Market Trends & Consumer Behaviour
U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are up annually, for week ending August 30, reports AAR Summary United States rail traffic showed modest year‑on‑year growth for the week ending 30 August, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. Total carloads reached 234,740 — a 0.6% increase versus the same week last year — while […]
Augment announces an $85 million Series A funding round Summary San Francisco-based Augment, an AI productivity platform for logistics, has closed an $85 million Series A led by Redpoint Ventures, bringing its total capital to $110 million. The raise comes five months after the company exited stealth and will be used to accelerate development of […]
Services economy grows in August for third straight month, reports ISM Summary The ISM Services PMI rose to 52.0 in August (above 50 = growth), up from July’s 50.1 — marking the third consecutive month of expansion and the 13th time in 14 months the sector has grown. Key subindexes diverged: Business Activity/Production and New […]
Procurement leaders face challenges with ESG, AI, and geopolitical risks Summary Procurement leaders are operating in an increasingly complex environment where climate change, geopolitical tensions and shifting regulation are combining to reshape supply chains. A Reuters webinar, sponsored by EcoVadis and moderated by Deborah Dull of the Circular Supply Chain Network, highlighted how organisations are […]
White House calls on Supreme Court to fast-track tariff appeal amid mounting legal and trade uncertainty Summary The White House has asked the US Supreme Court to expedite an appeal after the Federal Circuit found most of the administration’s IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs unlawful. Tariffs will remain temporarily in place until 14 […]
Logistics Managers Index continues to show growth in August Summary The logistics sector remained in expansion in August, with the Logistics Managers Index (LMI) edging up to 59.3 from July’s 59.2. The monthly index — produced by researchers from several US universities with support from CSCMP — aggregates eight components including inventory, warehousing and transportation […]
Walmart opens new automated South Carolina-based DC for perishable goods Summary Walmart marked the grand opening of a 725,000 square-foot perishable distribution centre (PDC) in Wellford (Lyman area), South Carolina. The high-tech centre is built to receive and process fresh produce, eggs, dairy, meat and frozen goods for delivery to around 180 Walmart stores. Walmart […]
Truckload rates not drastically affected by tougher enforcement of English proficiency for truck drivers Summary The Trump administration has stepped up enforcement of English Language Proficiency (ELP) rules for commercial truck drivers, including a pause on new H-2B visas for drivers and tighter enforcement by federal agencies. Industry groups such as the American Trucking Associations […]
ODFL issues Q3 operating metrics Summary Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) published key August operating metrics showing softer volumes but improved pricing per unit. Revenue per day fell 4.8% year‑over‑year in August, driven by a 9.2% drop in LTL tonnage per day. The company said that decline was partly offset by higher LTL revenue per […]
U.S.-bound container imports hit second-highest month on record amid tariff and seasonal pressures Summary The August Descartes Global Shipping Report shows U.S.-bound container imports reached 2,519,722 TEU — the second-highest monthly total recorded in 2025. Volumes fell 3.9% from July but were up 1.6% year-on-year and 17.6% above pre-pandemic 2019. This was the second consecutive […]
