Heavy headlines closed the start of the week. The US House dropped a 1,000-page surface-transport bill with a federal lane for autonomous trucks, AD Ports lined up another European acquisition, and oil markets reacted to a drone strike on UAE infrastructure. Here is the global supply chain rundown for May 19.
Operations & 3PL
DHL Express widened its Time Definite International offering with a new air service called Heavy Weight Express (HWX). The product targets industrial, automotive and energy shippers, with shipments up to 1 metric ton per package and 3 metric tons per consignment, full traceability and committed delivery windows. Source: SCMag France.
AD Ports Group is set to fully acquire Cologne-based MBS Logistics Group. The binding agreement covers MBS Logistics’ freight forwarding and logistics activities in Germany, Switzerland, Asia Pacific and the United States, but leaves joint ventures out. Completion is targeted for the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory clearances. Source: Logistics Business.
A wave of layoffs swept the US freight ecosystem. More than 5,183 workers were hit across at least 20 states, spanning warehousing, trucking, manufacturing and food logistics. Restructurings, contract losses and softer industrial demand sit behind most of the cuts. Source: FreightWaves.
Cargo theft volumes dipped year-on-year in Q1 2026, with security firm Overhaul recording 574 incidents in the US, or 6.4 a day. Fraud is the worrying line: deceptive pickup scams using forged credentials and impersonated carriers surged sharply. Source: American Shipper.
Technology & Automation
SAP and Cyberwave deployed fully autonomous AI-powered robots in a live SAP logistics warehouse. The pilot extends SAP’s physical AI push and ties robotic execution back into the ERP layer. Source: Logistics Manager.
The autonomous freight rail story is quietly maturing. St Louis-based Intramotev and California-based Parallel Systems are commercializing self-propelled, electric autonomous railcars. The intermodal last-mile economics could shift before driverless trucking catches up. Source: The Loadstar.
The BUILD America 250 Act, released May 17 by House Transportation chair Sam Graves and ranking member Rick Larsen, includes Subtitle E on the Safe Integration of Autonomous Commercial Motor Vehicles. It is the first US federal framework for AV trucking, with the DOT given two years to write the safety standards. Not a green light, but a clock starting. Source: American Shipper.
Taiwanese motion-control specialist Hiwin Technologies reported that robotics-related products doubled their share of revenue in 1Q26, fueled by semiconductor automation, wafer-handling and humanoid component demand. Source: DIGITIMES.
Sustainability & Energy
British cold-chain operator Magnavale, owned by Sadel Group, picked Swisslog to automate its new frozen warehouse in Avonmouth, near Bristol. The facility will run at -28°C with 90,000 pallet positions on roughly 45 m of build height, the second Magnavale site Swisslog will automate. Source: SCMag France.
Taiwan’s Kemflo is pivoting from filtration hardware to a full-stack water-resources play, with new lines in semiconductor carbon recycling and commercial water systems. The move tracks rising fab water demand and tighter drinking-water rules. Source: DIGITIMES.
Oil jumped roughly 2% Monday after a drone strike targeted a UAE nuclear power plant and US–Iran tensions held firm. President Trump warned the "clock is ticking" on a deal as US and Israeli teams reportedly discussed next steps. Bunker and air-freight desks are watching. Source: Hellenic Shipping.
International Markets
Maersk met Sri Lanka Ports Authority officials at the Port of Colombo to address vessel turnaround, berth planning, schedule reliability, transshipment coordination and inter-terminal trucking. Colombo handles a heavy share of Indian Ocean transhipment volumes, so any execution gains travel. Source: Container News.
The full BUILD America 250 Act text was released by the House, allocating $674 billion in core reauthorization including $240 billion for trucking, rail, aviation and ports. Debate kicks off Thursday. Authorisation runs out September 30, which is why the calendar is now the story. Source: American Shipper.
The unanimous US Supreme Court ruling that brokers can be held liable for negligently retaining unsafe carriers will reshape the broker market. Expect fewer intermediaries, tighter vetting standards and higher trucking costs passed through to shippers. Source: The Loadstar.
A Container News reader poll suggests the industry sees bypass-port investment, not just temporary reroutes, as the durable answer to the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Permanent shifts in infrastructure and routing are on the table. Source: Container News.
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