Flexport’s Ryan Petersen is setting a long timeline for the business to return to profitability and consider a public stock offering. The freight forwarder’s founder and CEO says he expects the business to be profitable by the end of next year or early 2025, even as the company slashes costs and looks to lure more freight from customers. Petersen tells the WSJ Logistics Report’s Liz Young that his goal is turn Flexport into a “profitable public company that throws off lots of cash that can be a darling of Wall Street.” Right now, Flexport remains a darling of Silicon Valley investors as Petersen tries to reset a business following a fractious management overhaul and a financial hit from the meltdown in international freight pricing. The company says it has cut annual operating expenses by 25% over the past five weeks, and last week laid off 20% of its workforce.

• J.B. Hunt’s profit sank more than 30% and revenue fell 18% in the third quarter. (WSJ)

One of the largest U.S. investors in office towers and apartment buildings is placing a $1 billion bet on cold storage. An affiliate of New York-based Related is launching a business called RealCold, the WSJ’s Peter Grant reports, with a goal of establishing a network of cold storage distribution facilities to benefit from the rise in online grocery shopping and America’s evolving eating habits. RealCold plans to break ground later this year on its first two cold storage locations, warehouses in Texas and Florida that will count more than 300,000 square feet of temperature-controlled space. The company is getting into a sector where a tight supply of refrigerated storage space is starting to bump up against shifting demand in the food business. Dominant operators Lineage Logistics and Americold Realty Trust typically don’t build new facilities unless they are preleased because of the high cost of creating temperature-controlled environments.

• Third-quarter earnings at Prologis fell nearly 27% to $747.6 million but the industrial-property giant says warehouse demand is holding up. (WSJ)

Automakers may be tapping the brakes on their high-speed efforts to establish electric-vehicle supply chains. General Motors says it is delaying the opening of a large electric-pickup-truck factory in Michigan, the latest sign that the auto industry’s enthusiasm around EVs is waning as sales growth for the models slows. The WSJ’s Mike Colias reports the company will start production at its Orion assembly plant by the end of 2025, a year later than originally planned. GM cites the need “to better manage capital investment while aligning with evolving EV demand.” Sales of EVs in the U.S. were up 51% through the first nine months of the year, much faster than the broader market. But that growth pace cooled from 69% last year. A slowdown in production from automakers may ease some of the urgency companies have shown to set up supply lines from raw materials to batteries.

• European electric-truck maker Volta Trucks filed for bankruptcy in Sweden after one of its key suppliers filed for bankruptcy protection. (Financial Times)

Despite its proxitiy to a war zone, Israel's Ben Gurion Airport remains open, allowing passenger and freighter flights to operate through the sites. In a video report, the WSJ’s George Downs speaks with experts about the risks and explores the tactics Israel is deploying to continue to allow planes to take off and land in the country.

U.S. retail sales outpaced expectations with robust 0.7% growth in September from a month earlier. (WSJ)

China’s economic growth slowed to 4.9% in the third quarter. (WSJ) 

The Biden administration is tightening restrictions on China’s ability to buy advanced semiconductors, fueling friction with U.S. exporters. (WSJ) 

Widespread political protests in Guatemala are causing shortages of fuel and food and choking off exports. (WSJ)

Engaged Capital has built a big stake in VF, owner of retail brands including Vans and The North Face, and plans to push for changes including steep cost cuts. (WSJ)

Prima Wawona, America’s largest producer of stone fruit, entered bankruptcy protection. (WSJ)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing scrapped plans for an advanced chip factory in northern Taiwan after local protests over the project. (Reuters)

Toyota suspended production at several plants in Japan after an explosion at a supplier’s factory. (Nikkei Asia)

Alphaliner says at least 187 containerships have been added to the newbuilding pipeline in the first nine months of the year, pushing the global orderbook to a record high. (TradeWinds)

South Carolina plans to raise a bridge on the Cooper River to allow larger vessels to reach the Port of Charleston. (Journal of Commerce)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is joining Maersk Line in deploying Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications system on its seagoing vessels. (gCaptain)

Maersk Line and CMA CGM suspended service to Brazil’s Port of Manaus because of drought conditions. (The Loadstar)

A private-equity group bought Canadian maritime cargo handler Logistec for $1.2 billion. (Supply Chain Quarterly)

The operator of a distribution center in Hebron, Ky., faces a $30,000 fine for employing children aged 11 and 13 to operate a forklift and pick up orders. (CBS)

Under Armour named longtime Gap executive Shawn Curran as chief supply chain officer. (Supply Chain Dive)

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.