FreightCasts

This episode of Brake Check asks the question the trucking industry keeps dodging: Who actually benefits from the way this system is built, and who’s left paying the price? We kick things off with Tim Crawford, CEO of Tenstreet, breaking down the real people trends shaping trucking today. From hiring shifts and workforce pressures to what carriers and fleets need to be watching right now, Tim cuts...

The freight recession may finally be over as January transportation metrics reveal a market in firm expansion territory. With the overall index hitting 59.6, a convergence of tightening capacity and rising rates suggests the cycle has officially turned. Regulatory pressures are squeezing the driver pool just as Werner Enterprises settles an 11-year-old lawsuit regarding driver wages. This $18 mill...

Host Isaiah Buchanan kicks off this Tuesday edition with a significant legal victory for NFI CEO Sidney Brown. An appellate court has affirmed the dismissal of criminal charges against the executive regarding real estate development rights in Camden, New Jersey. Next, the show examines how robust consumer spending is leading retailers to adopt leaner inventory strategies. While this shift is softe...

In this episode, Malcolm breaks down the latest industry headlines before welcoming Scott Pecoriello of WeatherOptics to unpack the real-world freight impacts of major winter storms. Helaine Rich of ePost Global joins to explain why cross-border returns are becoming a critical revenue-protection strategy in global ecommerce. Next, Akash Patel of Yellow Brick Academy and Yellow Brick Transport shar...

A massive winter storm shakes up the freight market—and Craig Fuller and Matt Leffler break down why this one matters. Tender rejection rates spike above 12%, signaling tightening capacity and a potential inflection point for carriers. The hosts unpack why weather often acts as the catalyst that finally tips a soft market into a crunch, and whether this disruption could mark the beginning of a mor...

In this episode, we break down how severe winter weather has upended the freight market, causing tender rejections to spike well above holiday peaks. Recent data indicates that Winter Storm Fern caused massive disruption, revealing a truckload market that is far more volatile than seen in previous years. We also discuss reports that Amazon is preparing to launch its external LTL service this summe...

On today’s FreightWaves Morning Minute, we discuss how severe winter weather and rising tender rejections are creating unprecedented volatility in the truckload spot market. With the National Truckload Index climbing to $2.71 per mile, the current capacity crunch signals a fundamentally different environment for carriers compared to previous years. As congestion on Interstate 35 worsens, operators...

On this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, host Malcolm Harris delivers a packed show covering the biggest stories shaping trucking and logistics right now. From major winter weather threats hitting the East Coast to regulatory crackdowns, air cargo shifts, fraud concerns, and carrier shutdowns, Malcolm breaks down the headlines that matter most to the freight economy. The episode also features a tripl...

Join us for today’s deep dive into a supply chain defined by intense scrutiny, from federal relief to aggressive state enforcement. We begin with Washington, where bipartisan legislation aims to reform the DataQs appeals process, finally giving drivers a fair shot against flawed safety records. However, the tone shifts dramatically at the state level, where Florida is advancing severe penalties th...

In today’s episode, we discuss the Panama Supreme Court's ruling that forces a Hong Kong-based firm to give up its concessions at the Panama Canal ports. This legal decision comes as the U.S. president continues to assert the necessity of American influence over the strategic waterway. Next, we look at Maersk Air Cargo's strategic pivot to cancel its flying partnership with Amerijet in favor of ut...

A severe bomb cyclone is targeting the East Coast, threatening to freeze supply chains just days after a similar crisis left trucks stranded in Louisiana. Drivers and fleets are urged to prioritize safety and understand their rights regarding coercion as winter weather intensifies along critical corridors like I-95. While the physical world battles ice, Wall Street celebrates C.H. Robinson's surgi...

Small carriers already know why this market hurts — rates are tight, fuel moves fast, and freight isn’t forgiving mistakes. What most don’t fully understand is how small daily decisions quietly compound into big financial outcomes. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Mike Hosted, VP of Sales and Marketing at ATBS, who has spent more than a decade working directly with owner-opera...

On this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute for January 29, 2026, we look at how logistics providers are adapting to market volatility with creative new trade lanes. DHL Global Forwarding has introduced a hybrid truck-air service that relays goods from China through Uzbekistan to Istanbul, offering a faster alternative to ocean freight for bulky shipments. In carrier news, a trucking giant...

The freight market is aggressively correcting toward specialization, highlighted by Werner Enterprises' decision to acquire dedicated carrier FirstFleet for $245 million. This strategic move adds over 2,400 tractors to their fleet and secures stable revenue streams in an otherwise volatile sector. While carriers expand, major retailers like American Eagle and Office Depot are pulling the plug on t...

Major retailers are retreating from the logistics sector as American Eagle and Office Depot pull the plug on their third-party services. This strategic pivot returns focus to core retail operations, forcing thousands of outside brands to find new fulfillment partners. On the technology front, Gatik has reached a major milestone by launching fully driverless commercial trucking operations at scale...

At Trimble Insight 2025 in New Orleans, FreightWaves’ Thomas Wasson sits down with Brian Mulshine, Senior Director of Product Management at Trimble, to unpack how AI, integrations, and real-time data are reshaping fleet maintenance. From AI-powered road call agents and automated invoice processing to predictive maintenance, OEM deep-linking, and tire failure trends, this conversation dives into ho...

The logistics sector is sending mixed signals in early 2026, with some data pointing to a boom while other indicators suggest fragility. On the growth side, 3PLs are dominating industrial leasing as corporations aggressively outsource their complex supply chains. Financial metrics back up this optimism, with Triumph Financial reporting rising invoice sizes and the addition of major fleets like J.B...

In today’s episode, we discuss a legal setback for truck drivers in California after a federal judge declined to force the state to resume non-domiciled CDL renewals. The court ruled that intervention could jeopardize millions in federal highway funding, creating a catastrophic risk for the state. Next, we look at turbulence in the air cargo sector as Alaska Airlines signals dissatisfaction with i...

On this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, Host Malcolm Harris welcomes Mary O’Connell to break down the real-world freight impacts of a major winter storm, from power outages to network disruptions. Then Mark Borchert from Travelers joins to unpack the 2026 freight market outlook, cargo risk, and insurance trends. Wrapping up the show, Grace Sharkey from Orderful brings insights from the retail and te...

Welcome back to #WithSONAR! This week, we’re shifting to Critical Events and showing how you can track real-time weather disruptions directly within SONAR—while you’re already analyzing rates and market conditions. In this session, we’ll walk through SONAR’s weather intelligence tools, powered by our partnerships with WeatherOptics and Everstream, and how they help you proactively manage risk duri...

The regulatory battle between Washington and Sacramento reaches a boiling point as the ⁠DOT threatens to strip California of its authority to issue commercial driver's licenses⁠. This unprecedented "nuclear option" escalates beyond the initial dispute over non-domiciled credentials and could leave hundreds of thousands of drivers unable to operate in interstate commerce. On the weather front, the...

In this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute, we examine the escalating standoff between federal regulators and California that could paralyze the nation's largest trucking workforce. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is threatening to strip the state of its commercial licensing power over safety concerns regarding 17,000 non-domiciled licenses. Markets are also bracing for a major shift,...

On this Friday edition of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, host Malcolm Harris breaks down the biggest stories shaping freight right now — from Winter Storm Fern threatening major U.S. freight corridors to consolidation moves and rail investments impacting the market. Malcolm is joined by two industry heavy-hitters for a jam-packed conversation covering technology, operations, and money on the ground: Steve She...

The industrial economy flashes a warning sign as⁠ CSX reports a dip in revenue⁠ and pivots back to a strategy of strict cost discipline. Executives cite subdued demand as the primary driver for⁠ abandoning previous growth targets⁠ in favor of efficiency. In the brokerage sector, the⁠ sudden collapse of the R&R Family of Companies⁠ serves as a brutal cautionary tale about rapid expansion and cash b...

In this Friday edition of the Morning Minute, Isaiah Buchanan reports on a major legislative win for drivers as the House passes a spending bill that dedicates $200 million to truck parking. This first-of-its-kind line item now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers are racing against a January 30 government shutdown deadline. A Texas court has delivered a massive blow to Landstar System, ruling tha...