EPISODE · Jun 3, 2026 · 8 MIN
The Load Letter — June 3, 2026
from The Load Letter · host Andrew
The freight recovery isn't a maybe anymore — manufacturing is leading the upcycle, the U.S. Bank index confirms flat volumes with surging costs, and the engine driving it is industrial production, not consumer restocking. Today's briefing covers why your book needs to shift toward manufacturers and building products before those lane patterns are locked in, Brent crude jumping to $97 on U.S.-Iran escalation with Vitol warning of a gasoline supply crunch as refiners skew output toward diesel — which means your fuel surcharge math needs daily attention this week, not weekly. We also get into a triple tariff play — forced labor duties on 60 countries, a 25% Brazil tariff, and ongoing refund appeals — and what the front-loading behavior that follows means for coastal drayage and inland distribution lanes. Plus Old Dominion's May results firming up as a bellwether signal for the whole LTL market, a new FreightFacts platform letting carriers score shipper behavior on dwell and compliance, and the Supreme Court broker liability ruling that makes your carrier vetting paper trail legal armor starting today. The market has turned. Position like it has.
What this episode covers
The freight recovery isn't a maybe anymore — manufacturing is leading the upcycle, the U.S. Bank index confirms flat volumes with surging costs, and the engine driving it is industrial production, not consumer restocking. Today's briefing covers why your book needs to shift toward manufacturers and building products before those lane patterns are locked in, Brent crude jumping to $97 on U.S.-Iran escalation with Vitol warning of a gasoline supply crunch as refiners skew output toward diesel — which means your fuel surcharge math needs daily attention this week, not weekly. We also get into a triple tariff play — forced labor duties on 60 countries, a 25% Brazil tariff, and ongoing refund appeals — and what the front-loading behavior that follows means for coastal drayage and inland distribution lanes. Plus Old Dominion's May results firming up as a bellwether signal for the whole LTL market, a new FreightFacts platform letting carriers score shipper behavior on dwell and compliance, and the Supreme Court broker liability ruling that makes your carrier vetting paper trail legal armor starting today. The market has turned. Position like it has.
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The Load Letter — June 3, 2026
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