Before a truck gets shut down...

Before the lawsuit...

Before the six-figure insurance renewal...

Before the FMCSA audit...

The warning signs are almost always there.

The problem?

Most carriers don't see them until it's too late.

On this episode of Brake Check, we tackle one of the biggest questions in trucking today:

Why do 93% of carriers fail an FMCSA audit with at least one violation—and what are the safest fleets doing differently?

Joining us are two experts who see trucking safety from completely different angles.

Ann Wasson, Founder of Wasson Consulting Group and Certified Director of Safety, breaks down what FMCSA auditors are really looking for, the HOS and ELD mistakes carriers make every day, the compliance failures that fuel nuclear verdicts, and how to prepare before regulators ever come knocking.

Then Sam Watts, Director of Safety & Loss Control at Ten Four Truck Insurance and founder of Wattsmen Diesel House, explains why safety isn't just about avoiding violations—it's about lowering insurance costs, building a culture drivers actually believe in, coaching instead of punishing, and why too many fleets mistake paperwork for protection.

Inside this episode:

Whether you run one truck or one thousand, this episode could save you from your next audit, your next claim, or your next insurance renewal.

Subscribe for more FreightCasts, trucking news, and real talk from the front lines of the trucking industry.

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Every trucking company is buying more technology.

The question is...is it actually making your business stronger or creating new ways to lose money?

In this episode of Brake Check, we tackle the two biggest technology battles every carrier faces today:

Steve Brown from Tenstreet breaks down how AI, automation, and smarter recruiting are changing driver hiring—and where technology still needs a human touch.

Then Jake Persofsky, Founder of Insperia, explains why so many carriers are one cyberattack, ransomware event, or freight fraud scheme away from operational disaster and what you can do today to protect your business.

Inside this episode:

Whether you run one truck or one thousand, this conversation could save your company thousands of dollars and maybe your next load.

If you believe trucking deserves real conversations instead of sales pitches, subscribe, leave a comment, and share this episode with another carrier.

Brake Check.

Real trucking. Real operators. Zero fluff.

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Some carriers are surviving 2026.

Others are quietly disappearing.

The difference isn't luck. It isn't fleet size. And it isn't who has the newest trucks

It's who has better information.

On this episode of Brake Check, we pull back the curtain on what the data is really saying about today's freight market—and the hidden operational mistakes quietly costing carriers money every single day.

Joining us:

Sean Dehan – VP of Corporate Strategy & Development at Truckstop, breaks down what Truckstop's data is revealing about freight demand, rates, fraud, heavy haul, and the market trends every carrier should be watching.

Robert Bain – Director of Partnerships & Senior Consultant at GLCS, exposes the hidden technology gaps, broken processes, cybersecurity risks, and operational blind spots that keep carriers from reaching their full potential.

We cover:

If you're an owner-operator, fleet owner, dispatcher, operations manager, or anyone serious about building a stronger trucking business, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

Which challenge is costing carriers the most right now—freight, fraud, technology, or operations? Drop your answer in the comments.

Like, subscribe, and share with another carrier who needs to hear this.

#Trucking #OwnerOperator #Freight #Logistics #Truckstop #FreightMarket #LoadBoards #SmallBusiness #SupplyChain #BrakeCheck

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There are plenty of people telling you what trucking looks like from a boardroom.

We decided to ask the people actually living it.

Live from Shell Rotella SuperRigs at Bristol Motor Speedway, Brake Check handed the microphone to America's truck drivers for an unfiltered reality check on freight, regulations, pay, parking, respect, technology, and where this industry is really headed.

No talking points.

No corporate spin.

No pie charts.

Just honest conversations with the men and women keeping America moving.

Joining Charles are trucking voices with decades of experience:

Together, they tackle the biggest issues facing trucking today while hearing directly from drivers walking the show grounds.

If you want to know what trucking really looks like in 2026, don't ask an analyst.

Ask a trucker.

Topics include:

If you believe trucking deserves a voice that comes from the road...not the boardroom.

Like, subscribe, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation.

Because the people doing the job deserve to be heard.

#ShellRotella #superrigs #shellsuperrigs #truckshow #Bristolmotorspeedway #Bristol #truckerstellall

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Is Trucking About to Repeat Its Biggest Mistake Again?

Everyone is talking about the next trucking "super cycle." But who benefits  most from selling such a narrative?

Higher rates.

Tighter capacity.

A new golden era.

But haven't we heard this before?

On this episode of Brake Check, we're asking the question many in trucking are afraid to ask:

Is the industry chasing another hype cycle... or is this time actually different?

Joining Charles are three guests with completely different perspectives on the freight market.

Tyler Johnston: Mercer Transportation

Operations leader at one of America's most respected owner-operator carriers, discussing what disciplined fleets are actually seeing on the ground.

Tommy Valenzuela:  Recruiting Professional of the Year, One of trucking's leading carrier advocates, sharing what drivers and fleets are experiencing as hiring, retention, and capacity begin to shift.

Sage Outcast: Broker, insurance expert, and one of trucking's biggest pot stirrers

Never afraid to challenge conventional wisdom, Sage brings his unfiltered take on freight rates, insurance, broker dynamics, and whether the "super cycle" narrative is fact or fantasy.

We tackle:

Is the trucking super cycle real?

Are freight rates telling the whole story?

Why freight rates can rise while freight volume falls.

The biggest mistakes carriers made the last time everyone trusted "industry voices"

Why costs still threaten profitability.

Capacity, recruiting, insurance, and the market signals nobody should ignore.

What owner-operators, fleets, brokers, and executives should be watching next.

No corporate talking points.

No hype.

No echo chamber.

Just real conversations backed by experience from every side of the trucking industry.

If you're a truck driver, owner-operator, fleet owner, carrier executive, freight broker, logistics professional, or simply trying to understand where trucking is headed next, this episode is for you.

Subscribe for weekly conversations that challenge conventional wisdom and tackle the biggest issues in trucking, freight, logistics, regulation, and the supply chain.

#Trucking #Freight #Logistics #OwnerOperator #TruckDriver #FreightMarket #SupplyChain #MercerTransportation #Broker #Insurance #BrakeCheck #FreightWaves #Transportation #CDL #OwnerOperators #FreightRates

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The most expensive truck in America isn't the one burning fuel down the highway.

It's the one sitting still.

On this episode of Brake Check, we're exposing the hidden costs that quietly destroy trucking profits every day: empty seats, slow hiring, breakdowns, repair delays, compliance bottlenecks, and downtime that most carriers never properly measure.

First, Charles sits down with Tim Crawford, CEO and Co-Founder of Tenstreet, the platform helping thousands of carriers recruit, hire, onboard, and retain drivers. Tim breaks down what's really happening in driver recruiting in 2026, where AI is helping (and hurting), why some fleets consistently keep seats full while others struggle, and the costly mistakes carriers make between a driver saying "yes" and actually getting behind the wheel.

Then, Alex Bezzubets, Founder and CEO of myMechanic, joins the show to tackle the other side of downtime: truck breakdowns. Alex explains why roadside repairs still take too long, what a single breakdown really costs a carrier, and how technology is helping fleets get trucks repaired and back on the road faster than ever before.

Topics include:

Whether you're an owner-operator, fleet owner, safety manager, recruiter, dispatcher, or trucking executive, this episode delivers practical insights on one question every carrier should be asking:

How much is downtime really costing your business?

Subscribe to Brake Check for straight talk, industry leaders, and the conversations trucking needs to have.

#Trucking #OwnerOperator #Freight #Logistics #FleetManagement #TruckDriver #Transportation #BrakeCheck #FreightWaves

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Everybody says trucking is broken.

Rates are soft. Insurance costs are crushing carriers. Operating expenses keep climbing. Every week another trucking company shuts its doors, another owner-operator parks the truck, and another driver wonders if it's still worth it.

So here's the question:

If trucking is so bad right now, how are some fleets and owner-operators still finding a way to win?

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey sits down with two trucking leaders attacking that problem from completely different angles.

JR Elrod, President of BAR Transportation, a 30-year trucking veteran who spent more than two decades hauling heavy freight before building a specialized carrier focused on government, project, and niche freight.

Tyler Johnston, General Manager of Mercer Transportation, one of North America's most successful owner-operator carriers, with more than 2,200 contractors and nearly 50 years in business.

Topics include:

Owner-Operator Survival in 2026

Open Deck & Heavy Haul Freight Trends

Soft Freight Markets & Rising Costs

Driver Retention & Profitability

Insurance Costs Crushing Trucking

Carrier-Broker Relationships

Small Fleet Survival Strategies

The Future of Independent Trucking

Whether you're an owner-operator, fleet owner, company driver, broker, shipper, or simply trying to understand where trucking is headed next, this conversation delivers real-world strategies from people living it every day.

Question for the comments:

What's the biggest challenge facing trucking right now: rates, insurance, regulations, freight, or something else?

#Trucking #OwnerOperator #Freight #Logistics #TruckDriver #CDL #FreightWaves #BrakeCheck #Transportation #HeavyHaul #OpenDeck #TruckingIndustry #SupplyChain #OwnerOperators #Truckers

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What if trucking's biggest problems aren't being ignored...

What if they're being protected?

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey sits down with two of the most outspoken voices in trucking to tackle the issues drivers, carriers, and owner-operators are talking about across America.

First, Charles Claburn joins the show. With 30 years behind the wheel, more than 3 million accident-free miles, and decades spent advocating for truck drivers, Claburn shares his unfiltered perspective on retention, training, truck parking, regulations, and why so many trucking companies continue making the same mistakes.

Then Mike Cobb, CEO of the Federation of Professional Truckers (FOPT), joins Brake Check to discuss the organization's challenge to the ELD mandate, broker accountability, insurance requirements, FMCSA oversight, non-domiciled CDLs, and what real trucking reform looks like from the driver's seat.

Topics include:

ELD Mandate Debate

FMCSA & Federal Regulation

Truck Parking Crisis

Driver Retention & Turnover

Broker Accountability

Insurance Minimums

Non-Domiciled CDLs

Trucking Safety

Owner-Operator Challenges

The Future of Professional Trucking

Whether you're a driver, owner-operator, carrier, broker, or industry leader, this is a conversation you don't want to miss.

Subscribe for more hard-hitting trucking conversations every week.

#Trucking #OwnerOperator #ELD #FMCSA #TruckDriver #Logistics #Freight #Transportation #CDL #BrakeCheck

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Everyone keeps saying trucking is recovering.

So why are carriers still closing their doors?

Why are drivers still frustrated?

Why do brokers think the sky is falling?

And why does it feel like the people making money in freight are playing a completely different game than everyone else?

On this episode of Brake Check, we're cutting through the noise and exposing what's really happening inside trucking in 2026.

Michael Kroul, CEO of KTI, joins us to discuss freight markets, brokerage, shipper expectations, carrier relationships, technology, automation, and whether brokers will even exist in the next decade.

Julie Bernard of New Legend Inc. joins us to talk driver recruiting, retention, onboarding, company culture, new equipment, and what drivers are actually looking for in today's market.

We tackle:

 The real state of the freight market

 Why some companies are growing while others are disappearing

 The future of freight brokers and 3PLs

 Driver recruiting myths that need to die

 Why retention matters more than recruiting

 New trucks, technology, and the battle for driver talent

 What trucking may look like over the next 5 years

The freight market is changing.

The winners are adapting.

The losers are making excuses.

The question is simple:

Which one are you?

Sound off in the comments:

Who's under the most pressure right now .... Drivers, Carriers, or Brokers?

And if you're in trucking, logistics, freight, supply chain, or transportation...

Subscribe now because nobody is having these conversations like we are.

#Trucking #Freight #Logistics #TruckDriver #OwnerOperator #FreightBroker #SupplyChain #Transportation #CDL #FreightWaves #BrakeCheck

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Today on Brake Check, we're tackling the two biggest threats facing trucking in 2026.

First, Matt Roherty from CarrierForge breaks down what it really takes to go from company driver to business owner. From MC authority and compliance headaches to startup costs, profitability, and avoiding the mistakes that kill most new carriers in their first year, this is the roadmap every aspiring owner-operator needs to hear.

Then Scott Cornell from Logistiq Insurance Solutions joins the show to expose the cargo theft epidemic sweeping through freight. Fictitious pickups. Identity fraud. Double brokering. Coverage gaps. Cyber-enabled theft. The threats have evolved—and many carriers and brokers don't realize how exposed they really are until it's too late.

If you're thinking about getting your own authority, running a small fleet, brokering freight, or protecting the business you've built, this episode is required listening.

#Trucking #OwnerOperator #CargoTheft #FreightFraud #TruckingBusiness #BrakeCheck #Freight #Logistics #TruckingIndustry

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