FreightCasts

Zach and Thomas try to sort through what has become a hyper political economic environment that is weighing heavily on supply chains. Also: The truckload market has started to pick up in front of Labor Day.

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Dale Jordan from BDO USA discusses the tax implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill with JP Hampstead, including bonus depreciation, R&D expensing, and other provisions designed to stimulate manufacturing investment and reindustrialization.

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Discover how C.H. Robinson's aggressive adoption of AI has significantly boosted its stock price, even in a weak freight market, leading to a 52-week high. Learn about their new "Always-on Logistics Planner," an agentic AI-driven "digital teammate" within its Managed Solutions 4PL arm, which autonomously handles tasks 24/7 and has achieved 100% customer adoption among its clients.

We confront the growing peril of escalating cargo theft, a critical concern in the industry, with North American cargo thefts surging 27% year-over-year in 2024, resulting in $455 million in stolen goods across 3,625 incidents. Hear how Ceva Logistics alone suffered over $18.3 million in losses from eight incidents, often due to security policy breakdowns like using unvetted carriers or inactive GPS trackers, making warehouses particularly vulnerable.

Analyze major shifts in international trade, including a new EU-US trade truce framework designed to stabilize container flows for goods like pharmaceuticals and agricultural products on transatlantic lanes. However, this framework notably excludes automobiles, with continued high tariffs leading to a 16.8% decline in European car exports to the U.S. in the first half of this year, potentially shifting consumer demand towards domestic or Asian suppliers.

Examine developments in workforce and infrastructure, as FedEx Supply Chain is laying off 611 employees in Memphis after Cummins Inc. moved a significant portion of its distribution to a new 3PL in Indianapolis for efficiency. In stark contrast, South Korea's Hanwha Group announced a $5 billion investment to expand its Philadelphia shipyard, aiming to increase shipbuilding capacity to 20 vessels annually and double the local workforce to 3,000 by 2025 as part of a larger $150 billion commitment to revitalizing the U.S. maritime sector.

Finally, we unpack the serious rail regulatory turbulence caused by President Trump's firing of STB member Robert E. Primus, creating a 2-2 partisan split and leaving the board short two members. This controversial move comes just months before a major merger application (Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern) is expected and has already stalled other important rail proceedings, raising concerns that it could weaken the board and harm the freight rail network, consumers, and the economy.

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The official framework for the EU-U.S. trade truce has been released, aiming to halt escalating trans-Atlantic trade tensions and steady container flows. This agreement, though not yet legally enforceable, maintains existing tariffs on most European Union exports to the U.S. and on automobiles until reciprocal tariff reductions are implemented by Brussels.

DHL Global Forwarding is expanding its cold chain logistics capabilities in Asia Pacific with the opening of a dual-certified pharmaceutical facility at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). This 38,000-square-foot site, the first in KLIA’s Free Commercial Zone, offers flexible storage certified for both 15–25°C and 2–8°C, enhancing DHL's leadership in healthcare logistics and addressing rising demand for temperature-sensitive transportation.

Ceva Logistics has been targeted by a crime ring in eight separate incidents over the past year, resulting in the theft of high-value electronics exceeding $18.3 million. These thefts are largely attributed to repeated breakdowns in security policy, including outsourcing to unvetted motor carriers and inadequate warehouse security, amidst a broader 13% year-over-year increase in cargo theft incidents in the second quarter, where warehouses are significant targets.

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Host Thomas Wasson breaks down the latest trucking headlines — from federal threats to cut highway funds over English proficiency enforcement to CDL testing scandals, clean energy truck orders, and shifting credit conditions in transportation finance. Michael Caney, CCO at Highway, joins the show to discuss the company’s growth investment, the launch of the Trusted Freight Exchange, and the battle against freight fraud. Later, Zach Strickland, Head of Freight Market Intelligence at SONAR, shares insights on SONAR’s new Blue to Blue app, shifting freight market conditions, and what to expect heading into peak season.

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BMO’s transportation unit is a bellwether for credit and lending conditions in trucking. The bank’s loan book dipped to $13.67 billion in Q3, the lowest since early 2023, and while write-offs are down, provisions for potential credit losses and gross impaired loans remain significantly higher than pre-downturn levels.

Canada Post has significant labor issues, which led to its largest-ever pre-tax loss of US$294 million in Q2 2024 due to a 36.7% plummet in parcel revenue. This decline was largely driven by uncertainty from a prolonged labor dispute, pushing shippers to private carriers and highlighting the high cost of instability.

On the innovation front, we cover the expanded integration between Motive and Fleetio in fleet management technology. This partnership centralizes fuel, maintenance, and telematics data for fleet operators, automating workflows and providing crucial visibility into costs that can comprise up to 75% of operating budgets.

Freight rates have taken a considerable dive, with Asia-to-U.S. spot rates falling 60-70% since a July frontloading surge. This is attributed to increased vessel capacity, limitations within U.S. Customs’ IT systems, and carriers actively shifting vessels to avoid new punitive port fees on Chinese-linked ships.

Cross-border trade policy is changing, specifically the surging use of USMCA claims among Canadian and Mexican imports into the U.S.. This increase is prompted by new 50% tariffs on numerous products containing steel, aluminum, or copper, making compliance vital for managing costs despite administrative burdens and documentation requirements.

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U.S. businesses are increasingly claiming USMCA exemptions as rising tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other goods push import costs higher. This has led to a sharp increase in USMCA compliance for goods from Canada, reaching 81% in June, and from Mexico, now at 77%.

Massachusetts state troopers sentenced after involvement in a CDL fraud scheme. Calvin Butner received three months in jail and Perry Mendes one month, both for falsifying CDL test scores and giving passing grades to unqualified applicants. Three other individuals involved in the scheme are still awaiting their sentencing.

Canada Post has also made headlines, reporting its largest-ever pre-tax loss of US$294 million in the second quarter due to a significant drop in parcel volumes. This decline, which has been steady since December, resulted from a prolonged contract dispute with mail carriers that pushed shippers to private carriers. Overall revenue for Canada Post was down 7.3%, with a 36.7% decrease in parcel revenue.

Finally, be sure to tune into FreightWaves TV for WHAT THE TRUCK?!? today at noon, or catch a replay this evening on SiriusXM channel 146. You can also get tickets for upcoming events like the Crossborder Fleet Summit and the Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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This week, we dive into the pivotal shifts creating a complex and challenging freight landscape. We start at the U.S.-Mexico border, where a fascinating paradox is unfolding: U.S. tariffs are leading to job losses in the maquiladora industry, even as wages and foreign investment hit record highs. Then, we shift tracks to the rail industry, where Warren Buffett's BNSF is rejecting the mega-merger trend, creating a strategic split among Class I railroads. We also cover urgent regulatory changes, including the sudden elimination of the de minimis exemption that’s throwing international parcel shipping into chaos, and the federal crackdown on trucker compliance that comes with multi-million dollar penalties. Finally, we break down why trans-Pacific ocean rates have plummeted to pre-Red Sea crisis lows, despite ongoing geopolitical risks. This is your essential guide to the interconnected forces that will define your operational strategy.

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The benchmark diesel price, which has now declined for a fifth consecutive week, reaching $3.708/gallon for a total drop of 10.4 cents since late July. This downward trend is linked to relative oil price stability, even as Midwest refinery issues impact gasoline prices without significantly affecting diesel.

Korean Air has made a significant order for eight Boeing 777-8 freighter aircraft, part of a larger $50 billion deal that helps Boeing compete with Airbus in the next-generation widebody freighter market. This strategic acquisition highlights a push for efficiency in air cargo, as the new freighters promise 30% better fuel efficiency and 25% lower operating costs per ton.

The rail merger debate heats up as CPKC advocates against further Class I rail consolidation, asserting that such mergers are unnecessary and could trigger an undesirable industry restructuring. Instead, CPKC champions interline partnerships, citing its collaboration with CSX on the Southeast Mexico Express service as an example of achieving benefits without integration risks.

The Department of Transportation's (DOT) warns California, New Mexico, and Washington, threatening to withhold millions in federal highway funds for allegedly failing to enforce federal English proficiency standards for truck drivers. This action follows a fatal accident involving a driver with reported language issues and a history of non-compliance, with states given 30 days to rectify the situation.

Explore the Trump administration's challenge to California's Clean Truck Check (CTC) rule, with the EPA proposing to disapprove its application to out-of-state trucks due to concerns about the Commerce Clause and the Clean Air Act. While the rule remains in effect for California-based vehicles, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) views the EPA's move as illegal interference, signaling a potential legal battle over state versus federal authority.

Also don't miss the FreightWaves Q3 2025 Carrier Rate Report, sponsored by Trimble, offering a comprehensive review of Q2 performance and forecasts for the coming months. This valuable resource combines carrier survey responses with SONAR data to provide essential intelligence for strategic planning, covering supply, earnings, and demand forecasts.

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In this episode, we dive in what to watch out for and keep an eye on when implementing AI at an organization. Our guest, Adrian Coutsoftides, CEO & Co-founder of Solitude AI breaks down how to ensure data privacy and utilizing AI correctly within an organization. For more information, subscribe to ⁠Check Call the newsletter⁠ or the podcast.

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