Warehouse Wisdom, Weekly. 06/12/2026

🚚 Happy Friday!

If supply chains were hoping for a quiet week, they picked the wrong one. The U.S. and Iran are apparently close to striking a deal. Meanwhile, much closer to home, the opening of a new U.S.-Canada bridge has been delayed amid ongoing trade tensions, creating yet another reminder that infrastructure projects and international commerce don't always move at the same speed.

In this week's edition, we'll cover Amazon's expansion into the LTL market, tariff refund opportunities, Shein and Temu's latest challenges, trucking employment trends, emerging warehouse technologies, the growing role of TikTok Shop, and much more.
U.S. military says Hormuz remains open after Iran declares Strait closed.

Let’s dive in!

Frieght and Shipping

Amazon jumps into LTL and freight markets finally show signs of life

Amazon has officially opened its less-than-truckload (LTL) network to outside businesses, marking one of the company's most significant moves yet into transportation services. While Amazon's logistics expansion tends to make headlines, industry analysts aren't exactly sounding the alarm bells for incumbent carriers. Most believe Amazon still faces a long road before it can meaningfully disrupt the broader LTL market, which remains heavily relationship-driven and operationally complex. Still, if there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's that betting against Amazon hasn't exactly been a winning strategy.

Meanwhile, carriers are continuing to position themselves for an eventual freight recovery. ArcBest's ABF Freight announced a 5.9% general rate increase, while Saia continues investing heavily in terminal expansion and network growth heading into 2026. The message from carriers seems clear: they're preparing for stronger freight demand, whether it arrives tomorrow or fashionably late.

There may be some early signs that the freight market is finally waking up. Truckload spot rates have shown encouraging movement in recent months, and some analysts now believe the trucking industry's four-year downturn may finally be ending. While nobody is ready to throw a "Freight Recession Retirement Party" just yet, many carriers are seeing conditions gradually improve after one of the longest downturns in recent memory.

Supply Chain

Tariff refunds return while Shein and Temu feel the squeeze

Businesses that have been frustrated by tariff costs may soon have additional opportunities to recover some of those expenses. Ongoing legal and regulatory developments are creating the possibility that more importers could qualify for tariff refunds, though experts caution that obtaining those refunds may still require significant documentation and persistence. For importers that have been absorbing higher costs over the last several years, even partial relief could provide a meaningful boost to margins.

At the same time, global sourcing strategies continue to face pressure from geopolitical uncertainty. Despite renewed security concerns in the Red Sea and surrounding shipping lanes, many companies have not made substantial sourcing changes, opting instead to wait and see whether disruptions become prolonged. For now, businesses appear willing to tolerate higher transportation costs rather than completely redesign supplier networks.

Two companies facing particularly strong headwinds are Shein and Temu. Regulatory scrutiny, trade policy changes, and evolving import rules continue to create challenges for the fast-growing ecommerce giants. Their ability to maintain low prices while navigating a more complex regulatory environment will be closely watched by retailers and logistics providers alike.

Logistics Vitals

Trucking employment hits the brakes after April’s brief surge

The freight market continues sending mixed signals. While many carriers have reported improving conditions and tightening capacity, May's trucking employment report largely erased April's hiring gains. The good news? Warehouse hiring continues moving in the opposite direction, posting its fourth consecutive month of growth.

Truck Transportation Employment

• 1,424,800 jobs – Total truck transportation jobs in May

• 4,400 jobs lost – Decline from April employment levels

• Only 500 net jobs gained – Increase from March through May despite April's hiring surge

• 2,400 fewer jobs – Compared to the end of 2025

• Nearly 23,000 fewer jobs compared to May 2025

• Nearly 23,000 fewer jobs – Compared to May 2025

Warehouse Employment

• 6,400 jobs added – Largest monthly warehouse employment gain in over a year

• 1,824,400 warehouse jobs – Current employment level

• Fourth consecutive month of warehouse job growth

• $25.98 per hour – Record average hourly wage for warehouse workers

Trucking Wages

• $32.41 per hour – Record average hourly wage for trucking employees

• 40.5 hours worked per week – Down slightly from 41.1 hours in March

Warehouse Tech

Robots, drones, and driverless trucks move closer to the mainstream

If warehouse operators were hoping automation would slow down for a few months, they're likely going to be disappointed. Amazon announced plans to invest approximately $10 billion in its European fulfillment network, with robotics and automation playing a major role in future operations. The investment highlights just how aggressively large fulfillment organizations continue to pursue productivity gains through technology.

Not to be outdone, Walmart and Wing are expanding drone delivery operations into seven additional markets. While drone deliveries still represent a small percentage of overall shipments, retailers clearly believe the technology has a role to play in future last-mile delivery networks, particularly for smaller and time-sensitive orders.

And then there's autonomous trucking. Driverless truck operations continue expanding commercially, with major companies testing and deploying autonomous vehicles on select freight routes. The technology still has hurdles to overcome, but it's increasingly moving from experimental pilot programs into real-world transportation operations. Science fiction keeps becoming supply chain reality a little faster every year.

Warehouse Tech

TikTok, Dollar General, and retailers rethink the rules of Ecommerce

One of the more surprising marketplace stories this week comes from TikTok Shop. According to Marketplace Pulse, just 1% of sellers generate approximately 60% of gross merchandise volume on the platform. The findings reinforce how concentrated success can become on emerging marketplaces and highlight the importance of visibility, influencer partnerships, and scale when competing for customer attention.

Dollar General is also proving that delivery doesn't have to be reserved for ecommerce giants. The discount retailer has quietly built a profitable delivery operation that leverages its expansive store network to reach customers efficiently. It's another reminder that proximity remains one of retail's most powerful competitive advantages.

As retailers prepare for peak season, customer expectations continue evolving. Executives from Macy's and Ulta noted that delivery reliability is increasingly more important than raw delivery speed. Consumers still want products quickly, but they appear even more interested in knowing exactly when their order will arrive. Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation expects an earlier-than-normal peak shipping season this year, giving retailers one more reason to fine-tune inventory and fulfillment plans now rather than later.

Warehouse Quick Deliveries

UPS cools delivery vans and FedEx pilots reach a deal

• UPS completes air-conditioning retrofit initiative for delivery vehicles as summer temperatures ramp up.

• FedEx pilots reach a tentative agreement on pay.