In this episode, we kick things off with a massive equipment theft bust as law enforcement officers across the Carolinas recovered ⁠thirteen semi-trucks, three trailers, and two motor vehicles worth over one million dollars⁠ during an ongoing Florence County investigation. Two North Carolina men face grand larceny and conspiracy charges for allegedly stealing nine commercial motor vehicles between November 2022 and October 2025, with the eighteen-vehicle recovery highlighting the critical importance of fast reporting and secure parking controls.

Next, we explore the less-than-truckload sector where ⁠XPO delivered record-breaking second-quarter results that crushed Wall Street expectations⁠ with adjusted earnings per share of one dollar and seventy cents. The Greenwich-based carrier's LTL unit posted a seventy-nine point nine percent adjusted operating ratio, three hundred basis points better year-over-year, with management declaring the industry is still in the early innings of a multiyear double-digit rate growth cycle.

Finally, we cover how ⁠Saia's softer full-year margin outlook sent shares tumbling twelve percent⁠ in midday trading Thursday despite delivering better-than-expected quarterly earnings. The Johns Creek carrier now expects to hit the lower end of its guidance range, with the addition of thirty-three new service centers since 2022 dragging on margins as these fresh facilities still trail the legacy network with operating ratios in the low-ninety percent range.

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Malcom and Julie are live from the Westin in downtown Chattanooga at the Univar Solutions Carrier Kickoff Event.

Key Segments & Highlights

Rob McRae (VP of Transportation, Univar Solutions): Explains the strategy behind Univar's Carrier Kickoff and why investing in face-to-face relationships with carriers—especially in the specialized chemical and liquid bulk space—creates long-term reliability and market protection. Details what it takes to be awarded "Shipper of Choice," including driver engagement, internal talent recruitment, and maintaining disciplined, service-focused carrier scorecards.

Brad Hadley (VP of National Accounts, Saia LTL Freight): Analyzes the industry shift of shipments moving from truckload to less-than-truckload (LTL) as truckload capacity tightens and rates rise.Highlights Saia's capital investments, terminal expansions, and their internal "Dock-to-Driver" training program designed to develop CDL drivers from within.

Brian Riley (VP of National Account Sales, Arrive Logistics): Breaks down the "trilogy" relationship between shippers, carriers, and service providers. Discusses how shippers can navigate tightening capacity, handle lower-volume "tail" lanes, and adopt proactive contract adjustments to avoid volatile spot market pricing.

Ben Caplenor (EVP of Operations, LRT Solutions): Shares insights on operational growth, prioritizing service and safety amidst industry headwinds, and how smaller carriers can leverage cost-effective technology to free up team bandwidth.

Tyson Wimberly (SVP of Sales & Revenue Management, Covenant Logistics): Discusses Covenant's evolution into a full-service logistics organization, its focus on alternative fuel sustainability, and the critical importance of predictable scheduling and fair pay for professional truck drivers.

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Can trucking survive if diesel hits $6 a gallon? And if it does...will AI be the difference between staying profitable and shutting the doors?

On this episode of Brake Check, we tackle two of the biggest forces reshaping trucking today.

Senior Market Analyst Phil Flynn of The PRICE Futures Group breaks down where diesel prices are really headed, what could send fuel above $6 per gallon, how geopolitics, refinery capacity, and oil markets impact every load you haul, and what fleets should be doing before the next price spike....not after it.

Then, Ava Davis from Alvys separates AI fact from fiction. Every software company claims to have AI....but what's real, what's hype, and what actually saves carriers time and money? We dig into AI-powered dispatch, fraud detection, operations, automation, and the tools that are giving smart fleets a competitive edge.

Inside this episode:

Whether you're an owner-operator, fleet owner, dispatcher, broker, or trucking executive, this episode delivers practical insights you can use to prepare for what's coming next.

The question isn't whether trucking is changing.

The question is whether your business will change fast enough to survive it.

Subscribe to Brake Check for unfiltered conversations with the people shaping the future of trucking.

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Join the Craig and Julie as they dive deep into a jam-packed Wednesday broadcast covering the latest Q2 earnings, market trends, rail updates, and freight technology!

In This Episode:

Market Dynamics & Q2 Earnings Overdrive: The hosts unpack earnings season highlights across the supply chain, analyzing surging revenue metrics, tight capacity, and how asset-based carriers like Werner Enterprises, Night-Swift, and Old Dominion (posting an unheard-of 70.1 operating ratio!) are navigating the market recovery.

Trailer Optimization with Repower: Chris Hines, CEO of Repowr ("The Trailer Whisperer"), discusses the launch of TOP (Trailer Optimization Platform). Learn how automating execution layers and managing trailer pools helps carriers eliminate empty miles, improve driver retention, and stop revenue leak.

Inside an Employee-Owned Fleet: Brent Nussbaum, CEO of Nussbaum Transportation, shares why transitioning to an ESOP in 2018 transformed their culture, maintained an impressive ~30% turnover rate, and created sustainable growth. Plus, a look at how Nussbaum is leveraging their new pricing technology, BidRight.

Rail Industry & STB Merger Updates: Bill Stevens, Editor of Trains Magazine, drops in for the weekly Association of American Railroads (AAR) report. The team breaks down carload and intermodal trends, along with key takeaways from the "Future of Rail" symposium regarding Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern's proposed transcontinental merger.

OEM Market Analysis: Chris Versace (Chief Investment Officer at Tematica / Portfolio Manager at TheStreet Pro) analyzes transport stocks, UPS’s restructuring struggles against Amazon Flex, and PACCAR’s strong demand outlook amidst the impending EPA 2027 emissions pre-buy.

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Welcome to a Wednesday edition of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? — the fastest 45 minutes in freight! Hosts Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent break down the biggest news and trends across the supply chain, from high-stakes freight security to the future of electric fleet infrastructure.

On This Episode:

Tragic Rail Container Smuggling Incident: The hosts cover a disturbing story reported by FreightWaves' Phil Brink regarding seven migrants who tragically lost their lives inside a sealed rail container in Texas and the 11 defendants facing life sentences. They analyze the criminal smuggling networks, carrier liability, and differences between maritime and rail security regulations.

EV Infrastructure Realities with EV Realty: Patrick Sullivan, Co-Founder & CEO of EV Realty, joins the show to discuss what it actually takes to support commercial electric trucks. He breaks down the industrial real estate and power grid challenges facing fleet electrification, why drayage and regional routes are leading adoption, and how data drives fleet hub locations.

Tackling Freight Fraud with Cipher & Row: John Nolan, Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Systems Architect at Cipher & Row, stops by to discuss the escalating issue of freight fraud. He explains how AI-driven packet scanning, carrier vetting, and timestamped audit trails help brokers protect themselves against reincarnated carriers and compliance risks.

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Live from Chattanooga, Tennessee, hosts Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp broadcast from the Future of Rail Symposium to break down the latest shifts transforming the freight and logistics industry.

In this episode, Craig and Julie dive deep into the critical role of freight rail as the backbone of the American industrial economy. They discuss recent market shifts, safety technology investments, regulatory updates, and why AI-driven data center expansion and energy sector growth are creating massive opportunities for rail networks. Plus, they examine the ongoing fallout from recent legal precedents impacting freight brokers and trucking liability.

Later in the episode, Zach Strickland (Head of Freight Market Intelligence) sits down with FreightWaves rail and intermodal expert Stuart Charles to dissect the latest SONAR market data.

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The trucking industry just entered a new era...and "we didn't know" may no longer be enough.

After the Montgomery v. Caribe decision, brokers are facing unprecedented scrutiny over how they select motor carriers. Then came another massive Texas verdict involving Home Depot and C.H. Robinson, raising new questions about broker liability, negligent selection, and whether every catastrophic truck crash is now a lawsuit waiting to happen.

At the same time, freight fraud and cargo theft continue to explode, costing the industry hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Identity theft, stolen MC numbers, double brokering, cargo theft rings, and organized fraud are forcing carriers, brokers, and load boards to rethink how freight moves across America.

In this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey sits down with TIA President & CEO Chris Burroughs, former TIA Chairman Jeff Tucker, and Truckstop General Counsel Lynsey Pickenpaugh for one of the most important conversations in trucking this year.

Inside this episode:

Whether you're a truck driver, owner-operator, carrier, freight broker, safety director, attorney, shipper, or fleet executive, this episode explains what has changed, what hasn't, and what every transportation professional needs to understand before the next load moves.

The rules are changing. The lawsuits are getting bigger. The fraudsters are getting smarter.

Are you ready?

Join the conversation in the comments:

Should FMCSA define what makes a carrier "safe," or should the industry remain responsible for making that decision itself?

#Trucking #Freight #BrokerLiability #FreightFraud #CargoTheft #Transportation #FMCSA #TruckingNews #OwnerOperator #FreightBroker #Logistics #BrakeCheck #CDL #SupplyChain #MotorCarrier #TruckingIndustry

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In this episode of Freight Waves Today, hosts Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp break down one of the most transformative developments in recent logistics history: a staggering $640 million nuclear judgment involving C.H. Robinson that has sent shockwaves through the brokerage industry and freight markets.

Plus, we explore how AI data center expansion is reshaping flatbed and bulk capacity, the latest trends in last-mile retail delivery, and a custom tech solution built specifically for truck drivers!

Dennis McCaffrey, SVP of Enterprise Sales at RXO, drops by to share war stories from the early days of ExpressOne and XPO. He breaks down how RXO scaled into the 3rd largest freight broker, the power of managed expedite platforms, and what the next 12–18 months look like for capacity.

Hackathon Winner Spotlight: RateSafe: Hackathon winner Sean Conley (VPA & Director of Business Development at Vantage Logistics) introduces RateSafe—an app built using Sonar’s API that cuts through the noise to tell drivers what not to book based on personalized operating costs and home-time expectations.

Last-Mile Delivery & Retail Trends: Jake Stein, VP of Retail Growth at Burke, breaks down the shift from ultra-fast delivery to extreme reliability, multi-carrier last-mile orchestration, and the realistic timeline for drone delivery.

The "Capacity Tax" & AI Data Centers: Blake Ezell, VP of Customer Success & Support at IntelliTrans, joins to challenge the market recovery narrative. Discover how hyperscale AI data center construction is quietly consuming massive amounts of flatbed and bulk capacity—creating a bidding war for specialized freight.

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Welcome to another episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? with Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent! On today’s show, we’re diving into the biggest headlines shaking up supply chains, trailer leasing traps, and a complete shift in how LTL shipper performance is measured.

What we cover in this episode:

Headlines: The massive $600M nuclear verdict against C.H. Robinson, a $290M cocaine bust hidden in Ecuadoran banana shipments, cartel business fronts, and the latest biweekly logistics layoff roundup.

Trailer Leasing Realities: Ed Behnen (SVP of Sales at Premier Trailer Leasing) drops by the studio to talk about avoiding the "low rate" lease trap, fighting off Facebook Marketplace equipment scams, and leveraging telematics to protect your assets.

Flipping the LTL Scorecard: Lance Healy (Co-Founder & CEO of FreightFAX) breaks down how FreightFAX is turning the tables by scoring shippers instead of carriers on a 900-point scale, tracking dwell times, claim rates, and "freight karma."

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This jam-packed episode of FreightWaves Today covers major industry-shaking news, featuring a massive nuclear lawsuit judgment against C.H. Robinson, key updates across intermodal rail,yard security technology, and last-mile logistics.

The show opens with the fallout from a $604 million nuclear lawsuit verdict handed down in Dallas County Court against C.H. Robinson and motor carrier Lupus Superior following a fatal multi-vehicle pileup in Mississippi. Cassandra Gaines, Founder of Carrier Assure, and FreightWaves journalist John Kingston join to analyze what this landmark post-Montgomery decision means for freight brokers nationwide.

Later in the show, the hosts speak with Paul Svindland (CEO of Mallory Alexander and former CEO of Celadon) about his career navigating distressed supply chain companies, before exploring yard security, booming rail earnings, and the impact of the housing slowdown on last-mile delivery.

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