FreightWaves Today

August saw an accelerated decline in freight shipments, particularly in less-than-truckload (LTL) volumes, marking the largest year-over-year drop since October 2023. Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles experienced record container traffic in July and August due to early holiday stocking, but anticipates a significant slowdown through the end of 2025 as economic caution grows and new ship fees are implemented.

In a move to enhance infrastructure, Outpost has secured $1 billion in funding to double its truck terminal network, expanding its national footprint across key logistics hubs. Their proprietary gate automation platform, leveraging AI and computer vision, provides customers with comprehensive asset visibility and flexible service options.

The U.S. Postal Service is also modernizing, investing in next-generation package sorting machines like the PILS and MEWS systems to significantly boost processing capacity and reduce operating costs. On the rails, Watco has signed an agreement with Intramotev to deploy its TugVolt autonomous battery-electric railcars, marking the first commercial deployment of such innovative freight rail technology by a railroad operator.

Despite these advancements, the industry faces ongoing challenges, as evidenced by a federal appeals court upholding a ruling that requires the defunct Yellow Corp. to pay over $6.5 billion in pension withdrawal liabilities. This decision rejects Yellow Corp.'s argument that federal bailout funds absolved it of this significant debt.

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Major carriers like DHL Express and FedEx Express are making significant, strategically expanded, and sustainability-focused moves. DHL recently inaugurated a new $94 million international hub at Barcelona International Airport, which boasts a seven-fold capacity increase, processing over 20,000 pieces per hour, and features a full solar array and 37 electric chargers for its vans. Similarly, FedEx opened a new 19,000-square-foot dedicated freight facility at East Midlands Airport in the UK, operating separately from parcel sorting to boost cross-border air shipments and improve asset utilization.

Next, we shift stateside to US ports, specifically the LA-Long Beach complex, which is showing surprisingly strong efficiency numbers for August 2025. Truck dwell time averaged just 2.73 days, while rail dwell time significantly improved to 4.98 days, demonstrating effective coordination between terminals, truckers, and railroads even with high cargo volumes.

Diesel is currently presenting a "tale of two prices" with retail stability contrasting with surging futures. The weekly average retail price remained stable around $3.739 a gallon, but ultra low sulfur diesel futures surged over 10 cents in two days, reaching its highest settlement since late July due to geopolitical factors and attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.

Supreme Court's upcoming review of two important broker liability cases, TQL v. Cox and Montgomery v. Caribe II, on September 29th. These cases will determine the interpretation of the FAAAA safety exception regarding whether it covers brokers or just carriers, a critical point that has led to conflicting circuit court decisions. Additionally, we note the recent, thankfully quick, resolution of a brief outage of public FMCSA data, which highlighted the industry's reliance on this information for critical safety checks.

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Large chunks of publicly available data on carriers have vanished from the FMCSA's website, impacting transparency for safety scrutiny efforts. Neither the FMCSA nor the Department of Transportation has yet offered an explanation for this significant data disappearance.

Yellow Corp. is selling a Baltimore service center for $4.7 million, with only 11 terminals now remaining from its original 325-plus locations. Yellow has successfully sold over 200 service centers for nearly $2.4 billion since beginning its liquidation process.

The surprising boost in container rates, influenced by positive trade negotiations between China and the US, include a potential TikTok deal. Rates from China to the US West Coast surged 7% week-over-week and 34% since late August, with East Coast prices also rising due to general rate increases and demand before China's Golden Week. 

Finally, don't miss Malcolm Harris and Adam Wingfield on FreightWaves TV today at noon, discussing Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Remember to grab your last-chance tickets for the Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on October 21st and 22nd.

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The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is sounding the alarm over broker liability. The Supreme Court is currently weighing requests to hear two cases, Total Quality Logistics v. Cox and Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, which highlight conflicting circuit court rulings that create an "acute existential threat" for small brokers.

A significant victory against cargo theft, as California authorities recovered over $1.4 million in stolen consumer electronics. This bust was made possible with the assistance of cargo security platform Overhaul, whose real-time tracking capabilities enabled law enforcement to pinpoint the cargo and arrest eight suspects.

Michigan-based Kalitta Air prepares to operate the world’s first Boeing 777-300 aircraft converted from passenger to cargo configuration. These "Big Twin" jets, modified by Israel Aerospace Industries, boast a 110-ton payload and will replace aging 747s, significantly boosting long-haul capacity for e-commerce shipments despite earlier certification delays.

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CloudTrucks has expanded its "Road to Independence" program by launching FleetFirst Leasing LLC, a new lease-to-own provider aimed at making truck ownership more accessible for company drivers. This initiative stands in stark contrast to a widespread Class A CDL fraud scheme in Louisiana, where six people were indicted for selling passing grades without required tests for approximately $6,500.

A federal judge in Georgia allowed a lawsuit to proceed against GFA Alabama Inc. and Glovis Georgia, alleging a "bait and switch" scheme where Mexican professionals recruited for engineering roles were assigned lower-paying manual labor jobs. Separately, the industry's largest lobbying groups, ATA and OOIDA, are clashing over priorities for the next highway bill, differing on issues like hair testing and allowing 18-20 year olds in interstate commerce, yet agreeing on truck parking and combating freight fraud.

In strategic global logistics, Radiant Logistics acquired an 80% stake in Weeport, a Mexico City-based provider, significantly strengthening Radiant's presence in Mexico and North America due to nearshoring. Finally, the liquidation of Yellow Corp.'s rolling stock generated approximately $175.7 million in net proceeds, contributing to the estate's roughly $623 million in cash, though former employee claims and the final bankruptcy plan remain uncertain.

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Container rates remained largely unchanged last week despite a drop in freight volumes on most major trade routes. Rates from Asia to the US West Coast ports held steady at $1,700 per FEU, and $2,700 per FEU to East Coast ports, as carriers grapple with demand ahead of China's Golden Week. You can read more about this in "Ocean rates unchanged even as freight volumes decline - FreightWaves".

Six individuals were arrested in Louisiana for a scheme to falsely issue Class A Commercial Driver's Licenses without applicants completing the required tests. This conspiracy involved bribes to pass both the knowledge and skills tests, with all six facing charges including conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. Learn more about this in "Louisiana scheme to obtain class A CDLs without passing tests snags six in sweeping indictment - FreightWaves".

A significant contract dispute continues between Canada Post and the union representing 50,000 mail carriers, with no agreement reached since their last meeting in May. Canada Post recently reported its largest-ever quarterly loss of US$294 million pre-tax for the second quarter, stating the union's counter-offer does not address necessary structural changes. For further details, see "Canada Post and union contract divide widens - FreightWaves".

Finally, nominations are currently open for the Shipper of Choice Award until September 30th, with winners to be announced on October 20th, ahead of the F3 festival. You can also register for the F3 event in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on October 21st and 22nd, and a free Cross-Border Summit on September 10th, by visiting live.freightwaves.com.

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Mexico's industrial boom, highlighted by the new $540 million Wellness Development Hub in Huamantla, is the first of 15 centers projected to attract $277 billion in investment and 300,000 jobs by 2030.

Cross-border opportunities face challenges, exemplified by the U.S. labor dispute against Mexican meatpacker Alimentos Grole, resulting in a suspension of goods liquidation due to alleged worker rights suppression. Additionally, a major U.S. appeals court ruling found most of Trump's broad import tariffs unlawful, creating a critical window of uncertainty regarding future import costs until October 14th.

Prepare for peak season parcel surcharges, with major carriers like UPS, DHL, FedEx, and USPS implementing additional fees from September/October through January, varying based on package specifics and shipping volume. In innovation, autonomous trucking advancements include Torc Robotics' partnership with Edge Case Research to develop a comprehensive safety case for Level 4 autonomous trucks, aiming for fully driverless commercial long-haul trucks by 2027.

Trimble launched its new Freight Marketplace, a platform designed for long-term contractual agreements rather than spot loads, with Procter & Gamble as its first major shipper. A critical industry safety concern addresses the Trump administration's cancellation of a three-year FMCSA study on sexual harassment and rape in the trucking industry, a significant setback for policies protecting vulnerable groups.

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Major parcel carriers like UPS and DHL are hiking surcharges ahead of the holiday season, with UPS adding fees for residential services, next-day air, oversized packages, and high-volume shippers starting September 8th. These increases, which follow earlier announcements from FedEx and UPS, are designed to ensure operational reliability through January 17th.

In a significant legal development, a federal court has ruled most of President Trump's tariffs illegal, finding that the emergency law he used did not grant him authority to levy them in a 7-4 decision. This decision could impact tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico, though they will remain in place through October 14th to allow for an appeal to the US Supreme Court.

In trucking technology, Torque Robotics has partnered with Edge Case Research to develop robust safety cases for Level 4 autonomous trucks, with Edge independently assessing Torque’s driverless safety framework. This collaboration supports Torque's commitment to safety and independent validation, aiming to launch fully autonomous long-haul trucks in the U.S. by 2027.

Don't miss today's FreightWaves TV programming, including a new episode of Check Call with Mary O'Connell at 12:30, followed by Loaded and Rolling with Thomas Wason at 2 PM. Also, remember to register for the upcoming F3 event at live.freightwaves.com and use the code MORNINGMINUTEF325 to save up to $900 on your ticket.

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Discover how Aurora and McLeod Software have partnered to integrate autonomous trucks directly with mainstream Transportation Management Systems (TMS), marking an industry first. This "plug-and-play" integration aims to streamline autonomous vehicle adoption for mid-sized fleets of 100 to 1,000 trucks, supporting vital functions like scheduling and invoicing, with a full rollout planned for 2026 to McLeod’s 1,200+ customers. 

On the infrastructure front, convenience store giant Wawa has entered the travel center business, opening its first facility in Hope Mills, North Carolina, offering 18 free parking spots and high-speed diesel lanes. While primarily targeting short-haul drivers and mid-trip stops without offering showers, this initiative highlights the critical and ongoing need for more truck parking capacity. 

In air freight, strategic partnerships are expanding capacity and control, with Atlas Air providing dedicated Boeing 777 freighters to Etihad Airways and DSV for key routes. These moves offer major players greater command over their capacity and schedules in complex supply chains, emphasizing reliability and logistics ownership. 

Furthermore, Flexport has teamed up with BlackRock to offer up to $250 million in supply chain financing, including term loans, asset-based lines of credit, and crucial tariff financing. This initiative provides businesses with vital working capital to bridge the gap between inventory purchase and sales, directly addressing current trade risks and evolving supply chain financing needs. 

On the trade policy front, Mexico is proposing a 50% tariff on a range of Chinese imports for its 2026 budget, aiming to protect domestic manufacturers and address U.S. concerns about Chinese goods entering via Mexico. Additionally, Mexico has implemented an immediate ban on finished footwear imports and suspended small-package shipments to the U.S., impacting e-commerce platforms as the U.S. ends its de minimis tariff exemption for low-value imports. 

Finally, U.S. container ports saw a temporary jump in July volume due to front-loading ahead of potential new tariffs, but the overall trend reveals a six-month downtrend, with a projected 5.6% year-over-year decrease in total 2025 import volume. This unusual decline suggests a major strategic realignment, with some inbound volume diverting to other North American ports outside the U.S.. 

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