FreightCasts

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.

⁠Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

Subscribe to FreightWaves for daily coverage of the trucking, freight, logistics and supply chain industries.

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

⁠Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

$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

⁠Follow the Brake Check Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major legal development in the controversial Super Ego trucking network case. A federal judge has ⁠dismissed several counts against Aleksandar Mimic in a lawsuit filed by drivers⁠, though drivers' claims against Super Ego Holding and nine affiliated defendants remain fully intact. Court records reveal that an all-day settlement conference made significant progress toward resolving the case, even as the judge's dismissal reshapes the litigation.

Next, we explore a coordinated cargo theft operation as Florida's task force ⁠recovered two stolen tractor-trailers hauling tires and batteries⁠ along Interstate 95. Troopers arrested one driver at a travel center on charges including first-degree grand theft of automobile tires worth over one hundred thousand dollars, though a second suspect fled on foot and remains at large.

Finally, we unpack groundbreaking research from Samsara showing that ⁠just ten percent of the highest-risk drivers account for nearly half of all fleet crashes⁠. The company's Compounding Risk Report reveals that combinations of risky behaviors—like mobile phone use, distraction, and harsh braking together—create exponentially greater crash risk than isolated safety events, allowing fleet managers to focus coaching resources on the behavioral patterns most strongly linked to accidents.

⁠Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The freight market is shifting, cargo theft is getting more sophisticated, diesel prices are under pressure, and artificial intelligence is raising new questions for freight brokers and carriers. On this episode of FreightWaves Today, we break down the biggest stories shaping trucking, logistics, supply chains and transportation.

We’re also heading to Green Bay this week, and Ben Schill, Chief Corporate Development Officer at Paper Transport, joins the show to discuss the company’s long-running logistics partnership with the Green Bay Packers, including how Paper Transport moves the team’s equipment for away games. He also discusses trucking market conditions, dedicated freight, acquisitions, fleet growth and the company’s strategy for building density in Wisconsin.

In this episode:

• Cargo theft and freight fraud: Two men allegedly posed as FedEx drivers to steal more than $680,000 in electronics from a Delaware warehouse. We also discuss an unusual Memphis case involving a $110,000 chicken shipment allegedly being used to settle a drug debt.

• AI and freight brokerage liability: What does the future of AI-driven carrier selection look like following the Supreme Court’s decision involving broker liability? We examine whether human brokers could become more important as artificial intelligence takes on more decision-making.

• Paper Transport & Green Bay Packers logistics: Ben Schill explains how Paper Transport handles the Packers’ equipment, including game-day gear, backup equipment and logistics surrounding away games.

• Trucking market conditions: Paper Transport discusses the current dedicated freight environment, inflation, rates, fuel costs and why the trucking market feels more stable than it did previously.

• Site selection and supply chain investment: Companies are reconsidering where to build factories, distribution centers and data centers as they navigate energy availability, labor constraints, infrastructure, tariffs and geopolitical risk.

• Autonomous yard trucks: We explore the growing adoption of autonomous yard automation, including autonomous yard trucks, remote supervision, yard-management technology and what it could mean for trucking operations.• Truckload market & tender rejections: The FreightWaves SONAR update examines truckload rejection rates, freight volumes, capacity and the potential impact of peak season on trucking rates.

• Diesel prices and the global energy crisis: We examine how disruptions in Russia and the Middle East are affecting crude oil, refining capacity, diesel fuel and transportation costs — and what higher energy prices could mean for trucking and supply chains.

Whether you’re a truck driver, owner-operator, carrier, freight broker, shipper, logistics professional, investor or supply chain executive, FreightWaves Today delivers the news, data and analysis you need to understand the freight market.

Subscribe to FreightWaves for daily coverage of trucking, freight, logistics, supply chains, transportation technology and the global economy.

#FreightWaves #FreightWavesToday #Trucking #Freight #Logistics #SupplyChain #Transportation #Truckload #CargoTheft #FreightFraud #ArtificialIntelligence #AutonomousTrucks #Diesel #TruckingNews #FreightMarket

⁠Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast⁠

⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices