The toughest item to find this holiday season may turn out to be parcel-shipping capacity. Retailers are shopping in vain for alternatives to the package giants, the WSJ’s Paul Ziobro reports, after FedEx and United Parcel Service have both told some of their biggest customers that holiday pickups may be delayed because high demand will outstrip capacity this fall. The imbalance is the result of this year’s pandemic-driven rush toward e-commerce, a trend experts expect to continue as consumers shop online to avoid going into stores. One analysis estimates that total package-shipping capacity will be 79.1 million parcels a day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while 86.3 million packages will be looking for space. Alternate routes for shippers are already closing down. Regional carriers like LaserShip say they’ve been turning aside potential new business for months, suggesting it’s not too early to plan for next year.

Amazon.com is already doing its part to drive more packages into distribution networks. Overall spending on the company’s site increased by 36% in the U.S. from a year ago during its two-day Prime Day sale, the WSJ’s Sebastian Herrera reports, helping lead a broader surge in online ordering that points to big digital business for retailers this holiday season. Amazon is among a pack of major retailers in showing how online spending will play a greater role than ever these holidays, even as the overall retail picture during the shopping season remains shaky. Amazon is generating even more shipments from outside its own listings, with sales from third-party merchants up nearly 60% from last year’s Prime Day. Still, one analysis shows Walmart, Target and Best Buy even gained share over the online market leader during the annual sale, suggesting the peak parcel shipping season is already underway for everyone.

A battle is unfolding across America over who should control the charging stations for electric vehicles. Utilities, consumer advocates, oil companies and an array of startups are jockeying for position, the WSJ’s Rebecca Elliott writes, and at stake are billions of dollars in investment and a place in technology widely seen as the automobile industry’s future. Utilities throughout the U.S. are seeking approval from regulatory commissions to upgrade their infrastructure to prepare for electric vehicles, and many would own and operate the chargers. Some companies say the successors to gas stations should be open to private-sector competition, not controlled by monopoly utilities. Trucking companies have a big interest in the outcome. Experts cite a lack of charging infrastructure as a hurdle to wider adoption of electric trucks. Most tests focus on relatively short-haul, closed-loop systems where the vehicles can remain close to charging stations owned by the operators. 

China’s economic output expanded 4.9% in the third quarter, getting closer to its pre-pandemic growth trajectory. (WSJ)

U.S. retail sales rose 1.9% from August to September, the fifth straight monthly gain. (WSJ)

U.S. industrial production fell 0.6% in September and remains 7.1% behind the pre-pandemic level. (WSJ)

J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ third-quarter adjusted operating income fell 17% to $44.2 million as rising purchased transportation and other costs offset a 5% revenue gain. (MarketWatch)

Europe’s top aviation safety official suggested the Boeing 737 MAX is on a track to return to service. (WSJ)

The U.S. will offer financial assistance to developing countries to help them purchase alternatives to Chinese telecommunications equipment. (WSJ)

The U.S. Postal Service ordered its uniformed police officers who had been protecting mail trucks and collection boxes off the streets. (WSJ)

New-car sales in Europe rose last month for the first time this year. (WSJ)

Volkswagen’s Traton truck subsidiary reached an agreement valued at $3.7 billion to acquire the rest of truck maker Navistar International it doesn’t own. (Dayton Daily News)

A trade battle between China and Australia is escalating, with Beijing now telling its mills to stop using Australian cotton. (Nikkei Asian Review)

General Motors halted Corvette production at a Kentucky plant for a week because of a parts shortage. (Detroit News)

Singapore-based warehouse operator GLP will invest $1.5 billion in a joint venture establishing logistics facilities in Vietnam. (Reuters)

Online grocery company Ocado bought a stake in California-based Myrmex Robotics. (Winsight Grocery Business)

Drewry Shipping Consultants upgraded its container outlook to a 3.3% contraction this year, down from an earlier 7.3% projected pullback. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Container ship charter operators have seen rates as much as double since the spring on growing demand for capacity. (Lloyd’s List)

Maersk Line dropped its shipping agreement with DB Schenker after the freight forwarder tried to lure customers away from Maersk’s Damco logistics business. (ShippingWatch)

Dry-bulk ship operator Scorpio Bulkers has sold six of its vessels over the past three weeks. (Splash 247)

Oregon’s Coos Bay port wants to undertake a big expansion to lure large container ships to the port. (Salem Capital Press)

The International Maritime Organization was hit by what appears to be the second cyberattack​ this month. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Truck maker Paccar plans to start producing battery-powered Class 8 electric trucks next year. (Transport Dive)

Kansas City Southern boosted its 2020 outlook after third-quarter earnings rose slightly despite a 12% drop in revenue. (Trains)

Canadian Pacific Railway will acquire full ownership of a cross-border rail tunnel under the Detroit River in a $312 million deal. (Canadian Press)

U.S. logistics and trucking operator NFI is adding 5,000 jobs over the coming months. (Supply Chain Dive)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Write to him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @jensmithWSJ, @CostasParis. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.