The Supply Chain Economy with Fexingo: Logistics, Shipping, and Goods Movement

The US trade deficit widened to $77.6 billion in May 2026, the largest gap since the pandemic era. That's not just a macro number — it's reshaping the physical infrastructure of American logistics. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the imbalance between imports and exports is creating a surplus of empty containers piling up at inland warehouses, driving up costs for shippers and pushing...

Lucas and Luna explore a striking data point from July 2026: the US trade deficit has widened to $77.6 billion, driven by a surge in imports that is overwhelming ports, warehouses, and trucking networks. They discuss how this imbalance is forcing logistics companies to rethink container repositioning, storage strategies, and drayage capacity. Drawing on the latest trade figures and industrial prod...

In this episode of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna examine a counterintuitive bottleneck reshaping US logistics: container vessels idling at anchor not because of port congestion, but because inland truck capacity has tightened. Using May 2026 trade data showing a widening goods deficit and a dip in manufacturers' new orders, they explore how shifting import patterns and warehouse invento...

Episode 103 of The Supply Chain Economy: Lucas and Luna explore how digital freight platforms are turning truck drivers into part-time brokers. With manufacturers' new orders dipping to $657 billion in May 2026 and the US trade deficit widening to $77.6 billion, small carriers are using load-matching apps to negotiate their own rates, bypassing traditional middlemen. The hosts unpack the economics...

Port congestion has hit the US West Coast again, and a tiny insurance niche is exploding. Lucas and Luna dive into how delays at Los Angeles and Long Beach are forcing shippers to buy 'detention and demurrage insurance' — policies that cover the cost when containers sit longer than expected. They walk through the math: a typical shipper pays $50–150 per container per day in late fees, and insurers...

Episode 101 of The Supply Chain Economy explores a quiet but fast-moving shift in the logistics world: warehouses are starting to bundle insurance policies for goods stored on their racks. Lucas breaks down the numbers — manufacturers' new orders dropped to $657 billion in May, down 1.3% from April — and explains why that dip is pushing warehouse operators to offer on-site coverage as a value-add....

Episode 100 of The Supply Chain Economy explores a quiet but massive structural shift: ocean carriers are buying or leasing their own intermodal rail capacity to bypass bottlenecks and control the door-to-door move. Lucas breaks down how the top three global container lines now operate dedicated unit trains on US networks, and why this threatens the century-old separation between ship and rail. Lu...

In episode 99 of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna explore why the trucking industry's persistent deadhead problem—empty miles driven by trucks returning without cargo—is finally declining. Using May 2026 factory order data showing a 1.3% drop in manufacturers' new orders, they connect the trend to a shift in how shippers and carriers coordinate. The hosts unpack how digital freight matchin...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising shift in US logistics: truck drivers are increasingly spending hours inside warehouses, loading and sorting their own freight. With new data showing industrial production up slightly and factory orders down, the hosts drill into a specific case—the 'driver unload' programs at major distribution centers outside Memphis. Lucas explains how this tr...

This episode of The Supply Chain Economy explores how the U.S. cold chain is being reshaped by rising temperatures and shifting food distribution patterns. Lucas and Luna anchor the discussion around a specific data point: the U.S. industrial production index for food manufacturing hit 102.6 in May 2026, up from 102.51, while capacity utilization rose to 76.2 percent. But the real story is how ext...

In episode 96 of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna explore how additive manufacturing is quietly reshaping U.S. supply chains. With manufacturers' new orders dipping to $657 billion in May 2026 and industrial production edging up, companies are using 3D printing to shorten lead times and reduce import dependence. Lucas breaks down how General Electric is printing fuel nozzles for jet engine...

Episode 95 of The Supply Chain Economy explores a quiet revolution in industrial real estate: warehouses are installing massive rooftop solar arrays not just to cut electricity bills, but to become net energy exporters. Lucas and Luna examine how Prologis, the world's largest warehouse owner, is turning its rooftops into virtual power plants, generating enough electricity to power hundreds of thou...

Episode 94 of The Supply Chain Economy examines the quiet transformation of suburban warehouses into parcel consolidation hubs for small and mid-sized shippers. Lucas and Luna look at one midwest-based network called ShipMeld that lets local manufacturers pool their outbound parcels to negotiate rates that used to be reserved for Amazon and Walmart. They break down how ShipMeld's warehouse partner...

Every year, shipping lines spend an estimated $20 billion moving empty containers around the world. On this episode of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna dig into why empties pile up in some ports while other ports face shortages, and how the industry is starting to tackle the imbalance. They look at the surge in US imports over the past year (imports hit $4.3 trillion in Q1 2026, up from $4...

Lucas and Luna explore the surprisingly complex and costly world of empty container repositioning, a hidden force shaping global trade and shipping rates. With new US trade data showing a widening deficit and shifting trade patterns, they explain why shipping lines are paying up to $500 to move an empty box from inland US to a port, and how this cost is baked into every import price. The episode d...

Record-breaking temperatures across the US this July are pushing the cold chain—the temperature-controlled logistics network for food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals—to its breaking point. Lucas breaks down why the system is so fragile, from warehouse refrigeration failures to truck driver shortages during heatwaves. Luna brings data on spoilage losses and the surprising economics of dry ice. They...

Episode 90 of The Supply Chain Economy with Fexingo explores the surprising resurgence of rail freight for time-sensitive goods. Lucas and Luna examine how a combination of driver shortages, rising trucking rates, and service improvements by railroads like Union Pacific and BNSF is shifting cargo from trucks to trains. They dig into the economics: rail is about four times more fuel-efficient per t...

Container shipping lines like Maersk and MSC are no longer just moving boxes between ports. They are building vast warehouse networks in the US interior, turning themselves into end-to-end logistics providers. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down why ocean carriers are buying up industrial real estate, how this reshapes competition for traditional warehouse operators, and what it means for m...

Episode 88 of The Supply Chain Economy: Lucas and Luna explore the surprising trend of US warehouses evolving into financial intermediaries for truckers. With over-the-road carriers often waiting days for payment, warehouses are now offering instant settlement services, charging small fees but cementing loyalty. The hosts dive into how this shift is reshaping cash flow dynamics in logistics, refer...

Episode 87 of The Supply Chain Economy explores a quiet but profound shift in American logistics: warehouses are being built directly alongside rail lines, transforming how goods move from ports to inland hubs. Lucas and Luna examine recent data showing industrial production up and trade deficits narrowing, then drill into a specific case: the Union Pacific's new 'warehouse-in-a-box' program in Ka...

Episode 86 of The Supply Chain Economy with Fexingo looks at a quiet explosion: US warehouses are installing massive diesel generators and battery banks to keep operations running during grid instability. Lucas and Luna trace the trend back to summer 2024's heat-wave-related blackouts in Texas and California, and link it to new data showing manufacturers' new orders up 4.8% year-over-year as of Ap...

Episode 85 of The Supply Chain Economy tackles a quiet revolution in logistics finance: warehouses that now offer instant payment to truckers upon drop-off, bypassing traditional 30-to-60-day net terms. Lucas and Luna explore how this trend, driven by platforms like Relay Payments and fleet-management software, is reshaping cash flow for owner-operators and small carriers. They tie it to recent da...

Every day, thousands of semi trucks in the US roll down highways with no cargo, burning fuel and earning nothing. On this episode, Lucas and Luna examine the economics of empty miles — a persistent inefficiency that costs the trucking industry an estimated $30 billion a year. They unpack why empty miles exist, from imbalanced freight networks to the way shippers contract capacity, and look at how...

Today Lucas and Luna examine the surprising ripple effects of rising manufacturers' new orders on the logistics network. With orders hitting $662.7 billion in April 2026 — up 4.7% from the prior month — US warehouses, trucking firms, and ports are scrambling to adjust. Lucas explains how this boom is reshaping inventory strategies, warehouse construction, and even rail connections, using concrete...

Episode 82 of The Supply Chain Economy examines a quiet but powerful shift: trucking companies are buying and building warehouses just across the US-Mexico border. Lucas and Luna explore why carriers like Knight-Swift and Werner are investing millions in warehousing near Laredo and El Paso, turning their rigs into extended inventory buffers. With US manufacturers' new orders up 4.8 percent since A...