FreightCasts

Many small carriers think they have a driver problem.

They don’t.

They have a messaging problem… a positioning problem… and a clarity problem.

In this episode of The Long Haul Podcast, Adam sits down with Elijah Cramer — who built his career inside driver recruiting before moving into tech and working directly with carriers to improve hiring and retention

This conversation breaks down:

Why driver recruiting is still broken for small fleets

What drivers actually care about vs what carriers think they care about

Why “we treat drivers like family” isn’t working anymore

How small fleets can compete without big budgets

And how to fix your hiring problem without wasting money

If you’re struggling to hire or keep drivers… this one is going to challenge how you think.

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major freight broker navigating a brutally tough first quarter but projecting a significant turnaround ahead. RXO released its earnings Thursday morning, reporting a first-quarter adjusted EBITDA of just six million dollars, down sharply from twenty-two million dollars a year earlier. Despite compressed margins, the company aggressively shifted its strategy by increasing its spot mix to thirty-three percent of volume, helping produce what RXO described as the largest sequential increase in gross profit per load in more than three years. Looking ahead, the broker is forecasting a much stronger second quarter with adjusted EBITDA expected to land between twenty-seven million dollars and thirty-seven million dollars.

Next, we explore the trade sector where billions of dollars in tariff refunds are finally beginning to flow through a newly launched federal portal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection rolled out its Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries tool, known as CAPE, on April twentieth within the Automated Commercial Environment portal. The digital platform is processing claims far more efficiently than anticipated, with refunds potentially arriving in early May. However, a massive readiness gap is emerging, as CBP estimates roughly forty-six billion dollars in refunds is currently stalled for importers that have not completed ACH refund authorization or established proper portal access.

Finally, we cover a controversial regulation governing commercial driver's licenses as a federal court denied a request to block the rule for non-domiciled drivers on Tuesday. A three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied a motion seeking to stay enforcement of FMCSA's rule, which became effective March sixteenth and specifies that non-domiciled CDLs are available only to H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 visa holders, excluding asylum seekers, asylees, DACA recipients, refugees, and people with temporary protected status. While the stay was denied, the combined cases will move forward with petitioners' briefs due June fifteenth and oral arguments expected in September.

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Welcome to a packed Wednesday edition of What The Truck?!? Hosts Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent are back on the set for a family reunion-style episode featuring industry heavyweights and groundbreaking tech.

First, the "Nostradamus" of freight, Ryan Schreiber (CGO of Metafora), joins the show to tackle a fascinating new trend: the Ozempic effect on logistics. We dive into whether GLP-1 medications are actually making truckloads lighter and how shifting consumer preferences—from "junk food" to whole foods—are fundamentally altering freight volumes and produce seasons.

Then, we welcome back a familiar face, Kaylee Nix, now Head of Communications at Bot Auto. Kaylee breaks down their historic achievement: delivering America’s first fully humanless commercial truckload on a public highway. We get into the nitty-gritty of "Transportation as a Service" and why they consider themselves a trucking company first and a tech company second.

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No studio. No script. No safe answers.

This episode of Brake Check went down LIVE at the Tenstreet User Conference in Las Vegas. Executives from all over freight came together to look at the latest industry trends and what is happening out on the road.

The freight recession might finally be over. But as rates climb and the market shifts to benefit carriers and drivers, the real challenges are just getting started. From drivers getting pushed into unregulated markets to well-intentioned laws making job hunting harder, we talk to the people building the tech and pulling the strings.

We break it all down with:

• Kevin Nadeau & Tom Resz (Tenstreet)The shifting market, the Job Store, and driver retention.

• Scott Fierman (HireRight)The DAC employment history file and building a better partnership with drivers.

• Meghan Gleason (⁠TruckersReport.com⁠) Job board traffic, the Hammer app, and finding the right fit.

• Carlo Solórzano (Driver IQ) – The Don't Get Played podcast and AI streamlining the industry.

This is what happens when you get everyone in the same room to talk about what's actually working—and what's broken.

Welcome to Brake Check.

Real trucking talk for real trucking people.

No fluff. No spin. Just the truth.

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining a critical early bellwether for the logistics sector as GXO Logistics posts double-digit revenue growth in the first quarter, easily topping Wall Street expectations. The Greenwich-based contract logistics giant reported revenue of three point three billion dollars, up nearly eleven percent year over year, while swinging back to profitability with five million dollars in net income compared to a ninety-five million dollar loss a year earlier. CEO Patrick Kelleher highlighted record commercial pipeline momentum and the company's aggressive push into AI, automation and robotics to drive efficiency across strategic growth sectors.

Next, we head to the mid-Atlantic port sector where Tradepoint Atlantic and MSC break ground on a massive Baltimore container terminal that developers hope will fundamentally reshape intermodal shipping in the region. The partners plan to invest one point two billion dollars to build the one hundred sixty-eight-acre Sparrows Point Container Terminal on the site of a former Bethlehem Steel mill, creating annual capacity of more than one million containers with berthing for two ultra-large vessels and seven ship-to-shore cranes. The terminal's first berth is scheduled for completion by two thousand twenty-eight, with full build-out targeted for two thousand thirty.

Finally, we explore the geopolitical battle brewing over strategic canal infrastructure as Panama's bidding process for seized container terminals appears stacked against U.S. companies, according to a source familiar with the matter. After Panama's Supreme Court invalidated Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's concessions to run terminals at Balboa and Cristobal—key transshipment hubs connecting Asia-Americas trade routes—the government seized control and assigned temporary operating rights to APM Terminals while preparing a new concessions process. Despite President Trump's stated intentions for significant U.S. presence at the canal, American companies like SSA Marine and Ports America are not expected to score well under Panama's evaluation criteria.

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