Consolidation in North American trucking, fresh AI tooling for shippers, and a tentative reopening of the Strait of Hormuz set the tone this morning. Below, the moves worth your attention across operations, technology, sustainability and the wider market.
Operations & 3PL
LRT Group has acquired F2F Transport, folding the Chattanooga-based carrier into a wider push for North American growth and fleet expansion. F2F’s operations continue under the new ownership. The deal signals that mid-market carriers remain attractive targets as larger groups build density. Source: American Shipper
DHL renewed its tie-up with the FIA World Endurance Championship, signing a fresh multi-year agreement as the series’ official logistics partner. Motorsport is a useful proving ground for time-critical, cross-border freight, and the renewal keeps DHL embedded in that calendar. Source: Container News
Galatek Technologies opened a manufacturing, assembly and delivery centre in Penang, its first production site in Malaysia. The supplier of AI-enabled automation and semiconductor equipment is positioning closer to surging chip-sector demand across Southeast Asia. Source: DIGITIMES
Technology & Automation
Trimble rolled out an AI-powered transportation management system aimed at North American shippers and logistics providers. The cloud platform is customisable and built to handle freight end to end, another sign that TMS vendors are racing to bake automation into routine planning. Source: Supply Chain 24/7
New research from Erasmus University in Rotterdam upends a common assumption about warehouse robotics. Across more than 12,000 simulated scenarios, workers were more productive when they rotated among several autonomous mobile robots rather than sticking with one. The “swarm” approach widens its lead as robots get faster and more numerous. Source: DC Velocity
SAP says enterprise AI agents are moving out of pilot mode and into live finance and supply chain workflows. The catch: human-in-the-loop review still does the heavy lifting in getting those agents from proof of concept to production. Oversight, not autonomy, is what makes them deployable. Source: DIGITIMES
Demand for supply chain roles requiring AI skills jumped 387% between the first quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2026, Gartner reports. That far outpaces the broader labour market and is tightening the squeeze for qualified talent. Source: DC Velocity
Sustainability & Energy
Valenciaport is fitting vertical solar panels along the breakwater of the Port of Valencia’s northern expansion, part of the EU-backed RENEWPORT project. Vertical installation lets ports harvest renewable power where flat space is scarce. Source: Container News
WinGD completed Factory Acceptance Testing of its first X72DF-A ammonia-fuelled engine, a step forward for low-carbon marine propulsion. The engine is bound for a newbuild, moving ammonia from concept toward operational reality at sea. Source: Container News
France opened a new funding line for shipping decarbonisation through its environment and energy agency ADEME. The call covers ship retrofits, low-emission newbuilds and port infrastructure, a direct subsidy push rather than a regulatory nudge. Source: Hellenic Shipping News
Some of the largest charterers and operators posted better decarbonisation numbers for 2025, according to an annual industry report, helped by wider biofuel use and energy-saving measures. Progress, yes. The report is blunt that it remains small against the targets these companies have set. Source: Hellenic Shipping News
International Markets
The United States and Iran announced a deal to end hostilities in the Arabian Gulf, clearing the way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Shippers should temper expectations: normalising vessel flows and insurance through the chokepoint could take months, not days. Source: American Shipper
The Port of Los Angeles built its $3.4 billion annual budget around a forecast 7% drop in container volumes next year. A cautious read from the busiest US gateway is worth noting for anyone planning 2027 capacity. Source: DC Velocity
USDOT unveiled an American Supply Chain Sovereignty Initiative centred on freight visibility, with the stated aim of tightening coordination and trimming cargo delays nationwide. How much data carriers and shippers actually share will decide whether it bites. Source: Supply Chain 24/7
Abu Dhabi is fast-tracking access to Chinese technology across renewables, EVs and robotics as it builds out a greener economy, its energy chief said. Gulf-China tech ties keep deepening, with supply chain and manufacturing implications well beyond the energy file. Source: SCMP Business
Related Coverage
- Kinaxis Brings Forward Deployed Engineering to Its AI Rollout
- QoQa Opens Knapp-Automated E-commerce Warehouse Near Lausanne
- Lineage Picks TGW to Automate Massive Texas Cold Storage Hub
- ID Logistics Benelux Fleet Now Runs on HVO100 Renewable Diesel
Updated daily — your morning briefing on global supply chain.
