FreightWaves Today

In this episode of The Daily, we break down the record-breaking peak retail season of 2025, which saw tender rejections soar above 13% amidst severe winter storms. We also explore why truckload order lead times continue to rise, hitting a six-year high as shippers adjust their strategies to cope with escalating trade tensions. The discussion turns to a critical regulatory standoff as California fa...

Kodiak AI has announced a strategic partnership with Bosch to scale its autonomous truck platform for broader manufacturing integration. This collaboration aims to install the Kodiak Driver system directly on assembly lines or through specialized upfitters to ensure commercial scalability. The Ninth Circuit Court has denied an injunction request as Amazon loses a court fight regarding National Lab...

In this episode of FreightWaves’ The Daily, we map out the critical operational shifts defining the 2026 supply chain landscape, focusing on risk management over pure technology. We examine how generative AI and OEM partnerships are accelerating Waabi's push for point-to-point autonomous trucking to solve the commercial inefficiencies of the "highway trap." Regulatory risks are rising as a massive...

In this episode of the Freightways Morning Minute, we explore why autonomous trucking companies are shifting strategies to tackle surface streets for door-to-door delivery. By ditching the highway-only model detailed in Beyond the highway: Waabi's bet on door-to-door autonomy, these companies aim to eliminate costly first- and last-mile inefficiencies known as the "highway trap". We also break dow...

This episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute examines Amazon’s recent support for Flowers Foods in a Supreme Court case that could redefine legal protections for local delivery drivers. The retail giant argues that single-state drivers do not qualify for the federal arbitration exemption reserved for interstate transportation workers. We also report on the abrupt closure of Queen Transportation...

In this episode of The Daily, we explore why Transport Capacity Services is betting on Monterrey to manage the surge in nearshoring activity and cross-border complexity. As manufacturing investment floods northern Mexico, stricter customs enforcement and driver regulations threaten to tighten freight capacity significantly by 2026. To support these long-term trade flows, Union Pacific is developin...

After nearly two decades of litigation, 17 years later, Teamsters locals will get payments into benefit trust marks the end of a dispute involving Oak Harbor Freight Lines. An administrative law judge has ordered the LTL carrier to pay over $23 million for unfair labor practices committed during a 2008 strike. As nearshoring activity accelerates, TCS is betting on Monterrey as cross-border trade g...

In this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute, we investigate a major class-action filing aimed at stopping the California DMV from canceling nearly 20,000 commercial driver's licenses due to administrative errors. The Lawsuit Targets California DMV Over Administrative Failures Affecting 20,000 CDL Drivers argues that these cancellations disproportionately affect the Sikh community and pose a...

In this episode of The Daily, we explore the rising cost of rigidity as new regulations and market shifts challenge supply chain agility. We analyze how the FRA caps non-English rail crews at 10-mile border zone to create cross-border capacity bottlenecks and discuss New legislation could upend truck broker margins by imposing steep surcharges on carriers with safety violations. Shippers face a di...

In this episode, we discuss how Canada Post, mail carriers tentatively agree on a labor deal after a difficult period involving strikes and work slowdowns. The proposed five-year contract includes wage increases and the introduction of weekend parcel delivery, though it excludes the corporation's demands for dynamic routing and load leveling. We also examine why new legislation could upend truck b...

In this episode of the Daily from FreightWaves, we dive into the escalating risks facing global logistics, starting with a $200K cargo theft that exposes growing fraud schemes in trucking industry and highlights the sophisticated digital deception threatening shippers. Impersonators posing as a global engineering firm used fake paperwork to steal merchandise from a small business, underscoring a r...

BNSF CEO: Rail merger still a “significant threat” to economy, consumers covers the intensifying opposition to the proposed Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger, as rival BNSF warns of potential service failures and higher rates. CEO Katie Farmer argues that the deal fails to meet regulatory requirements and offers public benefits that could otherwise be achieved through simple collaboration....

In this episode of FreightWaves Daily, we analyze why the freight market has shifted into panic mode with rejection rates doubling and spot rates climbing significantly. We break down the perfect storm of weather, holiday demand, and regulatory crackdowns that are rapidly removing carrier capacity from the road. We then turn to the escalating constitutional showdown in California, where the state...

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have officially submitted their nearly 7,000-page application to the Surface Transportation Board to create the nation's first Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern file historic rail merger application. If the merger meets regulatory approval, the companies anticipate the deal will be finalized and the new network operational by early 2027. In an effort to restore...

In this episode of The Daily, we explore the historic downturn in the trucking market where compliant carriers are struggling against rates that have fallen well below operating costs. We examine claims that labor arbitrage and CDL fraud are tilting the playing field by allowing non-compliant fleets to undercut the market. We also investigate a potential regulatory ticking time bomb as the adminis...

This episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute breaks down how OTR Solutions partners with SONAR to bring data-driven rate intelligence directly to carriers. The integration empowers fleets to benchmark their performance against market conditions and negotiate with greater confidence. In the M&A sector, the podcast highlights that RPM Freight acquires Dealers Choice Auto Transport to expand its f...

In this episode, we break down the bifurcation in global logistics, where carriers look to higher rates, fewer sailings on key Asia-US route while demand on Asia-Europe lanes strengthens. Domestically, a strange market paradox is emerging as the Cass TL Linehaul Index extends a positive run, with rates rising due to tight capacity even as shipment volumes decline. Structural changes are hitting th...

In this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute, we break down the conflicting economic signals heading into 2026 as plummeting operational costs collide with tightening capacity. Benchmark diesel falls again as oil market selloff picks up steam, with crude futures dipping below $60 per barrel even as retail pump prices struggle to catch up to the drop. Capacity pressures are intensifying from...

In this episode, we examine major structural shifts in the supply chain, starting with how Wagner Logistics has acquired the contract logistics business of Dawson Logistics to expand its national footprint and industrial capabilities. We also discuss Amazon Air Cargo's new money-back guarantee, a move that offers refunds of up to $10,000 for service failures as the retailer commercializes its inte...

In this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute, we discuss the major leadership shuffle as Brad Jacobs steps down as chairman of XPO and GXO to dedicate his full attention to his newest venture. He aims to grow QXO into a $50 billion revenue giant in the building products sector through a strategy of aggressive consolidation and organic growth. Union Pacific has appointed Tony Will, the retiri...

In this episode of The Daily, we unpack a confusing market signal where domestic trucking capacity is tightening due to carrier attrition despite soft demand. Meanwhile, oversupply in the ocean freight market is causing carriers to lose pricing power as vessels return to the Suez Canal. We also explore how upcoming 2026 customs reforms in Mexico aim to crack down on duty evasion but will drastical...

In this episode, we discuss how the House approval of digital financial disclosures would impact USPS mail by eliminating the requirement for hardcopy delivery of investor documents. This legislation could further reduce mail volume and revenue for the financially struggling Postal Service, which recently reported a $2.8 billion operating loss. Next, we cover the news that Maersk tabs new CFO, Nor...

In this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute, we break down PACCAR’s strategic push into zero-emission vehicles with new medium-duty models from Peterbilt and Kenworth. The parent company is doubling down on scalability by building out the necessary charging infrastructure to support these electric fleets. Next, we discuss a historic labor victory as Teamsters locals in Northern California a...

In today’s episode, we analyze the Department of Transportation’s recent move to sideline 9,500 truck drivers for English-language violations. Critics warn that this crackdown may be distracting from larger problems regarding fraudulent CDLs and foreign labor exploitation. We also discuss a pivotal Supreme Court case where a bipartisan group of attorneys general is challenging protections for frei...

The Federal Highway Administration is calling on the private sector to provide funding for the replacement of the American Legion Memorial Bridge, which is currently costing the industry an estimated $43 million in congestion delays. For more details on the agency's request to address this major infrastructure challenge, read how the DOT wants private sector to end $43M freight bottleneck. DHL Sup...