One of the blessings (if you can call it that) of having a fractured ankle is that you’re forced to walk through life a little slower.
For a fast walker like me, it’s a whole new experience. Frustrating at first, but I’m beginning to appreciate the slower pace, my inability to hurry up. I’ll get there when I get there — and wow, look at that spider’s web, I never noticed it before.
You also have to be more patient, and you have to take time to think before you act.
For example: How will I get the bowl out of the cabinet, the oatmeal from the pantry, and the milk from the fridge — then pour the oats and milk into the bowl and bring it to the microwave — when I need both my hands to move from here to there on crutches?
A fractured ankle forces you to be more creative when doing the simplest things, like taking off your pants or getting into a car (or making oatmeal for breakfast).
So many blessings, and it’s only been two weeks!
—
Moving on, slowly, here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:
- Trump says any country doing business with Iran will face 25% U.S. tariff (CNBC)
- Trump enacts 25% tariff on chips — with a caveat (CNN)
- World Bank sees resilient global growth in 2026 amid tariffs but fading dynamism (Reuters)
- Maersk ramps up Suez Canal return that could dampen freight rates (Reuters)
- The Battle Over Who Runs the Panama Canal Ports Is About to Be Decided (WSJ – sub. req’d)
- Tive Secures $20 Million in Funding Led by Lightsmith Group
- Wing and Walmart expand drone delivery to 150 new stores coast to coast
- Amazon starts drone delivery tests in the UK (Air Cargo News)
- McLeod Software Completes Integration of Aurora Driver Ahead of Schedule, Unlocking Autonomous Capacity for Carriers Nationwide
- STEER Tech and KINEXON Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Autonomous Vehicle Innovation
- Cyberattacks on logistics are expected to double in 2026, says Everstream Analytics (Logistics Management)
- USPS to Restrict Package Tracking Data Access Starting in April (SupplyChain247)
- Coca-Cola Reshapes Leadership to Speed Digital Transformation (WSJ – sub. req’d)
- 4 States Have Begun Charging Higher Diesel, Gas Taxes (Transport Topics)
- Class 8 Orders Soar More Than 100% Sequentially in December (Transport Topics)
Pushing Ahead with Drone Delivery
The long journey to making drone delivery ubiquitous continues.
Earlier this week, Wing and Walmart announced that they are “embarking on the next chapter of the world’s largest drone delivery expansion to evolve our service from a regional success into a delivery option across the nation.” Here are some details from press release:
We are scaling ultra-fast service to an additional 150 Walmart stores over the next year, bringing the convenience of drone delivery to more than 40 million Americans. Walmart and Wing will establish a network of over 270 drone delivery locations in 2027, stretching from Los Angeles to Miami. The question is no longer if Wing and Walmart will deliver to your city, it’s when.
As we work together to rewire the retail delivery experience, this expansion builds on the success of our operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and Metro Atlanta, where customers have already made drone delivery a normal part of their everyday lives. Wing’s top 25% of customers ordered 3 times a week, and deliveries have grown 3x in the last 6 months [Delivery volume comparison Jul 1, 2025-December 30, 2025 to Jan 1, 2025 to Jun 30, 2025].
“Drone delivery plays an important role in our ability to deliver what customers want, exactly when they want it,” said Greg Cathey, Senior Vice President of Digital Fulfillment Transformation at Walmart. “Whether it’s a last-minute ingredient for dinner, a must-have charger for a phone, or a late-night essential for a busy family, the strong adoption we’ve seen confirms that this is the future of convenience. By expanding drone delivery to new major metro areas, we are helping more customers solve for their last-minute needs faster than ever before.”
Who are these people getting spices and Doritos delivered by drones 3X per week? I have a few questions for them.
Also this week, as reported by Damian Brett at Air Cargo News, “Amazon has begun testing drone deliveries in the UK, with the launch of operations in the country expected later this year.” Here are more details from the article:
The e-commerce giant has started test flights out of its Darlington fulfilment centre, with the northern city set to become the first location in the UK to offer the service, which is branded Prime Air.
The service will use Amazon’s newest MK30 drone, which can carry packages weighing up to 2.2kg and has a range of up to 12 km.
No word from Wing, Walmart, or Amazon about how much these drone deliveries cost (hint: a lot compared to the costs of the items being delivered). So, while the journey to making drone delivery ubiquitous continues, so does the journey to making them economically feasible.
For related commentary, see “How Much Would You Pay For Drone Delivery?” And for other posts about drone delivery, see our Talking Logistics archive.
And with that, have a meaningful weekend!
Song of the Week: “Say It, Just Say It” by The Mowgli’s
