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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Malcolm Harris takes the wheel solo and delivers a packed show covering some of the biggest trends shaping freight, warehousing, and supply chain technology today.

In this episode:

Plus, Greg Braun, Chief Revenue Officer at C3 Solutions, joins the show to break down findings from the company’s latest State of Dock and Yard Management Report, including:

Later, Steve Shebuski of MCA Connect dives into the rise of Agentic AI and what it means for the future of supply chain operations.

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Welcome back to WithSONAR!

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major advancement in commercial vehicle safety technology that's targeting mass production across the Class 8 market. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has officially selected Aeva to integrate 4D LiDAR sensors and perception software into its next-generation collision mitigation systems for Class 8 trucks. With roughly 300,000 new Class 8 trucks entering the North American market annually, this program is targeting mass production of one of the first LiDAR-based L2+ driver assistance solutions for commercial vehicles, marking a strategic shift toward using advanced perception technology in active safety systems rather than just higher levels of autonomy.

Next, we shift to cross-border logistics, where Echo Global Logistics is making an aggressive play to dominate the entire U.S.-Mexico freight corridor. The Chicago-based third-party logistics provider has formally unveiled a new suite of intra-Mexico domestic transportation services, giving shippers a fully integrated supply chain solution spanning both sides of the border. The expansion includes city-to-city freight transportation, port drayage, domestic intermodal services, and managed transportation solutions across Mexico, all integrated with Echo's existing cross-border operations and allowing the company to capture growing freight movements tied to nearshoring trends.

Finally, we explore how autonomous technology is officially moving beyond pilot programs and into full-scale daily operations at a major logistics hub. DHL has transitioned autonomous vehicles from its Fast Forward Challenge into live daily operations at its Singapore facility, partnering with Zelostech to operate fully electric, driverless vehicles for point-to-point transfers between logistics facilities on campus. Each vehicle averages 40 trips and covers 28 kilometers daily, delivering consistent performance at roughly half the operating cost of diesel trucks while cutting emissions to support customers' sustainability goals.

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Shippers are facing a dramatically different freight market, one many are ill-equipped to handle. With new staff lacking experience in tight capacity environments and a prolonged supply-side driven market, traditional 'post-and-pray' strategies no longer work. Learn why securing favorable rates now, evaluating routing guides, and strengthening carrier partnerships are crucial for survival.

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Trucking companies and freight brokers often face payment delays due to complex invoice audits. Upwell's CEO Charley Dehoney discusses how their AI-powered platform automates pre-invoice auditing, solving a critical 'missing link' in the supply chain. Discover how this partnership with Kleinschmidt aims to reduce invoice disputes and accelerate cash flow for carriers nationwide.

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Weekly U.S. rail traffic data just dropped, and it's confirming significant strength in the industrial segment of the economy. Total traffic is up an amazing 7.2%, with carloads rising 3.2% year-to-date, despite declines in coal and flat forest products. This is a critical indicator of future freight demand, including trucking, as manufacturers ramp up production.

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After being acquired by Shell USA, Multi-Service Fuel Card CEO Aaron Decker reveals how he and his management team executed a bold management buyout to regain control. Discover the fascinating journey of this pioneering fuel card provider, established in 1978, and how they help trucking companies navigate volatile fuel markets, maximize efficiency, and combat fraud. Aaron also shares his outlook on diesel prices and how fleets can protect their bottom line.

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John Ferguson, CEO of Pivot Supply Chain Solutions, shares the gritty details of starting his freight brokerage during the peak of COVID. From a coat closet to a $50M company, learn the raw truth about establishing credit, covering loads, and building a robust team in a tough market. This isn't your average startup story.

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Factoring might be the most argued-about topic in small carrier Facebook groups.

Half the comments say it saved their business. The other half say it nearly destroyed it. And everybody's got a story about a contract they didn't read closely enough, a reserve they couldn't get back, or a fee they didn't see coming until it was too late.

The frustration is real. And it's earned.

But here's the part that doesn't get talked about honestly — a lot of carriers who hate factoring don't hate factoring. They hate the decision they made around it. The company they chose. The contract they signed without understanding. The moment they confused having cash in their account with actually being ahead.

Ivan Martinez and George McWilliams have spent years on the other side of that conversation. Between them they've worked with owner-operators and small fleets across every kind of market condition — the freight boom, the recession, the recovery happening right now. George grew up around trucking. This industry isn't abstract to him. Ivan has watched carriers use factoring to grow and watched others use it as a band-aid over a cash flow problem that was bigger than any factoring arrangement could fix.

Today we're not here to sell anything. We're here to have the conversation most people avoid — what factoring actually is, where the industry went wrong, what the legitimate criticisms are, and what every small carrier needs to understand before they sign anything.

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