The Supply Chain Economy with Fexingo: Logistics, Shipping, and Goods Movement

In this episode of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna explore the record-low warehousing vacancy rates across the US in 2026. With industrial production up and factory orders surging, available warehouse space has virtually disappeared. The hosts break down the numbers: capacity utilization at 76.1% and manufacturers' new orders hitting $662.7 billion. They discuss the shift from just-in-time to just-in-case inventory strategies, the impact on smaller businesses, and the rise of speculative warehousing. Plus, they examine how rising import volumes are exacerbating the crunch and what it means for trucking and logistics costs. A must-listen for anyone in supply chain, real estate, or logistics.

#Warehousing #SupplyChain #IndustrialRealEstate #VacancyRate #InventoryManagement #Logistics #Trucking #Freight #Economics #Business #JustInCase #SpeculativeBuilding #PortCongestion #Imports #TradeBalance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #IndustrialProduction

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising logistics bottleneck: US warehousing vacancy rates have dropped to near-zero levels in 2026. With industrial production up 0.7% in April and manufacturers' new orders reaching $662.7 billion, demand for storage space has outpaced new construction. The hosts drill into a specific case—the struggle of a mid-sized 3PL in the Inland Empire that lost a lease renewal to a bigger player—and explain how this shortage is raising costs for importers, squeezing small retailers, and reshaping supply chain strategies. They also discuss the broader trend of 'chassis creep,' where containers sit on truck chassis for days because there's no warehouse slot to offload them. Finally, they tie the shortage to today's import surge and trade deficit, now at -$60.3 billion. The episode ends with a forward look at whether automation or multi-story warehouses can solve the crunch.

#Warehousing #Logistics #SupplyChain #IndustrialRealEstate #InlandEmpire #3PL #ImportSurge #TradeDeficit #CapacityUtilization #ManufacturersOrders #ChassisCreep #RetailInventory #MultistoryWarehouse #Automation #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #SupplyChainEconomy

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Industrial vacancies in the US have dropped below 3 percent for the first time on record, driving warehouse rents up 18 percent year-over-year. Lucas and Luna examine how e-commerce demand, nearshoring, and inventory hoarding are squeezing available space, and what that means for tenants and landlords. With industrial production at 102.5 and factory orders up 4.7 percent in April, the pressure on logistics real estate is intensifying. The episode digs into specific markets like the Inland Empire, where vacancies are near zero, and explains why small and mid-sized tenants are being priced out. The conversation also touches on the rise of speculative building and the risks of overdevelopment. A concrete look at a market that affects everything from shipping costs to consumer prices.

#Warehousing #IndustrialRealEstate #Logistics #SupplyChain #Ecommerce #Nearshoring #InventoryHoarding #IndustrialProduction #FactoryOrders #RealEstate #VacancyRates #RentGrowth #InlandEmpire #SpecBuilding #Economics #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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Episode 31 of The Supply Chain Economy digs into a puzzle: US manufacturers' new orders hit $662.7 billion in April 2026, up 4.8% year-over-year, yet spot trucking rates are in the basement. Lucas and Luna explore why the link between industrial production and freight demand has broken. They look at the role of inventory destocking, the shift to rail and intermodal, and the rise of private fleets eating into for-hire trucking. Specific data from the Federal Reserve and Bureau of Economic Analysis grounds the discussion, including the widening trade deficit and what it means for truckers. The episode concludes with a look at how owner-operators are responding — and why the disconnect matters for the broader economy.

#Trucking #FreightRates #SupplyChain #FactoryOrders #IndustrialProduction #InventoryDestocking #Intermodal #PrivateFleets #OwnerOperators #SpotMarket #TradeDeficit #Logistics #CapacityUtilization #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #SupplyChainEconomy #TruckingCrisis

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Lucas and Luna examine a surprising disconnect: US manufacturers' new orders jumped 4.8% in April, industrial production hit 102.5, and imports are surging — yet trucking spot rates are barely above operating cost. They trace the problem to a flood of new carriers that entered during 2020-2022, creating chronic overcapacity. Even as freight volumes grow, the number of trucks grew faster. The episode focuses on one owner-operator in Gary, Indiana, who is now hauling at a loss just to keep his rig financed. Lucas explains why this 'trucking recession' could persist through 2027 unless capacity exits the market.

#Trucking #Freight #SupplyChain #Logistics #Overcapacity #OwnerOperators #IndustrialProduction #Imports #GaryIndiana #SpotRates #TruckingRecession #FreightVolume #DATFreight #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics #Manufacturing #CapacityUtilization

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Episode 29 of The Supply Chain Economy explores a puzzle: US factory orders and industrial production are up, but truck tonnage is flat. Lucas and Luna dig into the data — manufacturers' new orders hit $662.7 billion in April, imports are rising faster than exports, and the trade deficit widened to $60.3 billion in March. They connect these numbers to a structural shift: more goods are coming in by container, but fewer full truckloads are leaving warehouses. The hosts walk through how the import surge is creating empty miles for truckers, squeezing owner-operators, and why capacity utilisation at 76.1% isn't translating to freight demand. A specific look at the mismatch between factory output and trucking demand in mid-2026.

#SupplyChainEconomy #TruckingCrisis #ImportSurge #TradeDeficit #FreightDemand #OwnerOperators #EmptyMiles #IndustrialProduction #FactoryOrders #Logistics #Shipping #USManufacturing #PortCongestion #CapacityUtilisation #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #SupplyChain

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Port congestion has mostly moved out of headlines, but it hasn't disappeared — it's shifted. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how congestion that once clogged Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Savannah is now migrating to smaller ports like Charleston, Norfolk, and Houston. They break down the numbers: capacity utilisation at the top ten US ports hit 85% in April 2026, up from 78% a year ago, while dwell times for containers at secondary ports have stretched from three to five days. The hosts look at why this is happening — the reshoring of manufacturing, the shift to all-water routes through the Panama Canal, and the permanent changes in shipping patterns since the Iran war rerouted global trade. They also touch on the human impact: truckers waiting longer at smaller gates, and warehouse operators scrambling to find space inland. Specific, data-driven, and grounded in the real-world logistics shuffle of 2026.

#PortCongestion #SmallPorts #SupplyChain #Logistics #Shipping #TradeRoutes #Reshoring #PortCharleston #PortNorfolk #PortHouston #ContainerShipping #DwellTimes #CapacityUtilization #PanamaCanal #Trucking #Warehousing #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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Manufacturers' new orders hit $630 billion in March 2026, up nearly 1.5 percent from the prior month. Industrial production is rising and capacity utilization is climbing back toward 76 percent. But trucking volumes are still stuck in neutral and spot rates are barely above operating cost. Lucas and Luna look at why the factory floor and the loading dock are telling two different stories, and what that means for owner-operators and small carriers still waiting for the rebound.

#FactoryOrders #IndustrialProduction #CapacityUtilization #Trucking #Freight #SupplyChain #Logistics #OwnerOperators #SpotRates #Manufacturing #Economics #Business #Trade #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #SupplyChainEconomy #LucasAndLuna #FreightRecession

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In this episode of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna dig into a quietly devastating trend in American trucking: the rapid departure of owner-operators from the industry. With spot rates stuck below operating costs for nearly three years, thousands of small carriers have thrown in the keys. Using live data on industrial production and capacity utilization, they connect the macro picture to the micro reality of a trucker earning forty cents a mile after fuel. They also explore how large fleets are consolidating market share and what this loss of owner-operators means for supply chain resilience during the next demand spike. This is not another 'trucking is tough' story — it's a structural shift that could reshape freight pricing for years.

#Trucking #OwnerOperators #SupplyChain #Freight #Logistics #CapacityUtilization #IndustrialProduction #SpotRates #CarrierConsolidation #TruckingRecession #SmallBusiness #FreightEconomics #SupplyChainEconomy #Fexingo #BusinessPodcast #Economics #LogisticsIndustry #FreightMarket

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Industrial production hit 102.5 in April 2026 and capacity utilization is rising, but the trucking industry is still mired in a recession that began in 2023. Lucas and Luna drill into why the recovery isn't reaching the road: oversupply of carriers, falling spot rates, and empty backhauls. They examine trucking employment data, the impact of the Iran War on diesel costs, and whether the industrial rebound will eventually trickle down or if structural changes in freight demand have permanently altered the landscape. A data-driven look at a persistent disconnect in the supply chain economy.

#IndustrialProduction #TruckingRecession #CapacityUtilization #FreightRecession #TruckingIndustry #SupplyChainEconomy #DieselPrices #IranWar #SpotRates #CarrierOversupply #EmptyMiles #Logistics #Shipping #TruckingCrisis #Economics #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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