EIA: U.S. DIESEL AVERAGES $5.608/GALLON; PRICES REMAIN NEAR RECORD SEASONAL LEVELS
The Energy Information Administration’s April 14 update shows on‑highway diesel at $5.608/gal for the week of April 13, with West Coast prices above $6.80, underscoring elevated fuel costs for fleets. Next update is April 21.
DIESEL PUMP PRICE HITS ALL‑TIME SEASONAL HIGH, PRESSURING TRUCKING MARGINS
Transport Topics reports diesel has reached an all‑time seasonal high, keeping cost pressure on carriers even as early spring freight demand builds. Fleets face higher fuel surcharges and tighter operating margins as a result.
DAT: TRUCKLOAD RATES AT TWO‑YEAR HIGHS AS FUEL SURGE LIFTS SPOT AND CONTRACT PRICING
March van, reefer and flatbed spot rates climbed, with DAT’s TVI up across all equipment types. Analysts say rising fuel surcharges drove much of the increase while linehaul margins remain compressed.
CASS: MARCH SHIPMENTS RISE M/M; EXPENDITURES UP 4.2% Y/Y AS CAPACITY TIGHTENS
The Cass Freight Index shows shipments up 3.0% m/m in March and spending up 4.2% y/y, with ACT Research noting early‑cycle tightness in truckload capacity and higher diesel contributing to pricing support into Q2.
UPS TO EXPAND RFID ACROSS U.S. HUBS, AIMING TO ELIMINATE MILLIONS OF MANUAL SCANS
UPS will roll out RFID sensors in U.S. facilities and enable shipper label printing, targeting nearly all parcels to be RFID‑tagged and cutting roughly 20 million manual scans a day while boosting visibility and reliability.
CBP SETS APRIL 20, 8 A.M. EDT GO‑LIVE FOR $127B TARIFF REFUND PORTAL
U.S. Customs and Border Protection told the Court of International Trade its electronic refund system for IEEPA tariffs is ready to launch, letting importers submit claims tied to recent trade actions beginning next week.
PORT OF LA: MIDEAST TENSIONS “A CONCERN, NOT A WORRY” AS TRANS‑PACIFIC FLOWS HOLD
Executive Director Gene Seroka said operations remain stable and April volume is tracking toward ~800,000 TEUs, with retailers already replenishing summer goods despite elevated bunker and diesel costs downstream in trucking.
PRIME INC. TO BUILD $160M SOUTHEAST REGIONAL HUB IN GEORGIA, ADDING JOBS AND CAPACITY
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Prime’s new Spalding County campus, including driver training, maintenance, used‑equipment sales and tire recycling capabilities, creating 120+ jobs and hiring 50+ professional drivers in the region.
OVERDRIVE BRIEFS: MULTI‑STATE TRUCK/TRAILER AUCTION; MACK/VOLVO RECALLS; N.D. CDL UPDATE
Tiger Group launched a nationwide auction of late‑model tractors and trailers; separate notices flag turn‑signal‑related recalls at Mack/Volvo; and North Dakota’s non‑domiciled CDL program resumes under revised federal rules.
AT MODEX: SWISSLOG UNVEILS FOUR‑WAY ROAMING PALLET SHUTTLE FOR HIGH‑DENSITY STORAGE
The new AgileStore AS/RS can move forward, backward, laterally and vertically, enabling cross‑aisle travel and level changes without extra equipment—targeting denser warehouse layouts and fewer manual interventions.
YMX LOGISTICS ROLLS OUT UPGRADED YARD OPERATING SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUS YARD OPS
A new yard OS aims to automate data capture and decisioning across multi‑site shipper networks, tying yard execution to measurable outcomes to cut dwell, boost safety and improve dock‑to‑driver cycle times.
KARDEX SHOWS “UNIFIED FULFILLMENT” APPROACH LINKING AUTOSTORE, VLMs AND SOFTWARE
At MODEX, Kardex highlighted integrated goods‑to‑person workflows through its KardexOne platform and Intuitive Picking Assistant, promising simpler scaling for DCs facing SKU growth and labor constraints.
BEUMER MARKS 90 YEARS; PITCHES MODULAR, DATA‑DRIVEN SORTATION FOR VOLUME SWINGS
The company spotlighted scalable sortation solutions, including its BG Pouch System and software tools, aimed at parcel and e‑commerce shippers balancing fluctuating volumes with speed and accuracy needs.
DATA BREACH ON MEXICO PORT PLATFORM RAISES FRAUD, DELAY RISKS FOR CROSS‑BORDER FREIGHT
A compromised port IT system in Mexico could expose shippers and drayage providers to cargo release fraud and documentation snags, potentially disrupting northbound flows into U.S. gateways and border crossings.
NEARS CONFERENCE: INTERMODAL PLANS EYE NATIONAL NETWORK; TL CAPACITY TIGHTENING NOTED
Railway Age recaps shipper and carrier commentary on intermodal equipment repositioning and asset utilization, with panelists noting recent truckload capacity tightening could aid rail conversion on select lanes.
FEDEX ONE RATE PRICES TO RISE APRIL 20, ADDING TO SMALL‑PARCEL COST PRESSURES
FedEx will lift One Rate tariffs this month, with increases around 7% depending on packaging and service. The move compounds higher fuel and accessorials that shippers—and carrier partners—are already navigating.
This daily digest was prepared exclusively for TruckStopInsider.com. Republishing is permitted only with proper credit and a link back to the original source.
