š Cass Freight Index Reveals Uneven March Trends. The Cass Freight Index reported mixed results for March, reflecting flat month-to-month shipment volume and a 3.5% year-over-year decline. Seasonally adjusted, shipments dropped 2.1% from February and 8.7% over two years. Despite a 2.8% monthly rise, freight expenditures fell 2.0% annually, tied to lower volumes and a 3.5% rise in inferred rates. Tim Denoyer, ACT Research Vice President and Senior Analyst, expects short-term volume boosts from pre-tariff activity, though ongoing trade tensions and tariff impacts may prolong the āfor-hire freight recession.ā Denoyer attributed the yearly decrease to reduced shipment volumesāevident in the 3.5% drop in annual shipmentsāas well as a 3.5% annual rise in inferred rates in March.
šØš³ China Freezes Rare Earth Exports. China just hit back at Trumpās new tariffs by cutting off exports of rare earth minerals and magnetsāstuff thatās essential for EVs, drones, semiconductors, and military gear. These materials mostly come from China, and now they wonāt ship without a special license. Problem is, thereās no real system in place yet to get those licenses. So ports are frozen, supply chains are scrambling, and U.S. factories (especially auto and defense) might be in trouble soon. Itās a clear sign: Chinaās not afraid to use its grip on critical materials to push back.
šŖ TransLoop Rising Up The Ranks. TransLoop, a Chicago based freight brokerage, hasjumped nine spots to #86 on Transport Topicsā 2025 Top 100 Freight Brokerage Firms list. Amid high-profile stumbles from peers like Convoyās shutdown and Uber Freightās ongoing profitability woes, TransLoopās 51.5% sales growth and 36.1% shipment increase in Q1 magnify its momentum. Founded in 2019, the company emphasizes tech-driven transparency and strong partnerships, growing its team by 44% this year alone. CEO Nicholas Reasoner credits their rapid ascent to focused execution and a long-term vision: to become the #1 freight brokerage in the U.S.
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Even after billions in federal infrastructure funding, 39% of major U.S. roads remain in poor or mediocre condition, costing logistics billions a yearā.
āOur national roadways remain underfunded and under-maintained,ā ASCE wrote. āOur system is stuck playing catch-up.ā
Roads Drag While Ports Get the Spotlight
Americaās ports earned a B, up from a Bā in 2021, thanks to targeted funding and improved throughput. But the inland journey? Still rough.
Better port capacity doesnāt always mean smoother freight flowsānot when the inland infrastructure connecting those ports to warehouses, rail hubs, and final destinations is still lagging.
A container may leave the Port of Los Angeles efficiently, but still face hours of delay in the Central Valley due to road closures, congestion, or infrastructure issues that force detours.
Freight moved by truck is projected to grow 91% by value by 2050
$3.1B in annual truck-related road repair costs are tied to poor road conditions
47% of roadway fatalities occur in rural areas
"In 2022, 5,837 trucks were involved in a fatal crash, a 1.8% increase from 2021 and a 41.6% increase since 2012."
ASCE notes that āmore than 207,000 miles of roads have been improvedā since the 2021 infrastructure law passed. But a $1.242 trillion investment gap remains, and much of the improvement has yet to touch the truckload corridors brokers depend on.
The U.S. needs $3.5 trillion to properly maintain and upgrade its surface transportation infrastructure through 2033. Image Source: ASCE 2025 Infrastructure Report
Rail Grade High, But Bottlenecks Persist
Rail also held a strong B grade on the 2025 Report Card.
The U.S. freight rail system moves 40% of long-distance freight volume
Class I railroads invested $250B over the past decade in infrastructure and tech
Yet key constraints persist at intermodal terminals, where congestion slows transfers between truck and rail
Even with robust investment and modernization, coordination between modes remains a sticking point.
What's Next?
Since stepping into the role, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has made it clear: the focus is on traditional infrastructure and getting things built faster, particularly roads, bridges, and highways.
āWeāre working to streamline the process for the statesāto take off as much weight as possible so they can build faster and spend more time turning dirt and less time doing paperwork.ā ā Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Duffy's infrastructure priorities include:
Accelerating Project Timelines: Reducing red tape to get federal dollars moving faster
Clearing the Grant Backlog: Addressing over 3,200 projects awaiting DOT approval
Refocusing on Roads: Prioritizing highway and bridge improvements that āmove people and commerceā
Empowering States: Giving states more autonomy to manage and expedite local infrastructure builds
At the end of the day, supply chains move at the speed of infrastructure. You can have the best tech and fastest networkābut if the roads suck, so does your ETA.
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š¤ Making Moves. Kodiak Robotics is going public through a $2.5 billion merger with Ares Acquisition Corp II, accelerating its go-to-market strategy with aim of being a publicly traded autonomous truck company soon.
š§¾ Bookkeeper Stole $4M from NJ Trucking Company. A New Jersey bookkeeper admitted to stealing $4 million from West End Express over six years to fund a gambling habit.
š« Truck Parking Crackdown. San Antonio will limit legal truck parking in response to 311 complaints. Areas that were once legal are now banned for trucks based on residents' complaints to the city.
š Tomato Tariffs. The White House is enforcing a 21% tariff on tomatoes from Mexico, starting July 14. The Commerce Department said, āThis action will allow U.S. tomato growers to compete fairly in the marketplace.ā
š¢ļø Diesel Prices Dip. National diesel prices fell by 6 cents to $3.579 per gallon. A gallon of fuel now costs 43.6 cents less than it did around this time last year.
š° Tariffs Boost Financing Talk. New tariffs could drive more businesses to explore financing options in supply chains, as businesses work to create capital while being faced with increasing costs, according to a Wells Fargo executive.
š£ THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
After months in the making, we've launched the FreightCaviar Forum, a space built for brokers, carriers, dispatchers, and freight tech to connect, share, and learn from one another. Sign up now here.
The FreightCaviar Podcast: In this weekās episode of the FreightCaviar Podcast, we sat down with Sarah Ruffcorn, President at Trinity Logistics. Catch it on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.
Freight Jobs. We've got another job opportunity over on FreigthJobs.co. Good Way Trucking Inc is looking for an experienced Dry Van Dispatcher in Willowbrook, IL. Apply here.
Iām Adriana, a writer and editor at FreightCaviar. Iāve covered everything from freight tech to industry lawsuits and market shifts, helping scale us to almost 14K subscribers. My goal: to make logistics stories digestible, clear, and fun to read.
Hello! I'm Jerome FreightCaviar! Iām into the politics of freight and the impact it will have worldwide. I'm always eager to learn more. Follow me on X @JeromeFreightC
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