FreightCasts

Dr. Zac Rogers comes on to discuss the historic drawdown on inventory levels in December’s LMI.

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Is the U.S. built to make things, or just regulate them?

On this end-of-year episode of Bring It Home, JP Hampstead breaks down trillions in manufacturing and industrial investment announcements from 2025, with many tied to direct negotiations with the Trump White House, and what they actually mean for America’s re-industrialization push.

JP also dives into a powerful idea from Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang, reviewed by Charles Yang in American Affairs: China as an engineering state and America as a "lawyerly" society.

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In this episode of The Daily, we uncover why many freight brokers are structurally losing roughly $19 on every load despite seemingly stable contract rates. We break down the "negative operating leverage trap" detailed in How are Freight Brokers Staying Afloat? that is forcing companies to burn cash while desperately chasing volume.

The conversation shifts to the rail sector, where CSX lays off 5% of management staff, furloughs conductors in a move that signals a permanent shift toward leaner operations. These deep cuts reflect a broader industry trend of redrawing profitable baselines amidst challenging economic conditions and declining high-margin traffic.

Regulatory pressure is also intensifying, as the DOT strips California of $160M over foreign truckers for failing to revoke thousands of unlawfully issued commercial driver's licenses. This systemic collapse in the state's licensing process threatens to tighten capacity further in the stressed West Coast freight market.

We also examine compliance risks, highlighting a case where an air cargo contractor reimburses Postal Service for fraudulent billing after falsifying delivery scans to avoid late penalties. This recurring pattern of fraud underscores the rigorous compliance demands fleets must manage alongside financial pressures.

Physical risks are escalating as well, with new analysis on Minneapolis, 1992, and What Fleets Need to Know About the Insurrection Act as state and federal tensions create volatile conditions for urban logistics. Fleet operators are urged to prioritize real-time visibility and safety training to navigate these potential disruptions effectively.

Finally, we look at market data where U.S. Bank, DAT launch quarterly truck freight rates report showing that carrier capacity is quietly shrinking while contract rates hold steady. This disconnect raises the critical question of which sector will force a necessary margin reset in the coming year.

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Truck drivers don’t need another feel-good message. They want honesty.

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Harvey Beech, co-founder of American Truckers United, a third-generation trucking operator who has lived every side of this industry — company driver, small fleet owner, and long-haul carrier.

Harvey speaks plainly about what many drivers feel but few are willing to say out loud: how immigration policy intersects with trucking, why wages have been compressed, how safety standards have eroded, and why the sacrifices of seasoned American drivers often go ignored.

This is not a political episode. It’s a reality check — from someone who was born into trucking and never left it.

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In this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute, the U.S. Department of Transportation has officially withheld $160 million in safety funding from California following a dispute over commercial driver’s licenses. The state missed a critical deadline to revoke thousands of licenses issued to foreign drivers, a situation federal officials describe as a systemic collapse of safety protocols.

Shifting to the rails, the Surface Transportation Board has introduced a proposal designed to give captive shippers access to competing lines through reciprocal switching. By removing the requirement to prove anti-competitive conduct, this regulatory change aims to foster competition and offer more options to businesses served by a single railroad.

Additionally, a new quarterly report from U.S. Bank and DAT warns that a shrinking carrier pool could cause shipping costs to spike rapidly if demand rebounds. The episode wraps up with a preview of today’s FreightWaves TV lineup, featuring discussions on trucker wages, the Logistics Manager Index, and the outlook for manufacturing in 2025.

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In this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, host Malcolm Harris kicks off 2026 with a deep, perspective-driven conversation on what’s really happening across the freight and logistics industry beyond the headlines.

The show opens with FreightWaves cross-border reporter Noi Mahoney breaking down major policy and trade developments, including tariff delays, shifting duties, and why U.S.–Mexico freight could emerge as one of the biggest stabilizers for trucking in 2026. Noi shares insights on nearshoring, cross-border truckload demand, warehouse implications, Class 8 truck orders, and the risks that could disrupt current momentum.

Next, supply chain veteran Mike Eischer, CEO of One World Supply Chain Consulting, joins the show to unpack where inefficiencies hide inside organizations, how companies should think about disruption as the new norm, and where technology is actually making a real-world impact. Mike offers practical guidance on operational discipline, balancing efficiency with reliability, the limits of automation, and why people remain the most important part of any supply chain.

The episode wraps with Chase Osborne of First Star Logistics, who dives into the realities of agent recruiting, marketing, and trust in a tight freight market. Chase discusses what agents are really looking for in 2026, how compensation, culture, and back-office support factor into decision-making, and why transparency and infrastructure matter more than flashy commission offers.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for carriers, brokers, shippers, and logistics leaders navigating a complex and evolving freight landscape in 2026.

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In this episode, we dive into some of the ways to expand security in the supply chain and yard automation. Our guest, Mike Grabovica, CEO of Birdseye, breaks down best adoption strategies and when to make improvements as well as ensuring you don’t get left behind. For more information, subscribe to Check Call the newsletter or the podcast. 

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In this episode, we unpack a confusing market paradox where transportation capacity has hit a four-year low even as fleets place massive orders for new equipment. Analysts attribute the surge of over 42,000 Class 8 truck orders to a regulatory pre-buy ahead of 2027 emissions rules rather than a true recovery in freight demand.

We also explore how C.H. Robinson is utilizing 30 agentic AI tools to execute "gross margin arbitrage" and respond to quote requests in just 32 seconds. This strategy allows the brokerage to dynamically adjust pricing hundreds of times a day, turning speed directly into expanded margins.

The conversation then shifts to the legal hurdles facing autonomous trucking, where liability often hinges on whether a "safer alternative design" existed rather than a comparison to human drivers. Experts warn that this unique product liability standard exposes manufacturers to nuclear verdicts even if their vehicles perform safer than people.

Finally, we discuss the push by safety advocates to end the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot for under-21 truckers. Opponents argue the program is dangerous, citing data that drivers aged 19 to 20 are six times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes.

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On this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute, the U.S. Postal Service announces plans to phase out contracted drivers holding non-domiciled CDLs due to safety concerns. USPS tightens vetting for immigrant truck drivers explores how this crackdown aligns with broader federal initiatives despite warnings of potential supply chain strain.

C.H. Robinson is revolutionizing its operations by deploying custom agentic AI tools to handle millions of tasks and slash quote response times from minutes to seconds. How is C.H. Robinson using AI? Its CFO has a story to tell details how these innovations are driving productivity and allowing for real-time pricing strategy adjustments.

As autonomous trucks hit the road, manufacturers face massive financial exposure from product liability lawsuits that focus on safer alternative designs rather than human error. Autonomous trucking faces growing product liability risks, examines the legal challenges and potential for "nuclear verdicts" as technology outpaces the law.

Finally, catch a preview of today's WHAT THE TRUCK?!? episode airing at noon with four guests covering diverse logistics topics. Join us for these updates and more on FreightWaves TV.

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Fleet operations are moving faster than ever — and legacy systems can’t keep up. In this interview from the Trimble Insights Conference, Trimble CEO Rob Painter explains how cloud-based TMS platforms, agentic AI, and connected workflows are helping fleets cut hours of manual work down to minutes.

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