LONG BEACH, Calif. — Surging U.S. import demand combined with years of underinvestment have thrown intermodal shipping so far out of balance that it will take years to return to an equilibrium the industry considered normal, an expert panel told attendees at the Intermodal Association of North America’s Intermodal Expo.

One of the world’s biggest shipping lines has decided to stop increasing spot freight rates on routes out of Asia to Europe and the U.S. as it sees an end to the rally that has put prices at record highs.

Kroger Co. and Instacart unveiled a new home-delivery service in which the companies will drop off food and household staples in as little as 30 minutes.

Global supply chains already tangled by the pandemic, labor shortages and sustained consumer demand in the U.S. are getting walloped by another disruptive force: Mother Nature.

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Global trade patterns distorted by the COVID-19 pandemic have thrown the intermodal shipping industry out of whack, creating massive imbalances in shipping containers, intermodal chassis and drayage drivers.

One of Canadian National Railway Co.’s largest shareholders formally started a proxy fight to replace the company’s leader and some board members, arguing that their failed attempt to buy Kansas City Southern for $30 billion demonstrated “flawed decision making.”

The global shipping industry is getting its biggest payday since 2008 as the combination of booming demand for goods and a global supply chain that’s collapsing under the weight of COVID-19 drives freight prices ever higher.

Supply chain snags that have roiled commodity markets and helped push aluminum prices to a 13-year high this week are unlikely to ease any time soon.

Just hours before the expiration of a Sept. 12 deadline, Kansas City Southern accepted a $31 billion merger proposal from Canadian Pacific Railway.

UPS Inc. agreed to acquire Roadie, a same-day delivery startup, looking to speed service and expand into atypical parcels such as oversized packages and perishable goods.