Demand

The third quarter IBI Activity Index reading came in at 53, with the inflection period coming from net absorption, new lease signings, and the proposal pipeline each at healthier levels in the third quarter compared to the 2024 average. And it added that the IBI reading showed a decline, as “supply chain activity peaked early in 2025 due to trade volatility,” adding that the recovery is nonlinear, paced by large and e-commerce companies pacing growth that is expected to be followed by other...

The September shipments reading, at 1.042, was down 5.4% annually, faring better than August’s 9.3% annual decrease, and increased 2.5% over August. The September shipments reading, at 1.042, was down 5.4% annually, faring better than August’s 9.3% annual decrease, and increased 2.5% over August.

The report’s benchmark reading, the PMI, at 49.3 (a reading of 50 or higher indicates growth), rose 0.9% over November’s 49.3, with the PMI contracting for the ninth consecutive month and the 25th time in the last 26 months. It also noted that the overall economy has expanded, at a faster rate, for the last 56 months, since contracting in April 2020.

At a time when freight demand remains depressed, coupled with excess truckload capacity and pricing remaining firmly in shippers’ favor, one can point to any number of economic metrics to come up with opinions, or estimations, as to what is driving market conditions. To be clear, though, the metric leading that list still is very likely inflation, as it has been a major talking point in freight transportation and logistics circles for nearly two years, going back to when the...

Despite 62% of carriers reporting lower freight volume in 1Q, 33% predict freight demand to increase in the next 3-6 months. Only 19% predict freight demand to decline in the same timeframe, which represents a 12-point percentage decline vs. the 4Q survey.

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Memphis-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider FedEx rolled out a new data-driven commerce platform, which it said connects the entire customer journey. Entitled fdx, company officials explained that it provides various customer benefits, including: growing demand; increasing conversion; optimizing fulfillment; and streamlining returns.

Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviewed Ronnie Davis, VP of North American Surface Transportation, for Minneapolis-based global logistics services provider and freight forwarder C.H. Robinson, about what is different about this year’s beverage season, on various fronts, like how it its creating swings in truckload demand and the challenges it can present for carriers, among others.

Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently caught up with DHL Express U.S. CEO Greg Hewitt to discuss various topics, including logistics trends, Peak Season, and sustainability among other topics. Their conversation is below.

There is a sharp, telling contrast among yields of trucking companies, depending on which niche they are operating. An expected slow first half for freight demand has morphed into uncertain expectations for the rest of the year. Most truckload (TL) executives are hoping for a second-half rebound to make up for a below-par first half.

Yellow, which controls about 10% of the $58 billion less-than-truckload (LTL) market, suffered a first quarter loss of $54.6 million on revenue of $1.159 billion. That was nearly twice the loss of $27.5 million on $1.26 billion revenue in the year-ago period.

February shipments—at 846,054—decreased 7.5% compared to February 2019, and containerized freight shipments, for the month, were down 4.5%. On a year-to-date basis through February, U.S.-bound waterborne shipments—at 1,874,305—are down 5.4% compared to the same period a year ago.

While it was not a huge surprise that 2019 was unable to maintain the economic and freight volume momentum seen in 2018, the outlook for 2020 is shaping up to be closer to the former. That was the word from speakers at this week’s SMC3 JumpStart 2020 conference in Atlanta.

The report’s National Shipment Index—at 126.5—was down 4% from the third quarter to the fourth quarter and off 5.4% annually. On the spending side, the report stated that the spending index—at 195.2—was off 2.7% from the third quarter to the fourth quarter and off 2.5% annually.