Warehousing & Transport

Warehousing & Transport

Walmart to build $300M Ohio fulfillment center for oversized goods

Walmart plans a $300 million fulfillment center in Turtlecreek Township, Ohio, to handle oversized goods like televisions and furniture. Announced Oct. 1, 2026, the facility will create over 300 jobs and complement Walmart’s existing Monroe, Ohio, site — which employs more than 200 associates. The project follows Walmart’s purchase of nearly 100 acres in Warren County and forms part of its broader warehouse network adjustments in 2026.

2026-10-02

Warehousing & Transport

India’s Tea Exports Drop 20% Amid Freight Surge, Logistics Disruptions

India’s tea exports are expected to fall 20% year-on-year in 2026 due to soaring freight rates and logistics disruptions linked to the West Asia crisis. Total exports dropped 16.11% to 128.56 million kgs in January–July 2026. Freight costs to key markets like Iran and Iraq rose more than 10-fold, prompting Bhansali & Co. to forecast a 30%+ export decline. Though exports reached 285.53 million kgs in 2025—up from 256.11 million kgs in 2024—regulatory hurdles in Europe and pricing constraints in the Middle East compound the pressure. Demand resilience has helped sustain prices despite lower volumes.

2026-10-02

Warehousing & Transport

Port Houston container volumes edge higher as steel imports surge 54%

Port Houston container volumes edged higher as steel imports surged 54% year on year, lifting total TEU throughput to 1.2 million. Steel now comprises 14.7% of import tonnage, up from 9.8% a year earlier. The port expanded its steel staging area by 28 acres in June 2026 and deployed new cranes and rail siding for 10,000-ton unit trains. Its digital cargo tracking system processes 42,000 steel-related container movements monthly — a 39% rise since January 2026. CEO Ricardo S. Maldonado credited the growth to 18 months of targeted infrastructure and software investments.

2026-10-01

Warehousing & Transport

National cargo theft blitz leads to arrests, $635K in recovered freight

A nationwide cargo theft enforcement operation led to 14 arrests and the recovery of $635,000 in stolen freight. Conducted in October 2026, the initiative involved federal and state agencies across seven U.S. states. Cargo theft incidents rose 22% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2026, per NICB data. The operation coincided with the F3: Future of Freight Festival on October 27–28, 2026. Industry groups cited enhanced coordination and real-time risk tools like SONAR as vital to prevention efforts.

2026-10-01

Warehousing & Transport

Cargo thieves ‘launder freight’ through supply chain, Cornell warns

Cornell University researchers warn that cargo thieves are increasingly 'laundering freight' by embedding stolen goods into legitimate supply chain operations. The warning appears in a FreightWaves article promoting its F3: Future of Freight Festival, set for October 27–28, 2026. The platform highlights specialized industry resources including SONAR, Modern Shipper, and American Shipper, alongside coverage of fraud, global supply chains, and cross-border logistics. Events such as the Cross Border Logistics Summit 2026 and Fraud Fighters Awards underscore ongoing industry focus on security and resilience.

2026-10-01

Warehousing & Transport

Amazon plans Kapolei warehouse amid Oahu next-day delivery anniversary

Amazon is planning a new warehouse and order fulfillment center in Kapolei, Hawaii, pending permitting approvals. The announcement coincides with the company’s first anniversary of offering next-day delivery on Oahu. Operations Manager Eric Pak was photographed working at Amazon’s existing Sand Island distribution facility in Honolulu on Monday. The report was published on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and references historical rainfall of 50 inches on Kauai in August 1950. All named locations — Kapolei, Oahu, Honolulu, Sand Island, and Kauai — are within Hawaii.

2026-10-01

Warehousing & Transport

Lowe’s launches drone delivery in NC; 20-minute arrivals, 2.5-lb limit

Lowe’s has launched a drone delivery pilot in Matthews, North Carolina, on Sept. 24, offering deliveries in as little as 20 minutes for lightweight items up to 2.5 pounds. Partnering with Wing and DoorDash, the program targets urgent micro-orders like batteries and tape — not bulk goods. With $86 billion in fiscal 2025 sales and 1,750+ stores, Lowe’s treats this as a focused test of operational utility. Wing’s network — already responsible for over 1 million deliveries and slated to serve 40 million Americans via 270+ Walmart locations by 2027 — underscores the growing role of shared drone infrastructure in retail logistics.

2026-10-01

Warehousing & Transport

Hi-Tech Air Cargo Rises 22% Amid Data-Centre Boom

Hi-tech air cargo volumes hit 3m tonnes in the first seven months of 2026 — up 22% year on year and exceeding Chinese ecommerce air trade (2.8m tonnes). March imports surged 80% to 160,000 tonnes, equaling 52 widebody freighter flights daily. US imports from Taiwan rose 98%, Thailand 155%, while Chinese volumes fell 9%. Ecommerce air freight to Europe collapsed: down 70% in Hungary, 61% in France, 53% in Belgium. Imbalances are widening as new freighter capacity concentrates in the Middle East, misaligned with Asia-to-US hi-tech demand.

2026-10-01

Warehousing & Transport

U.S. Port Volumes Diverge: LA Down 0.3%, LB Up 2%, Oakland Down 9.6%

U.S. port container volumes diverged sharply in August 2026: the Port of Los Angeles declined 0.3% to 955,907 TEUs, Port of Long Beach rose 2% to 919,992 TEUs, and Port of Oakland fell 9.6% to 173,818 TEUs. Despite container imports reaching 2.6 million TEUs—the third-highest monthly total on record—dry van truckload demand failed to follow, constrained by weak consumer confidence and carrier exits. Port congestion intensified, with rail dwell times climbing to 6.75 days and truck dwell holding at 2.95 days. Equipment shortages, tight empty-container return windows, and flooding-related backlogs in China further strained operations. Project44 reported 10% and 30% month-over-month drops in daily truckload shipments near New York–New Jersey and Tacoma, respectively.

2026-09-30

Warehousing & Transport

Trimble keeps freight business sale on table, unveils AI tools

Trimble maintains its freight business sale as a live option while introducing new artificial intelligence tools. The announcement coincides with promotional activity for the F3: Future of Freight Festival, scheduled for October 27 and 28. Multiple industry resources—including SONAR, Modern Shipper, and American Shipper—are highlighted alongside upcoming events such as the Cross Border Logistics Summit 2026 and Freight Pricing Symposium 2026. FreightWaves’ platform spans analytics, news, podcasts, and award programs focused on supply chain innovation and logistics technology.

2026-09-30

Warehousing & Transport

AI Bridges Air Cargo Data Gaps Amid ONE Record Delays

At Aviation Connect in Athens, Accenture Cargo’s Shanmugam Thangavelu identified air cargo’s core digital challenge: unifying fragmented data across the supply chain. China-US ecommerce trade fell significantly over the past year due to U.S. de minimis rule changes, yet overall freight trade shows positive growth and capacity rose year on year. Ground handlers face conflicting shipment data from carriers, agents, and customs — a problem affecting major agents today. While IATA’s ONE Record standard aims for a common digital record, adoption remains incomplete; Lufthansa’s recent work with tech partners signals progress, but a full ‘single source of truth’ will take time. AI agents offer near-term solutions for reconciliation, decision support, and strategic functions like revenue management and network planning.

2026-09-30

Warehousing & Transport

U.S. Freight Sector Cuts 1,850 Jobs Amid Logistics, Manufacturing Closures

A new FreightWaves report documents 1,850 job cuts across U.S. freight-dependent sectors, including logistics, food manufacturing, packaging, and building products. Major actions include 4XH Logistics’ 230-job closure in Texas following Amazon contract termination; Ruiz Foods’ 176 layoffs in California; Louisiana-Pacific’s indefinite curtailment affecting 150 workers in Jasper, Texas; and $4 million–$6 million in expected severance costs in 2026. Facility shutdowns span nine states, with WARN notices citing permanent closures, mass layoffs, and production curtailments effective from Sept. 12 through April 1, 2027.

2026-09-30