Memorial Day weekend is here. For many brands, this is usually the start of a slower stretch before Q4 planning really picks up.

This year, there are a few things happening that could catch teams off guard if they are not paying attention now.

The Supreme Court ruling around broker liability is likely going to tighten truckload capacity as brokers and shippers become more selective about the carriers they use. Fewer low-cost operators staying in rotation usually means higher costs somewhere else in the network.

USPS is also changing DIM pricing and lightweight parcel pricing in July. For brands shipping lightweight products, especially apparel and beauty, the math is going to change pretty materially.

Enjoy the holiday weekend, but remember... Supply Chain and Operations wait on no one!

What's trending

USPS parcel pricing resets on July 12

📦 USPS is moving to more aggressive dimensional pricing, rounding all package dimensions up and lowering the DIM divisor from 166 to 139 across major parcel services. (Supply Chain Dive)

📦 Lightweight parcels are also getting more expensive. A 4-ounce shipment will now bill closer to the 12–15 ounce range, shrinking USPS’s historical pricing advantage on lightweight DTC shipments.

📦 UPS, FedEx, and DHL are also raising surcharges. Transportation budgets built on Q1 assumptions likely need to be revisited before June closes. (Supply Chain Dive)

The 30-minute delivery race is reshaping retail real estate

📦 Amazon Now and Sam’s Club continue expanding rapid-delivery networks, pushing faster fulfillment deeper into metro markets. (Supply Chain Dive)

📦 Walmart is converting former Rite Aid and Walgreens locations into small delivery depots built specifically for Spark drivers, dramatically reducing pick times versus traditional store fulfillment. (Financial Times)

📦 Vacant retail boxes are quickly becoming last-mile infrastructure because they are faster and cheaper to deploy than new construction.

The Supreme Court changes freight broker liability

📦 A unanimous Supreme Court ruling opened freight brokers to state-court negligence lawsuits tied to unsafe carrier selection, removing a key legal shield brokers had relied on. (Trucking Dive)

📦 FMCSA SAFER checks and carrier documentation now carry much more weight operationally and legally.

📦 3PLs managing brokered freight or transportation programs should be reviewing carrier qualification processes immediately. The same exposure applies to shippers booking carriers directly.

The Fulfillment Fit Equation: Why Your Best Clients Stay (And Your Worst Ones Leave)

The Fulfillment Fit Equation is simple: Fit = Capabilities × Cost × Communication × Trust

Here's what matters: this is multiplicative, not additive. If any variable goes to zero, the entire relationship breaks. You can have world-class capabilities and competitive pricing, but if communication breaks down or trust erodes, the brand will leave.

• Capabilities means you support what their business actually requires. Are you set up for their order profile, SKU count, and channel mix? If capabilities are structurally misaligned, the relationship cannot be repaired through better communication, no amount of account management fixes a fundamental operations mismatch.

• Cost isn't about being the cheapest. It's about whether your business model and their pricing model are fundamentally compatible. The brands that work long-term understand your cost structure and see the value exchange clearly.

• Communication and Trust are where most relationships actually fail. If either side dreads interacting with the other, the partnership has likely run its course. Regular updates, invoice accuracy, and responsiveness aren't nice-to-haves, they're relationship multipliers.

Most breakups are misfit, not a failed KPI on day one. The brands who churn fastest are usually the ones you shouldn't have taken on in the first place. Slotted makes fit visible early, so you can engage with brands who match how you operate, how you price, and how you communicate.

See how the equation plays out in your own client relationships.

Opportunities in Fulfillment