# Volatility is structural, not cyclical: what the 2026 State of Logistics Report means for supply chain operators

By MarketScale Newsroom · Published 2026-07-14 · Updated 2026-08-24 · Transportation on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/transportation/volatility-is-structural-not-cyclical-what-the-2026-state-of-logistics-report-means-for-supply-chain-operators

> U.S. business logistics costs fell to $2.4 trillion in 2025, but five structural forces, not a demand cycle, are reshaping the operating environment.

## Key points

- U.S. business logistics costs fell to $2.4 trillion in 2025.
- Structural forces are reshaping the supply chain, not cyclical changes.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for supply chain operators.

U.S. business logistics costs totaled $2.4 trillion in 2025, equal to 7.8% of GDP. That is a decline from $2.6 trillion and 8.7% of GDP the year before, but the number does not tell the full story. The 2026 State of Logistics Report, authored by Kearney and presented by Penske Logistics for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, frames the reduction not as a return to stability but as a signal that the operating environment has fundamentally changed.

## Sources

- [2026 State of Logistics Report: Volatility is the new normal](https://www.freightwaves.com/news/2026-state-of-logistics-report-volatility-new-normal) (FreightWaves)
- [Rail freight rises 4% to 142MT in June 2026](https://www.logisticsoutlook.com/railways/rail-freight-ashwini-vaishnaw) (Logistics Outlook)
- [Indian Railways' ₹499-cr rail doubling project to boost Bihar freight capacity](https://www.logisticsoutlook.com/logistics/indian-railways-%e2%82%b9499-cr-rail-doubling-project-to-boost-bihar-freight-capacity) (Logistics Outlook)
- [Union Minister Sonowal unveils Maersk's first Indian manufactured shipping container](https://www.logisticsoutlook.com/ports-shipping/union-minister-sonowal-unveils-maersks-first-indian-manufactured-shipping-container) (Logistics Outlook)
- [Adani Ports sells 49% stake in Vizhinjam Port to MSC's TiL for $1.397bn](https://www.logisticsoutlook.com/ports-shipping/adani-ports-sells-49-stake-in-vizhinjam-port-to-mscs-til-for-1-397bn) (Logistics Outlook)

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