Tallies, totals and other trend data in the freight transportation realm (3/19/2026)
3/19/2026
1.3, 6.4, 8.1 & 11.2
Imports at major U.S. container ports likely will remain below last year’s levels for the year's first half amid ongoing tariff uncertainty, but it's too soon to gauge the impact of the war in Iran, according to the writers of a Global Port Tracker report released March 9 by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. In January, U.S. ports the report covers handled 2.08 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), although the ports of New York and New Jersey and Miami had yet to report data. That total was up 3.8% from December, but down 6.4% year over year. Global Port Tracker projects February's total at 2.01 million TEUs, down 1.3% year over year; March at 1.91 million TEUs, down 11.2%; and April at 2.03 million TEUs, down 8.1%.
2 & 4
In February, Port Houston handled 4,380,996 short tons handled across the port’s eight public terminals, up 4% compared with the total from the same 2025 month, port officials announced on March 16. Through February, the port handled 8,927,585 short tons, a 5% increase year to date. Container activity remained flat last month, with the port handling 326,799 TEUs. For the year's first two months, the port posted container volume of 696,833, a 2% increase compared with the same 2025 period.
3
Last month, the Port of Los Angeles processed 824,323 TEUs, marking the second-busiest February in the port’s history and an increase of 3% compared with the same 2025 period, the port announced on March 12. “Retailers and manufacturers brought in cargo ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, when many factories paused production in Asia,” Executive Director Gene Seroka said. “... With so many developments affecting supply chains — from the conflict unfolding in the Middle East to the Supreme Court tariff ruling and broader trade policy shifts — there’s real uncertainty across the industry right now.”
5
"BNSF is 'only' cutting its capex by 5% (to a still hefty $3.6B), the smallest cut in the industry, which may well pay dividends sooner rather than later." — Independent transportation analyst Tony Hatch in a March 10 email to his clients
5.1
The expenditures component of the Cass Freight Index, which measures the total amount spent on freight, rose 5.1% month over month in February, Cass Information Systems revealed on March 16. Expenditures were up 2.1% from the same 2025 month following a 0.6% year-over-year gain in January. "While shipment declines continue, the year-over-year increase in expenditures was driven by higher rates," Cass officials said. "The expenditures component of the Cass Freight Index, after a record 38% surge in 2021 and another 23% increase in 2022, fell 19% in 2023 and 11% in 2024. In 2025, the index declined by 0.5%."
8.6
In 2025, the total U.S. domestic parcel market volume was 23.9 billion — "low marginal growth" compared with 2024's volume — while revenue grew by 4.1%, according to ShipMatrix Inc.'s U.S. Domestic Parcel Market Report for 2025. During the year, market share was redistributed as FedEx; Amazon; online retailers such as Walmart, Target and Staples; and for-hire carriers such as Jitsu, Better Trucks, Uni-Uni and SpeedX gained volume from UPS and USPS, ShipMatrix officials said on March 16. The largest growth (13%) was achieved by the non-traditional carriers. While Amazon Logistics had a lower growth of 9.9%, it was on its much larger base of 6.7 billion parcels, and FedEx grew by 5.2%. "Their growth came at the expense of UPS and [USPS] volumes, with each declining by 8.6%," according to ShipMatrix.
20 & 21
"The Strait of Hormuz, that pesky chokepoint handling about 21% of the world’s oil supply, has effectively turned into a no-go zone following the recent military action. With tanker traffic down to a mere 20% of pre-war levels, it's a classic case of 'all dressed up with nowhere to go.' ... Reports indicate that Iraq has already cut production by 1.5 million barrels per day due to storage constraints, while Kuwait and others are running out of tank space to store crude, like the college kid who brought too much stuff to his dorm room, making his roommate text his mother while he hides under the bedsheets. Once you shutdown production, it doesn’t restart right away." — March 10 edition of The Tank Tiger Bulletin. The Tank Tiger is a Princeton, New Jersey-based terminal storage clearinghouse, broker and intermediary
25
"Even with seasonal headwinds, the market remains structurally tight," according to Uber Freight's Q1 2026 freight market update, issued March 12. "First-tender acceptance is hovering around 85%, significantly lower than last year’s 92%. This has led to elevated shipper costs, as rejected shipments are either moving down routing guides or into the spot market. ... With organic supply reductions, weak equipment sales, and regulatory tightening, the gap between supply and demand is widening. Currently, spot rates remain elevated by more than 25% year over year, increasing supply-side pressure. But while the rise in spot rates has boosted Class 8 orders, it’s not expected to fully improve capacity in 2026 — primarily due to long lead times."
50
On March 11, the Port of Brownsville unveiled the America First Refining project, which, when completed, would be the first new U.S. Gulf Coast oil refinery in nearly 50 years, port officials said.
To be built on more than 240 acres within the port, the refinery will process 100% domestic shale oil using advanced, hydrogen-powered systems to produce ultra-low-carbon fuels. Port leadership has been working on the project for more than 10 years. The Port of Brownsville would provide America First Refining with deepwater channel access, direct dock and rail connectivity, cargo-handling capabilities and foreign trade zone status advantages, port officials said.