HDT Talks Trucking

Driver trust, not just pay, may be the biggest driver retention challenge facing trucking fleets today. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking , Deborah Lockridge talks with CarriersEdge CEO Jane Jazrawy about what this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program reveals about communication, AI, survey fatigue, owner-operators, and what today's drivers expect from employers. Drawing on driver s...

How do you manage and maintain more than 18,000 connected trucks? Data. Lots of it. Waste Connections' Chuck Palmer explains how telematics, predictive maintenance, safety analytics, and AI help keep vehicles on the road and drivers safe in this episode of HDT Talks Trucking. Hear his thoughts on AI, predictive maintenance, alternative fuels and electric vehicles, in-cab cameras and more.

Running a small trucking fleet right now isn’t easy, especially right now. And Jamie Hagen doesn’t sugarcoat it. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, the Hell Bent Xpress owner joins HDT’s Jack Roberts for a real-world conversation about what small fleets are dealing with today: weak freight rates, rising costs, compliance headaches, nuclear verdicts, and the constant balancing act of staying pr...

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has the trucking industry paying close attention — especially freight brokers, carriers, and legal teams. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Heavy Duty Trucking Executive Editor Jack Roberts speaks with transportation attorney Greg Feary about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling involving broker liability, negligent hiring claims, and what the case could mean...

Fleets need to "get on board the train" with AI, says Lance Evans of K&B Transportation in this HDT Talks Trucking Short Takes. Deborah Lockridge talked to Evans about how fleets are using data and artificial intelligence to improve safety, driver coaching, and operational performance. For more on K&B and technology, listen to the full-length version of our HDT Talks Trucking interview wit...

How is technology changing trucking safety? In this HDT Talks Trucking Short Takes, K&B Transportation shares how it’s using safety technology to reduce distracted driving, improve coaching, manage speed, and help protect drivers on the road. The conversation covers cellphone-blocking technology, speed management systems, weather geofencing, bridge avoidance tools, and multi-camera systems tha...

Fleet safety is evolving fast—and technology is at the center of it. Learn how a former commercial vehicle enforcement officer turned director of safety at K&B Transportation is embracing real-world safety technology. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Deborah Lockridge sits down with Lance Evans, Director of Safety at K&B Transportation, to talk about how fleets are using data, AI, an...

When diesel prices are as volatile as they've been in 2026, it makes it tough for trucking fleets to plan and control costs. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking , Deborah Lockridge sits down with Jenny Vander Zanden, COO of Breakthrough, to talk through what’s driving the volatility and what fleets can actually do about it. They get into practical, real-world strategies, from being smarter a...

Trucking technology is evolving fast — but what’s real, what’s hype, and what actually matters for fleets? In this episode, we cover: AI in real-world fleet operations Software-defined vehicles Safety tech and AI coaching The EV market reset How fleets should approach new tech If you're trying to make sense of where trucking tech is headed, this conversation with ACT Expo organizer Erik Neandross...

The future of trucking isn’t diesel — or electric. It’s the “messy middle.” In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Deborah Lockridge talks with Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, about insights from the latest Run on Less – Messy Middle demonstration. The project tracked trucks running multiple alternative fuels and powertrains, including diesel, n...

Cargo theft losses surged to nearly $725 million last year, according to CargoNet, and the problem is no longer local or opportunistic. In this HDT Talks Trucking Short Take, Editor and Associate Publisher Deborah Lockridge speaks with Scott Cornell, VP of Transportation Risk & Strategy at LogistIQ Insurance Solutions and chair of TAPA Americas, about how cargo theft has evolved into a sophist...

Cargo theft in the U.S. has changed dramatically in just a few years. What was once dominated by small regional crews is now increasingly driven by organized international crime rings using deception, cyber tactics, and strategic fraud. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Deborah Lockridge speaks with Scott Cornell, vice president at LogistIQ Insurance and chair of the Transported Asset Protect...

Brakes are the final frontier for telematics on Class 8 trucks. But Hendrickson Vehicle Systems is close to a breakthrough that may change the game when it comes to getting real-time brake system information back to fleets. HDT talked to Jeff Moris, director, axle, brake and wheel-end systems at Hendrickson to find out more about how these new telematics technology will work. #HDTTalksTrucking #Cl...

FMCSA enforcement is ramping up. After a turbulent 2025 in regulations, what's next for trucking fleets? Transportation attorney and Truck Safe Consulting president Brandon Wiseman joins HDT Talks Trucking to break down the biggest regulatory and enforcement shifts shaping trucking as we head into 2026. We cover why English Language Proficiency violations are once again placing drivers out of...

AI gets plenty of hype at tech shows like CES—but what does it actually look like in a real trucking maintenance operation? In this HDT Talks Trucking Short Take , HDT Editor and Associate Publisher Deborah Lockridge talks with Brent Hickman, who oversees maintenance and equipment for Pilot’s fleet, about how artificial intelligence is being used today to support truck maintenance, diagnostics, an...

From -40°F repairs to social media trolls, Lisa Kelly talks about the return of Ice Road Truckers, living with a camera in her cab, handling criticism, and her real-life trucking successes and challenges in this interview with Heavy Duty Trucking's Deborah Lockridge. Sponsored by: CAT Scale’s WeighMyTruck app — save time and skip the line. Kelly joins HDT Talks Trucking for an honest conversat...

There's a problem with truck telematics today: Too much data and not enough action. Jack Roberts talks to Brent Ellis, vice president of business systems & processes, Decker Truck Line, about how to get a handle on truck telematics and make them work for your fleet.    Sponsored by: CAT Scale’s  WeighMyTruck  app — save time and skip the line.   Learn More: How Brent Ellis is Automating Operat...

Graig Morin started out as a fleet driver in his hometown of Biddeford, Maine. But he knew he wanted to found his own fleet one day. He knew he'd need help to accomplish his goal. Luckily, he knew just where to find it. Sponsored by: CAT Scale’s WeighMyTruck app — save time and skip the line. Learn More: Small Carrier Success Stories: Brown Dog Trucking Small Carrier Success Stories: Silchuk Trans...

Explore the trends in transportation management systems used by trucking fleets, as we talk to Tucker Freight Lines about its journey in implementing new TMS technologies, and get some insight from its technology partner. Sponsored by: CAT Scale’s WeighMyTruck app — save time and skip the line. Key Takeaways: Cloud technology is a key enabler for modern TMS. AI is increasingly integrated into TMS...

Understanding and applying Total Cost of Ownership to your truck or fleet is critical for maximizing profits and productivity. Brian Antonellis, senior vice president of fleet operations at Fleet Advantage explains what TCO does and how you can put it to work for your fleet today.

Autonomous trucks are already working in real fleet operations today. But what do those operations look like? And how does deploying and operating autonomous trucks actually work on the fleet side of the equation? We asked Nils Jaeger, president of Volvo Autonomous Solutions, to walk us through the state of self-driving truck operations today.

Deborah Lockridge talks with Matt Schrap, newly minted chief commercial officer at Forum Mobility and former CEO of the Harbor Trucking Association. We dig into the regulatory tug-of-war between California and the feds, true TCO drivers for electric trucks in drayage fleets, Tesla Semi expectations, port appointment bottlenecks, and practical incentives to drive fleet electrification. Sponsored by...

4Gen Logistics has one of the largest zero-emission drayage fleets in Southern California — with 64 battery-electric trucks and 15 hydrogen fuel-cell trucks. But getting there hasn’t been easy. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Editor Deborah Lockridge sits down with Brad Bayne, VP of Strategic Initiatives at 4Gen Logistics and a 2023 HDT Truck Fleet Innovator, to discuss the lessons learned...

In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Deborah Lockridge catches up with 2023 HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Brad Bayne of 4Gen Logistics for a progress report on zero-emission trucks during this time of deregulation. ▶️ Topics include: The current makeup of 4Gen’s zero-emission fleet The fallout from Nikola’s bankruptcy Customer expectations vs. cost realities California’s regulatory resolve and futur...

At Polaris Transportation Group, sustainability isn’t just about emissions — it’s about people, culture, technology, and giving back. Brenda Brajkovich from Polaris chats with HDT’s Deborah Lockridge about how the company is building a stronger, more inclusive workplace while staying ahead in cross-border trucking and logistics.