Logistics News

The price for a barrel of Brent crude rose 2.4% to $90.62 on Aug. 17 in what counts as a relatively modest move compared with its jagged recent swings.

A decline in cargo theft activity in the second quarter was offset by increased targeting of high-value loads, according to a recent report.

The major freight carriers are joining with local police, the FBI and corporate security teams, investing millions of dollars in monitoring technology, drones, barbed-wire fencing and other improvements.

Talks have focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting a U.S. blockade on Iran, both of which were supposed to have happened under the interim deal. There has been no sign of any compromise on the strait.

Competition for truck drivers has rebounded as freight conditions improve, driving up hiring costs, sign-on bonuses and pay increases at several fleets.

Shippers need more education on density-based changes to the NMFC system introduced for the LTL market just over 12 months ago, executives say.

Vessels carrying non-Iranian crude started turning off their transponders to avoid detection in the weeks following the start of the conflict in late February.

Brent crude, the international standard, rises 0.4% to $87.46. The average price of gas rose again overnight to $4.08, according to motor club AAA.

Retail sales slipped 0.6% last month, the biggest drop since May 2025, from a revised gain of 0.2% in June, according to Commerce Department data released Aug. 14.

Trump’s suspension of the carve-out had led to more than $1 billion in duty payments by the end of 2025, according to Customs and Border Protection.