Shipper Strategy
Procurement, routing, service, risk, and transportation strategy for shippers.
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CBP’s New Importer Test Could Disrupt January Deliveries—Even for U.S.-Incorporated Companies
Archival photograph: Port of Savannah, July 25, 2021. Photo: Jerry Glaser / U.S. Customs and Border Protection, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain in the United States. Cropped and resized; FIR…
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November 2026 Freight Outlook—Where Shippers Can Reprice and Where Waiting Raises Risk
A manufacturer waiting for a cheaper ocean booking can erase the saving if a late component forces an air shipment. That is the practical November freight problem: some prices are…
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The UP–NS Merger Review Clock Did Not Stop—Three Dates Rail Shippers Should Use Now
FIR Update · Read our original analysis of CPKC’s request. Union Pacific met a deadline that could have stopped the procedural clock in the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger review.…
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A Truck Can Be Booked and Still Be Stopped. What Shippers Should Verify Before Pickup
Archival photograph: trucks queued at Woodburn Port of Entry, Oregon, January 12, 2023. This is not the Arkansas Operation Highway Shield deployment; no violation is implied for the pictured vehicles.…
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The 2027 Freight Bid Is Splitting. Which Lanes Should Shippers Lock In?
A shipper buying freight for both plant supply and retail replenishment has two decisions to make in its 2027 bid. How much capacity should it commit to on lanes where…
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A 180-Day Section 232 Negotiation Clock Is Running on Robotics and Industrial Machinery: What Importers Should Model Before a Rate Exists
The robotics and industrial-machinery proclamation starts negotiations, not a new tariff. What importers should verify before changing orders, budgets or freight plans.
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CPKC Wants the UP–NS Merger Review Stopped—What Rail Shippers Should Protect While the Decision Is Pending
CPKC asks regulators to end the UP–NS merger review. FIR examines what shippers should protect if the process advances, slows or ends.
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Electronic Bills of Lading Are Spreading—Can Your Shipment Cross the Platform Gap?
A new survey shows broader eBL use, but platform handoffs and bank acceptance remain critical. FIR outlines the legal, cost and release checks shippers need.
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LA–Long Beach Port Strike Deadline May Move to November 4—How Shippers Should Use the Extra Time
A reported extension could move the port watchmen deadline to November 4. Verify the agreement’s status, use any additional operating window and retain executable alternatives.