FreightCasts

Trucking says it NEEDS truckers. So why can't drivers find a safe place to park, why does Washington keep piling on rules, and why does the industry keep screaming “driver shortage” while struggling to keep the drivers it already has?

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey asks the uncomfortable question: Does trucking actually hate truckers?

OOIDA's Collin Long joins us from the Washington front lines to break down the truck-parking fight, highway funding, English-proficiency enforcement, the “driver shortage” narrative and what Congress is actually doing that could hit an owner-operator's bottom line.

Then Conversion Interactive's Marilyn Surber gets put through the retention gauntlet:

Why do good drivers leave?

When does a recruiting problem become a BAD JOB problem?

Can carriers market their way out of 90% turnover?

And what would she actually do to cut it?

No press releases. No conference-panel answers. No fluff.

Just the policies, economics and management decisions affecting the people behind the wheel.

And then we trade Washington politics for horsepower, polished metal and some seriously badass trucks as Summer of Chrome rolls on.

Does trucking really value truckers? Let's find out.

This is Brake Check. Let's go full stop.

#Trucking #TruckDrivers #OwnerOperator #TruckParking #DriverShortage #DriverRetention #Freight #OOIDA #TruckingIndustry #BrakeCheck

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In this episode, we kick things off in a New Orleans courtroom where jury selection has begun for a disbarred attorney accused of orchestrating the murder of a federal witness. Prosecutors allege Sean Alfortish conspired to kill Cornelius Garrison, a so-called "slammer" who intentionally sideswiped eighteen-wheelers in a sprawling staged truck crash scheme and later began cooperating with the FBI. The case is part of a massive federal probe that has charged sixty-three defendants in connection with an operation spanning over a decade, where participants recruited passengers and paid drivers to target big rigs carrying large commercial policies, then filed fraudulent lawsuits seeking insurance payouts.

Next, we shift over to the rails where a coalition of seven Republican state attorneys general is urging the Surface Transportation Board to reject Union Pacific's proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern. In a letter filed on August eleventh, the attorneys general argued the railroads have not demonstrated the merger would serve the public interest or strengthen rail-to-rail competition. The coalition took particular aim at the proposed Committed Gateway Pricing arrangement, contending it would apply to only zero point nine percent of U.S. rail traffic and could actually result in higher rates for many shippers.

Finally, we head south to examine the critical role of cross-border trade as new Census Bureau data confirms Mexico's dominant position in U.S. commerce. Laredo, Texas, remained the nation's busiest international trade gateway, handling a massive thirty-six point five billion dollars in cross-border trade during June—accounting for more than one-third of all U.S.-Mexico commerce. The port's performance highlights its critical role as the primary conduit for automotive parts, vehicles, machinery, electronics and other manufactured goods moving between the two countries.

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In this episode of FreightWaves Today, hosts Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp dive into the latest industrial data, market updates, and expert interviews across the freight, logistics, energy, and rail sectors.

In the morning minute we have the 3 top stories of the day including: Congress pushes to tie USPS executive bonuses directly to 95% on-time delivery metrics via the bipartisan "No Bonuses for Bad Service Act", Werner Enterprises CEO Derek Leathers addresses seasonal spot market trends, capacity tightening, and rate outlooks, and Michigan regulators suspend Northern Michigan University's CDL training program amid a nationwide fraud crackdown.

Our first guest, Tom Kloza, Chief Energy Advisor at Gulf Oil, breaks down rising diesel prices, global refining capacity constraints, and how emerging drone warfare poses unprecedented risks to oil infrastructure.

In the SONAR update, Julie gives a detailed look at current tender rejections sitting at 13.5%, rising import container volumes, domestic rail mode shifts, and carrier authority changes.

Then Patrick Kelleher, CEO of GXO Logistics, stops by to discuss peak season expectations, rapid growth in AI data center construction, manufacturing re-shoring, and tests with humanoid robotics in the warehouse.

Trains Magazine's Bill Stephens is back with the latest numbers from Association of American Railroads (AAR) weekly volume data, strong non-coal carload gains, and a federal court ruling upholding the FRA's two-person crew rule.

And lastly, Jeff Dangelo, CEO of Fura, announces the acquisition of High Rise (their 7th deal) and explains how AI is streamlining operations and unlocking massive EBITDA improvements for small-to-midsize brokerages.

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Scott Cornell returns to Fraud Watch as nearly $100 million in data-center freight has been stolen since early June. Phil and Scott discuss criminals targeting security escorts, stolen cargo turning up in retail stores, and why six or seven out of every 10 stolen loads may now leave the United States. They also examine altered bills of lading, cartel involvement, drug smuggling through commercial transportation, and what companies need to do before they become the next target.

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This episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? is hosted by Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent. The show, sponsored by Gnosis Freight, features three industry guests covering international trade, trucking community tools, and autonomous AI logistics:

Trey Boring (President at IMS Worldwide Incorporated): Trey discusses his nearly four decades of navigating international trade, foreign trade zones (FTZs), tariffs, and reshoring strategies. He outlines how FTZs help companies defer duty payments, manage inventory control, and adapt to shifting global supply chains. Additionally, he shares details about his volunteer work as Senior Vice Chair for Cigars for Warriors, a non-profit sending premium cigars and supplies to deployed U.S. service members.

Alex Mai (Mutha Trucker News): Alex reflects on his journey building one of the nation's largest trucking communities and content platforms. He introduces his new platform, Driver Open Door, designed to bridge the communication gap between drivers and fleet leadership. The platform features an anonymous "bat signal" chat feature that routes urgent driver concerns directly to executive leadership using AI, aiming to lower turnover rates and improve driver retention.

Abdul Basharat (CEO of Cartage): Abdul breaks down the practical application of AI in global logistics. He introduces Wilson, an autonomous logistics operator trained on specialized supply chain models to handle routine emails, quotes, and coordination tasks. Abdul explains how AI agents allow lean operational teams to automate the majority of repetitive freight tasks so humans can focus on complex edge cases.

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In this episode, we kick things off in Washington, where lawmakers are aggressively tying executive pay to actual delivery performance at the struggling Postal Service. A bipartisan bill ⁠barring USPS executives from receiving bonuses until on-time delivery hits ninety-five percent⁠ was approved by the Senate Homeland Security Committee last week. The No Bonuses for Bad Service Act comes as the mail carrier missed its on-time target for all eight delivery categories in fiscal year 2025, lost twenty-five billion dollars over the last three years, and reported a two point five billion dollar loss for the third quarter.

Next, we shift over to the truckload sector, where Werner Enterprises is shrugging off recent spot market softness and doubling down on the supply-driven recovery. Speaking at Deutsche Bank's Chicago Industrials Summit Tuesday, ⁠Chairman and CEO Derek Leathers told investors the company remains unfazed by the seasonal slowdown⁠ in July truckload spot market trends. Leathers estimates that eight hundred fifty to nine hundred CDL schools have been forced to close due to insufficient training standards, powering Werner's turnaround with the company's one-way truckload fleet seeing revenue per truck per week jump twenty-eight percent year over year in the second quarter.

Finally, we cover the nationwide crackdown on fraudulent CDL training programs as state regulators in Michigan join the fight. The Michigan Department of State ⁠issued a summary suspension to Northern Michigan University Truck Driving School on August fifth⁠ following an investigation that uncovered multiple alleged violations. Among the most significant allegations, regulators said the school provided behind-the-wheel instruction to students without first verifying they possessed valid commercial learner's permits and allowed students to sign blank instructional documents that were subsequently completed.

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Welcome to today’s episode of FreightWaves Today! In this episode, we explore the cutting-edge technology, Q2 financial results, supply chain strategies, and market dynamics shaping the logistics and transportation industry.

Here is what we cover in today’s show:

AI-Powered Freight Execution with Overroute

Alex Reed, Founding CEO of Overroute, joins the show to discuss the official launch of their AI-led freight execution platform. Developed in a year-long co-design partnership with J.B. Hunt, the platform uses AI agents to automate shipment coordination, detect exceptions, and streamline customer communications directly within existing carrier systems. Alex breaks down how the technology works day-to-day, how exceptions are handled, and the role of human oversight in AI-driven logistics.

RXO Q2 Earnings & Market Share Growth

Drew Wilkerson, Chairman and CEO of RXO, breaks down the company’s Q2 financial performance and market strategy. RXO reported strong volume growth across its business, with truckload volume outperforming the market by growing 2%. Drew shares how a 42% spot mix drove gross profit per load, the impact of agentic AI on operational productivity, and why he believes the freight market is in the early stages of a recovery.

Managing Summer Retail Surplus & Returns

Amrita Bhasin, Co-Founder and CEO of Sotira, returns to discuss how retailers are navigating late-summer return spikes and excess seasonal inventory heading into fall. Amrita explains how Sotira leverages AI to match overstock inventory with secondary buyers and donation markets—helping brands protect their bottom line while keeping surplus goods out of landfills.

Transportation M&A & Freight Market Capacity

Craig Decker, Managing Director at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, provides an inside look at the dealmaking environment across logistics and transportation. Craig explores how capacity leaving the system—rather than a surge in demand—is driving early signs of freight market recovery, and what buyers and sellers need to know about transportation M&A activity heading into 2026.

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Trucking says it has a DRIVER SHORTAGE. So why are some  carriers still burning through drivers at 90%+ turnover?

Maybe trucking doesn't have a recruiting problem. Maybe it has a job worth keeping problem.

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey digs into why professional drivers leave and why the industry's answer always seems to be recruiting MORE people instead of fixing what sends them out the door.

Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, CEO of Garner Transportation Group and former ATA Chair, breaks down what her fleet does differently to retain drivers and faces tough questions about the disconnect between drivers, carriers and the organizations representing trucking in Washington.Then Charles brings on fellow SiriusXM Road Dog host Dan Ronan joins the conversation to tackle the numbers, the driver cycle and what drivers are saying that trucking's boardrooms still aren't hearing.

We get into:

You can recruit veterans, women, younger drivers and every other untapped workforce in America but if the job doesn't change, you're just pouring more people into a leaking bucket.

Stop replacing drivers.

Start giving them a reason to stay.

This is Brake Check. Let's go full stop.

#Trucking #TruckDrivers #DriverShortage #TruckingIndustry #TruckDriver #Freight #OwnerOperator #DriverRetention #BrakeCheck

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In this episode, we kick things off with a massive consolidation move reshaping the finished vehicle logistics market. Jacksonville-based Proficient Auto Logistics announced a one hundred thirty million dollar agreement to acquire California-based Hansen & Adkins, a deal that will push the combined company's market share to roughly 25 percent of the new car hauling market. The acquisition will more than double Proficient's fleet to over seven hundred twenty-five company-owned units and add four hundred million dollars in annual revenue, with the deal expected to close in mid-August as the auto haul industry faces rising regulatory pressures and tightening capacity.

Next, we explore a brewing battle in the parcel sector where a Senate bill aimed at solving Zip code confusion is triggering fierce pushback from postal leadership. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee endorsed legislation requiring the U.S. Postal Service to designate unique Zip codes for eighty-three communities, but Postmaster General David Steiner is warning that the mandate would cause irreparable harm to both the organization and its customers. Steiner claims implementation would cost well over eight hundred million dollars, completely erasing last quarter's hard-fought performance gains for an agency that has lost nearly fifteen billion dollars over the past twenty-one months.

Finally, we break down strong second-quarter results from one of the nation's largest freight railroads as BNSF Railway reported pre-tax earnings rising nearly fourteen percent on higher volume and revenue. Parent company Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that BNSF's earnings climbed to two point zero six billion dollars as revenue increased fourteen point six percent to six point five six billion, driven by a six and a half percent volume surge and higher revenue per unit. Consumer products traffic grew nine point three percent thanks to increased West Coast imports and tightening truck capacity, while agricultural and energy shipments jumped eleven and a half percent, though the railroad's operating ratio deteriorated slightly as fuel costs surged sixty-eight percent year over year.

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On today’s show, we dive into the shifting macro landscape, major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, and new solutions for fleet electrification: 

Freight Market Shakeout: Ryan Farlow, Industrials Senior Analyst at RSM, discusses how regulatory enforcement, small-carrier cost pressures, and changing capital costs could trigger a capacity shakeout to rebalance freight pricing. 

Enterprise AI at Scale: Adrian Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Ripple, breaks down their record enterprise deployment with global freight forwarder JAS, detailing how bespoke AI automation transforms core workflows. 

Autonomous Tech Milestones: Raquel Urtasun, Founder and CEO of Waabi, explains how the Waabi Driver achieved zero-retraining AI generalization by seamlessly transferring to the Volvo VNL Autonomous platform without new data. 

Electrification Solutions: Pat White, VP of Commercial at OptiGrid, highlights how battery-integrated fast chargers enable fleets to bypass long utility delays and slash deployment timelines from years to weeks.

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