Freight markets are running hot ahead of schedule. Early peak-season demand, tariff front-loading and a couple of geopolitical jolts shaped the picture this morning, with fresh moves in automation and energy logistics alongside.
Operations & 3PL
US less-than-truckload pricing just hit a five-year high. SONAR’s LTL.USA index now reads $46.13 per hundredweight, comfortably above its six-month average of $41.31. Van contract rates back up the recovery, climbing steadily after bottoming near $2.25 per mile in mid-2025. Carriers are posting their best pricing since the post-COVID boom. Source: FreightWaves
A proposed automated freight corridor linking Laredo with Monterrey took center stage at the 9th Modernization of Cross-Border Trade conference in Texas, which drew more than 500 industry figures. The plan would use US truckers to move freight into Mexico, reopening the debate over driverless lanes and B-1 visa alternatives. Cross-border volumes keep building. Source: American Shipper
Fleet renewal shows no sign of cooling. CMA CGM has reportedly ordered eight 6,000 TEU vessels from Hengli Heavy Industry, while Global Ship Lease booked ten mid-sized ships with high reefer capacity for roughly $917 million, with deliveries spread from late 2028 into 2030. Most of the new tonnage is conventionally fuelled. Source: Container News
Technology & Automation
TM Technology unveiled its first humanoid robot, betting on what it calls physical intelligence. The machine is built to move through human-built spaces, factories, warehouses, offices, and the company frames it as a way to lower the cost of entry into automation. Source: DIGITIMES
SAP is pushing agentic AI from demo to daily use. The pitch is enterprise systems that coordinate workflows, data and compliance across finance, supply chain and customer service. Software vendors are under real pressure now to show savings rather than prototypes. Source: DIGITIMES
China is scaling its AI “token economy” at speed, and the costs, capacity and security questions are scaling right along with it. The shift reshapes how the next wave of AI gets priced and secured, with consequences well beyond China’s borders. Source: CNA
Sustainability & Energy
DHL wants its New Energy logistics arm to grow fivefold, from €600 million in 2025 to €3 billion by 2030. The unit handles supply chains for alternative fuels, battery storage, EVs and EV batteries, hydrogen, grid equipment, solar and wind. A new Time Definite Plus service targets urgent renewable-sector deliveries, including shipments to remote sites. Source: Container News
Oil prices slid across Asian trading after news of a US-Iran deal, easing one source of fuel-cost pressure on carriers. Equities jumped on the same headline. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold rates at 3.50 to 3.75 percent. Source: CNA
International Markets
The Drewry World Container Index rose 3 percent to $3,549 per 40ft box as peak season arrived early. Shanghai to New York spot rates jumped 7 percent to $5,870; Shanghai to Los Angeles gained 3 percent to $4,683. Shippers are pulling cargo forward ahead of possible July tariff changes, and FIFA World Cup demand is adding volume. Source: Container News
Thailand and Vietnam pledged to nearly double bilateral trade to $25 billion within four years, with talk of doubling it again after that. The two are stitching supply chains closer together, an Asean hedge against external pressure. Source: SCMP Business
Hong Kong will not walk away from any market, Chief Executive John Lee said, calling US trade still important despite Beijing-Washington friction. His strategy leans on opening new markets while holding traditional partners. Source: SCMP Business
A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and set fire to a sea terminal at the Russian port of Temryuk in the Krasnodar region. Black Sea port infrastructure stays exposed, a standing risk for cargo moving through the area. Source: gCaptain
Related Coverage
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- Log’S Takes Over B2B Logistics for Sport 2000 and S2 Store Networks
Updated daily — your morning briefing on global supply chain.
