Malcolm Harris brings together three powerhouse guests who are shaping the future of trucking, supply chain, and transportation technology.
First up, Kenneth Hanover, Director of North American Sales & Customer Support at Fleetguard (now operating under Atmos), dives deep into the company’s Cummins-rooted heritage, its commitment to engineering-first product excellence, and how Fleetguard empowers truckers through right-to-repair advocacy, unmatched warranties, and one-stop filtration solutions. Ken also shares a fun take on how loud an 18-wheeler’s horn really should be—and why truckers deserve both a squeaker and a foghorn.
Next, Nidhi Gupta, Co-founder and CEO of Portcast, breaks down why visibility tech still leaves operations firefighting—and how predictive logistics, connected data, and AI-powered insights are transforming supply chains from reactive to proactive. She details real-world examples of customers preventing costly disruptions, how predictive ETAs reshape billing and cash flow, and why touchless supply chains aren’t futuristic—they’re inevitable.
Wrapping up the show is Ronak Amin of HERE Technologies, who sheds light on one of trucking’s most expensive and shockingly common problems: bridge strikes. Ronak explains why they happen, how HERE’s precise commercial-grade mapping and AI help fleets avoid them, and what the future of routing intelligence looks like—especially as electric trucks enter the mainstream. He also shares leadership lessons and how fleets can adopt smarter routing before disaster strikes.
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The Daily | November 19, 2025
Dive into the proposed rail mega-merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, which Republican legislators warn threatens to raise consumer costs, reduce competition, and create "captive shippers". This controversial deal would combine systems controlling nearly 45% of all U.S. rail tonnage across 43 states, raising serious questions about long-term service reliability and inflationary pressure on American households.
The trucking market remains in a recession due to a collapse in demand and a significant industrial recession, confirmed by indices like the SONAR Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI). Despite low demand, the market could face a radical supply shock if estimates hold true that new immigration enforcement targeting foreign-born drivers could remove 16%, or over 600,000, of the current driver population, potentially strengthening freight rates by late next year.
We also examine the FMCSA’s new pilot program testing flexible sleeper berth split options, such as 6/4 and 5/5 hours, designed to provide more flexibility for truckers. Safety groups like OOIDA and the TCA are cautioning regulators about a high potential for driver coercion, insisting on strict safeguards and anonymous reporting methods to ensure that discretion belongs solely to the driver.
Postmaster General David Steiner is driving a "U-turn" strategy at the USPS, re-emphasizing last-mile delivery services for big shippers like UPS and Amazon to grow revenue by leveraging the agency's unique national network]. While the goal is to stop revenue decline, critics worry this move risks cannibalizing USPS's own products and empowering competitors by handling the toughest delivery segment for them. We also briefly touch on the regulatory back-and-forth seen internationally, such as the now-suspended U.S. fees on Chinese ships, which analysts warned would ultimately burden U.S. agricultural exporters.
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Morning Minute | November 19, 2025
Learn how EV maker Harbinger secured significant capital and a key initial fleet order in Harbinger lands $160M Series C, inks initial FedEx deal for 53 electric trucks. The electric vehicle manufacturer raised $160 million in Series C funding, bringing its total to $358 million, and simultaneously received an initial order for 53 Class 5 and Class 6 electric vehicles from FedEx. Harbinger’s proprietary electric platform offers competitive acquisition costs and modular batteries, ranging from 140 to over 200 miles, positioning the company to lead the mass adoption of medium-duty electric trucks.
Next, we dive into the contentious rail industry merger detailed in Rail merger could raise prices, hurt US ability to compete, say GOP legislators. Dozens of Republican state legislators have warned regulators that the proposed Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern rail mega-merger threatens to raise consumer costs on essential goods and hinder the competitive ability of U.S. companies. Legislators argue that the combined system would control nearly 45% of U.S. rail tonnage across 43 states, creating "captive shippers" and risking widespread service disruptions and supply chain instability.
Finally, discover the major strategy shift at the national carrier, covered in US Postal Service makes U-turn on last-mile delivery. New Postmaster General David Steiner announced the U.S. Postal Service must grow revenue by leveraging its unique national network to provide last-mile delivery service for large shippers, reversing the strategy of his predecessor. This reversal has led to a tentative agreement with UPS for its budget Ground Saver service, although critics like parcel industry executives worry that offering last-mile services to competitors could cannibalize existing USPS parcel products.
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Loaded and Rolling | How to Stand Out in a Flood of Driver Monitoring Solutions with Dreyev
In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with the team from Dreyev to discuss how their technology distinguishes itself in a saturated market of driver safety solutions.
Thomas is joined by Maggie Stys (CEO & Co-Founder), Roberto Sicconi (CTO & Co-Founder), and Peter Smelzer (Fleet Risk Advisor) to explore how their platform detects and addresses distractions and drowsiness without relying on complex hardware installations.
Topics covered in this episode include:
Dreyev’s Differentiator: What makes this tech different from the flood of "driver monitoring" solutions currently available.
Meet Walter: An introduction to "Walter," the platform's AI companion.
A Supportive Skeptic: Peter Smelzer joins the conversation to translate technical features into real-world implications for carriers and drivers.
Co-Driver Expertise: How the platform utilizes co-driver expertise to enhance driver safety.
Guests:
Maggie Stys: CEO and Co-Founder, Dreyev
Roberto Sicconi: CTO and Co-Founder, Dreyev
Peter Smelzer: Fleet Risk Advisor, Dreyev
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Check Call | The state of cybersecurity in the supply chain
In this episode, we dive into the world of cybersecurity. Our guest, Joe Ohr, COO at the NMFTA breaks down trends in cybersecurity and how the NMFTA is positioning itself as the hub for cybersecurity reporting and calling out bad actors. For more information, subscribe to Check Call the newsletter or the podcast.
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A full trailer load of freight podcasts from FreightWaves. Enjoy shows like the award-winning WHAT THE TRUCK?!? podcast, Put That Coffee Down, Freightonomics, Fuller Speed Ahead, Great Quarter, Gals and more with one click of the subscribe button. One freight feed to rule them all!
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