EPA’S 2027 NOX RULE CLEARS OMB REVIEW; PROPOSAL EXPECTED THIS WEEK
OMB finished reviewing EPA’s reconsideration of 2027 heavy‑duty NOx standards, with a proposal expected to keep the 80% NOx cut but ease warranty, credit and testing provisions — and allow short‑term nonconformance penalties. CCJ updated the brief July 8.
DIESEL SURCHARGE BENCHMARK FALLS AGAIN AS OIL MARKET ‘SPLITS’
DOE/EIA’s weekly retail diesel price dropped 9 cents to $4.578 per gallon, the 12th decline in 13 weeks, even as product prices outpace crude in an unusually wide crack spread — a key dynamic for fleet fuel budgets.
LMI: TRANSPORTATION PRICES NEAR RECORD AS CAPACITY SHRINKS AGAIN
June’s Logistics Managers’ Index showed transportation prices at 92.4 with capacity falling for a seventh straight month, as routing guides buckle and shippers reprice lanes amid tighter truckload conditions heading into peak season.
CONTAINER RATES NEAR $9,000/FEU AS MIDEAST TENSIONS, PEAK SEASON BITE
Trans‑Pacific spot rates hover around $6,700 to the West Coast and near $9,000 to the East Coast following July 1 GRIs and surcharges, with early peak demand and Iran‑U.S. flare‑ups reinforcing carrier pricing power.
RAIL FREIGHT SURGES THROUGH JULY 4, SUPPORTING INTERMODAL CAPACITY NEEDS
Rail volumes kept climbing into the holiday, signaling continued strength in intermodal that could siphon highway freight and complicate capacity planning for truckload carriers in key corridors.
UP, NS SUBMIT FIRST TRANCHE OF STB-REQUESTED DATA FOR MEGARAIL MERGER
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern filed initial responses to STB data requests ahead of a July 27 deadline, addressing terminal ownership and neutrality issues and eyeing mid‑2027 completion — developments with major truck‑rail network implications.
WEST COAST LTL CARRIER MOUNTAIN VALLEY EXPRESS SHUTS DOWN OPERATIONS
Manteca, California‑based Mountain Valley Express said it is no longer operating, closing a 13‑terminal network across CA, AZ and NV and removing roughly 277 power units from LTL capacity in the region.
TRIMBLE WEIGHS SALE OF TRANSPORTATION UNIT, SHARES TICK HIGHER ON REPORT
A report that Trimble may divest its Transportation & Logistics segment — including TMS and mapping — lifted the stock, stoking expectations of more reshuffling in freight tech portfolios and potential PE interest.
ARGOSY PRIVATE EQUITY ACQUIRES K&L FREIGHT MANAGEMENT, EXPANDS 3PL PLAY
The PE firm took a controlling stake in asset‑light K&L Freight Management, which focuses on expedited ground/air, time‑sensitive flatbed and cross‑border services, as deal flow heats up in middle‑market logistics M&A.
TWO COMPANIES SEEK 5‑YEAR FMCSA HOS EXEMPTIONS; COMMENTS DUE JULY 30
Lone Star Haz Mat and Mainline Services petitioned FMCSA for longer‑term Hours‑of‑Service relief tied to emergency response work, highlighting the distinction between time‑limited waivers and multi‑year exemptions in federal policy.
DHS JOINS STATE TROOPERS AT WEIGH STATIONS IN CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL CDL HOLDERS
U.S. border officials say federal agents are working with states at truck weigh stations to identify unqualified or improperly licensed drivers, following thousands of non‑domiciled CDL revocations and intensified roadside enforcement actions.
TEXAS, WALMART REACH $13M SETTLEMENT OVER SPARK DRIVER PAY PRACTICES
The AG’s office said Walmart will pay over $13.3 million and adopt strict earnings‑transparency rules after allegations the company misled Spark last‑mile drivers on tips, base pay and incentives; Walmart denied wrongdoing but agreed to reforms.
IRU: MEXICO’S TRUCKING VACANCY RATE HITS 14%, STRAINING CROSS‑BORDER FLOWS
A new IRU survey pegs Mexico’s driver vacancy rate at 14% — among the world’s highest — leaving an estimated 90,000 trucks idle and heightening capacity risks for U.S.–Mexico supply chains.
FEDERAL INDICTMENT ALLEGES $10M INTERNATIONAL CARGO THEFT CONSPIRACY
Eight defendants are accused of impersonating carriers, diverting loads and reselling stolen freight across multiple states, underscoring rising organized theft and the need for tighter vetting in brokerage and carrier selection.
ASCENDTMS ADDS SEARCHCARRIERS DATA TO BOLSTER BROKER/CARRIER VERIFICATION
AscendTMS integrated SearchCarriers into its free CVQ tools, giving shippers and brokers real‑time intelligence to combat double brokering, identity theft and unsafe carrier selection directly within the TMS workflow.
CHINA SOUTHERN TO LEASE 3 BOEING 777‑300 P2F JETS, ADDING LONG‑HAUL LIFT
AerCap will supply three 777‑300 converted freighters with deliveries slated for 2027–2028, expanding widebody capacity for e‑commerce and other lighter‑density cargo that ultimately feeds U.S. truckload and LTL networks from gateways.
FORWARDERS WARN NEW AIR CARGO CONTRACT LANGUAGE SHIFTS LIABILITY TO LOGISTICS PROVIDERS
An IATA change to direct air waybills effective July 1 could increase forwarder liability for misdeclared or unsafe goods, prompting calls for airlines to clarify terms and for logistics firms to review insurance coverage.
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