A once red-hot sector for supply chain technology startups is getting a cold shoulder from the venture-capital world. Investors that had backed new companies at gaudy valuations are tightening their pursestrings, the WSJ Logistics Report’s Liz Young writes, triggering retrenchment across a range of businesses that have sought to bring new and disruptive tech into freight operations. Thinning investor support contributed to the recent collapse of digital freight broker Convoy, which ceased operations just 18 months after topping out at a $3.8 billion valuation. Other startups are slashing costs, cutting staff and looking for other ways to survive amid weak freight demand and dimming cash reserves as a cushion. Venture firms concluded logistics deals totaling $5.7 billion in the first half of this year, on track for a steep decline from the more than $62 billion in deals that were completed in 2021, according to PitchBook Data.

• Trucker Schneider National lowered its annual earnings outlook for 2023 after third-quarter adjusted profit plunged 71% to $36.3 million. (Dow Jones Newswires)
• Third-quarter net profit at freight broker C.H. Robinson Worldwide plummeted 64% to $82 million on a 27.9% drop in gross revenue. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

New information from a federal monopoly lawsuit against Amazon.com throws a spotlight on efforts the company took regarding its third-party sellers. The internal documents quoted in newly unredacted portions of the lawsuit show Amazon executives discussed how its pricing policies had a “punitive aspect” on sellers, and one executive acknowledged that many sellers “live in constant fear” of being penalized under Amazon policies. The WSJ’s Dana Mattioli reports the details come in papers provided by the Federal Trade Commission, which also claims that Amazon destroyed two years’ worth of encrypted internal text messages to thwart the investigation. The case goes to the heart of Amazon’s relationships with third-party merchants that sell through the company’s marketplace. The FTC alleges that Amazon has violated antitrust laws by raising prices for customers across the internet because of a requirement that sellers offer goods at their lowest price on Amazon.com.

• Amazon is ending its brief attempt to sell clothing through brick-and-mortar stores. (WSJ)

Maersk Line plans to cut 10,000 jobs after revenues and profit plummeted in the third quarter. (MarketWatch) 

Orders for manufactured goods rose in September at the fastest pace since January 2021. (MarketWatch)

Detroit automakers agreed to pay striking workers for their time on the picket lines. (WSJ)

Apple’s quarterly sales slipped as the iPhone maker faces declining smartphone demand and new competition in China. (WSJ)

Costco Wholesale is facing questions from U.S. lawmakers over alleged links between forced labor in China and products sold in the retailer’s stores. (WSJ)

China is struggling to digest a growing glut of coal, amid robust domestic output and soaring imports. (Bloomberg)

Chinese auto parts makers are eyeing overseas markets including Japan as China's electric vehicle boom intensifies competition at home. (Nikkei Asia)

The shipping industry is stepping up efforts to build steel containers outside China. (Financial Times)

Hong Kong plans to set up a logistics data platform to connect cargo hubs such as the city’s airport and seaport terminals. (South China Morning Post)

Third-quarter profit at tanker operator Euronav jumped to $114.6 million as it nears a major sale agreement with rival Frontline. (TradeWinds)

The Port of Tacoma, Wash., will spend $54 million to expand container capacity at its Husky Terminal. (Port Technology)

Bids for bankrupt trucker Yellow's trucks and other equipment have so far been "underwhelming." (Dow Jones Newswires)

Mullen began production of its Class 1 electric cargo vans at its assembly plant in Tunica, Miss. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Union Pacific is eliminating some of its 5,600 management jobs to speed up decision making at the railroad. (Associated Press)

Lufthansa Cargo’s quarterly revenue slumped 41% despite a 5% gain in traffic. (Air Cargo News)

Denmark’s Scan Global Logistics is acquiring South Korean freight forwarder ENK Logistics. (The Loadstar)

Companies increasingly are outfitting their pallets with sensors that transmit data on the goods being hauled. (DC Velocity)

• Layoffs, budget cuts and general skimping are putting pressure on cybersecurity teams, which are pausing hiring and tech investment.
• Wall Street firms are struggling to capture staff communications as regulators require while the ways employees talk to each other change.
• The collapse of one of the largest U.S. trucking companies is propping up competitors and raising prices in a lean freight market.
• Listen to Ulta Beauty’s chief marketing officer discuss how the right price strategy can play into beauty consumers’ desire to experiment, even in an inflationary environment.

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

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on X at @WSJLogistics.