RoadSigns A Transport Topics Podcast

More than ever before, shippers have been relying on the services of third-party logistics providers to navigate supply chain disruptions and scarce truck capacity. In this episode, we explore how 3PLs are working to resolve these historic challenges. Transport Topics' Seth Clevenger, managing editor of features, and Marissa Gamache, features coordinator, take you through the process of determinin...

Meet Ashley Savage, national sales manager for COOP by Ryder. Coined as the 'Airbnb of trucking,' COOP has cracked the code to last mile vehicle shortages and even provides an outlet for surplus equipment. Find out how in the full interview below. For more information visit: https://roadsigns.ttnews.com/roadshow-episode-seven/ How'd we do? Give us your listening experience feedback here: https://d...

Arguably the most important invention in modern times, the tire still has more future ahead of it. From smart tires with radio frequency identification and data tracking to enhanced inflation and pressure systems — manufacturers are discovering more ways to predict maintenance and communicate with the truck as a whole. With new tire technology rolling in, host Michael Freeze wonders, what does the...

How does an executive who twice landed a position on Inc. Magazine's "100 Fastest Growing Companies" list find himself on the show floor of the Technology & Maintenance Council's annual meeting? Meet the CEO of Amerit Fleet Solutions, Dan Williams, whose commitment to customer service and innovation led his company to become one of the largest in commercial vehicle maintenance. Today, this commitm...

The lack of technicians and drivers is forcing industry recruiters to think outside of the box — using new, different trucking tech to attract the younger generation. In this episode, host Michael Freeze asks, how do we get this generation in cabs and maintenance bays? What new, actionable plans are in place to grab hold of this age group? To get recruitment solutions, he sits down with Technology...

You’ve known that self-driving trucks are coming at some point in the future. You sense the optimism of developers and engineers, but you still wonder about how they will solve the really complex problems associated with freight transportation and logistics. This episode gives you a status report. It looks at what we know and what we’re still learning about autonomous vehicle technology. It survey...

More efficient = less emissions = greener planet, right? Trailer manufacturers and fleets are discovering it's not that simple. To be more efficient means following strict legislative rules, fielding customer feedback, uprooting old, dated practices, and training technicians for new technology. So, how are fleets and manufactures navigating this change? And, how has the GHG Phase 2 rule encouraged...

“Supply-chain issues.” Whether you’re a carrier, shipper, 3PL, manufacturer, retailer or consumer, you’ve felt the ripple effect of ongoing supply-chain disruptions. In addition to shortages of products, parts and materials, the freight transportation industry has been facing severe workforce constraints during the economic recovery from the pandemic. On top of that, the logistics sector is becomi...

How is cutting-edge technology making its way into the trucking industry? This question, among others, is what took host Seth Clevenger to CES in Las Vegas. The popular technology show known for weird gadgets and advanced robotics has turned its spotlight on something bigger – electric-powered and autonomous trucking. But what did these flashy exhibits exhibits tell us about trucking's future and...

New year, new resilience. While continuous issues like the driver shortage, supply chain congestion, COVID-19 variants, and infrastructure funding persisted in 2020 and 2021, trucking's ability to adapt grew stronger. The more the industry lived in this repetitive swirl, the more conditioned and responsive it became. Now, in 2022, trucking business leaders have better, stronger fixes for those thi...

Roundabout: 2021 Year-In-Review According to McKinsey, the trucking industry is expected to recover from the effects of the pandemic fastest of all transportation modes. In this special 2021 roundabout episode, we look back at how trucking not only worked to recover but also improve through the darkest of times, how innovators continued innovating, how food and water still made it to grocery store...

Retired trucker Gene Woolsey doesn't think twice about driving into the middle of an historic storm to deliver basic supplies. And, when great storms bear down on his Louisiana community, trucking company head Cully Frisard stays in the danger zone and coordinates relief efforts. In this special episode of RoadSigns, host Mike Freeze hopes to discover what makes these do-gooders do so much good. W...

Did you ever wonder how they get big rigs to stop? All that weight transferred efficiently and effectively - defying Newton’s rules of inertia. Big rig braking is an engineering marvel whose greatest successes are… silent (because, well, everything stops). In this episode, RoadSigns host Michael Freeze finds out more about the advanced technology that halts eighteen wheelers, no matter the weight,...

This year for Veterans Day, we revisit the sometimes invisible heroes – the ones who protect our country in combat, and those who keep our nation fed, clothed, and vaccinated. Join us as host and Navy Veteran Michael Freeze sits down with Army Veterans James Rogers, owner of Spartan Direct Trucking Company and 2020 Transport Topics' Trucking's Frontline Hero, and John Baxter, equipment columnist....

A truck is not a truck without feedback. Feedback feeds the trucking engineering loop. With feedback, new-and-improved technology assets come. Who's involved in this cycle? Who invents, and who implements? Who is in charge of the NEXT BIG THING? RoadShow host, Seth Clevenger talks with those that will bring us the next big thing, over and over, live from ATA's MCE 2021 show floor. Tune in. For mor...

Trucking managers have a lot on their plates. Keeping their business afloat is more difficult than ever. Exploring cost-saving practices has become part of their everyday operation. In this episode, host Michael Freeze asks, how are companies saving money by leasing trucks rather than owning? With continued industry obstacles, has truck leasing become more attractive to fleet owners? For answers,...

Shortages. Drivers, technicians, trucks, microchips. In this episode, we focus on technicians, and lack thereof. Research shows that 41 percent of technicians leave the industry within the first two years. Host Michael Freeze asks, how can technician recruiters and maintenance leaders decrease that percentage? What practices help retain and recruit quality technicians? In order to find the incenti...

The open road, the crisp air of the Appalachians, a sunset that seems to go for miles. Here, joy lives in rubber and thrives on pavement. Some who drive trucks feel it strongly. They seek that joy in every turn. Their job becomes their passion that drives them to excellence. And that excellence leads them to great reward. They are America's greatest drivers, the Road Team Captains. This episode is...

If you ask 100 truck drivers what could make life better, you'll start seeing answers that all look the same — improvement on troubling health issues and education of emerging technologies. Drivers want to perform well, and feel good while doing it. So, how can the industry tackle both? Find out as we talk to Paul Beavers, Chief Technology Officer at PCS Software, a leading AI-driven transportatio...

Hauling freight in the middle of a heat wave is hard. But remembering to stay hydrated and healthy while working in those conditions can make all the difference. Fleet managers are finding that healthy, happy drivers are one of the keys to business success. This episode features a special guest who has overcome his own health problems and is now sharing his experiences to help professional drivers...

You can attract potential employees by increasing pay, right? It's not always that easy. While fleet managers are offering higher pay rates, both new and experienced drivers want quality equipment and places to park. In this episode, we ask, how can fleet managers make their drivers feel more appreciated? And what else can fleets do to recruit and retain quality talent? To get answers, host Michae...

The internet of things has bound fleets and their trucks together in new ways — tying fleets to shippers and shippers to loads and loads to trucks. We're no longer talking about the type of data or, even the potential of data. We've marched into a new stasis – one of action. In this episode, we ask, how do company leaders activate strong data gathering and analytics programs? What are the next-ste...

Could this be the trucking industry’s roaring ‘20s? Business is booming - thanks, in part, to a huge slew of new, innovative technologies finally coming online. Cold storage. Autonomous. Electric. Machine Learning. Once the key descriptors associated with a far-off future have, in six months, become part integral to this phenomenal success. In this episode, we analyze this boom in all of its parts...

How do you care for your tires? In this episode, host Michael Freeze sets out to answer tire inflation questions all fleet owners should be asking to protect their tires and, essentially, their business. Like, what factors should fleets consider when investing in systems like tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and automatic tire inflation systems (ATIS)? And where do these systems take the in...

Over the past 15 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our way of life in many ways. Rather than visiting the mall or brick-and-mortar retail stores, consumers have turned instead to online shopping. This shift toward e-commerce has created new buying habits, as well as new challenges for the supply chain. In this episode, we explore these changing habits and how they are altering the logistic...