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

Episode 56 of The Supply Chain Economy: Lucas and Luna unpack the hidden crisis in pallet pooling — the wooden platforms that underpin nearly every shipment in the US. With over 2 billion pallets in circulation and pooling companies like CHEP and PECO struggling with shortages and price hikes, the hosts explain why a seemingly mundane logistics tool is suddenly a strategic headache. They dive into...

Episode 55 of The Supply Chain Economy drills into the chassis shortage that's grinding intermodal shipping to a halt. Lucas and Luna break down why a seemingly mundane piece of equipment — the chassis that carries containers on trucks — has become the most constrained link in US logistics. They look at how the shortage started with the container imbalance, why railroads and truckers can't agree o...

Lucas and Luna unpack a hidden bottleneck grinding US logistics: the chassis shortage at rail ramps and ports. With industrial production up to 102.6 and capacity at 76.2%, freight volumes are rising, but the pool of chassis — the wheeled frames that move containers from rail to truck — has actually shrunk. Lucas explains how the 2021-2023 chassis glut led to consolidation, how the two largest lea...

Episode 53 of The Supply Chain Economy digs into a paradox that's costing US exporters billions: the same ports that are flooded with empty containers can't get those boxes back to farmers and manufacturers who need them. Lucas and Luna trace the problem from the container yards of Savannah to the wheat fields of Kansas, using fresh April 2026 data on the US trade deficit and industrial production...

In Episode 52 of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna dig into a massive hidden cost in global trade: repositioning empty containers. Each year, shipping lines spend billions moving empty boxes back to where exports originate. Using the latest trade data from April 2026—which shows U.S. imports outpacing exports by nearly a trillion dollars annually—they explain why this imbalance keeps gettin...

E-commerce has supercharged demand for small-parcel delivery, but the networks that carry those packages are hitting capacity limits. Lucas and Luna break down how the surge in sub-5-pound shipments—up 18% year-over-year by volume—is pressuring sorting centers, driver availability, and last-mile margins. They examine why FedEx and UPS are adding surcharges for residential delivery and how regional...

Episode 50 of The Supply Chain Economy explores a costly mismatch: while US imports surge, exports are stuck in neutral. Lucas and Luna unpack new April 2026 data showing manufacturers' orders hit $662.7 billion and industrial production rose, yet export volumes lag. The culprit? A container imbalance leaving US exporters scrambling for empty boxes. They examine how this structural drag costs the...

The Panama Canal, a vital artery for global trade, is facing an existential threat: water scarcity. In 2023, drought forced the canal to slash daily transits by 36%, stranding billions in cargo and driving up shipping costs. Now, in June 2026, the situation has not fully recovered, and the canal is investing $8.5 billion in a massive reservoir project to secure its future. But the problem isn't ju...

SpaceX just became the world's most valuable company after its IPO, with a market cap topping $2 trillion. But behind the headlines about Elon Musk's new trillionaire status, there's a less glamorous story: the logistics of building rockets. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how SpaceX's supply chain — from rare earth magnets to aluminum-lithium alloys — is reshaping freight and industrial p...

Lucas and Luna dig into the latest trade balance data and a new twist on the container imbalance story: empty containers aren't just piling up at US ports, they're clogging rail yards and inland depots too. With April 2026 imports hitting record highs and exports still flat, the cost of repositioning empties is eating into logistics margins. Lucas shares new numbers from the Port of Los Angeles sh...

Episode 46 of The Supply Chain Economy examines why US exports are stuck despite rising imports and factory orders. Lucas and Luna unpack the container imbalance costing exporters billions: how empty containers pile up at US ports while farmers and manufacturers can't get boxes to ship goods overseas. Using April 2026 trade data showing a $55.9 billion deficit and a 76.1% capacity utilization rate...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into a hidden inefficiency plaguing the US trucking industry: empty miles. With the latest data showing industrial production up and new orders rising, you'd think trucking would be booming. But as Lucas explains, a staggering number of trucks are running empty on return trips, especially in regions where imports and exports are out of sync. They explore why th...

Episode 44 of The Supply Chain Economy explores a shift in US freight: while trucking struggles and ports clear, rail networks are hitting capacity. Lucas and Luna examine how a 3.2 percent increase in intermodal volume in April 2026, combined with crew shortages and aging infrastructure, is creating delays from Chicago to the West Coast. They look at the economics behind the squeeze—why rail rate...

Lucas and Luna examine why US factory output is rising but capacity utilization remains stuck at 76.1%, below the 80% threshold that historically triggers freight growth. They explain the paradox of rising industrial production without corresponding trucking demand — and what it means for the supply chain economy heading into mid-2026. #CapacityUtilization #IndustrialProduction #Manufacturing #Tru...

Episode 42 of The Supply Chain Economy with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna dig into a quiet crisis: empty shipping containers are flooding US ports faster than they can be shipped back to Asia. On June 10, 2026, the US trade deficit stands at -55.9 billion dollars for April, and imports far outpace exports. That imbalance leaves hundreds of thousands of empty containers stacked at ports like Los Angeles,...

The US trade deficit is shrinking, and that sounds like good news — except for the logistics networks built to handle a one-way flood of imports. In Episode 41 of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna dig into the container imbalance that has trucking companies hauling empty boxes back to ports, warehouses sitting full of outbound goods that can't find export customers, and a $55 billion monthl...

Episode 40 of The Supply Chain Economy with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna dive into the new container shortage hitting U.S. exporters in mid-2026. With imports from China surging — May shipments up 35% year-over-year per fresh data — containers pile up at inland warehouses while export-heavy ports like Oakland run empty. They break down why a 40-foot box that used to cost $1,500 to ship from Asia now co...

Episode 39 of The Supply Chain Economy. Lucas and Luna explore the growing container imbalance in global shipping: how the surge of imports into the US is leaving empty containers piling up at ports while exporters face shortages and skyrocketing repositioning costs. They break down the numbers: US imports hit $4.42 trillion in early 2026 while exports lag at $3.53 trillion, creating a trade defic...

In episode 38 of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna dig into a puzzle buried in the latest trade data: imports are surging, but exports are barely budging. As of March 2026, the US trade deficit widened to $60.3 billion, driven by a jump in imports of goods and services to $4.42 trillion annualized. Exports are up too, but only to $3.53 trillion — leaving a gap that's reshaping freight flows...

Lucas and Luna dive into a surprising paradox: US factory orders and industrial production are both rising, but capacity utilization sits at just 76.1 percent—well below the 80-plus percent levels that historically trigger serious freight and logistics bottlenecks. They explore why that number matters, what it means for trucking demand and warehouse occupancy, and how the Iran war's disruption of...

With US warehousing vacancy at effectively zero and industrial production rising, you'd expect a building boom. But new construction starts are collapsing because of skyrocketing financing costs and uncertainty around the Iran war's impact on trade flows. Lucas breaks down the data: capacity utilization at 76.1 percent, factory orders up to $662.7 billion in April, yet warehouse construction loans...

Episode 35 of The Supply Chain Economy dives into why US industrial real estate vacancy rates hit near-zero in 2026 — especially in major inland hubs like Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta. Lucas and Luna break down the structural forces behind the crunch: the post-Iran War shipping disruption, the surge in imports (imports hit $4.4 trillion in early 2026), and the shift to smaller ports like Savannah...

In this episode of The Supply Chain Economy, Lucas and Luna explore the record-low warehousing vacancy rates across the US in 2026. With industrial production up and factory orders surging, available warehouse space has virtually disappeared. The hosts break down the numbers: capacity utilization at 76.1% and manufacturers' new orders hitting $662.7 billion. They discuss the shift from just-in-tim...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising logistics bottleneck: US warehousing vacancy rates have dropped to near-zero levels in 2026. With industrial production up 0.7% in April and manufacturers' new orders reaching $662.7 billion, demand for storage space has outpaced new construction. The hosts drill into a specific case—the struggle of a mid-sized 3PL in the Inland Empire that lost...

Industrial vacancies in the US have dropped below 3 percent for the first time on record, driving warehouse rents up 18 percent year-over-year. Lucas and Luna examine how e-commerce demand, nearshoring, and inventory hoarding are squeezing available space, and what that means for tenants and landlords. With industrial production at 102.5 and factory orders up 4.7 percent in April, the pressure on...