The latest ISM Manufacturing PMI report shows the sector expanded for a ninth straight month in September, registering 54.5% — just a tenth of a point below August. On the surface, that reads as "steady as it goes." Underneath, the report tells a more complicated story: new orders and employment both accelerated, but input prices jumped sharply, and the commodities list reads like a freight cost forecast in miniature. 54.5% -Manufacturing PMI (9th month of growth) 77.9%- Pric

Old Dominion Freight Line announced this week a general rate increase of 4.9% across various tariff codes, effective October 5. What stands out isn't the size of the increase so much as the timing: this is the second year in a row that Old Dominion has moved its GRI up by a month, continuing a pattern of pulling rate hikes earlier into the fall shipping season. Why the Earlier Timing Matters GRIs are a routine part of the LTL playbook — carriers use them to adjust base rates

FedEx has introduced a new premium delivery option, FedEx Authenticated Delivery, aimed at cutting down on theft, fraud, and misdelivered packages. Instead of relying on a signature, the service requires the recipient to present a unique QR code before the driver will hand over the package. The service is now available for eligible residential and commercial shipments in the United States and Canada, layered on top of select expedited FedEx services. Who It's Built For This i

Mexican customs authorities have reversed a five-day restriction that barred empty commercial trucks from crossing into Mexico through the Eagle Pass, Texas – Piedras Negras bridge, ending a disruption that stranded hundreds of tractors and cut daily cross-border truck traffic by more than half. What Happened Mexico's National Customs Agency (ANAM) imposed the restriction on September 9, allowing loaded trucks to continue entering Mexico while blocking empty trailers and bobt

At a Shell station in San Diego's Serra Mesa neighborhood, diesel is now selling for $9.99 a gallon — the highest price the pump's digital display can even show. It's not an isolated glitch. As of mid-September 2026, at least five or six stations across California, including locations in Santa Clara, San Jose, and Paso Robles, have hit that same three-digit ceiling. If you ship freight, this isn't just a curiosity out of California. It's a preview of what's happening to your

If you're an importer of record in the United States, it's time to pull up your CBP file and check it — carefully. Starting September 18, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection can revoke a shipper's ability to bring goods into the country if the information on file is inaccurate. Not incomplete. Not fraudulent. Just wrong. This is a big shift, and a lot of shippers are going to be caught off guard by it. What's Actually Changing CBP published a Federal Register filing last

The latest Transportation Producer Price Index data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics confirms what many shippers are already seeing on their invoices: transportation costs continue to rise, and some modes are moving much faster than others. From August 2025 to August 2026, the Producer Price Index for transportation equipment rose 2.6%. More telling for day-to-day operations are the year-over-year changes in transportation services: Truck: +14.3% Water: +16.7% Air

The latest Short-Term Energy Outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (released September 9, 2026) confirms what many shippers are already feeling at the pump and on their freight invoices: energy costs are not easing anytime soon. Oil Market Snapshot Global oil prices averaged $91 per barrel in August—$7 higher than July. The primary driver is a sharp drawdown in inventories. The EIA estimates global oil stocks have fallen by roughly 400 million barrels so far

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics' latest Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) confirms what many shippers have already sensed on the ground: freight activity is losing momentum. The Freight TSI slipped 0.7% in July 2026 compared with June, erasing the prior month's modest uptick, and now sits 2.0% below its July 2025 level. It's not a collapse. But it is a signal worth paying attention to, especially since it's happening while other corners of the economy are st

If you haven't looked closely at your peak season shipping costs yet, now's the time. Amazon Shipping just announced its 2026 holiday surcharges, and they're higher than last year's — which means this could be the most expensive peak season parcel shippers have ever seen. At Gain Consulting, we spend our days helping businesses like yours get ahead of exactly this kind of cost creep. So let's break down what's changing, why it matters, and what you can do about it before the

TruckSmarter is closing up shop. The company confirmed that its AI-powered driver app, Dispatch, will shut down this Friday. More than 500,000 carriers have used the platform, which combined a free load board with an AI chat interface that allowed drivers to find, bid on, and book freight without navigating traditional load boards. For a company that raised $16 million just last September to accelerate growth and product innovation, the abrupt exit stands out. TruckSmarter ha

The August Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI) came in at 66.6, down 2.2 points from July’s 68.9 and further below June’s recent four-year high of 71.1. Logistics activity is still expanding, but the pace of growth is slowing. The slowdown is driven primarily by softer inventory levels, while costs across the board continue to climb at a rapid rate. For shippers and logistics managers, the message is clear: the underlying pressure on transportation, warehousing, and inventory cos

The U.S. Postal Service will implement a temporary 6% average rate increase on several package shipping services during the 2026 peak season, according to a recent agency filing. The seasonal adjustment is scheduled to take effect on October 4, 2026, and remain in place through January 17, 2027. It will apply to both retail and commercial rates for USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and Parcel Select. Key Details USPS stated that the temporary increa

Late Friday night, trade negotiations between the United States and Canada broke down, raising the risk of a broader trade conflict between two of the world’s most closely linked economies. The two countries exchange nearly $900 billion in goods annually. When talks failed, the U.S. moved forward with 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods — about 5% of Canada’s exports to the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by announcing dollar-for-

Double brokering has long been an open secret in trucking. Recent court decisions suggest that era of tolerance may be ending. Two new cases—one from a Nevada federal district court and one from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals—show judges increasingly willing to hold brokers and carriers accountable when loads are improperly passed along. The rulings raise the stakes around “reasonable care,” vicarious liability, and the risks of doing business with parties known to double

Airfreight rates declined in July even as jet fuel prices climbed sharply following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. The latest Baltic Air Freight Index (BAI00) from TAC shows average rates fell 8.8% compared with June levels. Despite the monthly drop, rates remained 16.8% higher year-over-year as of late July, supported by residual effects from earlier Middle East tensions, elevated fuel costs, and continued demand linked to data center construction. However, t

The Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI®) registered 68.9 in July, a moderate slowdown from June’s 71.1 (the fastest expansion rate since March 2022). While expansion eased, the reading remains well above the all-time average of 61.7 and higher than any monthly figure recorded between 2023 and 2025. Logistics activity is still growing robustly, but the nature of that growth is shifting. Key Drivers of the July Reading Cost pressures continue to dominate: Inventory Costs rose to 77

TFI International is positioning for growth in the U.S. less-than-truckload (LTL) market while working to correct recent pricing missteps—moves that could reshape capacity and rates for shippers in the months ahead. During its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, CEO Alain Bédard confirmed the Montreal-based carrier is exploring the acquisition of a U.S. nonunion LTL carrier valued at approximately C$200 million (about $142 million). The company currently operates a very small

Stricter federal enforcement of cabotage rules is reshaping cross-border trucking along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to the latest Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data, the number of active Mexican-domiciled trucking companies operating in southern border commercial zones has declined 4.3%, falling from 5,467 in late December 2025 to 5,232 as of mid-May 2026. This represents a continued downward trend from 5,633 carriers at the end of 2024. The reduct

The Port of Los Angeles continues to demonstrate remarkable strength amid global uncertainty. In June 2026, the nation’s busiest container gateway achieved a historic milestone: processing more than 1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) — marking the best June in the port’s 118-year history and the third-best month ever recorded. This was the third time the port has crossed the million-TEU threshold, a feat no other port in the Western Hemisphere has accomplished even