Averitt Point to Point

St. Louis has always been a city defined by movement.

Long before interstates and intermodal networks, its position along the Mississippi River made it one of America’s most important commercial crossroads. As the historic “Gateway to the West,” St. Louis helped connect eastern industry with western expansion, building a legacy rooted in transportation, trade, and access.

Freight shipping to Puerto Rico sounds straightforward until it isn't.

Q2 2026 arrives with more complexity than clarity. The Middle East conflict has introduced a new layer of economic uncertainty that is rippling across every mode of transportation, driving fuel costs higher, disrupting international trade lanes, and adding pressure to supply chains that were just beginning to find their footing.

The AI data center buildout is the largest infrastructure investment cycle in modern history. U.S. spending on data center construction starts reached an estimated $77.7 billion in 2025 according to Equipment World – a 190% year-over-year increase – and Moody's projects $3 trillion in global spending over the next five years to keep pace with AI capacity demand. With more than 2,788 data centers currently announced or under construction across the U.S., the pressure on every link in the supply chain – including logistics – has never been greater.

Cross-border logistics strategy is no longer a tactical concern. It is a competitive differentiator.

As nearshoring accelerates and U.S.–Mexico trade volumes continue to grow, shippers are discovering that moving freight across borders requires more than capacity. It requires infrastructure, compliance expertise, visibility, and disciplined coordination.

As we move into 2026, the warehousing market is showing early signs of moderation—but not normalization. While select markets are beginning to soften, warehouse costs nationally remain elevated compared to pre-2020 levels, and pricing behavior continues to vary widely by geography.

As supply chains move into 2026, the conversation has shifted. Shippers are no longer reacting to constant disruption—but they aren’t operating with full confidence either. Instead, planning decisions are being made with greater discipline, tighter assumptions, and far less margin for error.

The start of 2026 doesn’t bring a clean reset for the supply chain—but it does bring more clarity than we’ve had in recent years. Across transportation, ports, and warehousing, conditions are being shaped less by sudden demand swings and more by structural changes: tighter capacity, regulatory enforcement, evolving trade patterns, and the lingering influence of trade policy and tariffs on sourcing and routing decisions. Together, these forces are reinforcing the need for flexibility when disruptions occur.

Every year, we look forward to sharing a little holiday cheer with our associates, customers, and community. This year’s video features a special storyteller: a talking Christmas present with a journey of its own.