FreightCasts

On this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, Malcolm is joined by Rob Carpenter, Frankie Bates, and Diarmaid O Connor for a wide-ranging conversation on the forces shaping freight in 2026.

Rob Carpenter dives into trucking’s biggest pressure points, including the driver shortage debate, freight fraud, market accountability, and where trucking, brokers, and shippers are headed next. Then, broadcasting from across the pond, Frankie Bates and Diarmaid O Connor of Prodensus break down why so many U.S. multinationals are centralizing freight procurement in Ireland, why RFPs are still painfully inefficient, and how AI is transforming — and challenging — freight decision-making.

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In this episode, we break down how Uber Freight posted flat Q4 results but finally achieved breakeven profitability through disciplined cost measures. We also discuss the company's pivot toward autonomous trucking as a long-term strategy to drive higher asset utilization.

On the asset-based side, we analyze why losses continue at Heartland Express as the carrier navigates costly fleet integrations and a soft market. Despite recording its tenth consecutive net loss, the company’s improving operating margins offer a glimmer of hope for a turnaround.

Regulatory news takes center stage as the EPA targets truck engine makers to investigate widespread DEF system failures causing "limp mode" incidents. This major shift aims to treat equipment reliability as a manufacturer quality issue rather than a driver compliance problem.

Global instability forces the Gemini Alliance to rely on military forces to secure Red Sea voyages, even as other carriers continue to divert around Africa. Back home, the industry faces a bureaucratic paradox where 65,000 new visas are available but remain inaccessible due to a State Department freeze.

Finally, we examine the broader economic fallout as weak freight demand triggers facility closures and layoffs across the logistics and manufacturing sectors. With over 3,000 jobs cut since mid-January, the industry is questioning how much leaner operations can get.

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In a major shift for global trade, shipping giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are returning to the Red Sea route under naval protection. This decision marks a turning point after months of diversions around Africa due to regional instability.

Despite a difficult quarter, Heartland Express sees a path to recovery by focusing on improved operating margins. Company executives believe that integrating recent acquisitions and tightening costs will position the fleet for success later this year.

Legal developments are also in focus as a long-running lawsuit involving Werner Enterprises nears a final settlement. The deal addresses claims from nearly 100,000 drivers regarding unpaid wages for non-driving time and rest breaks.

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Trucking isn’t just a job—it’s a craft, a culture, and a way of life. In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Watson sits down with journalist and lifelong trucker Gord McGill to unpack how deregulation, automation, government policy, and the “driver shortage” narrative have transformed trucking over the past few decades—and not for the better. Drawing from McGill’s upcoming book End of the Road: Inside the War on Truckers, the conversation explores declining wages, rising safety risks, forced churn, and the erosion of driver skill and pride. It’s a candid, sometimes uncomfortable look at what’s gone wrong in trucking—and what it will take to fix it.

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This episode of Brake Check asks the question the trucking industry keeps dodging:

Who actually benefits from the way this system is built, and who’s left paying the price?

We kick things off with Tim Crawford, CEO of Tenstreet, breaking down the real people trends shaping trucking today. From hiring shifts and workforce pressures to what carriers and fleets need to be watching right now, Tim cuts through the noise and lays out what’s ahead in a freight market that’s anything but stable.

Then we bring in Lewie Pugh, Executive Vice President of OOIDA, to tackle the growing disconnect between drivers and carriers. We dig into who benefits from that divide, what legislation is coming, and...most importantly...how drivers and small carriers can actually get involved instead of being talked over.

And then we shift gears.

Danielle Chaffin joins the show to expose a serious question facing the industry:

 Why is the Department of Defense moving freight with non-domiciled drivers and unverified carriers and what does that mean for safety, security, and accountability?

No pie charts.

No PowerPoints.

No sanitized narratives.

This is real trucking talk with real trucking people...calling out broken systems, asking uncomfortable questions, and demanding accountability where it’s long overdue.

If you care about the future of trucking, this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss.

Welcome to Brake Check.
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