FreightCasts

The trucking market hit its summer peak and is showing no signs of slowing down despite a fairly stagnant/not recessive economy aside from AI driven investment. Dr. Zac Rogers discusses the latest LMI report.

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Welcome back to FreightWaves Today! In this jam-packed episode, we break down why the freight market is showing intense resilience during a typical holiday lull and look ahead at what could be the next massive freight super cycle.

From massive rail network mergers to the latest macro-economic strains shifting supply chains, we’ve got the data, the insights, and the expert perspectives you need to stay ahead of the curve.

Anne Reinke, President & CEO of the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), joins the show to discuss why domestic intermodal is booming, tackling data fragmentation via AI, and battling the disturbing rise of mid-transit cargo theft.

Chris Wofford, Managing Partner of Wofford Advisors, weighs in on the return of private equity, capital deployment, asset vs. asset-light valuations, and whether structural changes are driving an industry consolidation "barbell."

Zach Strickland is joined by Dr. Zach Rogers to unpack the latest Logistics Managers' Index (LMI) data. Discover the widening divide between large and small firms, inventory stocking trends, and why transportation utilization has hit its highest rate expansion in eight years.

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Before a truck gets shut down...

Before the lawsuit...

Before the six-figure insurance renewal...

Before the FMCSA audit...

The warning signs are almost always there.

The problem?

Most carriers don't see them until it's too late.

On this episode of Brake Check, we tackle one of the biggest questions in trucking today:

Why do 93% of carriers fail an FMCSA audit with at least one violation—and what are the safest fleets doing differently?

Joining us are two experts who see trucking safety from completely different angles.

Ann Wasson, Founder of Wasson Consulting Group and Certified Director of Safety, breaks down what FMCSA auditors are really looking for, the HOS and ELD mistakes carriers make every day, the compliance failures that fuel nuclear verdicts, and how to prepare before regulators ever come knocking.

Then Sam Watts, Director of Safety & Loss Control at Ten Four Truck Insurance and founder of Wattsmen Diesel House, explains why safety isn't just about avoiding violations—it's about lowering insurance costs, building a culture drivers actually believe in, coaching instead of punishing, and why too many fleets mistake paperwork for protection.

Inside this episode:

Why only 7% of carriers pass an FMCSA audit clean

The biggest compliance mistakes hiding in plain sight

What FMCSA's data is already saying about your fleet

HOS & ELD mistakes that trigger enforcement

The truth about safety culture vs. compliance theater

What insurance companies really look for before writing coverage

Why some fleets keep paying higher premiums—and don't realize they're causing it

Coaching drivers instead of chasing violations

The maintenance shortcuts that become expensive roadside inspections

How to protect your business before an audit, crash, or lawsuit forces you to

Whether you run one truck or one thousand, this episode could save you from your next audit, your next claim, or your next insurance renewal.

Subscribe for more FreightCasts, trucking news, and real talk from the front lines of the trucking industry.

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Debon Sims — DJ — got his CDL in 2018 and bought his first semi-truck in 2019 after getting out of a lease-purchase program.

What the intake form doesn't say is what came before that.DJ has been incarcerated. He knows what it feels like to have the system count you out. He also knows what it feels like to decide that the count doesn't matter.

He landed an Amazon contract early on. Lost it. Spent years grinding load boards and chasing freight that barely covered his costs. And then three years ago he did something most carriers only talk about — he walked away from broker dependency and secured a direct waste-hauling contract that changed not just his revenue, but how he sees the entire business.

This is a conversation about what it actually takes to build something when the world has already decided what you are. About treating trucking like a business when everybody around you is treating it like a job. About finding consistent freight in an industry that makes you earn every relationship you get.

If you've ever been told you were done — by a system, by a market, by a bad decision — this episode is for you.

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In this episode, we kick things off with an exclusive look inside the massive rail merger that could reshape the U.S. economy. During the July Fourth weekend celebration in Philadelphia, FreightWaves spoke with Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George about their pending merger alongside the iconic Big Boy No. 4014 steam locomotive. As the Surface Transportation Board begins its formal review, the executives remain highly optimistic about approval despite extensive regulatory hurdles ahead.

Meanwhile, a potentially groundbreaking New York City law targeting Amazon and its Direct Service Providers has gone quiet for the summer, but sources say significant changes may be brewing. The proposed Delivery Protection Act shows no action since an April public hearing as amendment season unfolds behind closed doors. The legislation would prohibit subcontracting deliveries and require all last-mile workers to be directly employed by facility operators, though backers appear open to changes including a possible joint employer structure.

Finally, we explore Mexico's trucking industry as it faces a brutal driver shortage that's threatening cross-border trade and domestic freight movement. A new survey by the International Road Transport Union reveals that fourteen percent of commercial driver positions in Mexico are sitting vacant, the second highest rate among eighteen markets surveyed. With roughly ninety thousand trucks currently sitting idle due to the shortage, and that figure potentially climbing above one hundred eight thousand by 2028, the crisis poses a critical threat to manufacturers and exporters that depend on road transportation.

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