US winter storm

US winter disruption ripples through truck, rail and intermodal networks

Feb 18, 2026 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Severe winter weather across the United States has triggered the sharpest short-term trucking spot rate spike in more than three years, with disruption now filtering upstream into inland rail and intermodal hubs.

Snow and ice blanketing large parts of the eastern US drove a 40% week-on-week increase in spot market load posts. Dry-van spot rates climbed 11 cents in seven days, the steepest weekly rise since early 2021, while temperature-controlled (reefer) capacity jumped 15 cents week over week as shippers scrambled for freeze protection.

Unlike previous disruption events, the system now has less “buffer” capacity. Market reaction to the latest storm has been more severe than that seen after Hurricane Helene in September 2024, when spot loads rose 17% and rates increased just 4 cents week over week.

With tighter latent capacity, even short-lived weather events are producing outsized pricing swings.

Structural factors could extend pressure

January manufacturing data from the Institute for Supply Management moved back above the 50 baseline into expansion territory for the first time in more than a year, fuelling speculation that the freight recession may be bottoming out.

At the same time, federal enforcement activity around non-domiciled commercial driver’s licences (CDLs) and English-language proficiency requirements is reportedly pushing shippers towards asset-based carriers with company drivers. That shift could reduce available independent capacity, adding structural support to contract and spot rate increases, particularly as the spring produce season approaches.

If reefer markets tighten sharply during produce season, rate pressure is likely to cascade into dry-van networks, making elevated pricing more durable through 2026.

Rail and intermodal congestion follows the storm

While Class I rail line-haul performance has largely normalised, disruption has migrated inland. Rail terminals including Memphis, Chicago and Cincinnati are now experiencing post-storm congestion.

At key inland hubs, container availability times have doubled from around one day to two days. Data from technology provider E-Dray shows that average availability at Union Pacific’s Memphis terminal rose from 0.7 days pre-storm to 2.9 days after the event.

Transit times between Kansas and Illinois spiked to nearly 80 hours before easing to around 35 hours. Mississippi–Illinois transits briefly doubled to 19 hours before settling closer to 10 hours.

Drivers report waiting up to five hours inside terminals, missing delivery windows and triggering demurrage exposure. The issue is not chassis shortages but crane and yard capacity constraints in freezing conditions.

Union Pacific’s decision to levy “flip fees” for lifting containers from stacks, a charge not typically applied by other North American Class I railroads or major US ports, has added further cost pressure for drayage providers, costs that are not being absorbed by cargo owners.

What this means for importers and exporters

For international shippers moving freight into and out of the US, the key risk lies in the inland leg:

  • Higher US trucking spot rates can quickly erode landed-cost assumptions.
  • Intermodal congestion extends container dwell time and increases demurrage and detention exposure.
  • Reefer market tightening during produce season could distort both temperature-controlled and dry-van pricing.
  • Inland rail volatility can delay export positioning, affecting vessel cut-offs and schedule integrity.

Weather-related disruption may ease, but reduced capacity buffers mean price and service volatility can persist longer than the storm itself.

How Metro supports shippers through US inland volatility

Metro works with importing and exporting customers to reduce exposure to short-term inland shocks through:

  • Pre-planned multimodal routing strategies
  • Secured trucking and intermodal capacity with vetted asset-based partners
  • Active dwell-time and demurrage monitoring
  • Early visibility of rail terminal congestion
  • Contingency planning ahead of seasonal inflection points such as produce season

In volatile inland markets, control and foresight matter as much as headline freight rates.

If your US supply chain is exposed to trucking or intermodal risk, EMAIL our managing director, Andrew Smith, to learn about building resilience into your routing strategy, before the next disruption hits.

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Smart 2026 supply chains are being engineered for pressure

Jan 7, 2026 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Supply chains are no longer judged on efficiency alone, in 2026 they will be expected to anticipate disruption and adapt at speed to actively support growth. The experience of the past year confirmed that stability is no longer a realistic planning assumption, but performance under pressure is.

Rather than a single crisis, 2025 delivered constant friction. Congestion resurfaced across ports and inland networks, capacity existed but was selectively deployed, and geopolitical and regulatory shifts altered trade flows long before any formal policy changes took effect. 

The result was a decisive shift in mindset: supply chains must be designed to operate in volatility, not merely recover from it.

That shift accelerates in 2026, as technology, resilience and sustainability converge to redefine how supply chains are planned, financed and executed.

Resilience becomes a competitive advantage

If 2025 proved anything, it was that capacity on paper does not guarantee performance in practice. Across ocean, air and road freight, service reliability was dictated by execution: blank sailings, schedule volatility and inland bottlenecks determined what actually moved.

In response, supply chain design is moving beyond simple continuity planning toward resilience, where networks are designed to adapt and improve under stress.

Common characteristics include:

  • Multi-route and multimodal playbooks rather than single-lane optimisation
  • Near-shoring and regionalisation to shorten lead times and reduce exposure
  • Centralised planning paired with regional execution for faster response

These approaches reflect a broader shift away from cost-minimisation toward risk-adjusted performance.

Warehousing becomes a strategic control point

Warehousing emerged as one of the most critical differentiators in 2025 — a trend that intensifies in 2026. With transit times less predictable and congestion harder to avoid, inventory positioning and fulfilment speed have become central to supply-chain resilience.

High-performing shippers increasingly treat warehousing as an active control layer, not passive storage. Key developments include:

  • Greater use of strategically located facilities to buffer disruption
  • Tighter integration between warehousing, transport and customs planning
  • Investment in automation and robotics that flex with demand and seasonality

This is particularly important as omnichannel and e-commerce pressures continue to grow, demanding seamless support for direct-to-consumer, BOPIS and rapid fulfilment models alongside traditional B2B flows.

From reactive networks to intelligent systems

One of the most significant changes heading into 2026 is the role of technology within supply chains. What began as analytical support is now moving into operational control.

AI-enabled tools are increasingly embedded across planning, procurement, inventory management and risk assessment, enabling supply chains to:

  • Anticipate disruption through predictive insights
  • Optimise routing, inventory and capacity decisions in near real time
  • Coordinate responses across multiple functions and geographies

As these systems become more connected, cybersecurity and data governance also rise sharply in importance. Protecting sensitive operational, commercial and customs data is now a core supply-chain requirement, not an IT afterthought.

Data quality, skills and execution define winners

Technology alone is not enough. The past year also highlighted a widening gap between organisations that could convert insight into action and those constrained by fragmented systems and poor data quality.

In 2026, competitive advantage depends on:

  • Clean, trusted and consistent data across logistics, customs and finance
  • Integrated platforms rather than disconnected tools
  • Teams with the skills to manage AI-driven, data-rich operations

Workforce transformation is therefore as important as digital investment. Roles are evolving toward data analytics, systems oversight and exception management, requiring targeted up-skilling to unlock value from new technologies.

Sustainability and compliance move into the operating core

Environmental and regulatory pressures are no longer peripheral considerations. Carbon pricing, emissions transparency, stricter customs enforcement and evolving trade rules are now shaping routing, mode selection and inventory strategy.

For most shippers, progress in 2026 will come less from premium “green” options and more from practical levers:

  • Smarter planning and consolidation
  • Modal optimisation and regionalisation
  • Stronger traceability and data governance

Sustainability and compliance have become operational constraints — inseparable from cost, resilience and service performance.

Designing supply chains that perform under pressure

Taken together, the direction of travel for 2026 is clear. Supply chains are being rebuilt as intelligent, integrated systems — shifting from reactive cost centres to strategic growth engines.

The most resilient networks are those that:

  • Integrate finance, procurement, logistics and technology decisions
  • Combine centralised control with regional agility
  • Invest equally in data, platforms, people and process

The objective is not to eliminate disruption, but to design networks that continue to perform when conditions are uncertain.

At Metro, this same mindset underpins how supply chains are assessed and supported. Stress-testing assumptions, strengthening visibility and applying execution-focused logistics, warehousing and transport strategies. In 2026, the differentiator will not be avoiding disruption, but owning a supply chain designed to operate through it.

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Container Shipping Faces Prolonged Excess Capacity

Aug 19, 2025 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The container shipping industry is set for several years of structural oversupply, which will put significant downward pressure on rates, with fleet growth consistently outpacing cargo demand until the end of the decade.

Analysts point to a combination of record vessel orders and limited scrapping as the primary drivers of the imbalance. By mid-2025, global carriers had ordered 2.3 million TEU of new capacity, only slightly below the record levels set in late 2024. The current order-book now totals 9.6 million TEU, equivalent to more than 30% of the active fleet. With 3.3 million TEU scheduled for delivery in 2028 alone, average fleet growth is forecast to remain above 6% per year.

The composition of new orders is also shifting. While demand for ultra-large ships of 14,000 TEU and above remains strong, the most striking increase has come in smaller units. Seventy-four feeder and regional vessels of up to 4,000 TEU were ordered in the first half of 2025, almost matching the entire 2024 total. This investment comes despite the fact that nearly a third of the world’s smaller ships are already over 20 years old, a share set to rise to around half by 2030.

Scrapping activity has stalled at the same time. Just ten ships totalling 5,454 TEU were demolished in the first six months of 2025, compared with nearly 49,000 TEU a year earlier. A strong charter market and resilient cargo flows, combined with continued diversions via the Cape of Good Hope, have encouraged carriers to hold on to older tonnage. Many remain wary of cutting capacity after recent shocks, including the pandemic and Red Sea disruptions, demonstrated the strategic value of surplus vessels.

On the demand side, global throughput is expected to rise 2.6% in 2025, supported by front-loading, fiscal stimulus, and lower effective tariff rates. But growth is forecast to slow to 1.7% in 2026 as inflationary pressures, higher costs, and weaker US job growth weigh on consumption. Asia–Europe routes, where the largest vessels are being deployed, are expected to feel the oversupply most acutely, while transpacific trades face uncertainty once front-loading unwinds.

The imbalance has clear financial and regulatory implications. Analysts expect profitability to bottom out in 2028, when the largest wave of deliveries coincides with a likely return of normalised Red Sea transits. At the same time, retaining older tonnage raises questions around emissions compliance and fuel efficiency as IMO decarbonisation rules tighten.

Industry projections suggest average overcapacity of around 27% through 2028. While unforeseen shocks may disrupt the outlook, the medium-term picture points firmly to a prolonged period of structural pressure on global container shipping.

With vessel supply set to outpace demand for years ahead, oversupply will continue to distort schedules and pressure rates. In this environment, booking space is no longer enough. You need visibility, agility, and the ability to adapt as conditions change, with blanked sailings and service adjustments likely without notice.

Metro’s MVT platform continuously tracks carrier KPIs and vessel position, comparing actual performance across alliances and adjusting supply chains in real time. This data-led approach maintain supply chain resilience, minimises disruption, optimises inventory planning, and safeguards service levels.

EMAIL Andrew Smith, Managing Director, to discuss how we can support your supply chain.

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H1 2025: Six Developments Reshaping Global Trade

Aug 19, 2025 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The first half of 2025 has been one of the most turbulent periods for supply chains in recent memory. From renewed tariff wars to fresh geopolitical flashpoints, logistics professionals have had to contend with a constantly shifting landscape.

At the same time, structural challenges around skills, safety, and sustainability have continued to grow. Here we review six developments that defined H1 2025.

1. Tariffs return to the fore
The pause in US tariff escalation ended in August, with the White House reintroducing “reciprocal” tariffs that apply baseline duties of 10% to all countries and higher rates of 10–41% depending on origin. The UK sit at the low end, while Syria faces the steepest levels. Brazil has been singled out further, hit by an additional 40% levy. Canada also saw tariffs raised from 25% to 35% on certain goods, justified by Washington’s claim that Ottawa has not done enough to curb fentanyl flows.

The executive order applies from 7 August 2025, with a grace period allowing cargo already loaded onto vessels before that date to arrive until 5 October 2025. To add complexity, US Customs will also impose new fees on Chinese-built or operated vessels from 14 October, potentially forcing alliances such as the Ocean Alliance into costly fleet reshuffles. Carriers are already working through how to redeploy capacity to avoid penalties, with COSCO and OOCL particularly exposed.

2. New shipping alliances reshape networks
The recomposition of global shipping alliances in Q1 has reshaped carrier strategies. The launch of the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd marked one of the most significant realignments in recent years, focused on achieving 90%+ schedule reliability. Shippers are already seeing more dependable services, but questions remain about whether premium pricing will follow.

Other alliances, particularly Ocean and THE Alliance (now Premier Alliance), are recalibrating networks, with competition sharpening across Asia–Europe and transpacific trades. For shippers, the alliance changes mean rethinking service contracts and adapting to new network structures that could endure for much of the decade.

3. Houthi attacks deepen Red Sea crisis
The Red Sea crisis, triggered by Houthi rebel attacks, has now stretched on for nearly two years. In July 2025 the threat escalated further with the sinking of the Magic Seas, a Greek-operated vessel targeted for its links to companies calling at Israeli ports. Analysis suggests that one in six vessels globally could now be considered threatened under the Houthis’ broad definition of violators.

For container lines, this effectively rules out a return to Suez Canal routings before 2026 — and possibly not until 2027. Rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope adds up to two weeks to Asia–Europe journeys, pushing up costs and insurance premiums, and putting additional strain on fleet capacity. The Red Sea instability has been a reminder of how localised conflicts can have global consequences for supply chains.

4. Logistics skills shortages persist
The UK continues to face a significant shortfall in logistics skills, with the Road Haulage Association estimating a deficit of around 50,000 HGV drivers. The ONS also reports 6,000 fewer courier and delivery drivers than the previous year. With 55% of HGV drivers aged between 50 and 65, the demographic imbalance remains a long-term concern.

Factors include reduced access to EU workers post-Brexit, poor industry perception, and limited uptake of government training schemes. Although the crisis is not as acute as during the height of the pandemic, the ageing workforce and lack of young entrants mean structural shortages will continue. Rising wage costs, recruitment struggles, and bottlenecks in road transport all add to the burden on UK supply chains.

5. EV shipping challenges raise alarm
The growth of electric vehicle (EV) trade has created new safety risks at sea. Several high-profile fires on car carriers have been linked to lithium-ion batteries, sparking concern among insurers, regulators, and shipowners. Insurers are pushing for tougher loading protocols, enhanced crew training, and more advanced fire suppression systems.

For supply chains, this adds cost and complexity to automotive logistics, with carriers facing higher insurance premiums and the need to retrofit vessels. It is also slowing the momentum of EV exports, just as demand for cleaner vehicles accelerates globally.

6. Sustainability regulations tighten
Sustainability regulation is reshaping procurement strategies. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is beginning to impact trade in carbon-intensive products such as steel, aluminium, and cement, with importers required to report embedded emissions.

At the same time, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is moving toward a tipping point. UK and EU mandates are pushing airlines to integrate SAF into their fuel mix, with new investments underway to scale production.

While tariffs and geopolitics grab headlines, sustainability is quietly becoming a decisive factor in supplier choice, cost structures, and long-term resilience planning. For many organisations, compliance with emissions and ESG frameworks is no longer optional but critical.

Outlook
H1 2025 has exposed the vulnerability of supply chains to political shocks, armed conflict, safety risks, and structural labour shortages. Tariffs, alliances, and attacks have disrupted networks, while long-term challenges around sustainability and skills remain unresolved.

The message for supply chain leaders is clear: resilience, agility, and visibility will be critical in the second half of 2025, as disruption becomes the new normal.

H1 2025 has underlined how vulnerable global supply chains have become and staying ahead demands visibility, expertise, and a trusted partner by your side.

Metro’s account management team works proactively with customers to anticipate risks, share insights, and design solutions that are resilient and adaptable to change.

Our expertise encompasses dangerous goods and lithium battery shipping, customs, and multimodal freight, backed by a strong people strategy that includes apprenticeships, engagement programmes, and our Great Place to Work certification.

We are also leading the way on sustainability. Metro has been carbon neutral for five years, pioneering the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), while our MVT ECO platform helps businesses forecast, measure, and offset emissions across their global supply chains.

EMAIL Andrew Smith, Managing Director, to learn how Metro can build resilience into your supply chain.

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