The asset-based third-party logistics service specialist (3PL) and freight broker RJ Logistics offers a wide range of services, including cross-border shipping, truckload, expedited, flatbed/specialized, and drayage offerings. But the woman-owned, Southfield, Michigan-based company says its true strength is providing a positive freight experience for both shippers and carriers through open communication and collaboration.

But as RJ expanded its North American services into Mexico a few years back, it realized there was one aspect of its own operations that was falling short of its standards for communication: its ability to track and provide timely updates on cross-border shipments to customers. The 3PL was finding that traditional shipment-tracking tools that rely on driver opt-in or ELD (electronic logging device) integrations were not effective in Mexico. To compensate for the visibility gap, it was forced to rely heavily on manual check calls to determine the whereabouts of shipments, which slowed response times and created friction for operators and customers.

There were personnel repercussions as well. The lack of timely updates pulled RJ’s employees away from higher-value tasks, adding stress to the team and limiting their ability to scale up in the wake of a post-Covid market shift.

MAKING DATA COLLECTION AUTOMATIC

In search of a solution, the company turned to Rectangle, a Chicago-based provider of a universal application programming interface (API) and data sync platform built specifically for logistics. According to Rectangle, its technology streamlines complex workflows by turning them into automated data streams that connect seamlessly across systems, giving logistics teams real-time visibility without additional manual work.

RJ says it implemented Rectangle’s universal API and data sync platform in less than a day. The new system now pulls global positioning system (GPS) data from carriers and pushes live location updates directly into RJ Logistics’ McLeod transportation management system (TMS), creating an accurate, up-to-date view of every cross-border shipment inside the TMS.

The change gives RJ Logistics consistent visibility across borders and keeps reliable data flowing into existing systems. The new setup also eliminates those previously experienced gaps, speeds up response times, and strengthens customer trust, according to the two companies.

FROM PAIN POINT TO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Since the go-live, manual check calls have dropped by more than 70%, freeing up the equivalent of two full-time team members, according to the companies. RJ’s operators now focus on managing exceptions and customer service, while its customers receive faster, more consistent updates.

“With Rectangle, we went from spending hours chasing updates to having live tracking data flow directly into McLeod. It’s changed how we operate and how our customers see us,” said Ben Murchison, director of technology at RJ Logistics, in a case study describing the project. “Without bothering drivers, we’re seeing unprecedented tracking coverage for our cross-border shipments.”

Today, the integration delivers more than 95% tracking coverage with a 95th percentile tracking interval of about 15 minutes and has increased the number of tracking data points by a factor of 20. On top of that, the automation has laid the foundation for RJ Logistics’ next phase of growth, according to the two companies.

And importantly, offering that real-time cross-border visibility has allowed the 3PL to turn a former pain point into a competitive advantage, the company says. It now highlights live tracking as a core selling point in customer conversations, helping it stand out and win new business in a crowded market.

The freight matching and transportation tech firm Truckstop.com today said it has acquired Wize Load, a provider of heavy haul rate intelligence tools, saying the move was part of its continued investment in heavy haul, oversized, and specialized freight.

According to Idaho-based Truckload.com, freight that involves open deck, heavy haul, or overdimensional equipment often requires more planning than standard truckload. For example, equipment requirements, permits, escorts, routing limits, and specialized equipment all affect how loads are priced and moved, and quoting these shipments can take more time without the right data.

To address that issue, the company has renamed Wize Load as “Truckstop Heavy Haul Rates,” and says the platform will give brokers a faster way to estimate pricing by bringing lane data, permit rules, and equipment requirements together in one place.

“This acquisition reflects our long-term focus on freight that requires more planning than standard truckload,” said Scott Moscrip, founder and CEO of Truckstop.com. “We are doubling down on technology built for heavy haul, oversized, and overdimensional freight, including the Heavy Haul Load Board and now Heavy Haul Rates. When a load involves permits, escorts, or specialized equipment, pricing has to be right before the truck moves.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

As the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots levels off, supply chain management (SCM) software with agentic AI capabilities will grow from less than $2 billion in 2025 to $53 billion in spend by 2030, according to a report from Gartner Inc.

The initial wave of AI-assistant SCM software has already had a substantial impact on the SCM market, the report says. And it is now entering a new phase in which providers are seeking competitive advantage through investments in AI agents to execute simple tasks either individually or in collaboration with other agents.

“Simple AI agents are capable of executing discrete supply chain tasks, increasingly enabling organizations to automate routine workflows and freeing up bandwidth of humans to complete more complex tasks,” said Balaji Abbabatulla, VP Analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice. “As supply chain organizations begin to realize, measure and demonstrate business value from such simple AI agents over the next 12 to 18 months, leaders in these organizations will start prioritizing investments in clusters of simple AI agents to enable orchestration of multi-step workflows with or without humans in the loop.”

Gartner predicts that by 2030, 60% of enterprises using SCM software will have adopted agentic AI features, up from just 5% in 2025, as businesses move from planning to deploying agentic AI within supply chain workflows.

However, enterprise deployments of AI-driven SCM will lag behind general availability of such capabilities from SCM software providers due to the increasing gap between the technology and other layers of the supply chain operating model. Therefore, as chief supply chain officers and supply chain technology leaders evaluate and plan for the adoption of agentic AI capabilities, it is essential for them to determine and deploy appropriate levels of human-in-the-loop for supply chain management decisions, particularly during the early stages of AI-driven SCM software deployment.

“Leaders should focus their change management investments in adjacent layers of the supply chain operating model—such as data management, operations management, workforce AI-readiness, and network-centricity,” Abbabatulla said. “Additionally, developing strategic partnerships with AI-driven SCM platform providers is crucial to ensure robust support for multi-agent, multi-vendor AI agent orchestration.”

As new Trump Administration tariffs on steel and aluminum began to bite this week, European machine producers said the policy change came so quickly they have not had time to adjust, according to a statement from trade group VDMA.

“Starting April 6, a flat tariff rate of 25 percent will apply to many machines from Europe. In many cases, this will place a heavier burden on the European machinery industry than before -- which is disappointing. What is particularly challenging for our companies is that they are not being given time to prepare for the change,” Oliver Richtberg, Head of the Foreign Trade Division at the VDMA, said in a release.

One of the challenges is a requirement that companies provide proof of where the steel and aluminum used in the machinery was cast or smelted, even for small components like screws, the group said.

“For certain machinery products, such as injection molding machines and conveyor technology, a tariff cap of 15 percent applies for a limited period until December 31, 2027. This provides limited relief for some companies. Products consisting predominantly of steel and aluminum, on the other hand, are significantly worse off. For these, a 50 percent tariff will apply to the entire product in the future.”

The VDMA represents 3,500 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies, which employ around 3 million people in the EU-27.

The new policy comes after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive actions on April 2 to set Section 232 tariffs on pharmaceutical products and charge a flat 25% rate for steel, aluminum and copper derivative products, according to New York-based shipping and logistics provider Sobel Network Shipping.

Third-party logistics service provider (3PL) States Logistics prides itself on being a people-first company. But a challenging warehouse labor market was making it difficult for company leaders to find, retain, and develop front-line workers at some of its locations across Arizona and California just a few years ago. That all changed when the 3PL partnered with TrailPath Workplace Solutions, a workplace and people development company whose technology platform “transforms workplace dynamics, increases visibility, and helps both people and organizations thrive,” according to TrailPath.

States Logistics has reduced turnover at key locations and reports improved employee morale since implementing the platform, which provides visibility, training, and worker engagement tools that help companies improve decision-making and foster a better team environment.

ASSESSING PROBLEMS

States Logistics was experiencing higher than desired turnover at some of its locations and sought a “differentiated approach that could really help it stand out as an employer of choice,” according to TrailPath’s chief operating officer, Ben Green, and his colleague, Chief Knowledge Officer Clint McCrystal. They said the first step to addressing the problem was to assess the 3PL’s employment environment as a way to find opportunities to improve.

“[States Logistics’] biggest issue was turnover,” explains Green, noting that the 3PL was fighting a tough labor market in Southern California, in particular. Although the employee-owned 3PL was doing everything it could to address those challenges—including offering flexible scheduling and competitive pay to attract and keep front-line personnel—nothing seemed to work. And the high turnover was making it difficult for the company to continuously improve operations.

TrailPath began with an overall assessment of States Logistics’ workplace culture and operations in 2023 and implemented a pilot program the following year at one of the 3PL’s warehouses. The pilot combined the company’s NxtPath technology platform with leadership and coaching development to improve the facility’s workplace culture.

Creating a meaningful work environment is at the heart of those efforts.

“For us, [it’s all about] creating dignity, trust, and respect in the workplace,” McCrystal says.

TrailPath uses a “declining to thriving” model to measure worker engagement, satisfaction, and performance. Employees can express how they feel about their job within the NxtPath system by reporting whether they are “declining, surviving, growing, or thriving.” The real-time data-driven system alerts leaders to any changes in the metrics, allowing them to check in with workers and address problems and concerns if scores decline. The system also calculates and tracks an overall score for the workplace.

Progressing along the index requires building “meaningful employment environments,” where “trust and dignity [are] established and the work is meaningful,” according to TrailPath. When team members are “thriving,” productivity increases, turnover declines, commitment increases, safety improves, and people grow, according to Green and McCrystal.

ACHIEVING RESULTS

Today, States Logistics is growing and thriving: Within six months of implementing the technology and training, the pilot site saw a turnover reduction of 12%, according to Green. The 3PL has since added sites to the program and has reduced turnover between 5% and 15% per site.

What’s more, the 3PL has improved along the “declining to thriving” index at those facilities where the system is being used: The pilot site’s overall “growing or thriving” score rose from 60% to 83% from 2023 to 2025, exceeding the company average by a significant margin, according to Andrew Hillier, TrailPath’s business development manager.

In a statement to DC Velocity, Hillier said that accomplishment is “massively impactful in practice because each converted employee adds trust, reliability, and predictability to the operation.”

States Logistics continues to add sites to the NxtPath platform. As of late February, Green said the partners were about two-thirds of the way through the rollout and expected to be up and running in all eight of the 3PL’s locations this spring. The partners plan to integrate the company’s fleet of drivers into the program as well.

And it’s all in the name of becoming a place where people want to work.

“For a small, privately held company like States, hanging on to your employees is everything from a livelihood perspective,” McCrystal says. **please pull terminator to the right. Thanks!

With petroleum markets under pressure from disruption by the Iran War, global airfreight pricing continued to rise during the last week of March, indicating that the price of jet fuel is replacing capacity constraints as the driver of upward rate momentum, according to a report from WorldACD.

Oil prices have soared in recent weeks as Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to most maritime traffic by both oil tankers and containerships. That has led to spikes at pump prices for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, the price of jet fuel has more than doubled, reaching an all-time high in March, WorldACD said. Inevitably, the higher jet fuel price led to upward pricing momentum.

Against that backdrop, worldwide air cargo tonnage in week 13 (23-29 March) was unchanged from the previous week, data from WorldACD show, as volumes out of four regions slipped, while the other two recorded low single-digit increases, an indication that the return of capacity – albeit still down from levels before the Middle East conflict – has absorbed current demand. On the other hand, average global full-market air cargo rates continued to rise to a new high this year at $2.98, but the momentum slowed for the second week in a row, from +10% in week 11 to +5% last week, on a week-on-week basis.

Air cargo capacity remains depressed, as airlines based in the Gulf region continued to rebuild their capacity but still face constraints from the conflict, especially on their passenger schedules. Compared with the previous two weeks (2Wo2W), capacity from the Middle East and South Asia (MESA) region was up +31% for the fortnight from 16 to 29 March, but still -33% below the level in the corresponding fortnight a year ago.

Airlines in the northern hemisphere switch to their summer schedule by the start of April, which should begin to impact capacity and pricing in a number of markets in week 14. However, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East will likely have a much larger impact on demand and pricing, the report said.

As fuel costs continue to climb under oil supply disruptions caused by the Iran War, U.S. trucking freight rates are rising accordingly as carriers price in the cost of more expensive diesel, according to a report from DAT One and DAT iQ.

The national average flatbed rate for the week ending April 4 rose by 11 cents to $2.55 a mile, marking the largest weekly increase in over a decade. The rate is now at its highest in four years and 40 cents higher than in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the national dry van load-to-truck ratio dropped to 9.0 last week, influenced by a 14% decline in load posts and a 2% decrease in equipment posts. Specifically, total load posts on DAT One dropped to 3.58 million last week, a 12% decrease from the previous week, as the market seemed to pull back after the quarter ended and before Easter.

Global freight planning is being reshaped by three outcomes of the Iran War—fuel shock, tighter air capacity, and Strait of Hormuz disruption—according to a report from Dimerco Express Group, the Taipei-based global shipping and logistics service provider.

Under that pressure, the freight market is increasingly driven by fuel costs, rerouting, and geopolitical disruption rather than a broad demand surge, the firm said in its “April 2026 Asia-Pacific Freight Report.” Overall, the report points to continued expansion in global manufacturing, but with softer momentum, higher operating costs, and tighter booking conditions across key air, ocean, and rail lanes.

The report listed four data points to support that conclusion:

• Jet fuel rose from about $95 per barrel in late February to $197 per barrel by March 20.
  
• Taiwan air freight rates increased by roughly 20% to 30% on disrupted lanes.
• North America air freight rates rose 20% to 50% as fuel surcharges and rerouting intensified.
• China-Europe rail hubs imposed $300 to $500 per container increases in March, with broader market increases now moving above $500 per container.

“April is shaping up to be a cost-driven freight market, not a broad demand-driven one,” Catherine Chien, Chairwoman of Dimerco, said in a release. “We are seeing fuel shock and Middle East rerouting tighten air capacity from Taiwan, Korea, and across Southeast Asia, while ocean carriers layer in bunker-related surcharges and rail into Europe moves higher as shippers look for alternatives. If disruption around the Strait of Hormuz continues, shippers should expect elevated freight costs, shorter rate validity, and more route-specific volatility across Asia-Europe and Asia-North America in the weeks ahead.”

Amid skepticism by shop floor workers, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in manufacturing can hinge on the attitudes and readiness of frontline manufacturing leaders, according to a study from PwC and the Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

According to the new survey data, nearly half (48%) of respondents rated their frontline leaders as very or extremely effective in shaping the experience of frontline workers. Yet that effectiveness has not translated to AI readiness. When asked about frontline leaders’ readiness to lead AI-driven change, 54% of respondents reported low or very low confidence.

Another hurdle revealed by the survey was that 45% of frontline leaders report being skeptical of AI—even as 50% express excitement. And frontline workers have even more reservations, with 62% viewed as skeptical and just 24% described as excited.

That divergence can have long-term implications for AI adoption. But researchers offered strategies to overcome the issue, saying that offering meaningful training and treating AI as a primary capability with demonstrable benefits can reduce skepticism and resistance to AI implementation. The survey supports that with the statistics that 45% of leaders attribute unsuccessful AI initiatives to excluding frontline leaders from the design or rollout process.

The findings come from “Frontline Leadership in Manufacturing AI Adoption,” a study which surveyed over 100 manufacturing leaders across operations, human resources, and executive roles in the third quarter of 2025 about AI adoption.

“As AI becomes more important to manufacturing, leaders need to offer additional training so that workers are equipped to utilize AI on the shop floor,” Manufacturing Institute Chief Program Officer Gardner Carrick said in a release. “The survey shows manufacturing leaders the opportunities they have to get this right. Real training, upskilling and hands-on experience will demonstrate to employees the benefits that will come with proper AI integration.”

Demand is rising for “shallow-bay properties” in industrial real estate, reflecting the growing need for smaller-format space tied to service-oriented users and last-mile distribution, according to a report from CBRE.

Unlike big-box warehouse properties that have expanded rapidly in recent years, the supply of shallow-bay space has grown only modestly, leaving many markets with aging inventory and limited new construction. CBRE defines shallow-bay space as buildings under 50,000 square feet with clear heights between 14 and 28 feet.

Starting in 2017, shallow-bay vacancy began falling below the overall industrial vacancy rate, reflecting growing demand for smaller-format space tied to service-oriented users and last-mile distribution. This gap widened significantly during the recent development cycle, as new supply was largely concentrated in big-box warehouse development while shallow-bay construction remained limited. By early 2024, shallow-bay vacancy was 2.5 percentage points below the overall industrial vacancy rate, underscoring the limited availability amid sustained demand for these smaller facilities.

By 2025, shallow-bay asking rents were more than 50% higher than 2010 levels, highlighting the durable demand and supply constraints of this segment. The steady increase in rents over this period reflects continued leasing activity and limited available space for smaller occupiers across most markets.

With little new development over the past two decades, shallow-bay industrial inventory in major U.S. markets is heavily concentrated in older facilities. Nearly half of shallow-bay inventory was built prior to 1980 and more than 80% was built before 2000. Properties built since 2010 account for only 5% of total inventory. This aging supply reflects the economic challenges of developing new shallow-bay facilities in major markets, where land costs and zoning constraints often favor larger warehouse developments.

Looking into the future, demand for shallow-bay space remains closely tied to small and mid-sized businesses that serve local economies. While a slowing economy could temper demand in the near term, the limited development pipeline and aging inventory base suggest shallow-bay properties will remain an important and supply-constrained segment of the industrial market.

Truck freight rates have moved up modestly to start 2026, while the gap between spot and contract pricing has narrowed, according to the latest quarterly U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index – Rates Edition, which is produced in collaboration with DAT Freight & Analytics.

The trend comes as welcome news following more than three years of freight recession conditions that have seen trucking load rates linger near historic lows.

By the numbers, the report found that spot rates averaged $2.01 per mile in February, up from $1.65 in November. Meanwhile, contract rates ticked up to $2.12 in February, up from $2.02 in November.

The report also revealed compression between contract and spot rates. A year ago, contract rates carried an average premium of roughly $0.39 per mile over spot rates. By March 2026, that gap had narrowed to about $0.11 per mile, representing approximately $0.28 per mile of compression. The narrowing reflects spot rates catching up to contract pricing, leaving shippers with less margin to absorb volatility.

“What we’re seeing in early 2026 is a freight market beginning to rebalance, with spot rates improving modestly while contract pricing has remained relatively steady,” said Ken Adamo, Chief of Analytics at DAT Freight & Analytics.

Amid soaring investment in building the data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI), the third party logistics provider (3PL) Arvato this week said it is further expanding its Data Center Services footprint in the United States with a new logistics hub in Denton, Texas.

Located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the facility “significantly increases” its operational capacity to support hyperscalers, cloud providers, and AI infrastructure companies across North America, the firm said.

The facility comprises approximately 270,000 square feet, with an initial 150,000 square feet allocated for operations and substantial room for future expansion. Specialized logistics offerings at the site allow Arvato to manage inbound and outbound flows of sensitive hardware, coordinate complex white-glove deliveries into active and under-construction data centers, and provide high-security warehousing and specialized handling services.

“The U.S. data center market is scaling at unprecedented speed,” Mitat Aydindag, President Tech at Arvato, said in a release. “In AI-driven environments, deployment speed and uptime depend directly on logistics performance. With our new hub in Dallas-Fort Worth, we are expanding a fully integrated U.S. Data Center platform that combines secure warehousing, specialized handling and coordinated last-mile execution. We are building the logistics layer behind next-generation AI infrastructure and enable our clients to scale with precision, security and confidence.”

The expansion comes the same week that DHL announced a similar initiative to address the hyperscaler market, launching a “significant expansion” of its North America data center logistics (DCL) infrastructure with 10 dedicated warehouse sites totaling more than seven million square feet of capacity set to go live in 2026.

Spot rates for ocean container shipping are up by more than 30% since the end of February on routes with direct exposure to the Middle East disruption caused by the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran, according to a report from Xeneta, anocean and air freight rate analytics provider.

And since global container flows move in a tightly orchestrated balance, those rate spikes are also affecting goods as far away as U.S. West Coast ports, the firm said.

“Five weeks into the Strait of Hormuz closure and spot rates on every major East-West trade lane have risen sharply, showing this is a conflict with global repercussions for ocean supply chains,” Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst, said in a release.

“No shipper is insulated from financial or operational risk. Far East to US West Coast – a trade which transits the Pacific thousands of miles from the epicenter of conflict – has seen spot rates climb 29% since the end of February. The complex interconnectivity of global supply chains means port congestion in the Middle East has rippled across to key Asian transshipment hubs — including Singapore, Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas — which are also vital for feeding goods toward the US.”

Despite the jump in rates, wary shippers are still scrambling to secure capacity, as they hope to avoid potentially higher costs in the future, since peak season for importing inventory for winter holiday shoppers is only three months away.

“The position of carriers is unambiguous - the cost of uncertainty sits with the shipper, even on trades with no direct exposure to the Middle East. Market memory is a powerful force and shippers who experienced the second wave of the Red Sea crisis in 2024, when port congestion in Singapore saw already elevated rates double, are not waiting around and are securing capacity at today’s rates,” Sand said.

“Shippers booking capacity today are paying a premium for certainty, but it is a calculated risk against being caught short in peak season three months from now and paying even higher rates. Shippers who wait for conditions [to] stabilize are placing a bet with no clear evidence behind it.”

Walmart de México y Centroamérica, the largest retailer in Mexico, is expanding its use of digital store modernization technology through a collaboration with Vusion, a provider of AI-powered digitalization solutions for physical commerce.

Under the deal, Walmart will deploy Vusion’s “EdgeSense” connected store platform across its Walmart Express stores and begin the transformation of its Supercenter fleet. This initiative following the deployment of Vusion's connected store technologies across Walmart U.S. stores.

Through the plan, Walmart Express stores will be fully deployed with EdgeSense technology by the end of 2026, marking the first large-scale rollout of the platform in Latin America. Following this phase, Walmart Mexico also plans to expand the deployment to Walmart Supercenters.

Specifically, Walmart Express stores will be equipped with more than 1.7 million electronic shelf labels and over 180,000 EdgeSense smart rails.

The EdgeSense system combines intelligent shelf infrastructure, computer vision, artificial intelligence (AI), electronic shelf labels, and real-time retail data to create a unified operating system for physical stores. The platform enables retailers to automate store operations, improve inventory accuracy, and unlock new data-driven capabilities across merchandising, and shopper engagement.

Transportation industry group the Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced the three finalists for its 2026 Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award (DWLA), an annual honor recognizing exceptional leadership by women in the trucking and logistics industry.

According to WIT, the award highlights exceptional leaders who are driving innovation, operational excellence, and the advancement of women across the supply chain. The 2026 award recipient will be announced during the TIA Capital Ideas Conference and Exhibition on Friday, April 17 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 2026 finalists are:

• Eileen Dabrowski, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Apex Tide Consulting
• Aurélie Doucette, Vice President of Dedicated Contract Carriage Operations, Penske Logistics
• Erin Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer, YMX Logistics

In a release, WIT said the finalists were selected based on their professional accomplishments, leadership, mentorship, and contributions to the industry. These women have demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing the logistics and transportation industry, leaving a lasting impact on their organizations and communities, the group said.

Know someone who is making a difference in the world of logistics? Then consider nominating that person as one of DC Velocity’s “Rainmakers”—professionals from all facets of the business whose achievements set them apart from the crowd. In the past, they have included practitioners, consultants, academics, vendors, and even military commanders.

To identify these achievers, DC Velocity’s editorial directors work with members of the magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board. The nomination process begins in January and concludes in April with a vote to determine which nominees will be invited to become Rainmakers.

The 2026 Rainmakers will be unveiled in our July issue. You can check out last year’s winners on our website anytime.

If you’d like to nominate someone, please fill out our online form. The deadline for submissions is April 17.

Even as companies rush to invest in the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, the U.S. economy lacks enough skilled trades workers to train, implement, and sustain the physical underpinnings of the new technology, according to data from Randstad USA.

Skilled trades workers are both the engine and the bottleneck for AI-powered growth. That’s because scaling up AI requires vast physical infrastructure, from data centers and energy systems to automated production facilities.

Specific job description in short supply include many of the critical roles required to build those very data centers. Between 2022 and 2026, skilled trades in the U.S. saw explosive growth:

• Robotics Technicians: Vacancies skyrocketed by 113.19%.
• HVAC Engineers: Demand rose 77.89%.
• Industrial Automation: Increased by 51%.
• General Trades: Demand for electricians, welders, and construction specialists grew by an average of 30%, significantly higher than the broader market.

Those statistics mean that it is now more difficult and time-consuming to hire an HVAC professional and an electrician than a software developer. The average time-to-hire for a skilled trades worker has reached 56 days, surpassing the 54-day average for desk-based professionals, Randstad said.

And even when skilled workers are being hired, their numbers are losing ground to the wave of retiring baby boomers. In manufacturing, for every 100 young workers entering the trade sector, 102 are exiting, which is equivalent to an annual decline of 1.72%, the report said.

"While much of the conversation surrounding AI focuses on job displacement, we're overlooking the demand it’s creating for the skilled trade workforce," Greg Dyer, CCO of Randstad North America, said in a release. “AI can't build data centers, upgrade power grids, or maintain its own infrastructure. Because the demand for skilled trades is evolving into highly specialized, digital-first work, leaders must reposition skilled trades as a top-tier career track. Leaders must prioritize investments in education, upskilling, and training, or the AI-fueled growth we seek will stall."

The Japanese robot maker Fanuc will build a nearly one-million square foot factory in Michigan to support future robotics growth and U.S. manufacturing demand, the company said Tuesday.

The $90 million, 840,000 square foot facility is targeted for completion in late 2027. The goal of the project is to expand Fanuc America’s engineering capacity and advanced manufacturing capabilities to support growing demand for automation solutions across North America, including physical AI, virtual commissioning, and digital-twin technologies, the company said.

“FANUC America is committed to supporting U.S. reindustrialization by delivering state-of-the-art automation technologies to customers and broadening access to advanced manufacturing workplace training services,” Mike Cicco, President and CEO of FANUC America, said in a release.

“The newly expanded FANUC Academy—opening in Auburn Hills, MI, later this year—will become the largest robotics and automation skills-development center in the United States, helping address the national manufacturing skills gap, rising demand for automation talent, the shift toward AI-enabled robotics and the country’s overall competitiveness,” Cicco said.

American ports will gain nearly a half-billion dollars in federal funding “to restore American maritime dominance and revitalize American ports, shipyards and maritime capabilities,” the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said Thursday.

According to DOT, the goal of the grant program is to “modernize America’s ports and strengthen our supply chains, helping reduce time and costs for shippers, and drive down the cost of goods for American families.”

It will be available to the more than 300 U.S. ports operated by states, counties, municipalities, and private corporations, and will support projects that:

• Improve ports[‘] ability to load and unload good[s]
• Streamline supply chain movements
• Modernize ports’ infrastructure and operations
• Support America’s vibrant seafood and seafood-related businesses

More specifically, the funding of $488,628,000 will be awarded through the DOT Maritime Administration (MARAD)’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). Most of the money ($450 million) comes from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and a small portion comes from the Congressional spending bill called the FY 2026 Appropriations Act.

To apply for funding, applicants are encouraged to submit eligible projects as soon as possible, but must do so by June 27. Criteria include priorities for projects located in Qualified Opportunity Zones, projects that incorporate innovative technology, and projects that support national multimodal freight goals.

The PIDP program will also allocate at least 25% of the available funding—totaling $122,157,000—for “Small Projects at Small Ports.” Eligible applicants include port authorities, states, local governments, indigenous Tribal nations, counties, and other entities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from experimentation to operational decision support across supply chain planning, but only 10% of retail and manufacturing leaders say they would trust AI to make fully independent supply chain decisions, according to a study from tech vendor Relex Solutions.

Instead of allowing AI to make those decisions itself, 54% said they prefer AI to make recommendations while humans finalize decisions. That data comes from “State of Supply Chain 2026: Volatility, Trade-Offs & the Rise of AI,” a report based on a January 2026 survey of 514 retail, manufacturing, wholesale and supply chain leaders conducted by Researchscape.

Despite that skepticism, 67% of respondents to the survey said their confidence in using AI for supply chain decision-making has increased compared with last year. For example, 47% are using or planning AI-driven inventory and supply optimization and 41% are applying AI to logistics and routing.

Meanwhile, many organizations are planning for a future with more AI, with 71% planning to invest in generative and agentic AI and 60% in predictive AI over the next three to five years.

The chief reason behind those investments is that 44% of leaders cite consumer demand volatility as a top challenge over the next three years, reinforcing the need for more intelligent, responsive planning systems.

Retailers continue to feel the downstream effects of demand uncertainty, as 30% cite adapting to sudden consumer demand shifts as a major challenge, reinforcing the need for stronger demand visibility and more responsive planning processes. To address this volatility, retail leaders are increasingly turning to AI-driven forecasting, inventory optimization, and decision-support tools that allow them to respond quickly to changes in consumer behavior while protecting margins and availability.

Manufacturers cited different reasons for investing in AI, with 57% saying raw material procurement disruption is the most impacted area of their supply chain, while 34% citing regulatory and compliance pressures as a growing operational concern.

"AI is becoming part of everyday supply chain decision-making," Madhav Durbha, group vice president of manufacturing industry strategy at Relex Solutions, said in a release. "As volatility persists, companies are investing in AI-driven forecasting, optimization, and decision support to respond faster and operate with greater confidence, even when conditions change quickly."