FreightCasts

On this episode of FreightWaves Today, hosts Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp sit down with leaders from trucking, logistics, transportation law and rail to examine the forces shaping freight markets.

John Ferguson, founder and CEO of Pivot Supply Chain Solutions, Inc., joins the show in studio to discuss the state of freight, current supply chain conditions and the trends transportation companies should be watching.

Drew Singleton Wilder, founder and CEO of Vicarious Liability Risk Management, and Greg Reed, partner at Hanson Bridgett, tackle transportation risk and liability, including legal exposure across transportation relationships and what businesses should understand about managing risk.

Trains Magazine Editor Bill Stephens provides perspective on developments across North American freight rail and what changes in the sector could mean for shippers and the broader supply chain.

Pam Polyak, founder of Polyak Trucking and Polyak Consulting, brings an operator’s perspective to the conversation, discussing the realities facing carriers and owner-operators as they navigate changing freight demand, costs and operating conditions.

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Live from the FreightWaves Enterprise Fleet Summit, hosts Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent break down the strategies, technologies, and operational shifts required to scale trucking operations during volatile market cycles.

In this episode:

Chris Hines, CEO of REPOWR, discusses TOP (Trailer Optimization Platform)—the industry's first system designed to execute trailer repositioning rather than just analyzing data. He breaks down how fleets can eliminate idle trailer time, optimize asset allocation, and turn static trailers into revenue-generating assets.

Hayden Cardiff, VP of Safety Solutions at Descartes, explores the gap between regulatory compliance and real-world safety. He shares insights on predicting driver risk before accidents occur, building proactive driver coaching programs, and leveraging AI to identify leading safety indicators.

Event Highlights & Giveaways: Details on upcoming FreightWaves events, including the Brokerage Compliance Symposium and F3: Future of Freight Festival, plus a special showcase of the Away Travel convertible backpack giveaway.

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining a sobering wave of financial distress as⁠ at least sixteen trucking and transportation companies entered bankruptcy proceedings in less than a month⁠. The geographically widespread filings include both Chapter 11 reorganizations and Chapter 7 liquidations, spanning carriers from small owner-operators to mid-sized fleets operating dozens of trucks across general freight, last-mile, agricultural and specialized operations. Rising diesel fuel prices and elevated operating costs continue to squeeze margins in an already challenging freight environment.

Over on the rails, Alabama is pushing forward with a massive infrastructure project as⁠ construction remains on schedule for the Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility's early 2027 opening⁠. The $100 million, 272-acre terminal will provide direct CSX rail service connecting inland shippers to the Port of Mobile, creating a rail alternative to truck drayage. At full operation, the facility is expected to handle up to 60,000 container units annually and will be equipped with two rubber-tired gantry cranes scheduled for delivery in late 2026.

Finally, we unpack a major legal battle over federal trucking rules where⁠ judicial questioning showed more skepticism toward the Department of Transportation's position than toward plaintiffs challenging recent FMCSA changes⁠. During oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in Lujan v. FMCSA, judges questioned the DOT's rationale for narrowing acceptable documentation to only an unexpired passport and Form I-94, particularly when non-domiciled applicants can provide ten years of driving history. The new rule, which went into effect this spring, no longer accepts Employment Authorization Documents as proof of eligibility for commercial driver's licenses.

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The freight market is shifting as carriers, brokers and shippers head toward Q4. On this episode of FreightWaves Today, we break down the latest trucking industry news, freight rates, insurance risks, fuel prices, capacity trends and the outlook for the 2026 peak season.

In this episode:

Trucking litigation & legal developments — We examine the latest developments in the Super Ego case and discuss the growing legal exposure facing carriers, brokers and other participants in the freight ecosystem.

Cargo theft — Florida authorities recover stolen tractor-trailers in a coordinated cargo theft investigation, highlighting the continued threat of freight and equipment theft.

Driver safety & crash risk — New Samsara data shows how combinations of risky driving behaviors can dramatically increase crash risk and why fleets are increasingly focused on identifying patterns rather than isolated safety events.

Transportation insurance — Andy Sharpe, founder and CEO of MeshVI, joins the show to discuss real-time insurance verification, missing asset risk, certificate of insurance accuracy, insurance fraud and the growing importance of vehicle- and driver-level coverage data.

Freight market update — We look at tender rejections, spot rates, intermodal volumes, freight demand and regional market conditions as the industry approaches peak season.

Houston freight market — Houston has rapidly shifted from one of the loosest markets to one of the tightest, providing an important look at changing capacity conditions.

Diesel & energy prices — Diesel prices continue to climb, putting additional pressure on trucking costs and potentially influencing both freight rates and consumer demand.

Q4 freight outlook — We discuss whether peak season will be muted, how capacity exits are affecting the market, and what current conditions could mean for freight rates heading into 2027.

Contract rates & routing guides — We examine changing shipper routing-guide strategies, the narrowing gap between spot and contract rates, and why double-digit contract rate increases could be on the table for 2027.

Fuel markets with John Kingston — John Kingston joins us to discuss oil, diesel, geopolitical developments and the energy factors affecting trucking and transportation.

Key topics: trucking news, freight market update, freight rates, truckload market, spot rates, contract rates, diesel prices, trucking insurance, cargo theft, carrier capacity, routing guides, peak season, transportation logistics, freight demand, supply chain, trucking industry and 2027 freight outlook.

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#FreightWaves #FreightWavesToday #Trucking #Freight #Logistics #SupplyChain #Truckload #FreightRates #Diesel #TruckingNews #Transportation #TruckingIndustry

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$7 DIESEL? FMCSA CRACKDOWN. WHAT’S NEXT?

This may be one of the biggest Brake Check conversations we've put together.

Two problems are hitting American trucking at the same damn time:

The cost of running is exploding...

The rules for running are getting tighter....

And instead of asking somebody on social media what they THINK about it, we're going straight to the people who actually know.

FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs joins Charles Gracey to talk about what’s happening inside the agency right now ... the recent Safety Innovation Expo, CDL integrity, training providers, English proficiency enforcement, ELDs, fraud, bad actors, hours of service, truck parking and the technology FMCSA believes could actually make trucking safer.

The question we're putting directly to the Administrator:

WHEN DOES THE PROFESSIONAL TRUCKER ACTUALLY FEEL THE DIFFERENCE

Then energy analyst Phil Flynn of The PRICE Futures Group joins us as diesel pushes deeper into historic territory.

Why can crude get cheaper while diesel gets MORE expensive?

What does the exploding diesel crack spread actually mean?

Why is America exporting diesel while American truckers are getting crushed at the pump?

Would stopping exports actually lower prices — or create an even bigger mess later?

Would more drilling fix it? Do we need more refining? Would a trucker shutdown actually move diesel prices?

And the question nobody wants to ask:

COULD DIESEL HIT $7?

Then Phil gets the HARD STOP:

One lever. More drilling. More refining. Restrict exports. Release reserves. Or let the market rebalance.

WHICH ONE ACTUALLY HELPS THE AMERICAN TRUCKER?

No slogans

No social-media economics

SHOW US THE MATH & RESULTS

One guest runs the agency writing and enforcing trucking's rules.

One guest has spent decades reading the energy market.

And the American trucker?

YOU'RE PAYING FOR BOTH....SO WE GET YOU THE ANSWERS YOU WANT!

SOUND OFF: What's hurting your operation more right now ... FUEL, RATES, or REGULATION?

#Trucking #Diesel #FMCSA #TruckDrivers #OwnerOperator #DieselPrices #TruckingIndustry #FuelPrices #Freight #BrakeCheck

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