TIR in transportation stands for Transports Internationaux Routiers, a French term that loosely translates to “International Road Transport,” and it refers to a global customs transit system designed to make cross-border trucking faster, simpler, and a lot less bureaucratic. When you see a truck with a blue TIR plate on the back, it means that the cargo is moving under an international guarantee system that allows it to pass through multiple countries without unloading or undergoing full customs inspections at every border, which is honestly a small miracle if you’ve ever watched a line of trucks crawl across a frontier.

Set against the early-February calm of London, when the city feels sharp, focused, and oddly receptive to big ideas, The Delivery Conference 2026 returns to the Royal Lancaster Hotel with the quiet confidence of an event that knows exactly what it is. On 2–3 February, Metapack and ShipStation will once again draw senior leaders from retail, ecommerce, and logistics into the same rooms, the same conversations, the same slightly over-strong coffees between sessions.

TIER IV, long recognized as a pioneering force behind open-source autonomous driving, has invested in Turing Drive, a Taiwan-based startup focused on autonomous systems for geofenced, low-speed environments. The two companies have established both a capital and business alliance, signaling an intent not just to collaborate on technology, but to align roadmaps, markets, and execution across Asia. It’s the kind of partnership that makes sense when you look closely: deep software DNA on one side, hard-earned field experience on the other, meeting right where real deployments actually happen.

Sometimes innovation hides in the least glamorous corners of industry — conveyor belts, storage racks, barcode labels, and pallets. Yet that’s exactly where the next wave of automation is brewing, and the announcement from Kioxia today feels like one of those quiet shifts that later gets cited as the moment logistics started thinking differently. The company unveiled a new AI-driven image recognition system developed alongside Tsubakimoto Chain Co. and EAGLYS Inc.

Funny how the world can obsess over AI chips, rare metals, or shiny electric cars, and meanwhile the most important objects in global commerce sit in plain sight—stacked like oversized Lego bricks in ports, rail yards, and ship decks across the planet. Shipping containers have no glamour, no sleek branding, no influencer campaigns. They look almost aggressively ordinary: corrugated steel walls, a number stenciled in flaking paint, maybe a rusted hinge or dented corner that hints at the storms and forklifts they’ve survived.

Alvys has announced the close of its $40 million Series B funding round, led by RTP Global with participation from Alpha Square Group, Titanium Ventures, Picus Capital, and Bonfire Ventures. This brings the company’s total funding to $77 million, only a year after securing its Series A, signaling strong investor confidence and rapid market traction. The company positions itself as a next-generation Transportation Management System (TMS), built with AI and automation at its core.

Amid intensifying economic pressures from global tariffs and shifting supply chain economics, Pallet, the company behind the innovative CoPallet AI workforce, has successfully raised $27 million in a Series B funding round led by General Catalyst. The investment, supported further by returning investors Bain Capital Ventures, Activant Capital, and Bessemer Venture Partners, brings Pallet’s total funding to an impressive $50 million. Rather than riding a wave of tech hype, this latest chapter in Pallet’s journey highlights a practical success rooted firmly in tangible financial benefits—real-world math that logistics operators simply couldn’t ignore.

Rose Rocket has unveiled TMS.ai at the Manifest 2025 conference in Las Vegas, introducing a transformative leap in transportation management systems that redefines industry standards. The innovative platform embeds artificial intelligence directly into a company’s system-of-record, enabling it to understand and operate with full context of business processes, a capability that overcomes the common pitfalls of traditional AI implementations. By harnessing the power of intelligent tools like DataBot, which eliminates manual data entry through sophisticated OCR technology, and Rosie, an intelligent co-pilot that streamlines the matching of loads to carriers, TMS.

Port Houston has received $25 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD). The grant, part of the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), will support Port Houston’s “Agriculture Export Improvement and Community Resilience Project.” This funding is aimed at improving the efficiency, safety, and resilience of port operations, while also benefiting the surrounding community in various ways. “This project will enhance the efficiency of U.S. grain exports, improve air quality by reducing dust and truck emissions, and benefit neighboring communities through stormwater improvements,” said Charlie Jenkins, Port Houston CEO.

Boeing’s 2024 World Air Cargo Forecast anticipates a doubling of global air cargo traffic by 2043, driven by a 4% annual growth rate. This robust outlook highlights the pivotal role of e-commerce and shifting supply chains in reshaping global trade logistics. Emerging markets, particularly in Asia, are set to propel demand, with express carrier traffic forecast to triple, underscoring the rising prominence of expedited delivery services. The global freighter fleet will expand significantly, growing from 2,340 aircraft in 2023 to an estimated 3,900 by 2043.

At the heart of global industrial logistics lies the seamless coordination of bulk cargo operations. In this image, the cargo ship “IRAKLIS” exemplifies this intricate dance as it rests alongside the quay, poised for action. Its open cargo holds, partially veiled with protective tarps, hint at the valuable commodity within—most likely coal, a cornerstone of industrial and energy production. The dark interiors of the holds, visible even from a distance, signal readiness for unloading, a task carried out by the towering yellow cranes stationed nearby.

The IAA Transportation Show, to be held on Sep 17-22, 2024, in Hannover, Germany, is one of the world’s largest and most influential exhibitions dedicated to the future of mobility, transport, and logistics. It brings together global leaders in the automotive industry, suppliers, and innovators, showcasing the latest advancements in commercial vehicles, transportation solutions, and logistics technologies. The show highlights the convergence of digitization, automation, sustainability, and new forms of mobility that are transforming the global logistics landscape.

BEAVERTON, Ore., July 17, 2024 - Spot truckload rates rose in June despite declines in the number of loads moved, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the DAT One freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service. The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), an indicator of loads moved during a given month, retreated from all-time highs for van and refrigerated (“reefer”) loads in May: Van TVI: 266, down 9% month over month Reefer TVI: 199, down 11% Flatbed TVI: 279, down 7% Year over year, the van and flatbed TVI dipped 3% and 5%, respectively.

VIENNA, July 16, 2024 - Alpega is excited to announce the return of Connecta, the premier networking event in the European road transport sector, celebrating its 14th edition. Scheduled for October 10th and 11th, 2024, at the prestigious Marriott Auditorium Conference Center in Madrid, this year’s event promises to be the most comprehensive and impactful yet. Unparalleled Networking Opportunities With over 500 professionals from across Europe expected to attend, Connecta 2024 will offer unmatched networking opportunities.

EasyPost Enterprise combines cutting-edge technology with decades of industry experience LEHI, Utah, July 16, 2024 - EasyPost, a leader in shipping technology solutions, has announced the launch of the EasyPost Enterprise suite of solutions. Designed to meet the complex needs of high-performance shippers, the solution enables large organizations to simplify their shipping operations. With a focus on seamless integration, advanced analytics, and real-time processing, the new solution empowers businesses to handle over 1 million shipments per day with sub-second processing times.

The Houthi movement, formally known as Ansar Allah, has significantly escalated its threat to maritime trade, particularly around the Bab al Mandeb Strait, a crucial maritime choke point. This strategic location is vital for global shipping routes, and disruptions here can have far-reaching economic impacts. Since October 2023, following the Hamas attacks and Israel’s military response in Gaza, the Houthis have intensified their operations, targeting Israeli territory as well as commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea.