FreightCasts

In this episode, we kick things off in a New Orleans courtroom where jury selection has begun for a disbarred attorney accused of orchestrating the murder of a federal witness. Prosecutors allege Sean Alfortish conspired to kill Cornelius Garrison, a so-called "slammer" who intentionally sideswiped eighteen-wheelers in a sprawling staged truck crash scheme and later began cooperating with the FBI. The case is part of a massive federal probe that has charged sixty-three defendants in connection with an operation spanning over a decade, where participants recruited passengers and paid drivers to target big rigs carrying large commercial policies, then filed fraudulent lawsuits seeking insurance payouts.

Next, we shift over to the rails where a coalition of seven Republican state attorneys general is urging the Surface Transportation Board to reject Union Pacific's proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern. In a letter filed on August eleventh, the attorneys general argued the railroads have not demonstrated the merger would serve the public interest or strengthen rail-to-rail competition. The coalition took particular aim at the proposed Committed Gateway Pricing arrangement, contending it would apply to only zero point nine percent of U.S. rail traffic and could actually result in higher rates for many shippers.

Finally, we head south to examine the critical role of cross-border trade as new Census Bureau data confirms Mexico's dominant position in U.S. commerce. Laredo, Texas, remained the nation's busiest international trade gateway, handling a massive thirty-six point five billion dollars in cross-border trade during June—accounting for more than one-third of all U.S.-Mexico commerce. The port's performance highlights its critical role as the primary conduit for automotive parts, vehicles, machinery, electronics and other manufactured goods moving between the two countries.

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In this episode of FreightWaves Today, hosts Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp dive into the latest industrial data, market updates, and expert interviews across the freight, logistics, energy, and rail sectors.

In the morning minute we have the 3 top stories of the day including: Congress pushes to tie USPS executive bonuses directly to 95% on-time delivery metrics via the bipartisan "No Bonuses for Bad Service Act", Werner Enterprises CEO Derek Leathers addresses seasonal spot market trends, capacity tightening, and rate outlooks, and Michigan regulators suspend Northern Michigan University's CDL training program amid a nationwide fraud crackdown.

Our first guest, Tom Kloza, Chief Energy Advisor at Gulf Oil, breaks down rising diesel prices, global refining capacity constraints, and how emerging drone warfare poses unprecedented risks to oil infrastructure.

In the SONAR update, Julie gives a detailed look at current tender rejections sitting at 13.5%, rising import container volumes, domestic rail mode shifts, and carrier authority changes.

Then Patrick Kelleher, CEO of GXO Logistics, stops by to discuss peak season expectations, rapid growth in AI data center construction, manufacturing re-shoring, and tests with humanoid robotics in the warehouse.

Trains Magazine's Bill Stephens is back with the latest numbers from Association of American Railroads (AAR) weekly volume data, strong non-coal carload gains, and a federal court ruling upholding the FRA's two-person crew rule.

And lastly, Jeff Dangelo, CEO of Fura, announces the acquisition of High Rise (their 7th deal) and explains how AI is streamlining operations and unlocking massive EBITDA improvements for small-to-midsize brokerages.

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Scott Cornell returns to Fraud Watch as nearly $100 million in data-center freight has been stolen since early June. Phil and Scott discuss criminals targeting security escorts, stolen cargo turning up in retail stores, and why six or seven out of every 10 stolen loads may now leave the United States. They also examine altered bills of lading, cartel involvement, drug smuggling through commercial transportation, and what companies need to do before they become the next target.
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This episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? is hosted by Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent. The show, sponsored by Gnosis Freight, features three industry guests covering international trade, trucking community tools, and autonomous AI logistics:

Trey Boring (President at IMS Worldwide Incorporated): Trey discusses his nearly four decades of navigating international trade, foreign trade zones (FTZs), tariffs, and reshoring strategies. He outlines how FTZs help companies defer duty payments, manage inventory control, and adapt to shifting global supply chains. Additionally, he shares details about his volunteer work as Senior Vice Chair for Cigars for Warriors, a non-profit sending premium cigars and supplies to deployed U.S. service members.

Alex Mai (Mutha Trucker News): Alex reflects on his journey building one of the nation's largest trucking communities and content platforms. He introduces his new platform, Driver Open Door, designed to bridge the communication gap between drivers and fleet leadership. The platform features an anonymous "bat signal" chat feature that routes urgent driver concerns directly to executive leadership using AI, aiming to lower turnover rates and improve driver retention.

Abdul Basharat (CEO of Cartage): Abdul breaks down the practical application of AI in global logistics. He introduces Wilson, an autonomous logistics operator trained on specialized supply chain models to handle routine emails, quotes, and coordination tasks. Abdul explains how AI agents allow lean operational teams to automate the majority of repetitive freight tasks so humans can focus on complex edge cases.

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In this episode, we kick things off in Washington, where lawmakers are aggressively tying executive pay to actual delivery performance at the struggling Postal Service. A bipartisan bill ⁠barring USPS executives from receiving bonuses until on-time delivery hits ninety-five percent⁠ was approved by the Senate Homeland Security Committee last week. The No Bonuses for Bad Service Act comes as the mail carrier missed its on-time target for all eight delivery categories in fiscal year 2025, lost twenty-five billion dollars over the last three years, and reported a two point five billion dollar loss for the third quarter.

Next, we shift over to the truckload sector, where Werner Enterprises is shrugging off recent spot market softness and doubling down on the supply-driven recovery. Speaking at Deutsche Bank's Chicago Industrials Summit Tuesday, ⁠Chairman and CEO Derek Leathers told investors the company remains unfazed by the seasonal slowdown⁠ in July truckload spot market trends. Leathers estimates that eight hundred fifty to nine hundred CDL schools have been forced to close due to insufficient training standards, powering Werner's turnaround with the company's one-way truckload fleet seeing revenue per truck per week jump twenty-eight percent year over year in the second quarter.

Finally, we cover the nationwide crackdown on fraudulent CDL training programs as state regulators in Michigan join the fight. The Michigan Department of State ⁠issued a summary suspension to Northern Michigan University Truck Driving School on August fifth⁠ following an investigation that uncovered multiple alleged violations. Among the most significant allegations, regulators said the school provided behind-the-wheel instruction to students without first verifying they possessed valid commercial learner's permits and allowed students to sign blank instructional documents that were subsequently completed.

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