The Long Haul

After 35 years in transportation — from helping build Leonard’s Express into a $350M logistics powerhouse to leading the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) — Michael Riccio has seen this industry from every angle. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Riccio to talk about leadership, growth, and what’s next for the broker-carrier relationship. They dig into how small c...

Aftertreatment failures don’t usually show up as one big catastrophic bill — they show up as downtime, repeat derates, misdiagnosed parts, and decisions made under financial stress. In this episode of The Long Haul Podcast, I sit down with RJ Bordner to break down the real-world economics of aftertreatment from the perspective small carriers actually live with. We talk about post-warranty realitie...

Broker transparency has become one of the most emotionally charged topics in trucking — and for good reason. Small carriers feel boxed out, brokers feel misunderstood, and the conversation often collapses into extremes instead of solutions. In this episode of The Long Haul Podcast, I sit down with Chris Jolly, better known as The Freight Coach, to slow the conversation down and unpack what transpa...

Credit isn’t the problem in trucking—misunderstanding it is. In this episode of The Long Haul Podcast, I sit down with Gerri Detweiler, to break down how credit really works for owner-operators and small fleets. This isn’t a conversation about products or approvals. It’s about how personal credit, business credit, and cash flow collide in real life—and why too many carriers end up trapped instead...

Small carriers already know why this market hurts — rates are tight, fuel moves fast, and freight isn’t forgiving mistakes. What most don’t fully understand is how small daily decisions quietly compound into big financial outcomes. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Mike Hossted, VP of Sales and Marketing at ATBS, who has spent more than a decade working directly with owner-oper...

Fuel prices just jumped again — up nine cents this week — and for small carriers, that’s not a market trend, that’s a problem. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Zach Buckner, Senior VP of Sales at OTR Solutions, to dig into what really separates good financial partners from the ones who quietly drain your margins. Zach shares his journey from sales executive to senior leadershi...

The debate over non-domiciled CDLs has become one of the most heated and misunderstood conversations in trucking. Court filings, enforcement changes, and political rhetoric dominate the headlines — but rarely do we hear from the drivers whose lives are directly affected. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Jorge Rivera Lujan, an owner-operator with more than a decade in trucking...

Truck drivers don’t need another feel-good message. They want honesty. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Harvey Beech, co-founder of American Truckers United, a third-generation trucking operator who has lived every side of this industry — company driver, small fleet owner, and long-haul carrier. Harvey speaks plainly about what many drivers feel but few are willing to say out...

As 2025 comes to a close, The Long Haul host Adam Wingfield looks back on a year that tested small carriers and owner-operators like never before. This special Year in Review episode features powerful clips and insights from 15 guests, covering the challenges, lessons, and wins that shaped the trucking industry. It’s a reflection on progress, resilience, and what it really takes to keep moving for...

Every December, thousands of volunteers and hundreds of truck drivers move in unison for one mission: remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the next generation the value of freedom. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Courtney George, Director of Transportation and Industry Relations for Wreaths Across America, to explore the heart of a program that relies on the...

When you’re running a small fleet, a single breakdown can crush your margins and throw your week off track. In this episode of The Long Haul, we sit down with Tyler Robertson, founder and CEO of Diesel Laptops, to talk about why every small carrier needs diagnostic tools in their own hands—not locked behind a shop’s schedule or inflated repair fees. We dig into: What makes Diesel Laptops different...

The trucking world is divided right now — not just over freight, diesel, or regulations, but over who gets to operate on American roads and under what conditions. HR5688, the Domiciled CDL Integrity Act, has set off a firestorm inside the industry. Some support it. Some believe it doesn’t go far enough. Others think it goes too far. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Lewie Pugh,...

Cargo theft is no longer a random crime — it’s organized, digital, and spreading faster than the industry wants to admit. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Danielle Spinelli, better known as The Fraud Girl — a veteran broker turned fraud-fighting expert and host of Tell Me Everything. Now with Descartes | MyCarrierPortal, Danielle works on the front lines of vetting carriers, u...

In this Thanksgiving edition of Third & Long, Adam Wingfield and co-driver Kaylee Nix break down one of the biggest stories shaking the trucking world: California’s CDL compliance battle with the FMCSA, the threat of losing $158 million in federal funding, and the lawsuits claiming civil rights violations. This episode goes deep into the political tension between state and federal authority, how t...

Truck parking is one of the most talked-about challenges in our industry — but recently, some are claiming the problem doesn’t even exist. In this episode, Adam sits down with Andrew King, Director of Operations at OOIDA Foundation, to cut through the noise. We dig into the flawed assumptions behind a recent parking report, break down federal data from Jason’s Law, and challenge the idea that driv...

In this uncaged episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Sage — CDL driver, O/O, Landstar agent, broker, and commercial auto insurance pro — to tackle the freight industry’s most controversial topics. This one’s not safe for the faint of heart. We dig into broker dishonesty, insurance scams, the broker-agent world, O/O pain points, and what never gets talked about in polite circles. No fluff....

You’ve signed hundreds of rate cons, but have you ever stopped to actually read the fine print? In this eye-opening episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with transportation attorney and Armchair Attorney podcast host Matthew Leffler to dissect a real broker-carrier agreement, section by section. If you’re an owner-operator or fleet owner signing rate confirmations without understanding the lia...

In this follow-up episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits back down with Tyler Harden of TTN Fleet Solutions to dig deeper into one of the toughest realities in trucking — what happens when your truck breaks down and the clock’s ticking against you. Adam also talks to Natasha Sanders, Senior Business Coach for the Amazon Freight Partner Program. They unpack how Amazon is building opportunities for ent...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Kristy Knichel, CEO of Knichel Logistics, to talk about what it really takes to build long-term broker-carrier relationships — especially in a market where trust is at an all-time low. Kristy shares what she’s learned leading a woman-owned, family-founded brokerage, how she sees small carriers finding success, and what brokers are actually look...

In this edition of 3rd and long, Adam Wingfield and Kaylee Nix tag team the mic to unpack the latest headlines shaking up the trucking world. From Trump’s 25% truck tariff to the crackdown on non-domiciled CDL holders, to viral tweets and the toll on immigrant drivers, no topic is off limits. We break down the implications for small carriers, the legal gray areas many are trapped in, and how some...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Garrett Allen to talk about the one thing that brokers, shippers, and carriers say they value — but few actually use to make better decisions: data. Garrett unpacks how small fleets can use their own performance metrics to create stronger partnerships, land dedicated lanes, and rise above the noise in a market full of volatility and skepticism....

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Marcus Cooksey, founder and CEO of Duke. AI — a tech platform that helps small carriers simplify bookkeeping, automate back-office operations, and stay in control of their numbers without hiring a full accounting team. We talk about the real barriers small trucking companies face when it comes to automation, why AI doesn’t have to mean “overcom...

Is the constant tension between brokers and carriers just bad communication, or is it a sign of a deeper issue? In this powerful episode of The Long Haul, host Adam Wingfield sits down with Annique Lesage, the freight-savvy broker and coach known for her direct, no-fluff truth bombs on TikTok. Annique shares her incredible journey from handling customs to becoming a successful broker, and opens up...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with tire expert Kamard Johnson to talk about one of the most overlooked — and most expensive — parts of a small fleet’s operation: tires. From hidden fuel losses to downtime disasters, Kamard breaks down the real cost of running the wrong tires, buying from the wrong places, and ignoring what’s right in front of your truck. This episode is packed w...

When the market feels like it’s 3rd and Long every damn day, you need real voices in the huddle. In this special episode, Adam sits down with Kaylee Nix for a laid-back, wide-ranging conversation about what’s really going on in freight. From English testing crackdowns to used truck trends and questionable tariff policies, nothing’s off-limits. Buckle up — we’re calling an audible and going for it...