RoadSigns A Transport Topics Podcast

A truck sends an alert. What happens next matters, especially in winter. How can fleets turn connected technology into smarter decisions? In this episode of RoadSigns, host Michael Freeze is joined by Bob Toews, CEO of TruckDown, for a practical conversation about winter readiness in the connected fleet era. They discuss preventive maintenance, bridging the gap between alerts and response, and why...

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimentation and into real-world trucking operations. Is the industry ready for what comes next? Recorded live at The AI Summit, co-hosted by TMC and TT, PCS Software CEO Mark Hill joins Seth Clevenger to discuss the advance of AI in the trucking industry. Carriers and brokers across the industry are now incorporating AI into daily workflows and reshapin...

As fleet safety technology accelerates and freight markets begin to recover, fleets are facing fresh decisions about where to invest in safety technology, with AI-powered cameras at the center of the conversation. Recorded live at Samsara's Beyond 2026 conference in Las Vegas, host Seth Clevenger sits down with Arpan Podduturi, vice president of safety at Samsara, to examine how AI, telematics and...

As Transport Topics rolls out its redesigned magazine, the RoadSigns podcast marks its own milestone: 200 episodes. What have eight years and hundreds of conversations with trucking executives, technology developers, economists and maintenance leaders taught us about where trucking is headed? In this episode, hosts Seth Clevenger and Michael Freeze revisit the podcast's 2018 origins, reflect on ho...

Hydraulic systems quietly power some of the hardest-working trucks on the road, but they're rarely top of mind until something fails. What's the real difference between normal wear and a pump that's been abused, and how can fleets tell the two apart before it costs them downtime? In this episode of RoadSigns, Brad Gulick of Eaton Mobile Power Group joins host Michael Freeze to cover dump pump sizi...

As summer freight demand climbs and temperatures push equipment and drivers to their limits, fleets face a familiar but costly challenge: roadside breakdowns that ripple far beyond the truck itself. In this episode of RoadSigns, host Michael Freeze sits down with Alex Fraser, Vice President of Customer Operations at Cox Fleet, to unpack how breakdowns test a fleet's safety, compliance and customer...

For fleet operators wrestling with rising maintenance costs and a shrinking technician workforce, the old playbook may no longer be enough. In this episode of RoadSigns, host Michael Freeze talks with Kevin Clark, AVP of Dedicated Solutions at Cox Fleet, to tackle one pressing question: how should fleets rethink their maintenance strategies to stay efficient and resilient over the next several yea...

Automated manual transmissions (AMTs) are no longer an emerging technology, they are now a standard feature across many fleets - and the aftermarket is working to keep pace. As a result, fleets and service providers are re-evaluating everything from parts inventories to technician training programs. Is your parts strategy aligned with where the market is going, or anchored in past practices? Does...

Dispatch remains the nerve center of every trucking operation — traditionally powered by phone calls, spreadsheets and constant problem-solving — and it is being reworked with the help of artificial intelligence. In this RoadSigns episode, host Seth Clevenger speaks with PCS Software CEO Mark Hill to examine what “agentic AI” means for modern fleet operations. Is automation eliminating the role of...

With the 2027 NOx emissions rules on the horizon, fleet leaders are finally moving from uncertainty to action. Recorded live at the 2026 TMC Annual Meeting, co-host Michael Freeze is joined by Brian Antonellis, Senior Vice President of Fleet Operations at Fleet Advantage, for a candid look at how fleet leaders should be thinking about capital planning. After years of regulatory whiplash, Antonelli...

Transport Topics has released its Top 100 Logistics Companies list and this year’s rankings highlight an industry defined by resilience, consolidation and rapid technological change. In this episode, TT features coordinator Mike Senatore joins host Seth Clevenger to break down the biggest movers, notable newcomers and key absences from North America’s definitive ranking of third-party logistics pr...

What if your tires could tell you exactly what they need — before a blowout, before a breakdown, before a costly roadside event? Recorded live at TMC’s 2026 Annual Meeting, co-host Seth Clevenger sits down with Ralph Dimenna, chief commercial officer at Aperia Technologies to break down the latest advances in tire management technology, including Aperia's own groundbreaking expansion into steer-ti...

When it comes to trucking technology, the power unit almost always steals the spotlight — but what about the trailer? Recorded live at TMC’s 2026 Annual Meeting, co-host Seth Clevenger brings on Jeremy Sanders, chief commercial officer, and Todd Eicher, vice president of refrigerated products, at Stoughton Trailers to make the case that fleets may be overlooking one of their biggest opportunities...

Aftertreatment is one of the most misunderstood—and costly—parts of fleet operations. Fleets often focus on invoice price or treat DPF service as a reactive event rather than a preventive strategy. The result is increased downtime, unpredictable failures, and a cost per mile that quietly climbs. Recorded live at TMC’s 2026 Annual Meeting, co‑host Michael Freeze sits down with Ceramex North America...

Trucking keeps the country moving—so when the industry hits turbulence, everyone feels it. Recorded live from the ATA Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2026 Annual Meeting, host Seth Clevenger sits down with Chris Spear, president and CEO of American Trucking Associations, for a candid look at what today’s fleet maintenance trends reveal about the broader state of trucking. In this conversation,...

When a truck breaks down mid-route leaving a half-million-dollar load on the shoulder of the highway, how effectively does your fleet respond? Every minute counts and the wrong call can cost your fleet thousands. In this episode of RoadSigns, co-host Seth Clevenger sits down with Bob Toews, president of TruckDown, to explore how fleets can streamline their response to unplanned vehicle downtime an...

With uncertainty surrounding rising costs, tight labor markets and evolving emissions rules, it is increasingly difficult for fleet managers to know how best to futureproof their operations. Between a more robust maintenance strategy, adopting smart technology or a even a plan for electrification, what is the most critical path forward for your fleet? What decisions made today will still matter fi...

After years of actively testing and operating self-driving trucks on public highways, autonomous technology developers are swiftly moving towards full commercialization. Along the way, the once popular hub-to-hub deployment model, which limits autonomous operations to highways and relies on drivers for local delivery, has been giving way to direct-to-customer autonomous freight movement as technol...

As trucking moves deeper into 2026, the industry faces a landscape defined by uncertainty and transformation. In this episode of RoadSigns, co-host Seth Clevenger is joined by TT's Eugene Mulero and Kieron Greenhalgh to examine the critical trends that will define freight transportation in the year ahead. From an unclear freight market outlook to the ripple effects of evolving trade policies and t...

As artificial intelligence usage grows to transform various industries, the trucking sector is harnessing this technology to tackle one of its most critical challenges: fleet safety. Recorded live from ATA's 2025 Management Conference & Exhibition, co-host Seth Clevenger sits down with Johan Land, senior vice president of product and engineering at Samsara, to explore how fleets are adopting AI to...

Renewable natural gas (RNG) is gaining serious traction in trucking, and Cummins' new 15-liter X15 N engine just changed the game. Recorded live at ATA's MCE, co-host Seth Clevenger sits down with Chad Lindholm, senior vice president at Clean Energy, to explore how regulatory shifts and improved technology are opening doors for RNG adoption among major fleets. If you are evaluating alternative fue...

The truck parking issue is not just an inconvenience; it's costing the industry $100 billion annually in lost productivity. In this episode of RoadSigns, co-host Seth Clevenger sits down with Reed Loustalot, chief marketing officer of Truck Parking Club, to explore how a combination of public funding and private innovation can finally ease this persistent pain point for drivers. Recorded live at I...

When trucks stop, business stops. Every breakdown and delay has a ripple effect across America's supply chain. So, what's holding your fleet back from maximizing uptime? In this episode of RoadSigns, co-host Mike Freeze sits down with Cox Automotive's Matt Trapp (VP of Operations) and Alex Fraser (VP of FleetNet) to unpack the evolving challenges of fleet management and discuss how advanced techno...

What if your trucking business could raise the bar for fuel efficiency and make better fleet management decisions through smarter cruise control? With freight rates depressed and carriers surviving on thin margins, every opportunity to enhance fleet efficiency has become even more important. One such opportunity is intelligent cruise control that combines adaptive and predictive capabilities with...

After four decades of providing software to the trucking industry, McLeod is now integrating artificial intelligence into its transportation management systems for carriers and brokers. But, as generative AI tools flood the market and numerous tech startups promise to revolutionize freight operations, transportation companies need more than just buzzwords and promises. In this episode, co-host Set...