Tritan Logistics May Update: Tukwila, Logiware & PNW Growth

Tritan Distribution Ribbon Cutting in Tukwila, Washington

On May 11, Tritan Logistics Group celebrated the ribbon cutting for our new Tritan Distribution facility at 349 / 351 Upland Drive in Tukwila, Washington.

This milestone gives Tritan a stronger operating position between the Seattle and Tacoma marine terminals, near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and close to the regional distribution corridors that keep freight moving throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Western Canada, and the broader inland Northwest.

The Tukwila facility gives Tritan Distribution additional room to support warehousing, CFS services, transloading, cross-docking, distribution, drayage coordination, and freight recovery. More importantly, it gives our customers and forwarding partners a local team with the space, systems, and operating discipline needed to manage freight with fewer handoffs and fewer surprises.

Logiware WMS Is Live

Another major milestone this month is the go-live of Logiware, our new warehouse management system for Tritan Distribution.

Logiware gives our warehouse operations a stronger technology foundation as we continue to scale. Better inventory control, cleaner workflows, improved shipment visibility, and stronger reporting all matter in day-to-day execution. Our customers need accurate information, timely updates, and confidence that their freight is being managed correctly from the time it arrives to the time it leaves our facility.

Technology does not replace good operations. It supports them. Logiware helps our team operate with more consistency and gives customers better visibility into their cargo. As customer requirements become more detailed, systems and execution have to move together.

Freight Brokerage and Agent Development Continue to Expand

Tritan Logistics continues to build out its freight brokerage platform and agent network with the same operating focus: service, capacity, pricing discipline, carrier quality, and consistent customer communication.

Customers are looking for more than transactional freight coverage. They need a partner that can help them navigate changing market conditions, shifting capacity, fuel pressure, and service requirements that often involve more than one mode of transportation.

Our brokerage platform is being built to support that need, while our agent development strategy gives Tritan broader market reach with local knowledge and entrepreneurial energy. The key is making sure growth stays connected to the right systems, expectations, compliance standards, and service culture.

By connecting domestic transportation with our CFS, warehousing, drayage, air and ocean handling, regional distribution capabilities, and expanding agent relationships, Tritan can help customers solve freight problems from more than one angle. Whether freight is moving across town, across the country, or through a Pacific Northwest gateway, our goal is to give customers practical options, clear communication, and dependable execution.

Broker Liability, Carrier Selection, and Choosing the Right Partner

The recent broker liability decision involving C.H. Robinson is another reminder that carrier selection is not just a pricing exercise. In Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a negligent-hiring claim involving broker-selected motor carrier services was not preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act because it fell within the law's safety exception. The Court did not decide whether C.H. Robinson was negligent. It did, however, reinforce how important reasonable carrier selection, documentation, and safety-focused processes have become across the transportation industry.

For shippers, the takeaway is practical: the cheapest carrier or broker option is not always the lowest-cost option in the long run. A low rate can become expensive quickly if it comes with poor communication, weak compliance controls, questionable carrier selection, cargo issues, service failures, insurance problems, or exposure after an incident.

Strong logistics partners should be able to explain how they evaluate carriers, confirm operating authority, review insurance, monitor safety data, communicate service expectations, and manage exceptions. Price matters, but it should be weighed against reliability, transparency, compliance, and the ability to protect the customer's business.

At Tritan, our brokerage and agent development strategy is built around disciplined growth. That means carrier quality, accountability, documentation, communication, and service standards have to remain central to the way freight is covered. We believe customers deserve partners who treat carrier selection as a responsibility, not a race to the bottom.

Latest Trade and Transportation Update

Trade conditions remain active, but the market is still sensitive to geopolitical disruption, fuel costs, tariff-related planning, and changes in capacity. For shippers, the companies that plan ahead and stay flexible are in the best position.

Our view is that the best supply chain plans right now are the ones that leave room for options. Routing, timing, mode selection, inventory planning, and communication all matter.

Air Freight

Air freight continues to be shaped by a mix of resilient demand and constrained capacity in certain parts of the market.

Globally, disruption in the Middle East has affected air cargo networks, fuel costs, and available capacity. At the same time, Asia-Pacific demand has remained relatively resilient, especially for high-value, time-sensitive, technology, e-commerce, and manufacturing-related cargo.

In the Pacific Northwest, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport remains an important air cargo gateway. SEA handled 427,971 metric tons of air cargo in 2025, and international cargo activity continues to be an important part of the gateway's value. For customers moving freight between Asia and North America, the PNW offers a practical mix of air cargo access, regional trucking, warehousing, and distribution reach.

Ocean Freight

Ocean freight has become firmer again on several major trade lanes. Carriers have been using emergency fuel surcharges, peak season surcharges, general rate increases, blank sailings, and capacity management to respond to fuel pressure, space constraints, and market uncertainty.

In the Pacific Northwest, recent NWSA numbers show the market is still working through comparisons against last year's frontloaded cargo. April 2026 total container volume reached 218,239 TEUs, down from the prior year, while year-to-date volume reached 932,958 TEUs. Full imports remain down year over year, while exports and breakbulk activity continue to show areas of strength.

That does not change the long-term value of the gateway. Seattle and Tacoma remain well positioned for Asia-Pacific trade, especially for customers who need access to the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Western Canada, and inland Northwest markets.

Domestic Transportation

The domestic freight market is also changing, but not in a simple straight line.

Truckload spot and contract rates moved higher in April, but much of that movement was tied to fuel costs rather than a broad demand-based recovery. That matters for shippers. A rate increase caused by fuel pressure feels different than one caused by freight demand, capacity shortages, or seasonal volume.

For customers, the practical takeaway is to stay close to the market, plan ahead on key lanes, and communicate early. The more visibility we have into upcoming freight, the better we can help protect service, cost, and capacity.

A Cautious View on Middle East and Iran-Related Disruption

We are watching the situation involving Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and broader Middle East trade routes closely.

At this point, we are not trying to predict the next headline. We are focused on what customers can control: planning, communication, routing options, and understanding where risk may affect cost or service.

Even when freight is not moving directly through the Middle East, disruption in that region can still influence fuel prices, insurance costs, ocean routing, air cargo capacity, carrier surcharges, and schedule reliability. Those impacts can move quickly, which is why flexibility is important.

Our recommendation to customers is straightforward: review upcoming shipments earlier, confirm routing assumptions, understand where fuel and surcharge exposure may apply, and keep options open where possible.

Why the Pacific Northwest Deserves a Closer Look

The Pacific Northwest should be part of more Asia-Pacific gateway conversations.

For many customers, Southern California will always be an important gateway. But it should not be the only option considered. Seattle, Tacoma, and the surrounding logistics market offer a strong alternative for freight moving into the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Western Canada, and inland U.S. markets.

The PNW has several advantages:

• Proximity to Asia-Pacific trade lanes: The region is naturally positioned for trans-Pacific cargo flows.
• Access to air and ocean gateways: Customers can connect ocean terminals, SEA air cargo, warehousing, drayage, and domestic transportation in a compact operating area.
• Regional distribution strength: The gateway supports Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Western Canada, and inland Northwest markets.
• Alternative routing options: The PNW can help customers diversify away from overreliance on more congested gateways.
• Strong logistics infrastructure: Warehousing, CFS operations, transloading, rail, drayage, and trucking capacity all play a role in the region's value.

For customers that need speed, control, and regional reach, the PNW can be a smart part of the routing strategy.

What Sets Tritan Logistics Apart

What sets Tritan apart is how the pieces fit together. We bring infrastructure, execution, and communication together in a way that helps customers and partners avoid the gaps that often slow supply chains down.

• Integrated platform model: International, gateway, warehousing, drayage, brokerage, and domestic transportation capabilities connected under one operating structure.
• Pacific Northwest gateway strength: A strategic dual-port orientation that supports trans-Pacific cargo flows through Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland.
• Asset-right execution: The flexibility to deliver customized solutions while maintaining operational accountability and service discipline.
• Technology-enabled visibility: Systems like Primus TMS and Logiware WMS help improve workflow, communication, consistency, and customer visibility.
• Growth with purpose: Facility expansion, agent growth, technology investment, and service development all tied to a clear operating strategy.

Looking Forward

May made one thing clear: Tritan is growing with purpose.

The Tukwila ribbon cutting, Logiware WMS go-live, freight brokerage expansion, and agent network growth all support the same goal: building a stronger, more reliable, more connected logistics platform for our customers and partners.

We are grateful to the customers, carriers, agents, team members, and partners who continue to support Tritan as we grow.

Tritan Logistics is built to support global forwarders, importers, exporters, and logistics partners as a neutral service provider. Our role is to provide reliable execution, infrastructure, and capacity without competing for our partners' customer relationships.

The market will keep changing. Our job is to keep building the infrastructure, systems, people, and communication needed to help customers move freight with confidence.