FreightCasts

Dr. Zac Rogers comes on to discuss the historic drawdown on inventory levels in December’s LMI. ⁠Follow the Freightonomics Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the U.S. built to make things, or just regulate them? On this end-of-year episode of Bring It Home, JP Hampstead breaks down trillions in manufacturing and industrial investment announcements from 2025, with many tied to direct negotiations with the Trump White House, and what they actually mean for America’s re-industrialization push. JP also dives into a powerful idea from Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang, reviewed by Charles Yang in American Affairs: China as an engineering state and America as a "lawyerly" society. ⁠Follow the Bring It Home Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Daily, we uncover why many freight brokers are structurally losing roughly $19 on every load despite seemingly stable contract rates. We break down the "negative operating leverage trap" detailed in How are Freight Brokers Staying Afloat? that is forcing companies to burn cash while desperately chasing volume. The conversation shifts to the rail sector, where CSX lays off 5% of management staff, furloughs conductors in a move that signals a permanent shift toward leaner operations. These deep cuts reflect a broader industry trend of redrawing profitable baselines amidst challenging economic conditions and declining high-margin traffic. Regulatory pressure is also intensifying, as the DOT strips California of $160M over foreign truckers for failing to revoke thousands of unlawfully issued commercial driver's licenses. This systemic collapse in the state's licensing process threatens to tighten capacity further in the stressed West Coast freight market. We also examine compliance risks, highlighting a case where an air cargo contractor reimburses Postal Service for fraudulent billing after falsifying delivery scans to avoid late penalties. This recurring pattern of fraud underscores the rigorous compliance demands fleets must manage alongside financial pressures. Physical risks are escalating as well, with new analysis on Minneapolis, 1992, and What Fleets Need to Know About the Insurrection Act as state and federal tensions create volatile conditions for urban logistics. Fleet operators are urged to prioritize real-time visibility and safety training to navigate these potential disruptions effectively. Finally, we look at market data where U.S. Bank, DAT launch quarterly truck freight rates report showing that carrier capacity is quietly shrinking while contract rates hold steady. This disconnect raises the critical question of which sector will force a necessary margin reset in the coming year. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truck drivers don’t need another feel-good message. They want honesty. In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Harvey Beech, co-founder of American Truckers United, a third-generation trucking operator who has lived every side of this industry — company driver, small fleet owner, and long-haul carrier. Harvey speaks plainly about what many drivers feel but few are willing to say out loud: how immigration policy intersects with trucking, why wages have been compressed, how safety standards have eroded, and why the sacrifices of seasoned American drivers often go ignored. This is not a political episode. It’s a reality check — from someone who was born into trucking and never left it. ⁠Follow The Long Haul Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute, the U.S. Department of Transportation has officially withheld $160 million in safety funding from California following a dispute over commercial driver’s licenses. The state missed a critical deadline to revoke thousands of licenses issued to foreign drivers, a situation federal officials describe as a systemic collapse of safety protocols. Shifting to the rails, the Surface Transportation Board has introduced a proposal designed to give captive shippers access to competing lines through reciprocal switching. By removing the requirement to prove anti-competitive conduct, this regulatory change aims to foster competition and offer more options to businesses served by a single railroad. Additionally, a new quarterly report from U.S. Bank and DAT warns that a shrinking carrier pool could cause shipping costs to spike rapidly if demand rebounds. The episode wraps up with a preview of today’s FreightWaves TV lineup, featuring discussions on trucker wages, the Logistics Manager Index, and the outlook for manufacturing in 2025. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices