FreightCasts

In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major safety recall affecting nearly six thousand brand-new Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks. PACCAR is pulling model year 2027 vehicles due to a critical defect in the power distribution center that could cause drivers to lose engine power, antilock brakes, or windshield wipers without any dashboard warning. The problem originated from contaminated soldering at a supplier facility, though PACCAR estimates only 0.3 percent of recalled trucks actually have the defect.

Meanwhile, a sophisticated fraud operation is targeting heavy-duty trucking suppliers across Western Canada as twelve businesses shipped truck tires, engine oil, and trailer parts on fraudulent credit card orders that initially appeared legitimate. Saskatchewan RCMP launched an investigation in March after companies across the province discovered that approved transactions ultimately failed, with callers having provided credit card details that prompted shipments before the payments declined.

Finally, we cover a massive workforce reduction in Ohio as International Motors lays off 1,341 employees following the sale of its Springfield facilities to Canadian manufacturer Roshel. The sale is expected to close October 2nd, effectively ending the facility's contract manufacturing agreement with a major automotive company and paving the way for Roshel to transform the sprawling campus into a U.S.-based production hub for commercial, specialty, and armored vehicles.

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Dr. Zac Rogers joins to show to discuss the latest LMI and the continued uncertainty that plagues supply chains.

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In this episode of FreightWaves Today, co-hosts Zach Strickland and Julie Van de Kamp break down the latest market-moving headlines across the freight, logistics, and supply chain landscape.

Driver Pay & Payroll Trends: Mike Ritzema, President and Founder of Superior Trucking Payroll Service, joins the show to discuss the Driver Pay Index reaching a record 170.04. He walks through what real payroll data reveals about rising driver compensation, surging turnover rates in June, and how carrier owners can adjust pay structures to navigate tightening margins.

Scaling D2C Cold Chain Fulfillment: Juan Camilo Meisel, Founder and CEO of Grip, dives into the fast-growing world of direct-to-consumer perishable logistics. Juan shares insights on shipping over $3 billion in temperature-sensitive goods, why frozen products are leading the charge, and the strategic addition of industry veteran John Hummel as President of Grip Fulfillment to drive their next phase of expansion.

Freightnomics & Macroeconomic Update: On the second half of the show, Zach Strickland and DJ Donahue break down the latest ISM manufacturing data, ADP labor metrics, and modal shifts between truckload and intermodal. Plus, Dr. Zack Rogers drops in for his monthly analysis of the Logistics Managers' Index (LMI), breaking down inventory cost deltas, capacity contractions, and what to expect heading into Q4.

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On this Brake Check Vacation Special, host Charles Gracey runs back two of the most critical regulatory, legal, and safety compliance conversations facing the trucking industry today.

First, Brandon Wiseman and Rob Carpenter from Trucksafe join the show to break down what FMCSA’s new MODUS registration system actually means for carriers and brokers. They dive into the legal fallout of recent Supreme Court rulings, discuss what’s inside the massive new Highway Bill proposal (including controversial hair follicle testing provisions), and tackle the question: Are small fleets being regulated out of existence?

Then, Sam Watts (Director of Safety & Loss Control at 10-4 Truck Insurance) joins to separate real fleet safety culture from "safety theater". Sam shares hard truths about driver pay structures, continuous CDL monitoring, fighting nuclear verdicts, and how carriers can protect their bottom line before a single crash happens.

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In this episode, we kick things off by examining the latest quarterly results from third-party logistics provider RXO, which posted a mixed second-quarter performance. While net income remained at a five cents per share loss, the company achieved what it described as a ⁠historic sequential increase in profit per load driven by a massive jump in truckload spot mix⁠. That spot mix surged to forty-two percent in the second quarter, up from just thirty-three percent in the first quarter, as the strengthening freight market provides a tailwind for the broker.

Next, we explore the encouraging turnaround at Forward Air, which is showing real signs of recovery following what analysts have called a messy merger with freight forwarder Omni Logistics. The company reported ⁠its best quarterly performance since the January 2024 combination, with consolidated revenue climbing nine percent year-over-year⁠ and consolidated adjusted EBITDA rising eighteen percent to ninety-three million dollars. The expedited freight segment led the charge with a solid twenty-four percent year-over-year revenue increase, benefiting from less-than-truckload freight that had previously been lost to a depressed truckload market now returning.

Finally, we cover the heavy-duty truck market where North American Class 8 net orders totaled twenty-two thousand units in July, down thirty-one percent from June. However, industry analysts are clear that ⁠the slowdown reflects limited production availability rather than softening freight demand⁠, with calendar-year 2026 production essentially sold out. Through July, 2026 Class 8 net orders are running one hundred twenty percent higher than the same period last year, underscoring robust replacement demand and improving fleet utilization.

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