RoadSigns A Transport Topics Podcast

On May 25, 2021, five individuals pled guilty to staging two accidents in New Orleans with tractor-trailers in 2017, while obtaining fraudulent financial settlements totaling more than $282,000. Such settlements are crushing for businesses, and have carried monetary burden. The threat to businesses has increased, as those implicated faced questions about safety and spiked insurance rates. In this...

The story of a crowded parking lot: slow stops, the lack of reserved spots, and the race to an empty space. We've all been there, but what if the lack of a parking spot had an effect on how well you did your job? Or, even made it hard for you to fill basic human needs - like eating or sleeping? When the pandemic started, drivers faced crowded parking lots, closed rest areas, and minimal road side...

Next-level technologies hold the potential to enhance safety and efficiency in the transportation industry, but it takes a lot of work behind the scenes to advance these ideas from concept to reality. In many cases, that process involves industrialists, entrepreneurs and leading university researchers coming together to rethink common practices and put emerging technologies to the test. At the Rob...

The year is 2039. Zero-emission, electric heavy-duty trucks roll past you on the highway. Charging ports are now commonplace at terminals and truck stops. Diesel powered vehicles are becoming a thing of the past. You sit and wonder: how did we get here? The answer is complex and involves the convergence of several key factors, including a society-wide push to improve environmental sustainability,...

Have you been imagining a driverless future where the machines do all the work and humans watch? You might be in for a surprise. Even at Level 4 autonomy, self-driving trucks will have technical limitations. They will be designed for specific applications that are best suited to automation. They’ll also require industry buy-in and public acceptance. In this episode, we ask how technology developer...

Finding a job in the trucking industry: You have the talent ambition and drive, but how can you get in the right room? In front of the right people? People of color are asking themselves these questions more often than not. Currently, only 14.3% of the truck driver population is made up of African Americans, followed by 13% Hispanic, and 7% Asian. In this episode, host Michael Freeze wonders what...

When you think about COVID-19 vaccine strategy, vials and needles come to mind rather than supply chain portals and cargo visibility tools. That isn't the case for DHL's Larry St. Onge and Jim Monkmeyer. Since before the pandemic, they set up strategies and implemented technology in order to respond to disruptions like COVID-19. Now, they know exactly how to get the vaccine from point A to point B...

A safe driver is a productive driver, and a productive driver leads to better business. In order to keep business productive, fleets invest in tech-based safety tools that inform and forewarn potential risk. But, have you ever thought that it’s actually up to the drivers to heed those calls? Host, Michael Freeze has. And so, too, have many of the nation's truck fleet owners. How do you condition a...

A long line of mergers and acquisitions have dramatically reshaped the trucking technology sector over the past decade. But what does this consolidation trend mean for the trucking and logistics companies that rely on these technologies? In this episode, Seth Clevenger speaks with James Langley, senior vice president at Trimble Transportation, on the modernization of tech stacks and how freight te...

From nuclear verdicts to the driver shortage, modern trucking companies face serious challenges. But what if you could prevent accidents and driver turnover before they happen? In this episode, host Seth Clevenger speaks with two technology CEOs to discuss how machine learning can enable better business decisions and a more proactive stance on safety. Tune in and find out how you can mitigate risk...

Sustainable trucking is here. A growing number of shippers, focused on reducing carbon emissions in their supply chains, are looking for more efficient freight transportation services. Federal and state clean air regulations only underscore that demand. Gone, though, are the days when going green simply meant added costs for truckers. In fact, in 2021, fleets may find more boon than burden. One ke...

Adopt new tech, and you'll run a more efficient operation, but what happens when your trucking tech stack becomes unruly? With copious amounts of data sitting in different silos and redundant in-cab hardware, fleets are left scrambling. In this episode, we ask, how can we cut down on these redundancies? And what can be done to streamline fleet management practices? To get answers, we talk with Ray...

In 2020, COVID strained business stability, yet trucking persevered. What were the greatest pain points? What were the biggest lessons? In this episode, we discuss the answers to these questions and cover everything from gas tax to remote work. With the help of our special guests, Seth Clevenger, Managing Editor, Features of Transport Topics and Eleanor Lamb, Transport Topics reporter, we’ll not o...

In this special two-part year-in-review, we take off the COVID-19 glasses, and take a good look at the technology and regulatory developments that will help you and your business in 2021. From FMCSA updates that affected Hours of Service to software and equipment, 2020 offered a lot of “non-covid” industry improvements. To get the clearest vision of the upcoming year, we bring in Transport Topics...

Happy Thanksgiving from RoadSigns podcast! How has turkey to table changed this year? What obstacles are suppliers going through to get turkeys to the grocery stores? From safety regulations in meat packing factories to restaurants closed nationwide, fleets and suppliers have to pivot to stay afloat. Join us as we talk with J.J. Smith, President of Valley Proteins, about how staying open-minded an...

As a recruiter in the industry, it’s getting more difficult to find the ample workforce needed to deliver the necessary goods nationwide. You’ve tried all the proper recruiting channels - upward mobility, compensation packages, exploring different professional pockets - but have you considered inclusion and diversity in your marketing approach? According to Shelley Dellinger, marketing at Cargo Tr...

Does incentivizing your drivers keep you up at night? Do you worry that competitive pay may not be enough? Would you be surprised to learn that cultivating successful benefits programs might be as easy as making sure your drivers are healthy, happy and prepared? In this episode, host Michael Freeze takes a look at the surprising ways trucking companies are building strong, resilient cultures and a...

Over the past few episodes, we've had the chance to listen to the experiences of industry leaders and the strategies and planning that go into finding the right people for your workforce. With their insight, we unlocked numerous tips to keep your workforce functioning and profitable. So, this week, host Michael Freeze reviews the most important bullet points, from technician and driver training to...

On the surface, trucking is not known for being female dominant. From equipment and facilities to standard uniforms and cab design, most things "trucking" are designed for men. In this episode, we dive beneath the surface and discover the ways the trucking industry is trying to encourage women to pursue careers in both trucking and logistics. We ask, what are industry executives doing to help brin...

Since drivers are the heart and soul of any trucking and logistics operation, it’s vital to have sufficient, proper training to better prepare them for the workforce. So, we ask, what does it take to be a commercial driver? And, what are schools doing to train these drivers? Host Mike Freeze speaks with Chris Thropp, CEO/President of SAGE Truck Driving School and Don Lefeve, CEO of the Commercial...

New approaches to diesel technician recruitment and retention may help you secure the best possible hires and secure your business investments. So, we ask, what are fleets doing to help attract that talent to join the changing workforce environment? Have tech training schools discovered the secrets of better technician preparation? In this episode, we join the hunt for Class 8 technicians. Host Mi...

What fuels will power the future of trucking? These days, the conversation centers on electric trucks that promise zero emissions and improved efficiency. But for all the buzz about their potential, they still face multiple challenges. In this episode we find that other alternatives, such as natural gas and propane, offer balance and help us widen our view of trucking's future. To find out more ab...

The trucking industry has long been looking ahead to the emergence of electric and autonomous trucks, but another massive trend in commercial vehicle technology is already here. Connected trucks have been reshaping fleet management for years now, and the possibilities continue to expand. In this episode, we assess how connectivity is changing trucking today and into the future, including how it co...

There's a lot of hype around 5G. Whether it be phone service or supply chain visibility, 5G wireless networks promise greater bandwidth, faster speeds and improved reliability – all of which could help accelerate the expansion of onboard sensors and connected devices on commercial trucks and trailers. At the same time, the supply chain disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on t...

Higher speeds can ultimately translate to higher insurance claims. Safety is crucial to any fleet operation, and speeding is a key factor that can contribute to costly crashes. So how can fleet managers harness technology to get a better handle on vehicle speed and improve their safety culture? Host Seth Clevenger brings in Mathieu Boivin, president and CEO of E-Smart and Jonathan Hubbard, CEO at...