Contract linehaul is up about 10% to 18% on the year depending on the index, carriers are exiting faster than freight is falling, and analysts say the repricing is only half done. Here is how procurement teams should approach bid season.
The cash-and-stock deal, expected to close in the first half of 2027, promises $300 million in savings within two years. Shippers that use both brokers should review concentration, service commitments and exit terms before it closes.
AI agents that read inboxes and pull contract and spot rates are doubling throughput per person at some forwarders. For shippers buying freight, the payoff is faster quotes and fewer surprise charges, if the context behind each lane is captured.
The forwarder launched a Model Context Protocol server on Sept. 29 that lets shippers' AI tools search contract and spot rates and create bookings directly against negotiated rates.
U.S. port fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated ships stay scheduled to resume even as Washington and Beijing extend their broader truce to Jan. 10, and over 200 shippers are urging USTR to extend the pause.
Public less-than-truckload carriers are raising rates earlier than their usual annual cycle, citing real estate, equipment, technology and wage costs. With manufacturing demand recovering, carriers expect pricing power to hold.
