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)

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 Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) recently updated its National Transportation Statistics (NTS) database, providing fresh insights into how transportation continues to shape the American economy. While BTS releases data across infrastructure, safety, energy, and economic categories each month, this latest update places special emphasis on transportation’s broad economic footprint — including its contributions to GDP, employment, wages, and consumer spending. Why T

U.S. transborder freight with Canada and Mexico totaled $130.8 billion in February 2026, a modest 0.7% decrease compared to February 2025, according to the latest data released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). While overall trade was slightly down, the numbers reveal a tale of two borders: continued strength with Mexico and further softening with Canada. Key February 2026 Highlights Total Transborder Freight: $130.8 billion (−0.7% vs. Feb 2025) U.S.–Canada: $

According to the latest report from DAT Freight & Analytics, truckload spot rates reached two-year highs in March 2026, driven largely by the sharp surge in diesel prices caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The report shows that both spot and contract rates climbed significantly, while truckload freight volumes increased across all major haul types (dry van, reefer, and flatbed). Key Takeaways from DAT’s March Report: Truckload spot rates hit their highest

The U.S. freight transportation sector showed continued momentum in February 2026, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) increased 1.5% from January, marking the second consecutive month of growth. Year-over-year, the index rose 1.9% from February 2025. The Freight TSI, which measures the volume of freight carried by for-hire transportation providers, reached 139.8 in February. Key

The U.S. manufacturing sector extended its expansion for the third consecutive month in March 2026, according to the latest ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report. The headline PMI rose slightly to 52.7% , up 0.3 percentage points from February’s reading of 52.4%. While the overall economy has now been in expansion for 17 straight months, the report reveals a mixed picture with notable cost pressures and growing external uncertainties. Key March 2026 Highlights Manufacturing PMI® : 5

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) is considering significant updates to Rule 640 , the long-standing provision governing how mixed freight shipments are classified when they are not fully itemized on the bill of lading. The proposal, currently open for industry feedback, could have widespread ripple effects across the Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) sector. What’s Changing? The most notable shift in the proposed rule is the introduction of a 13-sub density scal

In a significant regulatory win for the trucking and logistics industry, the EPA has officially eliminated the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensor requirement for trucks, farm machinery, and all other diesel-powered equipment. This change, announced on March 27, 2026, ends a long-standing source of frustration and costly downtime for carriers and shippers across the country. What Changed? DEF sensors (urea quality sensors) have been a major pain point for diesel operators. The

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has released its January 2026 TransBorder Freight Data, providing a detailed snapshot of U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico. Total transborder freight reached $126.9 billion , representing a 5.5% decrease compared to January 2025. While trade with Mexico showed resilience, a sharp decline with Canada drove the overall reduction. These statistics, reported in nominal U.S. dollars and not adjusted for inflation or tonnage, help info