bulk carriers News

Global Healthcare Giant Cuts Costs with Automated LTL Bidding

A global healthcare company significantly reduced transportation costs and improved operational efficiency by automating its LTL bidding process. This connected them with more carriers, eliminated manual errors, improved RFP efficiency, and enabled data-driven decision-making. Automation is key for businesses seeking a competitive edge in the complex LTL environment. By streamlining the bidding process and leveraging data insights, the company achieved substantial cost savings and enhanced overall supply chain performance. This showcases the power of automation in optimizing LTL freight management.

01/19/2026 Logistics Industry Insights

US STB Extends Comment Period on Rail Switching Proposal

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) has extended the comment deadline for its “Reciprocal Switching” proposal, which aims to provide poorly served freight rail shippers with the option to access other rail carriers. The new proposal establishes three key performance standards: service reliability, consistency, and local service. It also requires Class I railroads to provide historical data on service metrics. Industry response to the proposal has been mixed, but there's general agreement that it's intended to improve the quality of rail service.

01/19/2026 Logistics

LTL Freight Rebounds with Techdriven Transportation Shift

The Less-than-Truckload (LTL) transportation market is experiencing a strong recovery driven by technology, e-commerce, and service enhancements, showing a trend towards market concentration. FedEx Freight, Old Dominion Freight Line, and FedEx Ground are excelling in their respective areas. Facing challenges such as labor shortages and rising fuel prices, LTL carriers need to embrace change and seize opportunities to thrive in the future. This requires leveraging logistics technology and adapting to the evolving market landscape to maintain a competitive edge.

01/22/2026 Logistics Industry Insights

Manhattan Associates Launches Adaptive TMS for Logistics

Manhattan announces its cloud-native TMS, Manhattan Active Transportation Management. It's self-configuring and self-adjusting, accelerating transportation optimization, enhancing decision intelligence, and simplifying operations to build a resilient supply chain. This solution aims to provide greater agility and responsiveness to changing market conditions, enabling businesses to optimize routes, manage carriers effectively, and improve overall transportation efficiency. The platform's advanced features are designed to streamline processes and reduce costs, ultimately leading to a more robust and adaptable supply chain network.

01/17/2026 Logistics

STB Proposes US Rail Freight Reforms to Cut Shipper Costs

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) has introduced two proposals aimed at helping rail freight users reduce costs and break the rail freight monopoly by reforming rate dispute resolution mechanisms and promoting inter-railroad competition. The proposals simplify the rate challenge process, lower the threshold for shippers to protect their rights, and consider adopting NITL's competitive switching proposal to secure more rights for shippers. These changes intend to make rate challenges more accessible and potentially increase competition among rail carriers, ultimately benefiting shippers.

01/22/2026 Logistics

US Truckload Volume Falls Rates Rise in September

The US truckload freight market in September showed a mixed picture: declining volumes coupled with slightly higher rates. Dry van and refrigerated volumes decreased, while flatbed volumes increased. Spot rates generally rose, while contract rates declined. Market analysis suggests the rate increase was not demand-driven, leading to a pessimistic outlook for the peak season. Carriers, brokers, and shippers need to be flexible in responding to market changes. The decline in volumes despite rising rates indicates underlying economic weakness and potential inventory corrections.