Left Lane Associates

Left Lane Associates North America's premier supply chain M&A experts that companies trust to drive their growth and exit plans.

The Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) recorded its sharpest rise in worldwide factory production sin...
06/25/2026

The Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) recorded its sharpest rise in worldwide factory production since July 2021 in May, with U.S. output hitting a four-year high. However, this surge isn’t organic demand but rather precautionary stock-building, with manufacturers building safety stocks as the conflict in the Middle East extended into its third month.

The downstream effects of this are already visible, with supplier delivery delays at their worst since mid-2022, while factory input costs rose at the steepest rate since June of the same year.

Check out S&P Global Market Intelligence for more info: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/research/2026/06/global-pmi-shows-factory-growth-spurt-amid-boost-from-price-and-supply-worries

Carrier executives at a recent Wells Fargo investor conference made the case that the U.S. truckload market is entering ...
06/24/2026

Carrier executives at a recent Wells Fargo investor conference made the case that the U.S. truckload market is entering a period of sustained rate recovery, rather than experiencing a temporary bounce.

Operating costs are up 30-50% over five years while rates declined, and carriers now expect a cumulative 20% rate hike over the next two years. Furthermore, the capacity shift seen now appears to be structural – driven by CDL enforcement, cabotage crackdowns, and the Montgomery Supreme Court ruling reshaping broker liability – rather than a short-term blip.

Read the article in FreightWaves for more details: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truckload-carriers-eyeing-multiyear-rate-upcycle

Although a Gartner survey found that eight in 10 supply chain executives expect autonomous business to become dominant b...
06/23/2026

Although a Gartner survey found that eight in 10 supply chain executives expect autonomous business to become dominant by 2030, the reality is that while AI is embedded in the operations of many supply chain businesses, very few companies have built fully autonomous processes.

The barrier isn’t technology, but rather data quality and adoption. Customer service and order management are emerging as the areas most ready for automation today. Ultimately, far more supply chain work is automated than it was four years ago, but genuinely autonomous operations remain rare, and the most difficult step is bridging the gap between ambition and ex*****on.

Read the article to learn more: https://www.gartner.com/en/supply-chain/insights/beyond-supply-chain-blog/the-messy-reality-of-supply-chain-automation

A business that depends entirely on its owner isn’t a sellable asset, it’s a high-paying job. Buyers purchase predictabl...
06/22/2026

A business that depends entirely on its owner isn’t a sellable asset, it’s a high-paying job. Buyers purchase predictable cash flow, not personality, and if the revenue drops the moment an owner steps away, the company is fragile and fragile businesses receive lower multiples.

The fix starts with an honest audit, such as: which tasks could someone else handle, which decisions actually need the owner’s sign-off, and which processes still live only in the owner’s head. A business where the owner can step away for weeks without performance dropping is exactly what acquirers are looking for.

Check out this Forbes article to learn more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/liendepau/2026/02/25/how-to-build-a-team-so-you-can-remove-yourself-from-your-business/

Happy Father’s Day from Left Lane Associates!Today, we recognize the leadership, commitment, and support that fathers an...
06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day from Left Lane Associates!

Today, we recognize the leadership, commitment, and support that fathers and father figures provide within their families and communities.

In case you missed it, the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous May 14 ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II eliminated ...
06/19/2026

In case you missed it, the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous May 14 ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II eliminated the FAAAA preemption defense that freight brokers have relied on for decades against negligent hiring claims.

In what’s been called “one of the biggest changes that’s occurred in transportation in the last two decades”, basic vetting – confirming authority and insurance – is no longer sufficient. As a result of this ruling, the question is no longer “Who can I use to move this?”, and now must be, “Can I defend this carrier if an incident occurs?”

The exposure here is real, and for brokers and carriers alike, documented, consistent carrier vetting is now a legal necessity, rather than just a best practice.

Read this FreightWaves article for more details: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-supreme-court-just-stripped-brokers-of-their-biggest-legal-shield

Nuclear verdicts – which are often considered verdicts costing over $10 million in damages – share common aggravating fa...
06/18/2026

Nuclear verdicts – which are often considered verdicts costing over $10 million in damages – share common aggravating factors, such as instances where a fleet knew a driver had a checkered history, or cases of distracted driving or fleeing the scene.

This article from TruckNews.com highlights how part of the answer to avoiding a nuclear verdict is knowing when to resolve claims at the earliest opportunity. One telling example highlighted is of a truck driver with a history of being disciplined for distracted driving. When that driver was involved in an accident, the fleet was immediately concerned that they had been on the phone at the time of the accident, and pursued a settlement more aggressively, reaching a financial agreement with the plaintiff within one day.

However, the clearest recommendation comes in the form of cameras. Footage clears fleets fast when they’re not at fault, and enables fast settlements when they are.

Find out more: https://www.trucknews.com/transportation/what-accident-factors-most-often-lead-to-nuclear-verdicts/1003209223/

Since June 2024, the average length of haul for U.S. truckloads has dropped by 21%, from approximately 607 miles to just...
06/17/2026

Since June 2024, the average length of haul for U.S. truckloads has dropped by 21%, from approximately 607 miles to just above 500, with 11% of that decline occurring in the past year alone. As this FreightWaves article notes, while most freight trends are seasonal or sharp, this one is neither, and its linear, sustained nature suggests a structural shift in how shippers use trucks rather than a temporary blip.

Shorter hauls should free up capacity, since trucks cycle faster, yet tender rejections in the U.S. sit above 17% (multi-year highs) while spot rates surge across all trailer types. The explanation for this is that intermodal has been quietly absorbing long-haul freight, with international and domestic container volumes up 11% and 14% year-over-year, respectively, while truckload demand growth has come disproportionately from moves under 250 miles.

The question for the remainder of the year is whether a late-2026 import surge could bring long-haul demand back into a truckload market short on capacity for short-haul freight.

Find out more: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truckloads-shrinking-miles

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced on June 11 that Canada and the United States agreed to delay the Gordie H...
06/16/2026

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced on June 11 that Canada and the United States agreed to delay the Gordie Howe International Bridge’s opening “to resolve any outstanding issues”, just one day before a planned ribbon-cutting ceremony and after some Ontario carriers had already begun onboarding and operational testing.

The crossing is expected to ease pressure on the Ambassador Bridge, add redundancy to a corridor that moves nearly CAD 400 million in goods daily, and connect Highway 401 to Interstate 75.

The cost of this delay is concrete, with the Ontario Trucking Association reporting that some carriers are absorbing $20,000 - $100,000 in additional monthly costs to maintain normal shipping schedules through the corridor.

Check out the TruckNews.com article to learn more: https://www.trucknews.com/transportation/carriers-await-gordie-howe-bridge-opening-as-launch-delayed/1003216612/

Image Source: Gordie Howe International Bridge

A fresh wave of manufacturing investment is creating real freight demand across the United States. In recent weeks, comp...
06/15/2026

A fresh wave of manufacturing investment is creating real freight demand across the United States. In recent weeks, companies announced more than USD 3.6 billion in new projects and over 4,700 jobs.

The underlying theme of these announcements is supply chain resilience, reflecting a deliberate decision from American organizations to move production closer to customers, reduce exposure to global disruptions, and build domestic U.S. capacity in sectors directly exposed to tariff and geopolitical risk.

Learn more by reading the coverage of these trends in FreightWaves: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/from-texas-to-tennessee-manufacturers-ramp-up-us-production

Address

17 Four Seasons Place, Suite 201
Toronto, ON
M9B6E6

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

416-551-6651

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Left Lane Associates posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Left Lane Associates:

Shortcuts

Share

Category