Diesel is above $6 a gallon. But what if the pump isn't the only place your trucking company is getting crushed?

One carrier analyzed by Magnus Technologies was reportedly more than $53,000 behind through August because of the timing of its monthly fuel-surcharge resets.
Read that again.

$53,000. GONE. BECAUSE OF THE MATH.

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles  goes after both sides of the squeeze hitting carriers right now: keeping good drivers when margins are disappearing and making damn sure your fuel surcharge is actually recovering what diesel is costing you.

First, Brad Hackett, Director of Recruiting & Safety at Jett Express, breaks down the “Big Four” behind driver retention: pay, equipment, home time and respect. When fuel destroys your margin, which one do you protect? What actually keeps a driver from leaving for a few cents more? And can running a genuinely safe operation become a recruiting advantage

Because seeing FUEL SURCHARGE on the rate confirmation doesn't automatically mean you're getting your money back.
And at $6-plus diesel, guessing whether you're profitable isn't good enough.

Six-dollar diesel hurts when you buy it.

Bad math makes it hurt AGAIN when you don't get it back.

CHECK THE DAMN MATH.

SOUND OFF: How often does your fuel surcharge reset .... weekly, monthly or quarterly?

And have you actually checked whether it's covering your real fuel increase?

#Trucking #Diesel #FuelSurcharge #OwnerOperator #TruckDrivers #TruckingIndustry #DieselPrices #Freight #FleetManagement #BrakeCheck

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$7 DIESEL? FMCSA CRACKDOWN. WHAT’S NEXT?

This may be one of the biggest Brake Check conversations we've put together.

Two problems are hitting American trucking at the same damn time:

The cost of running is exploding...

The rules for running are getting tighter....

And instead of asking somebody on social media what they THINK about it, we're going straight to the people who actually know.

FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs joins Charles Gracey to talk about what’s happening inside the agency right now ... the recent Safety Innovation Expo, CDL integrity, training providers, English proficiency enforcement, ELDs, fraud, bad actors, hours of service, truck parking and the technology FMCSA believes could actually make trucking safer.

The question we're putting directly to the Administrator:

WHEN DOES THE PROFESSIONAL TRUCKER ACTUALLY FEEL THE DIFFERENCE

Then energy analyst Phil Flynn of The PRICE Futures Group joins us as diesel pushes deeper into historic territory.

Why can crude get cheaper while diesel gets MORE expensive?

What does the exploding diesel crack spread actually mean?

Why is America exporting diesel while American truckers are getting crushed at the pump?

Would stopping exports actually lower prices — or create an even bigger mess later?

Would more drilling fix it? Do we need more refining? Would a trucker shutdown actually move diesel prices?

And the question nobody wants to ask:

COULD DIESEL HIT $7?

Then Phil gets the HARD STOP:

One lever. More drilling. More refining. Restrict exports. Release reserves. Or let the market rebalance.

WHICH ONE ACTUALLY HELPS THE AMERICAN TRUCKER?

No slogans

No social-media economics

SHOW US THE MATH & RESULTS

One guest runs the agency writing and enforcing trucking's rules.

One guest has spent decades reading the energy market.

And the American trucker?

YOU'RE PAYING FOR BOTH....SO WE GET YOU THE ANSWERS YOU WANT!

SOUND OFF: What's hurting your operation more right now ... FUEL, RATES, or REGULATION?

#Trucking #Diesel #FMCSA #TruckDrivers #OwnerOperator #DieselPrices #TruckingIndustry #FuelPrices #Freight #BrakeCheck

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In this episode of Brake Check on FreightWaves TV, host Charles Gracey is joined by Lewie Pugh (Executive Vice President of OOIDA) & Dan Lindsey of the Broker Carrier Summit, to tackle the growing issue of "Chameleon Carriers" in the trucking industry.

They dive deep into how bad actors exploit systemic loopholes—changing DOT numbers and carrier identities for a nominal fee to dodge regulatory oversight, enforcement, and safety accountability—and what this means for highway safety, honest truck drivers, and industry standards.

Key topics discussed include:

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100% owner-operators. Turnover around 30%. In an industry where some fleets live with turnover north of 90%…HOW?

That’s what we came to Mercer Transportation in Louisville, Kentucky to find out.

For Day 1 of Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Brake Check is LIVE from Mercer Town ... but we’re not here for another corporate speech about how much drivers are “appreciated.”

We want to know what appreciation looks like when it actually shows up in the numbers.

Charles sits down with Chasity Hebner, Director of Recruiting, to talk recruiting, retention, why Mercer continues pushing to improve even with turnover around the 30% range, and what drivers actually need from the companies asking for their loyalty.

Then Andrew “Dragon” Pendragon and Valerie Simms, Launch Success Managers at Mercer, take us behind the scenes of what happens AFTER recruiting makes the promise.

Because signing an owner-operator is one thing.

SETTING THEM UP TO ACTUALLY SUCCEED IS ANOTHER.

What happens during those critical first days? Why does support matter?

What does Mercer do differently?

And can you really connect driver appreciation to retention?

Forget the pizza. Forget the T-shirt. Forget the annual “thank you drivers” email. Maybe the best way to appreciate a trucker is to build an operation they actually WANT TO STAY WITH.

Sponsored by Apex Capital, OOIDA and Hey Bubba.

SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS:

What is the ONE thing a carrier could do that would make YOU feel genuinely appreciated?

And if you’re an owner-operator.... what makes you stay, and what makes you walk?

#BrakeCheck #Trucking #OwnerOperator #TruckDriverAppreciationWeek #TruckDrivers #DriverRetention #MercerTransportation #TruckingIndustry #FreightWaves #TDAW2026

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The rate confirmation looks legit. The authority checks out. The email looks right. The money looks good.

Then the freight disappears .... or you deliver it and nobody pays you.
Freight fraud isn't just getting bigger. It's getting smarter. Stolen identities, fake carriers, double brokering, strategic theft and criminals who increasingly know exactly how to look legitimate long enough to get your truck .... or your customer's freight.

On this episode of Brake Check, we're putting BOTH sides of the transaction in the same room.

Jason Schaftlein, General Manager of McLeod Express, breaks down how a real carrier decides which brokers deserve its trucks, the red flags that kill a load, what five-truck fleets can verify themselves, what it really costs to operate compliant equipment, and what happens when legitimate carriers compete against bad actors.

Then former Chicago Bear and Bear Down Logistics President Desmond Clark takes the broker's chair.

What does a broker actually verify before trusting a carrier? How do legitimate small fleets avoid getting treated like criminals? How fast should brokers pay? What does running actual equipment teach a broker?

And yes .... we go straight at BROKER TRANSPARENCY.

Then comes the question underneath this entire mess:

How the hell did freight build a system where carriers don't trust brokers, brokers don't trust carriers...and criminals learned to exploit BOTH?

No fluff

No conference-panel answers

Just two people sitting on opposite sides of the freight transaction explaining who they trust, who they don't, and WHY.

If you're a carrier, owner-operator, freight broker, dispatcher, 3PL, shipper or fleet owner, watch this before you book your next load.

Because the paperwork can look perfect.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE PERSON BEHIND IT IS.

#Trucking #FreightFraud #FreightBroker #OwnerOperator #TruckingIndustry #DoubleBrokering #CargoTheft #Logistics #TruckDrivers #Freight

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Trucking is spending a fortune on AI and automation. But what if fleets are automating the WRONG damn thing?
AI can quote freight, process tenders, move data, predict maintenance problems and eliminate hours of back-office work. What it CAN'T do is lead your people.
On this episode of Brake Check, Charles puts both sides of trucking's technology revolution in the hot seat. Grace Sharkey of Orderful has lived freight from nearly every angle .... brokerage executive, FreightWaves journalist and now freight-tech insider. We break down AI in trucking, freight automation, EDI, back-office technology, carrier productivity and how small fleets can separate REAL technology from another expensive demo with “AI” slapped on the front. What should a 20-truck carrier automate FIRST? What should stay human? How do you prove a technology investment actually delivers ROI? And how can you tell the difference between a real AI product and somebody who simply wrapped a shiny dashboard around an API?
Then Dr. Vernard “Doctor V” Jenkins of Knight-Swift Supply Chain takes the other side.
With 29 locations and roughly 10 million square feet of operations, Doctor V tackles leadership, employee retention, frontline management, AI implementation, change management and developing the next generation of transportation leaders. Because a dashboard can tell you WHAT happened. It still takes a leader to figure out WHY. And then we put $100,000 on the table:
SOFTWARE OR PEOPLE?
You can only choose one.
If you're a fleet owner, trucking executive, owner-operator, freight broker, logistics professional, operations leader or anyone considering AI and automation, watch this before buying another piece of technology.
The future isn't about choosing humans OR machines.
It's knowing which damn job belongs to which.
AUTOMATE THE WORK. NOT THE PEOPLE.
#Trucking #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #FreightTech #TruckingIndustry #Automation #Logistics #FleetManagement #TruckDrivers #Leadership #SupplyChain

Who the hell gave them a CDL .... and why did it take a family paying the price before Washington started listening?
This episode of Brake Check isn't an attack on professional truck drivers. It's an investigation into the systems, safeguards, bad actors and policymakers that are supposed to keep unqualified drivers from ever getting behind the wheel of a commercial truck.
Professional truck driver and father Marcus Coleman joins Charles  after taking his family's story to Congress. His daughter Dalilah suffered catastrophic injuries in a crash, and Marcus is now fighting for Dalilah's Law and stronger accountability throughout the commercial driver licensing system.
We dig into the questions Washington needs to answer:
How does an unqualified driver get a CDL?
Where can the licensing and verification process fail?
Who is responsible when safeguards aren't followed?
What would Dalilah's Law actually change?
And why does government so often react AFTER somebody pays the price?
Then Zach Meiborg, owner of Meiborg Transportation, joins the conversation.
Meiborg isn't just talking about supporting Dalilah's family — they're opening their Rockford, Illinois headquarters September 26 for the Stand With Dalilah Charity Motorcycle Ride.
But we also tackle another side of the same accountability problem: legitimate motor carriers spending real money to hire qualified drivers, maintain equipment, follow hours-of-service regulations and operate legally while bad actors can gain an unfair advantage by cutting corners.
Running illegal isn't innovation. Cheating isn't competition. And a government-issued piece of paper shouldn't replace actual qualification.
This episode is about CDL standards, trucking safety, driver qualification, hours-of-service compliance, FMCSA enforcement, bad carriers, Dalilah's Law and government accountability.
Professional truckers deserve better than being lumped together with operators who never should've been on the road.
Families deserve better than finding out where the system failed after the crash.
And policymakers?
CONGRESS, IT'S YOUR TURN.
#Trucking #CDL #TruckDrivers #TruckingSafety #FMCSA #Congress #Transportation #TruckingIndustry #OwnerOperator #BrakeCheck

Fuel additives. Miracle MPG claims. Injector cleaners. Cheap replacement parts. And, of course, Washington taking its cut before you burn a single gallon. So on this episode of Brake Check, we're asking one question:
WHO THE HELL IS EATING YOUR GALLON?

First, Jessica Crabtree, Director of Technical Services at Power Service Products, brings the chemistry. We're separating legitimate diesel fuel science from expensive snake oil and digging into fuel economy, diesel additives, injector deposits, fuel contamination, cetane, regens, DPF problems, winter fuel gelling and preventive maintenance. How do you know whether a fuel additive actually works? What should legitimate MPG testing look like? Can injector deposits really hurt fuel economy? What does an unnecessary regen actually cost? And when somebody promises a massive improvement in MPG...
WHAT PROOF SHOULD YOU DEMAND BEFORE SPENDING A DOLLAR?

Then we follow your diesel dollar straight to Washington.
Policy veteran James Edwards of ELITE Strategic Services joins us to break down the massive surface transportation bill moving through Congress, truck parking funding, autonomous trucking policy, the Highway Trust Fund, the 24.4¢ federal diesel tax, potential alternatives to fuel taxes, and who should actually pay for America's roads. Because at today's diesel prices, fractions of a mile per gallon matter. Taxes matter. Downtime matters. And bullshit gets VERY EXPENSIVE.

If you're a truck driver, owner-operator, fleet owner, carrier, maintenance professional or trucking executive, watch this before somebody promises to save you money at the pump.

At $5.65 a gallon, don't buy miracles. DEMAND RECEIPTS.

#Diesel #DieselFuel #Trucking #FuelPrices #OwnerOperator #TruckDrivers #FuelEconomy #DieselAdditives #TruckingIndustry #HighwayBill

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Trucking says young people don't want to drive trucks. BULLSH*T. They're showing up. The real question is why we keep losing them....

With driver turnover still hammering parts of the industry, trucking keeps searching for the next generation while arguing about recruiting, CDL training, driver pay and a supposed lack of young people willing to work.

What if the pipeline isn't actually the biggest problem? What if it's what happens AFTER they enter it?

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles sits down with Lindsey Trent, President and Co-Founder of Next Generation in Trucking, and Tim Crawford, Co-Founder and CEO of Tenstreet, to dig into what it will actually take to recruit ... and KEEP .... trucking's next generation.

We break down young truck drivers, Gen Z in trucking, CDL training, Workforce Pell, high-school CDL programs, apprenticeships, driver recruiting, onboarding, mentorship, home time and driver retention.

Can small trucking companies realistically build relationships with high schools and CDL programs? Who pays the training bill? What happens to 18-to-20-year-old CDL holders who can't run interstate? What does the next generation actually expect from a carrier? And are fleets building careers young people want — or just feeding more drivers into the same turnover machine?

Then we turn to the technology side.

Tenstreet CEO Tim Crawford joins us to discuss small-fleet technology, carrier verification, fraud prevention, compliance, broker trust and Driver Pulse Fleet — including why legitimate carriers increasingly feel like they're being treated as guilty until proven innocent and what small fleets can do to better prove who they are.

We also tackle one uncomfortable question trucking can't avoid:
If changing jobs can cost a driver thousands of dollars and they're STILL willing to pay it just to leave your company...what does that say about YOU?

The next generation isn't some future trucking problem.

THEY'RE ALREADY HERE.

Now trucking has to give them a reason to stay.

#Trucking #TruckDrivers #GenZ #CDL #CDLTraining #DriverRecruiting #DriverRetention #OwnerOperator #TruckingIndustry #Freight

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Why would a truck driver spend thousands of dollars .... and an entire weekend ..... making a WORKING truck look better than some people's houses?

Because this isn't really about chrome.

And it damn sure isn't vanity.

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles  sits down with Evan Steger of Evan's Detailing & Polishing / Time2Shine and David Lowry of Bennett Motor Express to uncover what truck pride is actually worth .... to the driver, the trucking company, the value of the equipment, and something much bigger than any trophy.

We're going inside Stars, Stripes & White Lines, where working trucks aren't treated like trailer queens. Some competitors must prove tens of thousands of working miles, drive into the show under their own power, and then face serious judging to see who's really earned the shine.

But that's only half the story. The weekend supports the mission of placing wreaths on veterans' graves at Andersonville National Cemetery through Wreaths Across America.

We dig into the real business behind truck appearance and driver pride:

Does keeping a truck show-clean increase resale value?

Can pride in equipment improve driver retention?

What does it actually cost an owner-operator to maintain that shine?

Why do carriers invest in truck shows?

And what can a fleet owner learn from drivers willing to spend their own money taking care of company equipment?

Then we get to the reason this weekend exists in the first place:

Remembering the Americans who served long after the trucks leave the speedway.

Show trucks. Working trucks. Heavy haul. Owner-operators. Truck polishing. Driver pride. Fleet culture. Wreaths Across America. Veterans.
It all comes together here.

Because sometimes chrome isn't about showing off.

Sometimes it reflects something worth remembering.

#Trucking #TruckShow #ShowTrucks #OwnerOperator #WreathsAcrossAmerica #TruckDrivers #HeavyHaul #TruckingIndustry

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