FreightWaves Today

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.

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The logistics world is seeing average tariff rates jump by 10x! Curtis Spencer of IMS Worldwide breaks down how Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) are no longer just a good idea, they're essential for cutting costs and building resilient supply chains. Learn about duty deferral, re-export benefits, and merchandise processing fee caps that can save your business millions.

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The 2026 State of Logistics Report confirms volatility as the new normal, not a cyclical blip. Logistics costs saw an unusual drop this year, driven by a soft freight market and lower ocean rates, marking a supply-driven downturn. Kohran Acar explains the five strategic implications for building supply chain resilience, from prioritizing asset productivity to leveraging AI for enhanced collaboration and automation.

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Are your fleets investing in the wrong AI dashcam technology? Nuclear verdicts and climbing insurance costs mean you can't afford to treat dashcams like commodity hardware. Dr. Stefan Heck, CEO of Nauto, explains the critical difference between reactive and predictive AI, highlighting how advanced systems can prevent collisions and save lives. Learn why accuracy, speed of detection, and real-time driver coaching are crucial for true safety.

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Autonomous trucks are heading to the I-35 corridor between Laredo and Dallas, promising to revolutionize cross-border freight. Andrew Culhane from Torc Robotics discusses how driverless technology can tackle persistent delays at the border and enhance efficiency for the entire supply chain. The strategic importance of this route and the regulatory landscape are paving the way for commercial launch by 2027.

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining a brutal new wave of financial distress hitting the transportation and logistics sector. Over the past ten days, trucking companies, truck dealers, and logistics providers have filed for bankruptcy protection while hundreds of workers faced layoffs nationwide. Notable filings include Laredo-based Triple RRR Carriers, a cross-border trucking company that operated a fleet of 177 power units, and Dallas-area logistics provider Alan Ritchey Inc., which will lay off 232 employees beginning in September.

Next, we shift to the truckload sector where a strategic acquisition is poised to expand growth opportunities across the Southeast. Chattanooga-based F2F Transport announced that it has been acquired by LRT Group, a Fort Payne, Alabama-based transportation holding company focused on building transportation-based businesses. The move is expected to create new opportunities for growth and expanded service offerings, including increased access to dedicated freight opportunities for F2F's network of owner-operators.

Finally, we explore a closely watched freight index that is signaling a positive inflection point may finally be on the horizon. According to a Monday report from Cass Information Systems, a positive inflection in freight shipments now appears likely after 40 months of year-over-year declines. The multimodal shipments component of the Cass Freight Index dipped just 1.2% year over year in May, the smallest decline in 18 months. Assuming historical seasonal trends, the index is projected to log a 1.8% year-over-year increase in the back half of 2026.

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In this segment of FreightWaves Today, Alex Guirguis, Co-Founder and CEO of Off The Record, breaks down the severe implications of traffic tickets for Commercial Driver's License (CDL) holders. Guirguis explains why drivers should treat traffic tickets as legal matters rather than simple bills, detailing the unique and strict penalties that apply specifically to commercial drivers. He also shares how Off The Record is helping drivers protect their livelihoods by simplifying the legal process.

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The freight market is in a regulatory-driven bull cycle unlike any we've seen. Seth Holm, CEO of West Brow Capital, breaks down the shocking truth about trucking capacity, revealing that potentially only a fraction of carriers meet minimum safety requirements.

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QXO CEO Brad Jacobs sees AI and robotics automation as the biggest trend since humanity began, poised to transform the freight and logistics industry. Jacobs outlines his vision for an automated trucking future, the role of technology in M&A, and his playbook for building multi-billion-dollar enterprises. Discover why he believes automation will drive efficiency and precision across the supply chain, from brokerage to warehousing.

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The Supreme Court ruling has fundamentally changed compliance for freight brokers. Highway CEO Jordan Graft breaks down what this means for safety standards, risk management, and combating evolving fraud vectors like impersonation and double brokering.

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