Our global freight forwarding network keeps our customers freight moving across the world.

Just a sigh of relief for Forward Air, hit by another large impairment

Forward Air (FWRD) rallied in after-hours trade last night, rising to $17.25 a share, up nearly +12% in the wake of a Q2 26 trading update released after US market close that didn't prompt joy - yet, at least, took the stock back to were it traded pre-Q1 26 update. And... not far off the liquidation value we estimated... well, over two years ago: $19.1. Ahead of the call with the pros, most of the trick in that respect was done ...

Global tension + rising costs = more pressure on UK SMEs

UK businesses are facing mounting pressure from renewed tension around the Iran conflict, with rising transport, sourcing, and energy costs threatening to squeeze margins and further disrupt already fragile supply chains. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 29% of businesses with 10 or more employees were concerned last month about international conflict affecting their supply chains over the next year, up 19 percentage points from December 2025. A further 20% were worried about shipping disruption, an increase of 12 percentage points. More than half (52%) of businesses expected the cost of sourcing materials to be affected, while 47% anticipated an impact on transport costs. Meanwhile, 57% expressed some concern about energy prices and 70% about fuel prices. The figures underline the growing challenge facing forwarders, according to British International Freight Association (BIFA) director general Steve Parker, who warned that geopolitical disruption was creating significant uncertainty for businesses moving goods internationally. He said recently that the industry was already dealing with the consequences of vessels being diverted and containers ending up far from their intended destinations due to shipping routes being disrupted. He described the experience of booking containers as "less like putting freight on a straightforward journey and more like sending it on an adventure", with uncertainty over where cargo will ultimately arrive. Mr Parker added that once cargo was unloaded and remained at a port, additional charges began to accumulate. "Bills and costs rack up for no fault of our own," he said. The ONS data suggested that among businesses with 10 or more employees that had exported in the previous 12 months, 39% reported higher exporting costs in June compared with the same month in 2025 - the highest proportion recorded since June 2023. The renewed geopolitical uncertainty comes on top of already challenging operating conditions for the freight sector, Mr Parker highlighting rising business costs, energy expenses, and pressure on transport operators. For smaller freight forwarders in particular, he added, the ability to absorb unexpected costs and disruption was limited. "If you've got deep pockets, it's probably not too bad. But a lot of our members, even if they're small... could find themselves caught up with additional costs."

Drone carrying explosives found at Leipzig Airport

A counterterrorism investigation was opened by the German authorities yesterday after a drone carrying explosives was found near a runway at Leipzig/Halle Airport overnight. Areas of the site, which is the location of a major DHL hub, were shut down. It is not clear whether the airport has since fully re-opened the southern runway having been closed earlier in the day. The discovery was made by an airport employee who spotted the device in a restricted cargo area near the southern runway in proximity to parked Ukrainian freighter aircraft according to a report which quoted local police. As a precaution several DHL aircraft scheduled to land at Leipzig-Halle were diverted. German police used a robot to inspect the drone and a detonator was removed. Later, they carried out a controlled explosion. Counterterrorism officers are also investigating another incident which saw an unidentified object collide with a cargo aircraft, thought to be operated by DHL, near the same airport. On landing at Hanover, it was discovered to have suffered only minor damage. Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, speaking on German TV, said: "Who else could it be but Russia?" In July 2024 a parcel burst into flames on the ground at Leipzig/Halle Airport having been due to be loaded onto a DHL aircraft. This was one of a series of parcel fires that targeted the UK and EU countries. It led to suspicions of Russian involvement. Leipzig/Halle Airport serves as a base for Germany's armed forces and NATO allies for the transport of military cargo goods and also for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines, which handles the vast majority of the country's airborne shipments.