INDUSTRY News

SUMMARY

Air Freight: Global air cargo spot rates rose 41% year-over-year in May 2026, reaching $3.40/kg, driven by strong North American and Asia-Pacific demand. Dynamic load factors on Asia–North America lanes reached 90%, signaling tight belly capacity.

Ocean Freight: The Drewry World Container Index surged 5% to $4,166/40ft on June 25 — its highest level since September 2024 — as transpacific frontloading intensifies ahead of anticipated July GRI increases to $7,000–$8,000+.

Trucking: Spot rates hit an all-time recorded high of $3.83/mile in early June driven by seasonal produce and beverage demand, with van load-to-truck ratios up 92% year-over-year. Flatbed remains the tightest segment at $3.60/mile.

SUMMARY

Air Freight: The Baltic Air Freight Index (BAI00) edged down -0.9% week-over-week through June 12, yet remains elevated with year-on-year gains exceeding +32% on most corridors, driven by ongoing supply chain adjustments following the Strait of Hormuz disruption and sustained demand growth.

Ocean Freight: The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) rose 3% to $3,549/40ft container for the week of June 11, with transpacific rates surging — Shanghai to New York up 7% to $5,870/40ft — as shippers accelerate bookings ahead of anticipated July tariff actions and FIFA World Cup cargo demand.

Trucking: Spot rates softened modestly week-over-week with dry van at $2.74/mile (-$0.01) and reefer at $3.05/mile (-$0.01), while flatbed strengthened to $3.30/mile (+$0.01); load-to-truck ratios remain near historic highs at 12.92 (van) and 87.22 (flatbed).

SUMMARY

Air Freight: The BAI00 global air freight benchmark gained +2.8% week-over-week as of June 1 and remains +32.7% year-on-year, driven by the Strait of Hormuz closure diverting cargo to air and early peak-season pull-forward from Asia.

Ocean Freight: The Drewry World Container Index rose 3% to $2,800/40ft as of May 28, with Transpacific (Shanghai-NY +6%) and Asia-Europe (Shanghai-Genoa +4%) leading gains; peak season demand is arriving earlier than usual, driven by a July 1 bunker adjustment deadline.

Trucking: North American spot trucking rates are firming: dry van at $2.68/mile, reefer at $3.12/mile, and flatbed at $3.60/mile; the van load-to-truck ratio surged to 12.92 from 7.2 in April, signaling a tightening capacity environment.

SUMMARY

Air Freight: Global air freight rates extended gains for a third consecutive week, with the BAI Index up roughly 6% YoY. Asia‑outbound corridors led the climb — Hong Kong (BAI30) rose +5.4% WoW and Shanghai (BAI80) +0.8% WoW — while Frankfurt softened.

Ocean Freight: Drewry's World Container Index slipped 1% to $2,216/40ft, its third straight weekly decline, but Transpacific eastbound rates ticked up 2% to the West Coast and 10% to the East Coast as Strait of Hormuz disruption pushes premiums higher.

Trucking: DAT spot rates climbed across all three modes for the week ending May 2 — dry van $2.37/mi, reefer $2.72/mi, flatbed $3.05/mi — with the dry van load‑to‑truck ratio up 21% WoW to 8.68 ahead of CVSA International Roadcheck (May 12‑14).

Classifying less-than-truckload (LTL) cargo has never been easy. So many variables go into these mixed loads that determining the correct National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC^®) code—and ultimately, the accurate shipping cost. Factors like the density, dimensions, stowability, handling, and liability of each item in those shipments further complicate the classification process.

In an effort to establish fair measures and standardize freight pricing, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) created the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) system that classifies all commodities in the United States into one of 18 classifications. Effective August 5, 2023, there will be several changes to classifications that you should be aware of as a shipper.

CANADA - Over 155,000 public sector workers are on strike, effectively shutting down approximately 30 different government departments in Canada.

Beginning March 1 2023, freight forwarders, air carriers and all economic operators involved in handling, sending, shipping and transporting cargo, express or postal consignments to or via the EU by air are required to comply with new advance data reporting procedures know as Import Control System Release 2 (ICS2).

Source: ReportLinker

The total movement of products over an inland transportation network is referred to as freight transport. All supply chains and logistical systems rely heavily on freight transportation. The market’s growth is linked to the affordable shipping costs set by suppliers of freight transport services and the many free trade agreements between nations.

Article by: Chris Jones, Executive Vice President of Industry Services, DeCartes
Source: Supply Chain Brain

A number of macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges, as well as significant learnings about risk and disruption, are setting shippers and logistics service providers (LSPs) down different paths in 2023 and beyond. Looking at research and analysis combining economic, demographic and industry insight, six significant trends have emerged for 2023.

Article by: Nari Viswanathan 
Source: Supply Chain 24/7
Supply chain and procurement professionals are being called to manage their organizations' value chains in highly challenging macroeconomic conditions, it is important to have visibility into inflation indices like the consumer price index and producer price index inflation.

Important changes to the National Motor Freight Classifications (NMFC) will take place on 8/13/22.As a best practice, shippers should be aware of these revisions and act accordingly when preparing LTL freight or work with organizations like BTX Global Logistics to correctly comply with the new requirements.

Source: Hazmat University, Bureau of Dangerous Goods 
If it feels like “new year, another new lithium battery rule," that’s because it is.  As lithium battery technology changes and more is learned from battery incidents, the regulations are bound to change to keep battery shipments safe during transport. 

Article by: John Gallagher
Source: FreightWaves

Article by: S.L. Fuller
Source: Supply Chain Dive

Article by: Andrew Cox
Source: FreightWaves

Rather than recapping 2020, I’d rather look onward. There have been a ton of retail supply chain changes this past year. Some will last, others will not. Let’s collectively lick our wounds and look forward. Here’s 5 predictions for the retail supply chain in 2021.

Article by: Deepak Chhugani
Source: Material Handling & Logistics

The transportation and logistics industry faced plenty of changes this past year due to new customs/border regulations as well as a pandemic. Following are some observations for 2021 that will be critical to manufacturers, shippers and customers moving into the new year.

Article by: Elizabeth Cohen, John Bonifield and Sierra Jenkins, CNN
Source: CNN

Pfizer's vaccine needs to be stored at about minus 75 degrees Celsius, which is about 50 degrees colder than any vaccine currently used in the United States. Doctors' offices, pharmacies and state labs don't have freezers that go nearly that low.

Article by: Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
Source: Supply & Demand Chain Executive

Growth rates in the logistics industry are roaring. Continuing its swift recovery from April’s all-time low overall score of 51.3, the Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI) registered at 70.5 in September, its first entry in the 70s since October 2018.

Article by: John Fisher
Source: American Trucker

New federal hours of service (HOS) rules — designed to give commercial drivers more flexibility — take effect across the U.S. at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Article by: Cristina Commendatore
Source: American Trucker

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the publication of its long-awaited final rule on changes to the hours of service (HOS) regulations.

Editorial by Morgan Forde, Supply Chain Dive
Source: Supply Chain Dive

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion economic stimulus package, provides emergency funding for individual Americans, businesses and industries as the economy grapples with COVID-19 response efforts and disruptions to daily life.

Editorial by Lauren Pittelli, IndustryWeek
Source: IndustryWeek

On the heels of last year’s difficult trade war, supply chains now face an additional disruption caused by the coronavirus. The virus’s impact on international supply chains is spreading beyond China and creating knock-on effects in other parts of the globe. Here’s an update on the situation overseas and what businesses can do now and over the next 90 days to manage the disruption.

Editorial by William B. Cassidy, JOC
Many shippers were caught by surprise when the ELD mandate helped tighten capacity in 2017. Are shippers ready for the next phase of the US electronic logging device (ELD) mandate? They should be, but if past history is any guide, they may not be the case. Those shipping freight across the United States need to plan, even at the last minute, for potential disruption, even if that disruption is minor.

Editorial by Richard Fisher, BTX Global Logistics Boston (BTX-BOS)
From a sales perspective, most of us are used to asking questions to determine where and how we can match our benefits to our client's needs. Asking the right questions go a long way in establishing a longstanding relationship of trust with customers and in gaining additional business from them. In a climate where trade wars and tariff changes are a consistent reality, asking importer clients about U.S. Customs Bond is key.

Every year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducts tens of thousands of commercial motor vehicle inspections during its annual International Roadcheck. This year’s CVSA International Roadcheck starts today, June 5, and ends on June 7, 2018. During this 72-hour inspection blitz, everyone should be prepared for transit delays.

It all started in 2008 when New York City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) released the agency’s “Sustainable Streets” strategic plan to reduce traffic congestion and increase street safety for pedestrians and drivers in the City’s busiest areas. Since then, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan has been implemented phase-by-phase throughout the years. Among the City’s many initiatives are new curbside regulations and restrictions that will affect deliveries being made to designated areas in NYC beginning in 2018.

Last year, we saw an incredible paradigm shift in capacity with regards to global supply chains. In the United States, e-commerce traffic took our normal capacity away in November and December due to record level volumes. Severe backlogs with our core vendors forced BTX Global Logistics and others in our industry to look elsewhere to move cargo just about anywhere.