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The world’s biggest freight carriers all got a little bigger this year as demand for transportation surged across the globe. Here's the 2018 Top 50 Global Freight Carrier rankings.

The global transportation services market was estimated at about $5.8 trillion last year, and there is much at stake for ­legacy freight forwarding, logistics and supply-­chain management companies.

The most important factor in boosting business across the United States is a solid network of highways and rail lines that connect the community to domestic and foreign markets.

The future of rail transportation literally may be up in the air. Entrepreneurs and engineers from around the world have proposed radical concepts for hauling freight and passengers, including a multistory flying train, a supersized blimp and super-high-speed trains.

General Logistics Systems, a division of Royal Mail in the United Kingdom and a major parcel carrier in Europe as well as regional operator in the United States, is buying the Canadian operations of Montreal-based Dicom Transportation Group for C$360 million from Wind Point Partners.

Kathleen McCann, chairman and CEO of United Road Services, announced that Mark Anderson will take over as CEO next year as she transitions to the role of executive chairman.

U.S.-based Seko Logistics and DSV Group in Denmark have each made recent moves to increase their international e-commerce capabilities.

Lanehub, a collaborative transportation platform, has introduced Backhaul Assist to help shippers market excess freight-hauling capacity to other companies.

AssuredPartners Inc., a Lake Mary, Fla.-based insurance brokerage firm, said it acquired the Roemer Insurance Agency and its affiliate Sunforest Transportation Insurance Group, both based in Toledo, Ohio.

HOUSTON — Trimble introduced a host of product updates and new features for its fleet management software and technology, ranging from enhanced calculations for estimated arrival times and expanded capabilities for final-mile distribution.