Eric Bratton
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UPS’s 2027 Rate Reset Starts Before Christmas—Why Shippers Need More Than a 5.9% Budget Increase
UPS’s rate reset begins before Christmas. FIR explains how shippers can test weight, zones, fuel, fees and workflow changes before finalizing budgets.
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Typhoon Champi Is Disrupting Asia Freight—Which Shipments Should Shippers Expedite, Reroute or Hold?
Champi’s freight disruption tests more than port reopening. FIR explains how shippers can prioritize orders, compare complete recovery options and control expedite spending.
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Missouri’s Autonomous Rail Project Puts Freight Service Frequency to the Test
FRA selected Columbia for up to $16.207 million to modernize COLT and test autonomous rail service. FIR examines frequency, costs, reliability and shipper decisions.
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Rail Revenue Is Rising Faster Than Freight Volume—What Shippers Should Challenge Before Signing 2027 Rates
Today’s Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern results separate revenue growth from shipment growth. What shippers should demand on price, service and capacity before signing 2027 rail contracts.
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FMCSA Standardized Safety-Data Appeals Nationwide—Why Shippers Need a “Pending Dispute” Rule in Carrier Qualification
FMCSA’s nationwide DataQs reform creates a third carrier-qualification state: pending dispute. Here is how shippers can document interim safety decisions without treating an appeal as a clean record or final…
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Maersk’s Five-Day Auto-Cancellation Rule—What Shippers Must Change Before ETD
Maersk’s five-day post-ETD auto-cancellation rule creates a new exception clock for eligible unresolved bookings. Shippers need documented ownership before capacity is released.
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Freight Inflation Is Splitting by Mode—Why Shippers Need to Recheck Their Transportation Budgets
U.S. freight inflation is not moving in one direction at one speed. New federal data show that truck and water transportation producer prices increased 19.3% over the past year, while…
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$166 Billion in Tariffs Assessed—What Importers Must Verify Before Counting Refunds as Cash
An expected tariff refund can influence an importer’s next inventory order, transportation commitment or financing decision. But a claim that has entered a government processing system is not the same…
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FMCSA Doubled Emergency HOS Relief to 30 Days—That Does Not Make Every Disaster Load Exempt
FMCSA doubled the automatic regional-emergency HOS window from 14 days to 30. The change does not exempt every disaster-area load. FIR’s six-field test shows what shippers should document before relying…