May’s inflation data was set to be the first real test of how consumer prices would be impacted by historically high tariffs.

With so many fingers pointed at so many targets, the Q1 GDP data must have been an absolute disaster, right? Well, no.

The strength in ocean bookings today will not translate into domestic freight volumes until May at the earliest.

The difficulty in comparing “hard” versus “soft” data is that sentiment influences decisions that will eventually bear out in the hard data.

Coursing through the different segments within FreightTech, just as with cloud computing before it, are big bets on AI.

The story of venture capital in 2024 was one of resilience and green shoots, but also one of hype in which the big fish ate the little ones.

In the run-up to Tuesday’s promised barrage of tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, the U.S. industrial sector is not looking so hot — a dark omen for domestic freight demand.

J.P. Morgan analyst Brian Ossenbeck warned in a research note that Amazon’s entry as a for-hire competitor poses a substantial risk to LTL stocks.

Recent filings paint a stark picture of Nikola’s financial woes, with assets estimated between $500 million and $1 billion against liabilities ranging from $1 billion to $10 billion.

If consumers were able to keep pace with the incredible inflation of the early pandemic, they should be able to weather any storm kicked up by tariffs.

New tariffs pose a significant challenge for U.S. refiners, who are already grappling with declining profit margins.

Even cars assembled in the U.S. are not exempt from tariff shocks, as components from Mexico and Canada account for roughly 10% of the value of U.S.-built cars, with an additional 5% to 6% coming from Chinese inputs.

Businesses are heading into 2025 with lean inventories and high demand from consumers.

Consumers’ growing pessimism could trigger a pullback in discretionary purchases, directly weighing on trucking demand.

Despite encouraging signs, the U.S. manufacturing sector remains in the early stages of recovery.

President Trump said he was considering Feb. 1 as a start date for tariffs against Canada and Mexico, directing federal agencies to assess compliance with recent trade agreements.

Despite aggressive interest rate hikes by the Fed aimed at curbing inflation, the CPI’s decline in yearly growth has been gradual and uneven.

A stable labor market suggests carriers are less likely to face harsh wage competition, a common concern during periods of labor scarcity.

The latest U.S. sanctions on Russian oil are rumored to be expansive, encompassing two Russian oil companies and more than 100 tankers, as well as oil traders and Russian insurance firms. The sanctions may also hit Chinese banks that facilitate Russian oil trades.

Blanket tariffs, like any other tax, may include certain exemptions. It is these exemptions — not the tariffs themselves — that are the real tool.

For months now, it has been clear that shippers have frontloaded record imports to the country, largely to avoid expected tariffs.

From ocean container flows to intermodal rail movements and truckload tenders, our white paper lays out the impact of the port strike.

FreightWaves has unveiled its 2025 FreightTech 100 list, spotlighting tech-forward companies that have best navigated a turbulent year.

Solidarity between the ILA and ILWU was on display the last time the ILA narrowly avoided a strike (and the ILWU did not).

The ILA maintains that it will not accept any extension of their current contract nor any potential mediation by the federal government.

Based on its results this Congress, the American Trucking Associations’ lobbying efforts make it look less like a Machiavellian operator and more like another Washington grifter.

The end of Panama’s dry season is in sight, and the Panama Canal Authority plans to welcome more vessels in the coming weeks.

Ship recycling has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years, per a recent report by the Baltic and International Maritime Council.

If China and Russia find the Houthi problem in the Red Sea as intractable as the U.S. and its allies have, it would all but halt what little maritime traffic remains in the region.

An unusually warm and dry winter might herald drought conditions in key areas of the Mississippi River Basin over the coming months.

Even as carriers’ pricing power deteriorated, freight demand was consistently robust throughout February.

Dockworkers are fully prepared to swap pallet jacks for picket signs come October.

A recent string of Houthi attacks have reignited concerns about the Red Sea crisis, raising the floor for tanker rates.

A rise in Chinese imports indicates seasonal trends are playing out as usual, very much unlike 2023’s anemic performance.

The early stages of this recovery are characterized by a rebalancing market, a return to normalcy after a four-year roller coaster of volatility.

A recent round of U.S. and British strikes raise fresh questions about the impact of container shipping in the Red Sea.

The sustained imbalance between supply and demand has yet to be corrected, such that only an unprecedented tidal wave of demand could satisfy the current amount of capacity in the national freight economy.

Spot rates did eventually see a boost at the start of the new year, albeit one that was unable to meet our prior forecasts.

Tender volumes began to outpace 2020 earlier this week and are now marching toward favorable comparisons with 2021.

Volumes are leveling out at the start of December, delaying the seasonal dip that ordinarily occurs at this time of the year.

Tender volumes were outpacing 2022 levels before the holiday and came within spitting distance of 2020 — freight demand’s second-best year on record.

This week, freight markets underwent a surprising rally that saw a wave of volumes sweep across the country.

Domestic manufacturers fail to inspire optimism, since they foresee major headwinds on output in the first half of 2024.

The upcoming months are littered with major holidays during which carriers can leverage seasonal constraints on capacity for higher spot rates.

Outside of the holiday rush periods, the fundamental lack of freight demand will continue to expose the lingering overcapacity in the market.

Given the surplus of available capacity, shippers are more confident in switching to “just-in-time” freight strategies as consumer resilience remains an open question.

By next week, it is likely that actual freight flow will have finally risen on a yearly basis for the first time since May 2022.

Consumer demand during the holiday season is expected to be relatively soft, which should temper expectations for a red-hot peak season in truckload markets.

Perhaps the most pressing question for both freight markets and the broader economy is how the consumer will fare in the coming months.

Rejection rates gathered some promising momentum in the run-up to Labor Day, though these gains are slowly being lost.

After a none-too-brief break, the Pricing Power Index is resuming its regular Friday schedule.

Against significant odds, the Federal Reserve might realize its once-unlikely goal of a “soft landing” — that is, taming inflation without also triggering a recession.

Demand from retail shippers is historically quiet in the period from now until August, after which retailers restock their shelves for the back-to-school season.

Demand from retail shippers is historically quiet in the period from now until August, after which retailers restock their shelves for the back-to-school season.

Maritime’s peak season — which typically ramps up in August and lasts throughout October — is expected by retailers and supply chain professionals to be weaker than it has been in previous years.

Tender rejections have yet to return to mid-May’s all-time low, but their softness could persist in a trough for the next two quarters.

One last round of bad news to cap this week: China and the U.S. both posted dismal data from their respective industrial economies.

Volumes did see some growth ahead of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, though not nearly enough to bust out the champagne and sparklers.

So as not to bury the lede, this week’s lack of change in the PPI might ultimately prove to be the most exciting stability in quite some time.

Despite expectations for seasonal growth in the second quarter, the health of the American consumer has continued to become more precarious, stirring headwinds for even once-reliable sources of freight.

Volumes are just beginning to tick up at the tail end of April, but freight demand in the quarter has been mostly flat and thus grossly unseasonable.

While ocean carriers are not facing the same risks as their domestic trucking counterparts, given their consolidation and enormous war chests, ocean’s weakness in demand will continue to trickle down into truckload markets.

Despite seeing slight seasonal growth, truckload markets are showing a continued soft patch.

The gap between current levels of freight demand and those of 2019 is narrowing, casting doubt on the market’s ability to sustain growth.

The consumer will be key to resolving the present tension in freight demand’s future, but consumers continue to be predictably unpredictable.

Market conditions will likely become a bit more favorable before they get much worse.

Índice de poder de fijación de precios de la cadena de suministro FreightWaves de la semana pasada: 30 (Cargadores) Perspectivas a tres meses del Índice FreightWaves de Poder de Compra de la Cadena de Suministro: 35 (Cargadores)  El Índice de Poder de Fijación de Precios de la Cadena de Suministro de FreightWaves utiliza la analítica […]

Strangely enough, tender volumes are abiding by seasonal trends.

Strangely enough, tender volumes are abiding by seasonal trends. The first quarter of 2022 was unusually active as shippers tried to get ahead of disruptions to capacity, which historically tightens in the spring.

With the inflation-squeezed consumer running through their discretionary budgets, freight demand is in a precarious state.

Consumers’ appetite for discretionary spending has been usurped in favor of squirreling away income into personal savings.

Volumes have continued their recovery from the winter holiday season with a surge in pent-up freight demand unleashed into the market. Naturally, since last week’s data was affected by holiday noise, the Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) faces some absurdly easy comps on a weekly basis. Even still, accepted tender volumes remain below their levels of 2021 and ’22 for the time being. 

Volumes have continued their recovery from the winter holiday season with a surge in pent-up freight demand unleashed into the market. Naturally, since last week’s data was affected by holiday noise, the Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) faces some absurdly easy comps on a weekly basis. Even still, accepted tender volumes remain below their levels of 2021 and ’22 for the time being. 

For all intents and purposes, the month of December has only three weeks of freight activity, as the final week from Christmas to New Year’s is effectively null. In years prior, freight demand has fallen throughout the month before bottoming out in that final week. So far, December looks to be following seasonal trends, which is to say that, while shippers’ activity is winding down, this movement is not alarming by itself. Rather, the gap in freight demand between 2022 and ’21 (or even ’20) is the main symptom of current ailments.

For all intents and purposes, the month of December has only three weeks of freight activity, as the final week from Christmas to New Year’s is effectively null. In years prior, freight demand has fallen throughout the month before bottoming out in that final week. So far, December looks to be following seasonal trends, which is to say that, while shippers’ activity is winding down, this movement is not alarming by itself. Rather, the gap in freight demand between 2022 and ’21 (or even ’20) is the main symptom of current ailments.

Contrary to popular opinion, December is not a peak season for freight. True, the freight that needs to be moved in this month typically has greater urgency than usual, which does put upward pressure on carrier rates. But peak truckload volumes are largely influenced by maritime imports, which historically peak between July and September.

Historically, November is the month in which maritime imports begin to move inland for their final push before the holiday shopping season. Yet such imports were lost at sea this year, failing to materialize during ocean shippers’ peak season. This one-two punch of weakened import volumes and overstocked retail inventories means that carriers are left with fewer opportunities to source freight.

Historically, November is the month in which maritime imports begin to move inland for their final push before the holiday shopping season. Yet such imports were lost at sea this year, failing to materialize during ocean shippers’ peak season. This one-two punch of weakened import volumes and overstocked retail inventories means that carriers are left with fewer opportunities to source freight.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

In the nine days since July began, OTRI fell 141 basis points (bps) to its lowest level in over two years: 6.7%. In the three days following that bottom, OTRI clawed back 50 bps. At present, however, it seems as though any upward momentum upon which it could have built has been lost.

After a record year of freight demand in 2021, carriers playing in the spot market benefited from a blank check when naming rates. The federal stimulus enabled consumers to pay off a mountain of credit card debt and, with cash to spare and little else to do, they turned to online shopping and ramped up […]

Volume levels are depressed this week by Monday’s holiday. The national average rate of tender rejections sunk below 7% late in the week, but linehaul spot rates…

Volume levels have made a final push before the second quarter ends. The national rejection rate has recovered from its earlier dip below 8%…

Volume levels have restarted their decline, as have spot rates. The national rejection rate has fallen below 8%…

Volume levels have restarted their decline, as have spot rates. The national rejection rate has fallen below 9%…

Volume levels have restarted their decline, as have spot rates. The national rejection rate has fallen below 9%…

En la era del trabajo a distancia, aprovechar las ubicaciones comerciales de menor costo puede liberar dinero para una mayor compensación

A FreightWaves survey of freight brokers found significant differences in entry-level base pay and commission rates by region.

Volume levels have restarted their decline, as have spot rates. The national rejection rate has fallen below 9%…