FreightCasts

In this highly anticipated live studio episode of Freight Expectations, hosts Matt and Craig sit down in Chattanooga with a massive figure in the trucking world: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Derek Barrs!

Known for his hands-on leadership style and deep respect for the trucking community, Administrator Barrs joins the show to discuss his personal “why” behind commercial vehicle enforcement and the aggressive steps his administration is taking to reform the industry. From a major enforcement crackdown to leveraging cutting-edge tech, this episode dives deep into how the FMCSA plans to enhance safety, protect legitimate drivers, and root out fraud.

We tackle the hot-button issues facing supply chains today, including the newly rolled-out Modus registration system, which Barrs notes will effectively “close the front door” on chameleon carriers and bad actors through strict identity verification. We also break down the ongoing crackdowns on English language proficiency standards, self-certified ELDs, and the shocking data behind International Road Check Week out-of-service rates.

If you have diesel in your blood, you cannot afford to miss this incredibly transparent, deep-dive interview with the man regulating our nation’s highways.

Follow the Freight Expectations Podcast

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

It is a packed Friday edition of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? with your hosts, Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent! From vintage football gridiron history to heavy-hitting supply chain breakdowns, this episode dives deep beneath the surface of the industry.

Here is what is on deck for this episode:


The Forgotten LA Football Team: Malcolm rocks a rare 1947 Los Angeles Dons throwback jersey, sparking a trip down memory lane looking into the history of the AAFC.


Global Container Conspiracy: The guys break down the massive Department of Justice indictment targeting four major Chinese shipping container manufacturers over a massive global price-fixing and output-restriction conspiracy.


Beat the Burden: STG Logistics CEO Jeff Anderson is locked in for Monday to discuss the company emerging from its prepackaged Chapter 11 reorganization plan and slashing 90% of its debt load.


Under the Hood of the Equipment Market: Steve Oliver, VP of Sales and Marketing at Taylor and Martin, joins the set to discuss how quickly owner-operators are jumping back into buying equipment, managing trust and fraud in a wild market, and what to expect for the rest of 2026.


Leaving Money on the Table?: Lisa Bradford from UHY Consulting stops by to drop some major compliance knowledge regarding “Tariff Refund Day,” navigating the ACE portal, and how manufacturers are missing out on getting their cash back

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Visit our sponsor - TAYLOR AND MARTIN⁠

⁠Subscribe to the WTT newsletter⁠

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

⁠Spotify⁠

⁠More FreightWaves Podcasts⁠

#WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we kick things off by examining the brutal reality of commercial trucking insurance as premiums have surged at double the rate of inflation while insurers themselves operate deep in the red. The American Transportation Research Institute documents an average annual premium increase of eight point three percent between twenty seventeen and twenty twenty-five, with smaller fleets bearing the heaviest burden at a staggering twenty point three cents per mile.

Next, we explore the seismic shift in broker liability law as a major case previously won by Echo Global Logistics has been sent back to a lower court following the Supreme Court's landmark Montgomery decision. This unanimous ruling opens the door for brokers to be held liable for negligent hiring, and plaintiff attorneys are already aggressively screening catastrophic trucking cases for broker involvement at intake.

Finally, we shift over to the rails to discuss the fierce battle over a Trump-backed safety measure as the Association of American Railroads slams the Railway Safety Act's inclusion in a major transportation funding bill. The legislation mandates two-person crews and stronger inspections, prompting railroad leaders to call out what they describe as hypocrisy for locking yesterday's operating models into federal law while simultaneously creating a framework for autonomous trucks.

Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast

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

Follow the Freightonomics Podcast

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

The trucking industry keeps talking about a “driver shortage”…

But what if the real problem is the industry itself?

On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey dives headfirst into the recruiting and retention crisis ripping through trucking right now — why drivers are leaving, why some fleets can’t keep seats filled, and why the companies winning in 2026 are doing things very differently than the rest of the industry.

We also tackle the shifting legal and operational pressure hitting freight as carriers, brokers, and fleets try to survive one of the most volatile eras trucking has seen in years.

Featuring:

Tim Norlin from ⁠Roehl Transport⁠

David Lowry from ⁠Bennett Family of Companies⁠

The truth about the “driver shortage”

Why trucking struggles to retain drivers

The recruiting tactics fleets still get wrong

Why lead-gen culture changed trucking

Flatbed demand & the freight market outlook

The growing pressure on brokers and carriers

What fleets MUST do to survive the next phase of trucking

Topics include:

No fluff.

No corporate spin.

Just real trucking talk for real trucking people.If you’re a driver, carrier, broker, dispatcher, recruiter, or fleet owner… this is the conversation the industry needs right now.

#Trucking #DriverShortage #TruckDrivers #Freight #OwnerOperator #CDL #BrakeCheck  #Recruiting #Retention

Follow the Brake Check Podcast

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