Topic: Motor Freight

With a $0.01-cent increase, the national average came in at $3.749, which was preceded by a 2.7-cent decline, to $3.739, for the week of September 15.

DAT said that the number of available loads on the spot market headed up over the last week of August, due to the pairing of a national brake-inspection campaign and the lead-up to Labor Day weekend tightening capacity. It also noted that August freight volumes were softer than usual, especially for van loads, coupled with the Van TVI turning in its lowest reading for the month of August since 2021.

Austin, Texas-based Outpost, a national network of truck terminals, said that in partnership with GreenPoint, a real assets investment firm, announced the investment of additional capital, which now increases the scale of Outpost’s terminal platform to $1 billion.

Quarterly revenue, at $22.2 billion, increased 3% annually, its highest annual growth rate since the pandemic, and operating income, at $1.30 billion, was up 7%. Earnings per share, at $3.83, beat Wall Street expectations, at $3.61.

The August shipments reading, at 1.017, fell 9.3% annually and was down 1.5% compared to July. And the August expenditures reading, at 3.135, fell 0.4% annually and were down 2.8%, from July to August.

Falling 2.7 cents, the national average, for the week of September 15, came in at $3.739, following a 3.2-cent increase, to $3.7666, for the week of September 8, and a 2.6-cent increase, to $3.734, for the week of September 1.

Since hitting its 2025 high during the week ending July 21, the national average price of diesel nationwide is down 10 cents to around $3.76 a gallon according to the latest update from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The plan also covers steel, textiles, and around 1,400 other products from countries without trade agreements.

The report observed that truckload (TL) activity accounted for 72% of second quarter broker activity, followed by Miscellaneous (which includes ocean, air, warehousing, and special services), at 14%, less-than-truckload (LTL), at 11%, and intermodal, at 3%.

The United States Supreme Court said yesterday that it has agreed to hear arguments in regards to the legality of tariffs implemented by the White House under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), in the form of an expedited review set to begin in November.  

With a 3.2-cent increase, the national average, for the week of September 8, came in at $3.766. following a 2.6-cent increase, to $3.734, for the week of September 1

Logistics Management (LM) Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently spoke with Matt Muenster, Chief Economist for Green Bay, Wisc.-based Breakthrough, an innovator in transportation management, dedicated to creating transparent and fair strategies for the world’s leading shippers. Muenster provided Berman with an overview of trade and tariffs, the industrial economy, and Peak Season, among other topics. 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's announcement on new actions being taken to enforce English proficiency requirements for commercial truck operators were met by applause by American trucking interests.

ODFL reported that revenue per day was down 4.8% annually in August, driven by LTL tonnage per day falling 9.2%.

The August LMI reading, at 59.3, eked out a 0.1% gain over July’s 59.2.

Modern yard management systems (YMS) are transforming supply chain operations by improving trailer flow, real-time visibility, and dock scheduling efficiency. Companies across industries are adopting modular, AI-enabled YMS solutions to reduce yard congestion, streamline operations, and integrate seamlessly with WMS and TMS platforms.

FTR reported that preliminary August Class 8 truck net orders, at 13,000 units, were up 4% compared to July and fell 14% annually, and ACT reported that preliminary August Class 8 orders, at 13,200 units, decreased 19% annually.

Rising 2.6 cents, the national average came in at $3.734, following a 0.005-cent decline, to $3.708, for the week of August 25.

It is hard to find a period in time in which supply chains have seen so much volatility and uncertainty, in various ways as over the last five years. That is nothing new, to be sure, but, at the same time, it does speak to the significance of the industry (whether you may be a shipper, carrier, 3PL, academic, analyst, lobbyist, or anything else along those lines).

Late last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a ruling, by a 7-4 margin, in which it stated the majority of the IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs rolled out by the White House are illegal. Tariffs will remain temporarily in place until October 14, which will give the White House time to appeal its case to the Supreme Court.