 reduction takes capacity from 34 to 32 daily transits, as Panamax slots fall from 25 to 23 while super-sized  Neopanamax capacity remains limited at nine.

The authority also postponed two planned draft changes. The maximum authorized draft of 48 feet in the Neopanamax locks will not take effect until Sept. 2, rather than Aug. 26. A subsequent adjustment to 47.5 feet, originally scheduled for Sept. 3, has been postponed until Oct. 1.

Draft restrictions not only affect the number of ships that can pass, but also the amount of cargo each ship can carry.

Why the United States is exposed

The Panama Canal Authority says the waterway handles approximately 5% of world trade and that more than 70% of the cargo moving through it originates in or is destined for the United States. About 72% of transiting ships are either bound for or coming from U.S. ports.

For U.S. logistics networks, the Canal is especially valuable because it connects Asian production centers with ports on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts without requiring vessels to sail on longer voyages around Africa’s Cape Horn or other alternative routes. Traffic includes containerized imports, agricultural exports, energy products, vehicle shipments, refrigerated cargo and other commodities.

The changes will be felt in ports from New York and New Jersey on the East Coast to Houston and New Orleans on the Gulf. A reduction in Canal capacity can affect vessel schedules, equipment positioning and terminal workload thousands of miles away.

A capacity problem, not simply a delay problem

The new limits also introduce greater competition for reservations. The ACP states that a confirmed reservation is the only mechanism that guarantees a transit date and requires customers to use the Canal’s Transit Reservation system to reduce the risk of extended delays. That’s a planning problem for carriers with several moving parts:

• Securing a slot becomes more important and potentially more expensive
• A vessel without a guaranteed transit date may arrive before it can enter the Canal
• Lower draft limits may reduce the ship’s effective cargo capacity
• Customers may face less certainty over arrival dates and container availability
• Cargo owners may need to decide earlier whether to accept a longer alternative route

Some Asia-U.S. East Coast services could be rerouted through the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good Hope. Those options add sailing distance and fuel consumption and expose cargo to other operational, security and weather risks. Other cargo could move through U.S. West Coast ports and then travel east by rail, but that would increase demand for intermodal trains, inland terminals, chassis and transload capacity.

Those volumes are already happening. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach saw near-record throughput in July of close to 1.9 million TEUs, with continued elevated volumes expected in August.

Rates on the trans-Pacific for Asia-U.S. East Coast containers have risen by 42% since the start of the Iran war, according to analyst Xeneta, and now stand more than $3,300 higher than West Coast prices, at $10,527 compared to $7,193.   

Those higher rates combined with Canal issues could spur a switch by importers to West Coast gateways. East and Gulf Coast terminals could receive fewer Canal-routed vessels but face more volatile arrival bunching.

Railroads could see additional demand for transcontinental intermodal moves; western lines suffered network slowdowns earlier this summer during an unexpected import surge through Southern California.

Implications for U.S. commerce

Beyond containerized consumer goods, U.S. agricultural exporters, particularly those shipping grain and other commodities from the U.S. Gulf, the Canal can provide an efficient route to Asian buyers. Restrictions can increase voyage times, complicate vessel scheduling and raise the delivered cost of U.S. exports already under pressure from the Trump administration’s chaotic trade and tariff policies.

For importers, the immediate concern is service reliability. Longer or less predictable transits can affect factory production schedules, retail replenishment, construction materials and inventories of industrial inputs. Freight costs may rise if carriers face higher fuel consumption, additional canal-related charges or the cost of repositioning vessels and containers.

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

Read more:

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China growth straining global auto shipping capacity: Liner CEO

Zim profit rises on Q2 revenue of $1.78 billion

Green light for new U.S. port that will handle 2 million containers a year

Liners and Red Sea: Damn the Houthis, full speed ahead!

The post Panama Canal new capacity cuts put US ports on notice appeared first on FreightWaves.

The news follows the recent decision to expand operations in Australia and New Zealand by transferring some standard-size cargo jets from Europe to its Australian carrier.

ASL Aviation took the opportunity to acquire the older Boeing jumbo jets when the owner decided to sell them, ensuring no interruption in long-haul air transportation services, said spokeswoman Saoirse Claffey. 

The lessor that sold the planes is Seattle-based Altavair, according to publicly available aviation databases.

ASL Aviation has cargo airlines in Ireland, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom and Australia, and joint venture cargo airlines in Thailand and India. It also has a low-cost passenger airline in South Africa. Together they operate 150 aircraft for express delivery companies, such as UPS (NYSE: UPS), and e-commerce providers like Amazon. ASL Belgium has about 32 active freighter aircraft, including four 747-400s and 24 Boeing 737-800 narrowbody converted freighters.

ASL Down Under

ASL recently said it will provide four Boeing 737-800 converted freighter aircraft to ASL Airlines Australia to support the expansion of regional operations, which include flying for FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and Qantas Freight.

The company said in a LinkedIn message this month that some of the aircraft will be transferred from its existing fleet in Europe. The first aircraft is expected to arrive in Australia soon and all transfers will be completed over several months. The company is completing preparatory work, including updating regulatory documents and hiring additional staff, so the planes can be added to its air operator’s certificate.

ASL is mum on exactly how many planes it is transferring and whether some of the additional aircraft will come through acquisition.

ASL Aviation entered the Australian market in 2023 when it acquired contract transportation provider Pionair. ASL Airlines Australia currently operates 11 aircraft, including two Boeing 737-800 freighters; four BAe 146-200 freighters and one passenger jet; three BAe 146-300 cargo aircraft; and a BAe 146-200 Quick Change plane, according to the company and aviation databases. Several of the aircraft currently appear to be parked for maintenance and other reasons.

ASL Airlines provides service in Australia and New Zealand for express carriers, and also provides charter services and long-term dedicated transport in the Pacific for other customers. ASL Airlines carries mail and parcels for Australia Post through its contract with Qantas Freight. 

ASL Airlines Australia recently began operating to the Western Sydney International Airport, which recently opened its doors to cargo carriers. The new airport provides ASL with additional opportunities to expand its cargo operations. 

The new 737-800s provide additional capacity for growth and operational flexibility, the company said. 

Why It Matters: ASL provides additional airlift behind the scenes for big cargo airlines important to the global economy, such as Amazon, DHL, FedEx, UPS and Qantas Freight.

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.

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The post Express carrier partner ASL Aviation buys 747 freighters from lessor appeared first on FreightWaves.

The move by the state-owned transportation company is effective Sept. 8, 2026. 

Ravenel, who earlier spent a decade at the railway, brings a “proven track record in transportation and infrastructure leadership and will steer the organization into its next phase of growth, investment and economic impact across South Carolina,” the company said in a release.

Ravenel succeeds Patrick McCrory, who has served as president and CEO since 2022.

Based in Charleston, Palmetto connects with CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC), operating 90 miles of track in five counties, including at the Port of Charleston. It is developing a 25-mile industrial rail line serving Camp Hall Commerce Park and other industrial properties in Berkeley County. A 118-acre intermodal rail yard on the former Navy Base in North Charleston is currently under construction.

Most recently, Ravenel served as East Region Freight Rail Market Sector leader for global engineering firm HDR, where he led strategic rail initiatives for Class I railroads, short-line railroads, ports, transit agencies, industrial clients, and public-sector transportation organizations throughout the eastern United States. 

Prior to HDR, Ravenel spent nearly a decade with Palmetto as the director of special projects and project manager while also serving on the organization’s senior leadership team. 

“Palmetto Railways has played a vital role in South Carolina’s economic development for generations, and I am honored to lead this outstanding organization,” said Ravenel, in the release. “Having spent much of my career helping develop and deliver projects that strengthen our state’s transportation network, I am excited to work alongside our employees, customers, South Carolina Ports, SC DOT, and other partners and stakeholders as we continue investing in the infrastructure, relationships and innovation that drive economic opportunity across South Carolina.”

McCrory praised Ravenel, who goes by “T”.

“Having worked closely with T for many years, I have seen firsthand the experience, leadership and commitment he brings to Palmetto Railways. ,” said outgoing President and CEO Patrick McCrory. “T understands our organization, our people and the important role we play in supporting South Carolina’s economy. His extensive experience in freight rail and infrastructure, combined with his deep knowledge of Palmetto Railways and the relationships he has built throughout the state, will provide valuable continuity as the organization moves forward. I have tremendous confidence in T and know Palmetto Railways will be in very capable hands under his leadership.”

Subscribe to FreightWaves’ Rail e-newsletter and get the latest insights on rail freight right in your inbox.

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Rail freight stretches lead over 2025

The post Rail consultant returns to lead South Carolina short line appeared first on FreightWaves.

“If a shipper has the flexibility of importing goods into U.S. West Coast instead of East Coast, then they must seriously consider it because there is dramatic savings potential, even if it means a heavier reliance on truck and rail to reach the final destination,” said Xeneta Chief Analyst Peter Sand. “This underlines the dynamic approach supply chain professionals must take in managing resilience and freight spend during major market shocks.”

While spot rates on the trans-Pacific continue to tick up, the spread between these two U.S. fronthaul trades is also growing.

“Importing into the U.S. East Coast is currently $3,334 per forty foot equivalent unit (FEU) more expensive than the U.S. West Coast,” Sand said. “Incredibly, this current spread between the trades is greater than the total cost of shipping one container into either coast before the start of the Middle East crisis on February 28 when spot rates stood at $1,879 per FEU into U.S. West Coast and $2,651 into U.S. East Coast.”

Xeneta’s market average spot rates from Asia for the week of August 21 were up 2.7% to $7,193 per FEU to the West Coast, and 2.8% to $10,527 to the East Coast.

Carriers are flexing their negotiating strength amid unexpectedly strong demand and increased blank sailings, sending spot rates to the East Coast up almost 300% compared to pre-Middle East crisis. Severe congestion from typhoons and growing demand among key Asia ports is also causing havoc in rotations. 

“But the European trades show there is a ceiling, with spot rates into North Europe and Mediterranean softening for over a month,” said Sand. “Uncertainty is toxic for supply chains and the uncertainty feels more severe in the U.S., which could explain why rates are still heading upwards. But U.S. shippers should certainly look towards Europe when negotiating because it shows carriers are not invincible and it is possible to negotiate lower rates.”

Since the end of February, Asia-West Coast prices are up 39%, or $2,812 per FEU. Asia-East Coast rates have surged 42%, or $4,399 per FEU.

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

Read more:

China growth straining global auto shipping capacity: Liner CEO

Zim profit rises on Q2 revenue of $1.78 billion

Green light for new U.S. port that will handle 2 million containers a year

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EXCLUSIVE: Americold’s Port Saint John bet stitching DP World and CPKC into one cold chain

The post Trans-Pacific shippers ‘leaving money on the table,’ says analyst appeared first on FreightWaves.

California-based Tai’s AI-powered platform oversees the entire shipment lifecycle, including quoting, sourcing, execution and invoicing. The TMS primarily executes truckload, less-than-truckload, drayage and cross-border shipments.

“The acquisition expands our transportation management capabilities for freight brokers and adds valuable transaction, carrier and shipment execution data to the Descartes Global Logistics NetworkTM,” said Andrew Wimer, associate general manager of transportation management at Descartes.

The Canadian company continues to expand its offering through acquisitions. It has executed 34 deals since 2017.

Descartes (NASDAQ: DSGX) acquired Latin American last-mile logistics tech provider Drivin for $30 million last month. It acquired Pittsburgh-based fleet safety solutions provider Idelic for $28 million in April.

“Tai complements our strengths in carrier onboarding, compliance, fraud prevention, and real-time visibility,” said Descartes CEO Ed Ryan. “By combining our solutions, we see a significant opportunity to help freight brokers navigate change, streamline freight execution, improve operating margins, strengthen customer and carrier relationships, and support digital transformation.”

Descartes reports 2027 fiscal second quarter results on Sept. 10 after the market closes.

Why it matters? The deal signals a strategic move toward deeper digital integration and automation in broker-focused technology.

More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden:

• Teamsters reveal TP Freight’s sudden shutdown
• Truckload linehaul rates rip higher in July, Cass says
• J.B. Hunt’s ‘summer of many minibids’

The post Descartes acquires Tai for $100M appeared first on FreightWaves.

The United States imposed 50% tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian goods beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday after negotiators failed to reach an agreement Friday. The affected imports include products ranging from cement and dairy products to hockey sticks and other goods.

Canada is the second-largest trading partner of the United States, behind Mexico. In June, cross-border freight between the U.S. and Canada totaled $67.9 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The two countries have deeply integrated supply chains, particularly in motor vehicles, machinery and energy products such as crude oil.

Canada has announced plans to retaliate against U.S. imports beginning Sept. 8, setting up the prospect of another round of tariff escalation between two of the world’s most integrated trading partners.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Monday blamed Canada for the breakdown, saying negotiators appeared close to an agreement Tuesday before Ottawa sought additional concessions during the final stages.

“We progressed to a point Tuesday night where we had enough agreement among the parties to announce that we had … found the way to a deal,” Greer told CNBC. But as negotiators worked to finalize the agreement, he said the Canadians “wanted more.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered a sharply different account, saying the Trump administration was making last-minute changes that Canada considered unfair and economically unacceptable.

Heavy-duty trucks emerge as sticking point

One of the disputes with direct implications for the freight industry involved tariffs on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Mark Wiseman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., said Canada wanted medium- and heavy-duty vehicles included in tariff relief, while Washington resisted lowering tariffs on those vehicles, according to Bloomberg.

The issue affects automakers including General Motors and Ford, which operate manufacturing facilities in Canada. Wiseman said Canada wanted to protect its domestic assembly industry covering passenger vehicles, light trucks and medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

The Trump administration’s proposed agreement would have offered tariff reductions covering Canadian steel, aluminum, automobiles and lumber, according to Greer. Canada ultimately rejected the terms.

Cross-border supply chains face new uncertainty

For companies moving goods between the two countries, the biggest question may be whether the tariff escalation lasts days, weeks or becomes a longer-term feature of North American trade.

Dave Townsend, a partner in Dorsey & Whitney’s International Trade Group, said businesses are waking up to a dramatically different tariff environment.

“The biggest question now is whether this is a temporary tariff hike or will last for some time,” Townsend said in a statement. He said both governments have a strong incentive to continue negotiating rather than allowing tariffs and countermeasures to spiral.

Augustine Lo, an international trade attorney at Dorsey & Whitney, said the new tariffs represent a major departure from the largely duty-free trade businesses have come to expect between the United States and Canada since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in the 1990s.

Lo warned that Canadian retaliation could have repercussions across roughly $800 billion in annual goods trade between the countries, along with about $100 billion in services trade.

Whether Washington and Ottawa return to the negotiating table before Canada’s retaliatory tariffs begin Sept. 8 remains uncertain. Wiseman said communications between the two governments are continuing, but declined to say whether Canada is prepared to formally restart negotiations.

Why it matters: The collapse of U.S.-Canada negotiations turns a threatened tariff fight into a real cross-border cost, potentially disrupting hundreds of billions of dollars in annual trade while creating new uncertainty for trucking, automotive and industrial supply chains.

The post US-Canada supply chains face uncertainty as trade talks collapse appeared first on FreightWaves.

It started with American Rheinmetall, which was awarded an 18-month Army contract on July 31 for Project Sustainment. It is an effort to field hybrid-powered uncrewed ground vehicles that move supplies to and from the forward line of troops. American Rheinmetall holds the award as prime contractor, and Harbinger is a tier-one supplier building the platform. It is Harbinger’s first defense contract.

What Harbinger is shipping is not a truck with the driver removed. There is no cab, no steering wheel and no pedals, so no Soldier is available to take over when the autonomy quits.

“This is an AGV product. There’s no steering wheel, there’s no pedals. It is not optionally manned. It is a moving trailer-like platform,” said John Harris, co-founder and CEO of Harbinger, in an interview with FreightWaves.

From the Doorstep to the Last Tactical Mile

The Army’s resupply architecture already maps onto a distribution network. Main trains haul bulk to the brigade or battalion, those stocks get pushed down to company-level formations, and what runs the final leg today is a five-ton or a deuce-and-a-half with Soldiers in it.

“They’re really looking at how do we take that five-ton, deuce-and-a-half type size vehicle and how do we remove some of the Soldiers from doing that very exposed mission set,” said Adam Horton, director of business development at American Rheinmetall, in an interview with FreightWaves.

That errand is one of the dull, dangerous and dirty jobs the Army wants automated. To copy it, the military supply network is taking a page from civilian commercial last-mile applications.

“It’s taking a lot of cues from what Amazon, UPS, FedEx are doing where you have those smaller trucks that are getting out there to go that last delivery mile if you will,” Horton said.

Harbinger builds Class 4 through Class 6 chassis, and Chris Haag, vice president for business development and strategy at American Rheinmetall, described the Project Sustainment vehicle as built off “kind of a Class 5 / Class 6 type truck which does door-to-door delivery at that last tactical mile commercially.”

Silent Running Inside the Drone Kill Zone

The first key clarification: these are hybrid drivetrains. “There’s no EVs in this contract, only hybrids,” Harris said.

The architecture is a series hybrid that runs in either mode. The reason is geography paired with range. Harbinger’s plug-in hybrid chassis is rated up to 500 miles commercially, and that number sets how far behind the front the supply node can sit.

“When we’re within the sort of drone kill zone, the 20 to 30 miles of the front line, it’s very compelling to be able to run as an EV, but we also don’t want to have to refuel or reload the vehicle only 30 miles out,” Harris said.

Electric mode buys concealment, something the modern combat zone makes challenging because of the constant contest between thermal imagery and electronic warfare capabilities.

“We can have near-zero noise, near-zero thermal signature, all of these things that make it a really compelling platform to move up to the front line for sustainment purposes without being a huge obvious target because it’s an engine running,” Harris said.

The receiving unit has no fuel, no maintenance bay and no recovery asset, so a vehicle that breaks at the company formation stays broken.

“You’re not going on hardball roads with lanes and markers,” Horton said. “So the autonomy has to be much more robust in order to accomplish that mission.”

Built By-Wire From Day One

Harbinger’s claim on the platform work rests on decisions made before it had a defense customer. The chassis was specified steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire with redundant power from the start.

Vertical integration bought both the cost and the capability, and the actuation hardware that autonomy needs is already on the vehicle. “If we hadn’t vertically integrated, if we’d said we’ll just go to a big steering supplier and buy what they’ve got, it would have been more expensive and dramatically less capable, because there just aren’t systems off the shelf that have this kind of by-wire functionality, in particular in the commercial vehicle segment,” Harris said.

Everybody’s Piece of the Puzzle

Four companies are on the contract. Each carries a different problem to solve. Forterra supplies cross-country Level 5 autonomy for terrain with no roads or lane markings. Primordial Labs supplies Anura, a natural-language interface that enables hands-free operation and is intended to improve the Soldier-to-robot ratio. American Rheinmetall adds the defense-specific hardware and carries the contract.

That division of labor is why a commercial truck builder could take Army work without standing up a defense arm to do it.

“There’s a lot that goes into a defense contract besides just making stuff,” Harris said. “We have this contract set up in a way that has allowed Harbinger to focus on the part that we know how to do, which is make vehicle platforms.”

The award moved through the National Advanced Mobility Consortium under other transaction authority, a pathway built for prototypes and faster than a traditional FAR-based contract. Haag put it in freight terms: “like a prequalified carrier network,” where the government posts a requirement into a membership pool and members answer with solution write-ups and a price proposal.

From a Handful of Prototypes to 5,000

The order book is purposefully small by design. This is a low-volume prototype demonstrator phase, typically three to 10 units, and the Department of War moves from that stage to low-rate initial production before anything reaches high volume.

Low-rate production tests whether the thing can be built the same way twice. “We’re going to buy a hundred and not 5,000 to make sure that they all come out and do the same thing as we expect them to,” Harris said.

What the Army is buying right now is information. “This prototyping phase is typically about figuring out what you actually want. This is where the requirements are evolving, the approaches are evolving,” Harris said.

It is a deliberate posture, reflecting a new trend: a Department of War that hands industry a problem and asks what it has that can solve it.

The next milestone is a National Training Center demonstration in six to 12 months, Horton said, after which the Army returns with requirement changes. The contract carries potential for follow-on orders, according to the announcement. American Rheinmetall and Harbinger announced the partnership itself on May 27.

Cost is the whole bet, and it is a bet on commerciality. “The real uniqueness of our offering is that it is foundationally a commercial vehicle,” Horton said. “So there are some things that are not fully militarized, but I think that allows a lower cost of entry for the Army to get these mass-produced.”

Looking ahead, the demonstration is where the program converts or stalls.

“What we want to make sure we have is Soldier input into the platform, into the Graphical User Interface and how you interact with it, ,” Haag said. “Not just demos, but try to real-world use it as best you can so that it’s like, ‘Wow, this is the thing I’m looking for and it can do all these things and we’re 95% of the way so here’s the other 5%, let’s see if we can get it.’”

The post From doorstep to supply depot, this EV truck maker aims to tackle both appeared first on FreightWaves.

The discovery happened Aug. 11 at the Roma International Bridge, according to a CBP announcement. A 2012 tractor-trailer arrived from Mexico carrying the declared load. Officers directed the vehicle to secondary inspection for additional screening.

CBP used nonintrusive inspection equipment while examining the commercial shipment. A canine team also assisted officers during the search. Authorities then discovered packages concealed within the detergent load. The inspection ultimately uncovered 240 bundles containing suspected narcotics.

More than 1,000 pounds discovered

The packages contained 1,071 pounds, or 485.78 kilograms, of suspected methamphetamine. CBP estimated the narcotics had a street value exceeding $9.57 million. Officers seized the drugs following the discovery.

“Drug smugglers sometimes try to hide in plain sight, but our frontline CBP officers remain vigilant,” Port Director Andres Guerra stated. He oversees the Roma Port of Entry. Guerra credited technology and experience with helping personnel identify the contraband.

The Roma International Bridge connects Roma, Texas, with Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Commercial vehicles use the crossing to transport freight between both countries. This seizure involved a tractor-trailer carrying a declared detergent shipment into the United States.

Driver and tractor-trailer transferred to police

CBP officers turned the driver, tractor-trailer and suspected narcotics over to the Roma Police Department. Local authorities opened a criminal investigation following the seizure. The federal announcement did not identify the person operating the vehicle.

CBP also did not announce criminal charges in its release. The agency provided no information about the shipment’s origin beyond its arrival from Mexico. Officials did not identify a shipper, carrier, broker or intended recipient.

Authorities also provided no details explaining how the narcotics entered the detergent shipment. The announcement did not identify any additional suspects or organizations connected with the load. Investigators may release further information as the criminal case develops.

Why It Matters

Commercial shipments can provide concealment opportunities for large quantities of illegal drugs moving through international freight channels. This case shows why border inspections remain important even when documentation and declared cargo appear routine.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

FBI hunts ‘No Name Given Kamal’ as transnational crime probe reveals trucking links – FreightWaves

CBP finds $15M in meth hidden in celery load at Pharr, Texas, border crossing – FreightWaves

ACCC executes search warrant at logistics software giant WiseTech in competition probe – FreightWaves

The post CBP finds $9.5M in meth hidden inside detergent shipment at Texas border appeared first on FreightWaves.

Criminal groups keep pressure on Mexican freight networks

Mexican authorities say cargo theft targeting trucking companies is declining nationwide, while Overhaul and recent industry warnings suggest organized criminal groups continue to keep pressure on freight operators across some of the country’s busiest logistics corridors.

Guillermo Briseño Lobera, commander of Mexico’s National Guard, said cargo thefts involving trucking companies are projected to decline 37% in 2026 compared with the 6,263 incidents reported in 2025, according to La Jornada. 

Authorities have recorded 2,519 cargo thefts so far this year, continuing a downward trend that has seen the crime fall 52.07% between 2018 and 2025.

Briseño said the federal government’s Balam highway security strategy has contributed to the decline. The program, which operates in 12 states, helped reduce cargo theft incidents by 37.19% between 2024 and 2025 while increasing recoveries of stolen cargo vehicles. 

Authorities also reported significant reductions along several major freight corridors, including the Mexico-Querétaro route, where cargo theft fell 85.7%, the Mexico-Puebla corridor, where thefts dropped 90%, and the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway, where officials reported no cargo theft incidents.

However, new data from supply chain risk management firm Overhaul’s Mexico Q2 2026 Cargo Theft Report shows cargo theft remains one of the country’s most significant supply chain security challenges. 

Central Mexico remains cargo theft epicenter

Overhaul found that 76% of cargo theft incidents involved violence, underscoring the continuing threat facing drivers and fleets operating throughout Mexico.

Cargo theft activity remains heavily concentrated in central and western Mexico, Overhaul said.

The company’s second-quarter analysis found that 77% of cargo theft incidents occurred in the Center and West regions of the country, accounting for 46% and 31% of reported thefts, respectively.

The State of Mexico, Puebla and Guanajuato remained the three most affected states during the second quarter, accounting for nearly half of all cargo theft activity nationwide. 

The State of Mexico represented 18% of incidents, Puebla 17.9% and Guanajuato 10.8%. Overall, 86.3% of Mexico’s cargo theft incidents were concentrated in just 10 states.

While theft activity declined in Puebla and the State of Mexico compared to a year ago, Overhaul reported increases in Guanajuato, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, Michoacán and Tlaxcala.

Criminals targeting food, fuel and agricultural products

Food and beverage shipments remained the most frequently targeted cargo category during the second quarter, accounting for 30% of thefts, followed by miscellaneous freight (11%), auto parts (9%), construction and industrial products (9%) and fuel (7%).

Overhaul said agricultural cargo theft showed one of the largest increases year over year. Agro-related thefts increased by four percentage points, with fertilizers and pesticides among the most targeted products. Auto parts theft rose three percentage points, while fuel theft increased two percentage points.

Most thefts occur during business days and evening hours

Cargo theft patterns remained highly predictable during the second quarter.

Overhaul reported that 85% of cargo theft incidents occurred Monday through Friday, with criminal activity peaking between Tuesday and Friday. The highest-risk period was between 6 p.m. and midnight, accounting for 31% of incidents, while two major theft windows emerged between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Organized crime groups continue evolving tactics

Recent enforcement actions highlight the continued sophistication of cargo theft organizations.

Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection announced Aug. 15 that federal authorities arrested three suspects linked to a criminal cell accused of cargo theft, express kidnappings of truck drivers and the corruption of local officials along freight routes in Veracruz and Puebla. 

Authorities said the group operated along the Federal Highway 150-D corridor connecting Puebla and Veracruz, one of Mexico’s most important trucking routes.

Nuevo León posts $17B in IMMEX exports through May

Nuevo León recorded more than $17 billion in exports under Mexico’s IMMEX manufacturing program during the first five months of 2026, an 8.9% increase compared to the same period a year ago, according to a news release.

State officials said Nuevo León accounted for 16% of Mexico’s total IMMEX exports from January through May, highlighting the region’s importance to the nation’s export-oriented manufacturing sector. 

The state also ranked first nationally in IMMEX employment, with more than 401,000 workers employed by IMMEX companies as of May 2026.

The export figures were highlighted by Nuevo León Gov. Samuel García during a presentation on the state’s economic performance. García said Nuevo León continues to lead Mexico in attracting new domestic and foreign investment and remains the country’s top manufacturing state, accounting for 12.7% of national manufacturing GDP.

Nuevo León, home to Monterrey and hundreds of manufacturing facilities, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of nearshoring investment in Mexico, particularly in automotive, industrial, electronics and logistics sectors.

Mitsubishi Logistics invests $40M in US warehouse expansion

Mitsubishi Logistics is investing $40 million to develop two large-scale distribution centers in the U.S. as part of a strategy to expand its overseas real estate and asset-turnover business, according to Nikkei Asia.

One of the projects will be a 710,000-square-foot distribution center in Houston, Texas, which is scheduled for completion in July 2027. The second distribution center, to be located in Alabama, is expected to be completed in June 2027.

Mitsubishi Logistics Corp. is a major Japanese global logistics and real estate company founded in April 1887. It is a key member of the Mitsubishi Group, according to its website.

Why it matters: Mexico’s cargo theft problem appears to be improving on paper, but the persistence of violent thefts, organized criminal networks and shifting tactics means shippers, carriers and cross-border logistics providers still face significant security risks across key freight corridors.

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