Tariffs, Floods, and Freight Hits
Good morning! ☀️
Welcome to The Workday Dash—where the only thing moving faster than bad news is freight trying to reroute.
Today’s headlines are serving up a storm—literally and economically:
1️⃣ Trump’s new tariff blitz just rattled global markets, and yes, pharma’s now in the hot seat.
2️⃣ A deadly storm system has left towns underwater and supply routes soaked across the Southeast.
3️⃣ And LTL carriers? Let’s just say the market hit them like a runaway pallet jack—stocks are down hard, and confidence is sliding right with them.
So grab that coffee, dodge the flying tariffs, and maybe keep a kayak handy.
This one’s got ripple effects all over the map.
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions”
Markets Are Shaking—And So Is Global Freight
Global markets just took a major hit after Trump’s latest tariff salvo—this time aimed at China and the pharmaceutical industry. Asia and Europe saw drops of 5–8%, circuit breakers halted trades in Tokyo and Taiwan, and even Wall Street opened deep in the red.
China fired back with 34% retaliatory tariffs and restrictions on rare earth exports, while Trump called for rate cuts and claimed "there is no inflation." The Fed disagrees, warning of higher inflation and slower growth ahead.
✅ Why it matters:
When markets panic, freight flows feel it. Tariffs and trade wars slow purchasing, disrupt lanes, squeeze margins, and pile on compliance challenges—especially with pharma and critical raw materials like rare earths now in the mix.
🔥 Hot take:
Trade wars don’t just tank stocks—they jam up supply chains.
Historic Flooding Slams the Southeast—And Supply Chains Are Feeling It
After days of tornadoes and nonstop rain, a deadly storm system has left at least 19 dead and towns underwater from Arkansas to Kentucky. Rivers like the Kentucky near Monterey are expected to crest 24 feet above flood stage. Entire neighborhoods are flooded, residents are sandbagging their homes, and some areas are still unreachable.
Kentucky’s governor is warning of hypothermia risks as freezing temps move in, while Tennessee has confirmed 10 storm-related deaths. And with more storms on the radar? This isn’t over.
✅ Why it matters:
Flooded highways = delayed freight. Impassable roads = reroutes and missed deliveries. And if you're moving through the Southeast, your cold chain, intermodal, and warehouse ops are all on notice.
🔥 Hot take:
When the rivers rise, so do your reroute costs. Weather doesn’t just delay freight—it floods your margins.
LTL Takes a Hit—and It's More Than Just Market Jitters
The Less-than-Truckload (LTL) sector just got rocked. After Trump’s latest round of tariffs, LTL stocks dropped 18% in two days and are now down 33% YTD. Investors who were hoping for an industrial comeback? Yeah, they’re backing away.
Between soft freight demand, an overloaded terminal network (thanks, Yellow closures), and the looming possibility of Amazon jumping into the LTL game, confidence is shaky. Earnings season kicks off April 23 with Old Dominion—and the forecast isn’t exactly sunny.
✅ Why it matters:
This isn't just about stock prices. If you're in logistics, LTL volatility means pricing pressure, slower freight movement, and margin uncertainty. If you rely on LTL, it’s time to rethink rate strategies and prep for a bumpy road.
🔥 Hot take:
For LTL, this isn’t just turbulence—it’s a full-on freight reroute.
The Workday Dash is an aggregation of articles regarding the transportation logistics, trucking, and supply chain industries for April 14, 2025, from iLevel Logistics Inc.