Building upon SONAR intermodal and dry van contract rate data already available in the platform, as of today, intermodal savings rates are now included in SONAR, as a national average, for 63 individual lanes, and two indices.  The LA to Dallas lane is competitive between truckload and intermodal with a 9% average intermodal savings rate. […]

Echo surveyed 5,000 carriers and shippers on the freight market On Tuesday, Echo and FreightWaves co-hosted a webinar that featured Sean Burke, Echo chief commercial officer, and Jay Gustafson, Echo executive vice president of brokerage operations. The presentation discussed the results of a survey conducted at the end of last year, with more than 5,000 […]

Ocean carriers are maintaining pricing power This chart of ocean spot rates has moved in a manner similar to stock market averages. (Chart: SONAR) By now, most of us have seen memes about a new and creative way to say “Buy the dip,” which is, of course, Trump Always Chickens Out, or TACO. In addition […]

‘Air pocket’ makes its way to port and intermodal volume SONAR Trade War Command Center In April, numerous U.S. ports set records for import volume. The SONAR Trade War Command Center application shows expected steep month-over-month declines in import volumes based on a 14-day moving average of bookings by date of departure. Most notably, volume […]

Carriers in port cities brace for ‘air pocket’ The Los Angeles outbound tender rejection rate is only 2% compared to the national tender rejection rate of 5.4%. (Chart: SONAR) Import volume remained strong in April, as FreightWaves described, with imports up 1.2% from March and 9.1% year over year. Going forward, a major drop-off in […]

Ocean rejection rates spike as bookings fall (Chart: SONAR Container Atlas) Much of the focus the past several days has been on the drop in ocean bookings from China to the U.S., and with good reason. The SONAR Ocean Booking Volume Index from China to the U.S. is now down about 50% year over year, […]

Tender volume takes a dive Tender volume, a measure of how often shippers request carriers to move loads, has trended down in recent days. (Chart: SONAR) Up until the past few days, for all the turmoil in trade policy and the financial markets, SONAR had not been showing much change in freight demand, as measured […]

Imports may fall sharply in second half Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said he expects at least a 10% year-over-year drop in container volume at the port in the second half. I found that to be especially noteworthy because his comments seemed to be a departure from his more bullish remarks in […]

Reflecting the tariff pull-forward, rail intermodal takes share from truckload.

Fears of tariffs on lumber, other goods drive flatbed rejection rates to 3-year high.

Trade group says stores continue to import as much merchandise as possible.

Amid uncertain demand, capacity continues to exit.

Impact of levies seen in Canadian trucking, US imports, warehousing and intermodal.

Freight volume has been weak this month Tender volume, which counts how often shippers request that carriers pick up loads, has shown weakness this month. (Chart: SONAR) The Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI – above) is the SONAR chart that stands out the most to me this week. It measures the volume of requests from […]

Freight market not tightening in time for bid season.

Demand is being pulled forward, ships are being built, and the Red Sea may reopen.

Articles and shows describe potential impact to numerous industries.

Spot rates rise, but inflection yet to take hold.

As truckload capacity exits, weak volume keeps rates in check.

Labor strife, volatile freight rates and fraud all have disruptive potential.

New policy could accelerate nearshoring trend.

Tender rejection rate rises as holidays approach The tender rejection rate has risen steadily since early October despite tender volume declining. That implies that capacity is leaving the market, which is leading to a tighter freight market. (Chart: SONAR) Both truckload spot rates and tender rejection rates are indicating that the freight market is tightening. […]

FreightWaves CEO expects rates to increase 4%+ in 2025.

SONAR shows carriers turning down more than 20% of outbound Ontario loads.

It’s that time of year – retail news abounds on FreightWaves and elsewhere I thought Target’s management team put it well last week as it now describes consumers as “resourceful,” meaning they are still shopping but are looking for value and waiting for deals, rather than “resilient,” the term it used previously. Along similar lines, […]

Data platform now provides LTL rates by class and intermodal contract rates by lane.

Alternative fuel equipment leader is actively building hydrogen fueling network.

Old Dominion, CSX among largest post-election gainers as freight stocks outperformed broader averages.

Tariffs, taxes, the FTC and food regulations are among the major issues.

Expertise is key to navigating cargo insurance, security and customs issues in Mexico.

Latest The Stockout show explores sock puppets This is how RFK Jr. sees U.S. food regulators. (Image: FWTV) On Monday’s The Stockout show, which focuses on topics relevant to shippers in the retail and CPG industries, Grace Sharkey and I discussed how the election could impact those sectors. If Trump is elected, the Federal Trade […]

Tender rejection rates rise for reefer, but remain muted for dry van, suggesting supply and demand in the reefer segment is much more balanced.

Start your week with Brittain Ladd On Monday at 10 a.m. EDT, Grace Sharkey and I will again interview one of our favorite guests: outspoken independent consultant Brittain Ladd. The depth of Ladd’s expertise is impressive and spans companies and topics throughout the retail space and far beyond.  On his prior The Stockout appearance, his […]

Perishables and auto parts will get scarce if strike persists.

Biden administration said it won’t intervene, but is that really believable?

Biden administration says no to using Taft-Hartley to stop ILA strike.

FreightWaves covers ILA from many angles.

Even a short work stoppage by the ILA would greatly disrupt freight networks. SONAR charts show evidence of shippers looking to avoid getting caught in a potential ILA strike which has impacts on maritime, rail intermodal and truckload data.

Tender rejections are anemic, and most LTL carriers are reporting down tonnage.

International Longshoremen’s Association delegates are to meet Wednesday and Thursday.

The industries to be most heavily impacted are those in bulk commodities, such as grain, potash and metallurgical coal. In addition, several intermodal corridors will be heavily impacted including long-haul international intermodal lanes, cross-border lanes. US intermodal volume is seeing a boost, but that could lead to congestion.

Groceries emerge as political football as Harris floats price controls.

Maritime expert cites carrier alliances’ ability to blank sailings to manage capacity.

Easing port congestion, seasonal demand trends make third surge improbable.

Ocean rates show surprising early summer bounce,

Losing share in boring items Target shares have severely underperformed Walmart over the past three years. (Chart: Barchart.com, Inc.) Target spent much of Wednesday’s earnings call talking about recent promotions, new product introductions and holiday-related sales. Examples include Target Circle Days, back to school, the launch of a private label outdoor brand, pickleball gear introductions, […]

Outspoken consultant shares views on India and Starbucks, among other things.

Future of Supply Chain discount code expires May 15  Stockouters, I want to see you in Atlanta! My subscribers can still access tickets to FreightWaves’ Future of Supply Chain at a reduced rate here, but not for long. The event takes place June 4-5 at the Georgia International Convention Center. Click here for what to […]

In competitive lanes, loads shift from rail to road.

SONAR sets up intermodal trading ideas ahead of earnings.

Largest online retailer to impose new inventory-placement and low-inventory fees.

Key Bridge reports includes news articles, data and expert commentary.

Ideal for consumer engagement, recurring packages face economic and logistical challenges.

Target Circle 360 leaves The Stockout hosts asking who it is for.

Shippers should facilitate supplier collaboration while bracing for potential freight market turn.

In addition to key issues in lawsuit, parties at odds over scope and time frame.

Governmental order could place safety burdens on e-commerce giant.

Activist pressure and focus on OR are at odds with optimal service levels.

Multimodal carrier considers volume a leading indicator and price a lagging one.

Tension between stores and suppliers has intensified amid commodity fluctuations.

CPG giant sees no impact from Red Sea drama, but consumer pressures remain evident.

Frictionless commerce tops list of retail trends.

Payments network is seeing only modest levels of freight capacity exiting the market.

Consumers remain remarkably spendy in the face of rising debt balances.

Holiday sports offer welcome reprieve from discouraging newsfeed.

Largest retailer joyously provides best reason yet for Walmart Plus.

Cartograh and TRAC Intermodal CEOs to be featured next week.

Carriers expect muted peak season with few spot opportunities.

GLP-1 drug use and wariness of ultraprocessed foods could hit sales.

FTC complaint highlights challenges that sellers face on the largest e-commerce platform.

Comments from Amazon merchandising expert add context to nuanced issue.

Pricing strategies advance as companies model changes in consumer behavior.

Smucker’s Twinkie defense points to recent growth in indulgent snacking.

The Stockout content breadth expands to include both CPG and retail logistics coverage.

Packaged coffee is an exception to sticky prices where consumers are benefiting from lower commodity costs.

Big-box sellers report healthier-than-expected consumers and stress high in-stock rates.

Numerous acquisitions the past several years bolstered logistics firm’s end-to-end capabilities.

Conagra says consumers are buying less while J.B. Hunt highlights lack of seasonal uptick.

British Columbia port workers’ strike ongoing and UPS Teamsters threatening to strike at month’s end.

New regulations could force CPGs to revise product formulas to eliminate common ingredients.

A proposed revision to FTC regulations would make canceling subscriptions as easy as signing up.

Upcoming revisions are likely to impact CPG ingredients, packaging and labeling.

Amid lower commodity costs, retail CPG prices should stick, leading to margin recovery.

Some supply chain issues remain, but moderating inflation helps margins recover.

Startups aim to help CPGs achieve clean labels while governments revise health regulations.

Production of palm oil, a common CPG ingredient, is associated with deforestation and human rights abuses.

Most food emissions come from ingredients, but the impact of packaging redesign is more immediate.

Automation benefits go beyond productivity and extend into food and worker safety.

Walmart and Target look to save shoppers from the indignity of checkout counters

Mixed commentary suggests that further ticket revisions will be ‘more surgical.’

TreeHouse Foods gains share despite lingering supply chain issues.

In addition to sugar, other regulatory updates pertain to sodium, whole grains and flavored milk.

Commodity prices have come down, but manufacturers say their costs are still rising.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a 60-day notice of its plans to conduct research on front-of-package nutrition labels.

CPGs’ worst nightmare For certain CPG categories, I would argue that the worst thing that could happen isn’t a recession but consumers getting religion on healthy eating and avoiding the center of the grocery store altogether. Healthy eating aside, earlier this week The Wall Street Journal highlighted a second concern that may be gaining traction […]

Sugar reduction startups The consumer-packaged-goods-related article that I found most interesting this week was in FoodBusinessNews and it described three startups focused on developing very innovative sugar reduction alternatives. Here is a quick synopsis of those companies: Growing concern about sugar and salt intake Of course, there are easy ways for consumers to cut sugar. […]

Growing evidence of ‘shopper rebellion’ Elasticities, or the negative change in sales volume in response to rising prices, has been one of the main topics in the CPG industry in the past year. Despite two consecutive years of steeply rising prices, including last year’s CPG price growth of upward of 15% or more in many […]

Deceleration in Constellation Brands’ shipment growth and disappointing margin outlook Constellation Brands, the owner of the Corona and Modelo beer brands and various wine and spirits brands, such as Svedka Vodka, was among the first CPG companies to report earnings in the new year and it proved to be a controversial quarter. Shares declined 10% […]

Sick of earnings season yet? It’s this time of the quarter when I miss my old position as a sell-side stock analyst the least. For those looking to get caught up on earnings, there is plenty of coverage on FreightWaves. For freight carriers, the themes so far have been loosening market conditions and the lack […]

High butter prices expected to persist Butter is currently second only to eggs for the title of most inflationary food item, up 25% year over year, compared to 13%-14% for the entire grocery category. Inventories of cold butter at the end of July were the lowest since 2017. Those stocks are usually built up early […]