Insights
Industry insights, integration guides, and product updates from the CXTMS team.
Why 70% of Shippers Can't Capture the 20-30% Inventory Reduction McKinsey Says Is Possible
McKinsey says AI can cut inventory 20-30%. So why are most shippers still leaving those gains on the table? The answer isn't the AI — it's the visibility gap between what the data shows and what operations can act on.
CXTMS InsightsMay 1, 20266 min read
LTL Rate Increases and Capacity Tightening: What the May 2026 Market Means for Shippers
ACT Research forecasts firmer rate floors and accelerating contract pricing through 2026. C.H. Robinson data points to mid-single-digit LTL increases. Here's what shippers need to know — and do — before the market tightens further.
CXTMS InsightsMay 1, 2026 · 4 min read
The Q2 2026 Multimodal Freight Divergence: Why Ocean, Trucking, and Air Are Moving in Opposite Directions
Ocean rates stabilizing, trucking costs up 16–17% YoY, and air cargo facing fuel-driven capacity constraints — Q2 2026 is exposing shippers who plan by mode in isolation. Here's how to optimize your multimodal mix.
CXTMS InsightsMay 1, 2026 · 6 min read
CASS Freight Index March 2026: The Freight Recession That Wasn't
March CASS data shows shipments down 4.5% YoY but up 3.0% MoM — a second consecutive month of sequential recovery. Here's what that pattern means for shippers heading into Q2.
CXTMS InsightsApril 30, 2026 · 5 min read
Customs Clearance Automation: How Digital Pre-Arrival Processing Is Cutting Days Off Your Supply Chain
Pre-arrival digital submission is transforming customs clearance from a multi-day bottleneck into a matter of hours. Here's what the 2026 data shows—and what shippers must do to capture the speed benefit.
CXTMS InsightsApril 30, 2026 · 7 min read
FedEx Freight Spinoff 60 Days Out: What Shippers Must Do Before June 2026
With the FedEx Freight spinoff 60 days away, shippers face a narrow window to renegotiate contracts, audit ratings, and reassess capacity commitments before the new entity sets its own pricing structure. Here's your action list.
CXTMS InsightsApril 30, 2026 · 5 min read
Gartner's 2026 Source-to-Pay Magic Quadrant — Why Logistics Teams Should Care About the Leaders
Gartner's 2026 Source-to-Pay Magic Quadrant names GEP, Coupa, Ivalua, and Oracle as Leaders — but what does that actually mean for freight-intensive shippers? We break down the research, the agentic AI angle, and the freight procurement software market now worth $1.72 billion.
CXTMS InsightsApril 30, 2026 · 7 min read
Multimodal Visibility Platforms: Why Tracking Just One Mode Is Now a Competitive Risk
Multimodal visibility platforms are reshaping how freight forwarders and shippers track shipments across ocean, air, rail, and trucking. Here's what the 2026 market data tells us—and what to look for in a platform evaluation.
CXTMS InsightsApril 30, 2026 · 7 min read
NY Fed Supply Chain Pressure Index April 2026: The Easy Normalization Story Is Over
The NY Fed's Global Supply Chain Pressure Index jumped to 0.68 in March 2026 — its highest reading since January 2023. After two years of easing, supply chain normalization just hit a wall. Here's what it means for shippers heading into Q2.
CXTMS InsightsApril 30, 2026 · 6 min read
Parcel Audit Recovery: How to Stop Leaving 5% of Your Freight Spend on the Table
Parcel carriers overbill. It's not a bug — it's baked into the complexity of modern shipping contracts and rate structures. Here's how automated parcel audit recovery works and why most shippers are leaving thousands of dollars unclaimed every month.
CXTMS InsightsApril 30, 2026 · 5 min read