Amazon has officially announced its 2026 holiday fulfillment fees and is urging sellers to ship early to avoid capacity constraints and higher costs during the peak season. The peak season fee period will start on October 15, 2026, and will include the company’s ongoing 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge applied on top of the seasonal rates. What Sellers Need to Know Holiday fulfillment fees are a standard part of Amazon’s strategy to manage the massive surge in volume during

Amazon is intensifying its competition in the U.S. parcel delivery market, leveraging aggressive pricing and simplified fee structures to attract customers from FedEx, UPS, and even the U.S. Postal Service. Since opening Amazon Shipping to all businesses earlier this year, the company has been winning market share through competitive rates and reduced surcharges, according to parcel pricing experts. Competitive Pricing Driving Market Shift Amazon Shipping is actively courting

Retailers and importers are accelerating shipments in a clear bid to get ahead of potential new tariffs, driving import volumes to record levels this summer. According to the latest Global Port Tracker Report from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, U.S. container ports are on track for an all-time high in July as businesses frontload inventory ahead of expected trade policy shifts. Sharp Rise in Import Activity Import volumes have risen sharply, with

The global energy landscape has shifted significantly following the June 18 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran. The agreement aims to end the recent conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to increased traffic. At Gain Consulting, we have updated our forecasts to reflect this new reality, with meaningful implications for oil supply, inventories, crude and product prices, natural gas, and electricity markets. Higher Oil Production on the Hori

The Trump administration announced on July 1 that it will not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for a new 16-year term. Instead, the agreement will undergo annual reviews through 2036. While the current USMCA remains fully in force, this decision signals a more aggressive approach to addressing trade imbalances and perceived shortcomings in the agreement. Key Details The administration cited persistent U.S. trade deficits with Canada and Mexico as the ma

New research from U.S. Bank and DAT Freight & Analytics reveals a shifting truck freight market: rates are climbing even as volumes remain under pressure. This supply-led dynamic is creating new cost challenges for shippers and opportunities for those who plan ahead. Key Findings from the Latest Report Spot rates have risen sharply, reaching $2.14 per mile in May 2026 — up significantly from late 2025 levels. Contract rates are following with a lag, hitting $2.18 per mile. Th

North American trade continues to show robust momentum. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), total U.S. transborder freight with Canada and Mexico reached $150.8 billion in April 2026 — a significant 19.4% increase compared to April 2025. This marks another month of strong growth in cross-border commerce, with U.S.-Mexico trade leading the way at $86.0 billion (+23.4%), while U.S.-Canada freight totaled $64.8 billion (+14.4%). Key H

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported that the average U.S. domestic air fare rose to $428 in Q1 2026 — a 4.7% increase from Q4 2025. This marks the highest first-quarter average on record. While this data focuses on passenger fares, it carries important implications for supply chain professionals, 3PLs, and shippers who rely on air freight for time-sensitive or high-value shipments. Why Passenger Air Fare Increases Matter for Freight Airlines operate passeng

In a significant development for the North American freight market, the U.S. government has revoked approximately 20,000 work visas for Mexican truck drivers over the past year. This action is part of an expanded crackdown on cabotage violations — the practice of foreign carriers hauling freight domestically within the United States, which is prohibited under current trade agreements. According to Mexico’s largest trucking association (CANACAR), the visa cancellations occurre

Truckload rates continued their upward climb through May and June 2026, driven primarily by tight capacity rather than strong freight demand. According to recent data from DAT Freight & Analytics and ACT Research, spot rates rose significantly despite month-over-month declines in freight volumes across van, reefer, and flatbed segments. Key Highlights: Van spot rates increased 22 cents per mile in May. Reefer rates rose 24 cents, and flatbed rates gained 19 cents. Truckload s

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released its latest Transportation Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, highlighting a significant rise in transportation costs over the past year. For businesses reliant on moving goods—whether by truck, parcel, air, or other modes—this report underscores growing pressure on logistics budgets and the need for strategic cost management. Key Highlights from the May 2026 Report The CPI for all transportation goods and services rose 9.3%

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released its April 2026 Transportation Services Index (TSI) today, showing continued modest growth in freight movement across the for-hire transportation sector. Key Highlights from the April 2026 TSI Freight TSI: Rose 0.3% from March 2026, marking the third consecutive monthly increase. Year-over-year, the index was up 1.4% from April 2025. Passenger TSI: Increased 0.2% month-over-month (also t

PepsiCo has quietly reached a major milestone in supply chain automation. The company is now operating 35 fully driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona — making it the first major U.S. consumer-goods company to deploy autonomous trucks at this scale in real-world operations. The Details PepsiCo’s autonomous fleet, powered by technology from Gatik, handles short-haul routes transporting snacks and beverages between bottling plants, distribution centers, and major retail l

The freight market continues to tighten dramatically. According to the May 2026 Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI), released today, transportation pricing reached a new all-time high while available capacity kept shrinking. May 2026 LMI Key Takeaways Overall LMI: 69.5 (still indicating strong expansion, though slightly down from April’s 69.9) Transportation Prices: 96.0 — the highest reading for any metric in the nearly 10-year history of the LMI Transportation Capacity: 31.7 (d

U.S. shippers just received another stark reminder of how vulnerable global supply chains remain to manipulation. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) this week unsealed an indictment charging four dominant Chinese shipping container manufacturers and seven executives with a global conspiracy to restrict output and fix prices — a scheme that allegedly drove container prices to roughly double between 2019 and 2021. The Companies Involved The four companies charged control appr

At Gain Consulting, we help manufacturers, distributors, and logistics leaders turn economic data into actionable supply chain advantages. That’s why we pay close attention to the Federal Reserve’s monthly G.17 Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization release. The latest report, published May 15, 2026, shows a solid rebound in U.S. industrial activity for April—welcome news after a soft March. Here’s what the numbers tell us and, more importantly, how they should shape

According to the latest Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), freight activity in the for-hire transportation sector increased for the second consecutive month in March 2026. March 2026 TSI Highlights Freight TSI: Rose to 138.7, up 0.4% from February and 0.7% from March 2025. Passenger TSI: Increased 0.3% month-over-month, reaching a new high for 2026 (though still 7.2% below the all-time high from January 2020)

The freight market has shifted dramatically — and fast. According to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI), April 2026 delivered one of the most imbalanced transportation markets in nearly a decade. Supply chain professionals reported a severely tight freight environment, with capacity collapsing while transportation prices surged. April 2026 Freight Market Snapshot Transportation Capacity Index: 28.4 → Down 10.9 points from March — the second-fastest rate of decline in

U.S. shippers are facing another sharp increase in operating costs as diesel prices surged in April, according to new data released today by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). April 2026 Motor Fuel Prices Regular Motor Gasoline: National average $4.10 per gallon → +12.8% from March 2026 → +29.4% from April 2025 Diesel No. 2: National average $5.50 per gallon → +11.8% from March 2026 → +54.2% from April 2025 Regional Regular Gasoline Prices (April 2026): West Coast

The U.S. manufacturing sector continued its modest recovery in April 2026, with the ISM Manufacturing PMI® holding steady at 52.7% — matching March’s reading and marking the fourth consecutive month of expansion. While the headline number signals ongoing growth, deeper analysis reveals a sector navigating persistent headwinds: sharply rising prices, slowing supplier deliveries, contracting employment, and significant geopolitical uncertainty tied to the Iran conflict and tari