Topic: Blogs

The EPA said it is reevaluating parts of the “Clean Trucks Plan” it views are problematic, with sharp focus on the 2022 Heavy-Duty Nitrous Oxide (NOx) rule, which it noted “results in significant costs that will make the products our trucks deliver, like food and other household items, more expensive.”

We are not in an economic “doom and gloom” scenario, but, at the same time, there is uncertainty, coupled with a number of issues that have the potential to impact all things related to goods movement. Many of these things were highlighted in the recent edition of the “Monthly Economic Review,” which was recently released by the Washington, D.C.-based National Retail Federation (NRF).  

As for ways in which shippers can be prepared for and be ready to address how tariffs can potentially impact the logistics and supply chain operations and processes, there are no shortages of opinions coming from industry stakeholders.

Lost in the shuffle of the myriad executive orders issued by President Trump soon after his return to the White House was one stating that the United States, again, has exited the Paris Agreement.

Amid all of the tariff-related tumult seen in recent days—and, to be clear, there has been a lot of it—there has been no shortage of feedback from various industry leaders about the potential impact these tariffs can have on a whole host of things, including: economic conditions; import levels; and supply chain operations, among many others.

Looking at 2025, ATA is calling for growth, estimating truck volumes to head up 1.6% this year, with the forecast 10 years from now, in 2035, pegged at almost 14 million tons.

December’s LMI reading, at 57.3, is off 1.1% compared to November’s 58.4 reading and is also down compared to October’s 58.9, the fastest monthly rate of expansion going back to September 2022.

In logistics, and really, in any industry, a focus on talent management never truly goes away. That is perhaps truer than ever now, given all of the moving parts in the supply chain, regardless of which link it is in.

While the general consensus regarding tariffs has elicited various thoughts and feedback, regarding what it could mean for supply chain operations and the economy alike—along the lines of things like higher prices and inflation, shifts in sourcing, and front-loading cargo, in advance of when Trump takes office—recent conversations I had with the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) about tariffs, offered up some interesting context about the subject.

Lost in the shuffle of recent weeks, following the election, hurricanes, and logistics-related labor issues, among other things, has been what could be viewed as signs of a groundswell, of sorts, in the form of cautious optimism, as it relates to signs of improvement for things like freight volumes and tonnage, coupled with indications of increasing positive market sentiment, too.

There are multiple ways to view and assess what constitutes a healthy economy. While the data and indicators tell a part of the story, they do not present the entire picture. This has been clear for some time. However, it appears we are closer to a soft landing and a path to sustained growth than we have been in a while, providing at least some cautious economic optimism, which is certainly preferable to the alternative.

The Washington, D.C.-based organization is calling for 2024 holiday spending to increase between 2.5%-to-3.5% annually, coming in between $979.5 billion-to-$989 million, topping 2023’s $955.6 billion tally.

Newsroom Notes reached out to a trio of economists to get their respective takes on the rate cut and what it could mean for freight transportation and logistics.

While inflation may be on the decline, that certainly hasn’t stopped consumers from looking for deals. That sentiment is also true when looking at how parcel services providers are seeing more customers opting for cost-effective ground delivery options—as opposed to more expensive express delivery options.

The NRF sent another letter to President Biden, calling on the White House to work with the ILA and USMX to get a new deal done. It is fair to say, especially at this point, that timing is everything, given that the ILA has made it clear they are ready to go on strike if a new deal is not done before October 1.

When it comes to words describing the state of the trucking market, there are more than a few that could be used. Some examples could include frustrating or difficult, among others. But there are better examples that can be found in the pages of the annual “American Trucking Trends 2024” report, which was issued this week by the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

With the parties still not back at the bargaining table, the National Retail Federation (NRF) is putting some pressure on them to get back to the table and get a deal done.

While high tensions between Class I railroad carriers CN and Canada Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) remain intact, following the potential for a full-blown work stoppage, which was ostensibly resolved, for the time being, after the railroads respectively received offers from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), calling for imposing binding arbitration between them and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), freight rail activity north of the border has resumed.

With Class I railroad carriers Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and CN having respectively locked out its employees that are represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) at 12:01 AM ET today, there has been no shortage of feedback from industry stakeholders about this development, especially in terms of what happens from here.

With talks stalled and no clear outcome known at this point, Newsroom Notes reached out to Paul Bingham, S&P Global Market Intelligence Economist Paul Bingham to get a clear read on what an East and Gulf Coasts’ ports labor strike could mean for the supply chain, as well as the economy, throughput, and port operations, and congestion.