FreightCasts

The trucking industry changed fast.

Freight strategy changed.

Liability changed.

Driver expectations changed.

Technology changed.

But a whole lot of fleets, brokers, and logistics companies kept operating like it was still 2015.

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles dives into the growing pressure reshaping trucking right now — from freight relationships and broker exposure to legal risk, carrier vetting, and the operational mistakes that are quietly putting companies in dangerous positions.

Because in today’s market, weak processes don’t stay hidden very long anymore.

Joining the show:

Topics include:

No fluff.

No corporate spin.

No fake trucking motivation speeches.

Just real trucking talk for real trucking people.

If you run freight, manage risk, broker loads, operate trucks, or lead a fleet — this conversation matters.

#Trucking #Freight #Logistics #Brokerage #TruckDrivers #CDL #FreightBroker #Transportation #BrakeCheck

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining a massive late-stage funding round that's positioning a fast-growing logistics specialist to take on Amazon's e-commerce dominance. Atlanta-based Stord announced it has raised $250 million in Series F venture capital funding that values the company at $3 billion, doubling its valuation in just twelve months. The new funds will go towards launching Stord Labs, a development hub aimed at rapidly building and deploying agentic AI, robotics and advanced automation by leveraging data from real orders coming through the company's live operating system.

Meanwhile, a Texas jury has handed down a staggering nuclear verdict against a trucking company that may no longer even be in business. Last week in Ector County, Texas, a jury awarded $49 million against Texas-based carrier OPG Logistics and driver Biorkys Sanchez Fernandez following a January 2025 crash that killed 29-year-old Steffan Mick. The attorney for OPG reportedly said the company was no longer in business even as a defense was mounted, and with a defendant whose very existence is in doubt, the massive question remains just how much the Mick family will ultimately be able to collect.

Finally, we cover a major leadership move at a smart trailer technology company that signals the freight industry's fundamental shift toward connected and autonomous operations. California-based Phillips Connect announced that Mark Wallin, the principal architect of its technical roadmap and customer strategy, has been named president and general manager. Wallin joined Phillips Connect in January 2024 as general manager and senior vice president of product, and has spent the past eighteen months reshaping how the company approaches the market by expanding platform capabilities while lowering barriers to adoption.

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In this highly anticipated live studio episode of Freight Expectations, hosts Matt and Craig sit down in Chattanooga with a massive figure in the trucking world: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Derek Barrs!

Known for his hands-on leadership style and deep respect for the trucking community, Administrator Barrs joins the show to discuss his personal “why” behind commercial vehicle enforcement and the aggressive steps his administration is taking to reform the industry. From a major enforcement crackdown to leveraging cutting-edge tech, this episode dives deep into how the FMCSA plans to enhance safety, protect legitimate drivers, and root out fraud.

We tackle the hot-button issues facing supply chains today, including the newly rolled-out Modus registration system, which Barrs notes will effectively “close the front door” on chameleon carriers and bad actors through strict identity verification. We also break down the ongoing crackdowns on English language proficiency standards, self-certified ELDs, and the shocking data behind International Road Check Week out-of-service rates.

If you have diesel in your blood, you cannot afford to miss this incredibly transparent, deep-dive interview with the man regulating our nation’s highways.

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It is a packed Friday edition of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? with your hosts, Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent! From vintage football gridiron history to heavy-hitting supply chain breakdowns, this episode dives deep beneath the surface of the industry.

Here is what is on deck for this episode:

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining the brutal reality of commercial trucking insurance as premiums have surged at double the rate of inflation while insurers themselves operate deep in the red. The American Transportation Research Institute documents an average annual premium increase of eight point three percent between twenty seventeen and twenty twenty-five, with smaller fleets bearing the heaviest burden at a staggering twenty point three cents per mile.

Next, we explore the seismic shift in broker liability law as a major case previously won by Echo Global Logistics has been sent back to a lower court following the Supreme Court's landmark Montgomery decision. This unanimous ruling opens the door for brokers to be held liable for negligent hiring, and plaintiff attorneys are already aggressively screening catastrophic trucking cases for broker involvement at intake.

Finally, we shift over to the rails to discuss the fierce battle over a Trump-backed safety measure as the Association of American Railroads slams the Railway Safety Act's inclusion in a major transportation funding bill. The legislation mandates two-person crews and stronger inspections, prompting railroad leaders to call out what they describe as hypocrisy for locking yesterday's operating models into federal law while simultaneously creating a framework for autonomous trucks.

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The trucking industry keeps talking about a “driver shortage”…

But what if the real problem is the industry itself?

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey dives headfirst into the recruiting and retention crisis ripping through trucking right now — why drivers are leaving, why some fleets can’t keep seats filled, and why the companies winning in 2026 are doing things very differently than the rest of the industry.

We also tackle the shifting legal and operational pressure hitting freight as carriers, brokers, and fleets try to survive one of the most volatile eras trucking has seen in years.

Featuring:

Topics include:

No fluff.

No corporate spin.

Just real trucking talk for real trucking people.If you’re a driver, carrier, broker, dispatcher, recruiter, or fleet owner… this is the conversation the industry needs right now.

#Trucking #DriverShortage #TruckDrivers #Freight #OwnerOperator #CDL #BrakeCheck  #Recruiting #Retention

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Most trucking companies don’t fail because freight disappears.

They fail because cash flow breaks first.

In this episode of The Long Haul Podcast, Adam sits down with Michael Bunton to discuss one of the most overlooked realities in trucking: cash flow management.

Michael’s background is unique — from professional baseball with the Chicago Cubs organization to human performance coaching before entering transportation finance and working directly with small carriers across the Southeast.

This conversation breaks down:

This episode is not about promoting factoring.

It’s about understanding how trucking businesses survive.

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In this episode, we kick things off with a massive compliance crackdown hitting the trucking industry, as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration added twelve electronic logging devices to the revoked list in the largest single-day event since May 2025. All twelve failed to meet minimum technical requirements, bringing the total to seventy-nine devices removed since January 2025 at an aggressive pace of nearly five per month. If you're running any of these devices, you have until July 20th to replace them with a compliant ELD or face citations and out-of-service violations.

Over in the ocean shipping sector, we explore how ZIM Integrated Shipping Services posted a net loss of $86 million in the first quarter, a massive reversal from $296 million in net income one year earlier. The Israeli liner, set to be acquired by Germany's Hapag-Lloyd, saw revenues slump 30 percent to $1.4 billion as its average freight rate per TEU crashed 26 percent to just $1,310, reflecting a softer freight rate environment and weaker demand.

Finally, we cover the evolving world of fleet technology as Fleetworthy unveiled three major platform enhancements at its Customer Roadshow event in Austin, including a unified cross-platform login, Centralized Vehicle Management, and the debut of the FleetworthyGO mobile app. These upgrades create a single source of truth for vehicle information across Fleetworthy's various products, allowing fleets to manage compliance, toll management, permitting, and weigh station bypass activities from one centralized platform.

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining autonomous trucking's major geographic expansion as Einride deploys cabless electric trucks in Ohio in partnership with EASE Logistics. This proof-of-concept deployment represents a significant shift beyond the Sun Belt, bringing SAE Level 4 autonomous technology to the industrial Midwest for the first time. Operating between warehouses in Marysville, the project is part of Ohio and Indiana's Truck Automation Corridor initiative to evaluate real-world impacts on safety and freight efficiency.

Next, we explore the equipment sector where Volvo Trucks North America has unveiled a completely redesigned D13 engine engineered to meet 2027 EPA standards taking effect January 1st. The next-generation powerplant slashes nitrogen oxide emissions by a staggering eighty-three percent and particulate matter by fifty percent, making it Volvo's cleanest engine ever. With compacted graphite iron block construction, a higher compression ratio, and innovative fourteen-wave piston design, the engine delivers up to 540 horsepower while fundamentally redefining heavy-duty performance and environmental compliance.

Finally, we cover a sudden leadership shakeup at the western Class I railroad as BNSF's chief operations officer departed after just five months in the top operations role. Matt Garland, a twenty-five-year BNSF veteran who took the COO position on January 1st, has been replaced by Craig Morehouse, who will now oversee the entire operations organization. The abrupt transition comes as Berkshire Hathaway's new leadership pushes BNSF to further improve its operating ratio and operational performance.

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