The Long Haul

In this special on-location episode of The Long Haul, host Adam Wingfield takes listeners directly onto the floor of the 54th Annual Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Kentucky. Recorded from within the exhibits and custom trailers that define the industry’s biggest event, this episode moves past the equipment to focus on the "human element" of trucking.

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In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam Wingfield sits down with Jorge Rivera, a longtime truck driver and DACA recipient caught in the middle of a growing regulatory battle. As new rules around non-domiciled CDLs take center stage, Jorge shares how drivers like him—fully vetted, experienced, and deeply rooted in the U.S.—are being unintentionally pushed out of the industry.
From viral moments and real-world encounters to ongoing legal challenges, this conversation dives into the gap between policy and reality—and the human cost of being overlooked. Whether you’re a driver, carrier, or policymaker, this is a perspective you’re not hearing in the headlines.

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In this special edition of The Long Haul, live from the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) 2026, host Adam Wingfield sits down with Ilya, the founder of ICV Express, to discuss a masterclass in trucking resilience and unconventional strategy.
Ilya shares his unique transition from the high-pressure world of the restaurant industry—where he managed kitchens at Chipotle and opened fast-casual brands in Manhattan—to becoming a successful owner-operator. He reveals how the razor-thin margins of the culinary world taught him to "squeeze" every bit of profit out of his trucking operation, from meticulous oil sampling to understanding his truck's specific torque curve.

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Every year thousands of drivers and trucking companies head to the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Kentucky.
And every year… most of them make the same mistake.
They spend three days looking at custom trucks, collecting free hats, and walking the floor without a plan.
But for small carriers and owner-operators, MATS can be one of the most valuable business opportunities of the entire year — if you approach it the right way.
In this solo episode of The Long Haul Podcast, Adam breaks down how to actually use the show to grow your trucking business.
We’ll cover:
• How to prepare before you arrive
• The vendors you should actually talk to
• How to use the education sessions to your advantage
• The networking opportunities most people miss
• And the biggest mistakes owner-operators make at truck shows
Because if you’re going to spend the time and money to attend MATS, you should leave with more than pictures of shiny trucks.
You should leave with knowledge, connections, and opportunities that help your business grow.

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Cargo theft is evolving — and most small carriers aren’t prepared for it.
In this episode of The Long Haul Podcast, Adam sits down with Jillian Kossman, Chief Operations Officer at IDScan.net, to break down one of the fastest-growing threats in logistics: identity fraud and fictitious pickups.
Modern fake IDs are no longer obvious — and many small carriers, brokers, and shippers simply don’t have the tools or knowledge to detect them.
We talk about:
• How fake driver identities are being used to steal freight
• Why even legitimate drivers can get caught in the middle
• The growing financial risk to small fleets
• And the uncomfortable truth about how vulnerable the industry really is
This episode isn’t about technology.
It’s about understanding the threat before it costs you a load, a customer, or your business.

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Freight markets are sending mixed signals right now.
Spot rates are ticking up.
Tender rejection pockets are appearing across the country.
Port volumes are surging in some areas.
But underneath those numbers, the broader economy is flashing warning signs.
Credit card debt has reached a record $1.28 trillion.
Unemployment among college graduates is rising.
Consumer spending — especially in big-ticket sectors like home renovation — is slowing down.
So what does that actually mean for trucking?
In this solo episode of The Long Haul Podcast, we break down the latest SONAR data, port volume trends, and economic indicators to answer one critical question:
Is the freight market actually recovering… or are we just seeing temporary noise?
If you’re an owner-operator or small fleet trying to make decisions in this market, this episode will help you understand what’s really happening beneath the headlines.

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Truckers are sold to 24/7 — by brokers, shippers, insurance companies, fuel programs, tech apps, dispatchers, and every “solution” in the industry.
But here’s the truth most won’t say out loud: small carriers aren’t failing because they don’t know how to drive… they’re failing because they’re misinformed, misled, or marketed to in ways that have nothing to do with reality.
In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with John Landrum, an 8-year logistics strategist and marketing leader whose work has centered around understanding how carriers think, decide, and survive in a world full of noise.
This isn’t about factoring.
This isn’t about products.
This is about how the industry shapes the narrative, what truckers get wrong, what companies get wrong, and what it actually takes to cut through bad information in 2025.
If you’re tired of being sold to and ready to actually understand the influence game behind this industry — this is your episode.

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After 35 years in transportation — from helping build Leonard’s Express into a $350M logistics powerhouse to leading the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) — Michael Riccio has seen this industry from every angle.
In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Riccio to talk about leadership, growth, and what’s next for the broker-carrier relationship. They dig into how small carriers can thrive in a market dominated by 3PLs, what lessons he learned as TIA Chairman, and how his consulting firm, More Than Miles, is helping logistics companies grow responsibly.
And yes — Adam asks the tough question: where does broker transparency actually fit in, and what does “fairness” really mean in an industry built on information asymmetry?
This one’s about perspective — from someone who’s been on every side of the table.

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Aftertreatment failures don’t usually show up as one big catastrophic bill — they show up as downtime, repeat derates, misdiagnosed parts, and decisions made under financial stress.

In this episode of The Long Haul Podcast, I sit down with RJ Bordner to break down the real-world economics of aftertreatment from the perspective small carriers actually live with. We talk about post-warranty realities, OEM versus aftermarket tradeoffs, inventory delays, technician variability, and why “good enough” often ends up being the most expensive choice.

This is not a product conversation.
This is a decision-quality conversation for owner-operators and small fleets trying to stay moving in a market where every parked truck hurts.

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Broker transparency has become one of the most emotionally charged topics in trucking — and for good reason. Small carriers feel boxed out, brokers feel misunderstood, and the conversation often collapses into extremes instead of solutions.

In this episode of The Long Haul Podcast, I sit down with Chris Jolly, better known as The Freight Coach, to slow the conversation down and unpack what transparency actually means in today’s freight market.

We talk about power dynamics, trust gaps, what carriers are really asking for, where brokers draw their lines, and why shouting “full transparency” hasn’t moved the industry forward. This isn’t a debate episode — it’s a reality check for both sides of the desk.

If you’re a carrier trying to understand why this issue feels personal — or a broker trying to understand why trust is so fragile — this episode is for you.

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