FreightCasts

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.

⁠Follow The Long Haul Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major digital freight platform designed to eliminate the traditional back-and-forth friction between carriers and shippers hunting for committed freight. C.H. Robinson unveiled BidBoardX, a new self-service tool that gives carriers direct access to committed freight opportunities through a single digital interface. The platform allows certified carriers to search opportunities across multiple categories, submit bids for full or partial volume, and track activity without the lengthy phone calls and email exchanges that have historically pushed both sides toward spot market volatility.

Next, we explore the parcel sector where FedEx is slowly clawing its way back from an operational meltdown in Vietnam that left shipments stranded and customers furious. The express logistics giant says shipping delays have eased this month after a bungled switch to a different ground delivery provider and the rollout of new technology created widespread disruption, with backlogs decreasing by nearly fifty percent compared to peak levels in early May.

Finally, we cover a Boston-based sensor startup pushing its terahertz vision technology closer to automotive serialization with a crucial new partnership with a top German automaker for its flagship Summit sensor. The sensor will be tested against edge cases that continue to expose the limitations of cameras, lidar and radar, including detecting a fallen motorcyclist at a distance or identifying stopped vehicles ahead in dense fog.

Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast

Other FreightWaves Shows

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When illness or injury forces a truck driver off the road, the financial fallout can be immediate and devastating. The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund steps in as a vital safety net, offering financial aid for essential needs like rent, insurance, and vehicle payments. Beyond crisis support, they provide crucial wellness programs, from smoking cessation to cancer screenings, helping America's highway heroes stay healthy and on the job.

⁠Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weekly AAR rail traffic numbers are in, showing a continued strong week for rail freight in North America. We dive into the data, examining intermodal and carload volumes, and what these trends signal for the second half of the year. Plus, editor Bill Stephens shares his exclusive experience riding Union Pacific's Big Boy, the world's largest operational steam locomotive, on its historic East Coast tour.

Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast

Other FreightWaves Shows

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Strait of Hormuz has introduced a permanent risk premium into the global oil market, fundamentally altering price dynamics for crude and diesel. Despite some recent drops from March highs, experts like John Kingston warn that supply won't snap back quickly.

⁠Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, the yard has been a forgotten 'dark spot' in the supply chain — unseen and unoptimized. Now, YMX Logistics is changing the game with its autonomous yard operating system. Combining AI, computer vision, and electrification, they're transforming labor-driven functions into controlled systems, driving millions in value by turning a cost center into a strategic asset

Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast

Other FreightWaves Shows

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The freight market is gearing up for a dynamic second half of the year, driven by capacity constraints rather than pure volume increases. Get ready for tighter conditions and potentially higher costs as industrial and retail sectors recover. Craig Fuller breaks down the latest SONAR data, Cass Freight Index, and container flows from China to reveal what's truly shaping the market.

⁠Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court’s ruling on broker liability is shaking up the freight industry, putting real-time carrier intelligence in high demand. Freight fraud is evolving beyond physical theft, with sophisticated identity deception costing millions. GenLogs' Danielle Spinelli shares how their data provides critical insight into carrier operations, helping brokers and shippers prevent scams and tighten security.

⁠Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from FreightWaves' Domestic Supply Chain Summit, Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent bring you a special edition of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? featuring three conversations focused on the future of supply chain operations, freight technology, carrier compliance, and risk management.

First, Tom Hurwitch, Founder and Principal of Basis Solutions, explains why the next evolution of logistics isn't simply exchanging data—it's operationalizing it. Learn how leading shippers are leveraging AI, automation, and integrated supply chain visibility to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and move toward autonomous decision-making.

Next, Andrew Wimer of Descartes joins the show to break down the industry-shaking Montgomery ruling and what it means for freight brokers. The discussion covers carrier vetting, documentation requirements, compliance best practices, insurance implications, and how technology can help brokers demonstrate reasonable care in an increasingly scrutinized environment.

Plus, the team previews an upcoming conversation with Verify Carrier's Andrey Drotenko on why the pickup point remains one of the most vulnerable moments in the supply chain.

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Visit our sponsor - KOONER FLEET MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS⁠

⁠Subscribe to the WTT newsletter⁠

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

⁠Spotify⁠

⁠More FreightWaves Podcasts⁠

#WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we kick things off at the nation's busiest container gateway, where frontloading is fueling a massive early peak season surge. The Port of Los Angeles handled over 840,000 TEUs in May, up seventeen percent from a year ago, driven by strong inventory replenishment, concerns about fuel costs, trade-policy uncertainty, and preparation for upcoming retail seasons. Loaded imports surged twenty-six percent year-over-year, rebounding sharply from May 2025 when import traffic was severely undercut by Liberation Day tariffs on China.

Meanwhile, the truckload market's upswing is officially ushering in driver pay hikes across the sector. Joliet-based carrier GP Transco increased pay for all company drivers by five cents per mile, pushing the upper end to seventy-two cents per mile, while Dubuque's Hirschbach announced a ten-cent per mile increase for over-the-road drivers. A supply-led trucking recovery has prompted the need for enhanced driver pay and perks, with heightened regulatory enforcement purging noncompliant drivers from the market since last fall.

Finally, the Federal Railroad Administration is greenlighting expanded testing of high-tech track inspection systems as Class I railroads prepare for a major safety upgrade. The FRA recently approved a five-year waiver that lets railroads expand the use of Automated Track Inspection technology, which uses lasers, cameras, sensors, and ground-penetrating radar to scan tracks for defects. CSX plans to start using the waiver on July first, deploying the technology across over three thousand route miles, with early data showing ATI reduces track geometry defects by ninety percent in some cases.

Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast

Other FreightWaves Shows

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices