https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/ Fulfillment, ecommerce logistics, and 3PL insights from Moby Dick 3PL in Columbus, Ohio. en-us https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-28-fedex-inpost-deal-parcel-lockers/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-28-fedex-inpost-deal-parcel-lockers/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT FedEx settles its stake in InPost on September 30. What 61,000 European parcel lockers change for a DTC brand, and what they do not. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-27-usps-sorting-equipment-delays-indianapolis-louisville/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-27-usps-sorting-equipment-delays-indianapolis-louisville/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT USPS is installing new sortation equipment in Indianapolis and Louisville. Delays ran past the September 20 target. What DTC brands should check now. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-26-china-tariff-truce-extended-january-10/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-26-china-tariff-truce-extended-january-10/ Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Bessent announced Wednesday that the US China tariff truce now runs to January 10. The new deadline lands inside the Chinese New Year crunch. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-25-holiday-hiring-forecast-warehouse-staffing/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-25-holiday-hiring-forecast-warehouse-staffing/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Challenger's September 23 outlook projects 450,000 retail seasonal jobs. The warehouse hiring number underneath it matters more to DTC brands. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-24-amazon-seller-central-multichannel-orders/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-24-amazon-seller-central-multichannel-orders/ Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon announced today that sellers can manage eBay, Shopify, TikTok, and Walmart orders inside Seller Central. Here is the fulfillment tradeoff. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-23-usps-2026-holiday-shipping-deadlines-cutoff/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-23-usps-2026-holiday-shipping-deadlines-cutoff/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT USPS published its 2026 send-by dates Tuesday. Ground Advantage is December 17. Here is why your storefront cutoff should not say December 17. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-22-fedex-authenticated-delivery-qr-code/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-22-fedex-authenticated-delivery-qr-code/ Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT FedEx launched QR code delivery authentication on September 16. Where it helps a DTC brand, where it gets in the way, and the cheaper fix. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-21-fedex-2027-rate-increase/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-21-fedex-2027-rate-increase/ Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT FedEx posted its 2027 rates Monday. The average is 5.9%, but the residential fees on a DTC parcel rise faster. Here is the math. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-20-usps-rate-change-september-19-one-day-notice/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-20-usps-rate-change-september-19-one-day-notice/ Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT eBay told sellers September 18 that USPS rates rise the next day. USPS never published the change. What moved, and what to do before October 4. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-19-fedex-ups-import-surcharges-per-pound/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-19-fedex-ups-import-surcharges-per-pound/ Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT FedEx import demand surcharges start September 21 and UPS follows September 27. Both hit inventory coming in, and neither has an end date. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-18-holiday-delivery-expectations-best-buy-next-day/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-18-holiday-delivery-expectations-best-buy-next-day/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Best Buy says it now reaches nearly every US metro next day. Here is what that promise does to your product page in October. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-17-october-prime-day-2026-dates-walmart-target/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-17-october-prime-day-2026-dates-walmart-target/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon, Walmart and Target announced October sale dates this week. All of them land in one week, and your spike starts before peak staffing does. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-16-august-retail-sales-online-up-2-6-percent/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-16-august-retail-sales-online-up-2-6-percent/ Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Census data out this morning puts August nonstore sales at $141.3 billion, up 2.6% from July and 9.9% from a year ago. What it means for Q4 capacity. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-15-section-338-canada-122-codes-import-ban/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-15-section-338-canada-122-codes-import-ban/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT CBP added 122 HTS codes to the 50% duty on Canadian goods today. A second proclamation bans some of those products outright on September 29. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-14-cbp-void-importer-numbers-form-5106/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-14-cbp-void-importer-numbers-form-5106/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT CBP starts voiding importer of record numbers Friday for inaccurate Form 5106 data. The physical address rule is the one that catches DTC brands. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-13-september-imports-late-q4-inventory/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-13-september-imports-late-q4-inventory/ Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT NRF revised its September import forecast up to 2.31 million containers on September 9. What late inventory costs a DTC brand in peak season. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-12-fedex-duty-tax-shopify-app/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-12-fedex-duty-tax-shopify-app/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT FedEx put a duty and tax guarantee inside Shopify checkout on September 9. What it covers, and the decision to make before you pay $99 a month. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-11-august-cpi-3-4-percent-q4-costs/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-11-august-cpi-3-4-percent-q4-costs/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT BLS released August CPI on September 11. Gasoline is up 27.4% year over year and the Fed meets in four days. What it means for peak shipping costs. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-10-deloitte-holiday-ecommerce-forecast-2026/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-10-deloitte-holiday-ecommerce-forecast-2026/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Deloitte's September 10 forecast puts holiday ecommerce at $316B to $319B, growing twice as fast as total retail. What that does to your peak day. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-09-amazon-in-house-delivery-usps-ups/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-09-amazon-in-house-delivery-usps-ups/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT An internal Amazon document projects 86.3% self-delivery next year, with USPS at 10% and UPS at 1.8%. What that does to everyone else's rates. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-08-cbp-entry-type-13-mail-imports/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-08-cbp-entry-type-13-mail-imports/ Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT CBP's new electronic mail entry goes live in ACE on September 22. Shipments under $2,500 need HTS codes, a bond, and a named importer of record. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-07-ontrac-peak-surcharges-bulky-packages/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-07-ontrac-peak-surcharges-bulky-packages/ Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT OnTrac's peak demand surcharges start September 26 on bulky packages. Residential waits until October 24. What the split means for Q4 shipping costs. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-06-golden-week-2026-q4-inventory-window/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-06-golden-week-2026-q4-inventory-window/ Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Drewry put Shanghai to LA up 5% on September 3. China shuts down September 25. What DTC brands importing Q4 inventory should do in the next two weeks. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-05-warehouse-jobs-fell-august-peak-season/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-05-warehouse-jobs-fell-august-peak-season/ Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT The August jobs report showed transportation and warehousing up 5,000. Warehousing and couriers both shrank. What thin peak labor means for your Q4. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-04-amazon-shipping-peak-surcharges-match-ups/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-04-amazon-shipping-peak-surcharges-match-ups/ Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Shipping published its 2026 holiday surcharges September 2. Every accessorial matches UPS exactly. The one real difference is worth money. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-03-ups-reorganization-dtc-shippers/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-03-ups-reorganization-dtc-shippers/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UPS's new global operating model took effect September 1. Its US domestic chief now owns small package, returns, and same-day delivery. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-02-descartes-extensiv-3pl-software/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-02-descartes-extensiv-3pl-software/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Descartes acquired Extensiv for $120 million on September 1. If your 3PL runs Extensiv, its software roadmap now belongs to someone else. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-01-usps-peak-prices-stack-on-april-increase/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-09-01-usps-peak-prices-stack-on-april-increase/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT The PRC published the USPS peak filing August 31 with comments due September 4. The 8% base increase from April runs through the same window. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-31-ocean-schedule-reliability-2026-low/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-31-ocean-schedule-reliability-2026-low/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Sea-Intelligence put July global schedule reliability at 56.4%, a 2026 low, with late ships averaging 6.06 days. What that does to Q4 inventory plans. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-30-diesel-2026-high-fuel-surcharges/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-30-diesel-2026-high-fuel-surcharges/ Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT EIA put on-highway diesel at $5.652 a gallon for the week ending August 24, a 2026 high. What climbing fuel surcharges do to DTC shipping costs in Q4. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-29-canada-counter-tariffs-september-8/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-29-canada-counter-tariffs-september-8/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Canada's counter-tariffs on US goods take effect September 8 at rates of 15 to 50 percent. What DTC brands with Canadian customers should do now. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-28-ups-peak-surcharges-2026/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-28-ups-peak-surcharges-2026/ Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT UPS published its 2026 holiday surcharges August 27. The dates, the real per-package cost, and why the headline fee misses most DTC brands. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-27-2026-peak-surcharge-stack/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-27-2026-peak-surcharge-stack/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Every major network has now priced the 2026 holidays. One calendar of the USPS, FedEx, and Amazon peak fees, and the September plan that beats them. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-26-de-minimis-one-year-later/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-26-de-minimis-one-year-later/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT The duty-free exemption for sub-$800 imports ended August 29, 2025. A year later, the winners are brands that moved inventory onshore and priced duties honestly. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-25-usps-holiday-rate-increase/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-25-usps-holiday-rate-increase/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT USPS announced temporary peak pricing today on Priority Mail, Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select. The dates, the amounts, and who feels it most. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-24-amazon-fba-peak-fees-deadline/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-24-amazon-fba-peak-fees-deadline/ Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon peak fulfillment fees run October 15 to January 14 at an average $0.32 per unit, plus a 3.5% surcharge. What FBA sellers should do in the next two weeks. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-23-september-holiday-readiness-checklist/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-23-september-holiday-readiness-checklist/ Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Holiday fulfillment is won in September. The dates, decisions, and inventory moves DTC brands need locked before October 1. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-22-fedex-peak-surcharge-calendar/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-22-fedex-peak-surcharge-calendar/ Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT FedEx peak fees start September 28 and run to January 17. The dates, the amounts, and how to keep surcharges out of your margin. https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-21-ecommerce-q2-2026-census-data/ https://www.mobydick3pl.com/blog/posts/2026-08-21-ecommerce-q2-2026-census-data/ Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Census Bureau Q2 2026 data puts online sales at $340.2 billion and 17.1% of retail. What the numbers mean for DTC fulfillment planning this fall.