FAA MD‑11 GROUNDING LIKELY TO STRETCH INTO 2026, RAISING PEAK-PARCEL CAPACITY PRESSURE
Following the fatal Nov. 4 UPS crash, sources say inspection criteria won’t be finalized until next year, keeping MD‑11 freighters parked as UPS and FedEx scramble for substitute lift during holiday peak.
FEDEX TO ELIMINATE 856 JOBS AT TEXAS SUPPLY-CHAIN SITE AFTER MAJOR CUSTOMER DEPARTS
FedEx will shutter a Coppell logistics facility in phases through late April 2026 after a 3PL client moved its business, with some workers eligible for roles elsewhere in the company.
US EXTENDS SECTION 301 TARIFF EXCLUSIONS FOR SOME CHINA IMPORTS, EASING PARTS FLOW
The USTR granted a one‑year extension for exclusions covering select industrial and medical goods, a modest relief for manufacturers and shippers moving components into U.S. supply chains.
JOBLESS CLAIMS DIP TO 216,000, KEEPING LAYOFFS LOW AHEAD OF HOLIDAY FREIGHT PUSH
Initial claims fell by 6,000, signaling a still‑steady labor market; continuing claims edged higher, hinting at slower hiring as carriers and logistics firms manage costs into year‑end.
FUEL WATCH: NATIONAL DIESEL AVERAGE SLIPS TO $3.83/GAL; ROCKIES LEAD DECLINES
EIA data show modest diesel relief for fleets heading into peak; East Coast prices ticked slightly higher while most other regions fell on soft crude and lower demand.
NWS: SECOND WINTER STORM TO EMERGE FRIDAY AS LAKE‑EFFECT SNOW PERSISTS; BLIZZARD CONDITIONS POSSIBLE
The Weather Prediction Center flags heavy snow and high winds across the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes through the holiday period, with another system tracking from the Rockies into the Plains this weekend—plan for delays and chain controls.
GREAT LAKES BRACE FOR HEAVY LAKE‑EFFECT SNOW THROUGH WEEKEND, THREATENING REGIONAL HAULS
Blizzard warnings in Michigan’s U.P. and snowbelt zones could bring 1‑3 feet in hotspots, with hazardous travel for truckers across Wisconsin, Michigan and into western New York.
TXDOT PAUSES MOST LOOP 1604, I‑10 WORK IN SAN ANTONIO FOR HOLIDAY TRAFFIC FLOW
To ease congestion through Sunday, Texas DOT is suspending most closures tied to the $1.4B Loop 1604 expansion, with some nightly work continuing; further moratoriums are planned in late December.
OIL TICKS HIGHER AFTER ONE‑MONTH LOW, BUT SUPPLY GLUT FEARS CAP GAINS
Brent rebounded modestly to ~$62.75 and WTI to ~$58.19, keeping diesel costs relatively steady heading into the busiest delivery stretch of the year.
POST‑THANKSGIVING STORM TRACK FAVORS NORTHERN TIER, WITH GUSTS AND SNOW THREAT FOR MIDWEST CORRIDORS
Forecasters see a Rockies‑to‑Upper Midwest system late Friday into Sunday bringing heavy snow and high winds along lanes across the Dakotas, Iowa and the western Great Lakes; New England largely dodges the core impacts.
WINTER STORM EYES WEST‑CENTRAL ILLINOIS; NWS SEES HIGHER PROBABILITIES FOR 3–6+ INCHES
Late‑week snow is increasingly likely from northeast Missouri through west‑central Illinois, with St. Louis metro on the southern fringe—expect slick conditions and potential timing impacts for linehaul and final‑mile routes.
RISK MARKETS RALLY ON RATE‑CUT BETS AFTER CLAIMS DATA; FREIGHT OUTLOOK REMAINS MIXED
Falling jobless claims and firm core capital‑goods orders lifted equities as traders price a December Fed cut; for carriers, softer hiring and steady rates point to a cautious but stable near‑term demand picture.
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