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FreightWaves Today

FreightWaves

FreightWaves NOW is your daily source for the most impactful news in logistics. We break down the complex world of freight—covering trucking, rail, air, and ocean markets—to bring you actionable insights. Whether you are a carrier, shipper, or broker, we provide the data-driven context you need to navigate a volatile market.

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October 13 · 1 hr 3 min
FreightWaves Today | October 13
Cross-border freight constraints are tightening, diesel prices are swinging wildly, and AI is taking driver safety to the next level! On today’s episode of FreightWaves Today, we break down what shippers, brokers, and carriers need to know to navigate today's volatile supply chain. IN THIS EPISODE AI Fleet Safety Upgrades: Netradyne launches customizable AI agents to gamify driver coaching and pull instant live fleet data. Cross-Border Squeeze: US authorities revoke ~25,000 Mexican driver visas. Combine that with capacity bottlenecks and trade friction, and cross-border constraints could last into 2027! Tariff & Logistics Strategy: Guest James Edge breaks down how importers can rethink warehouse placement in Canada and US lanes to reduce tax exposure and speed up final-mile delivery. Diesel Market Volatility: Ultra-low sulfur diesel futures swing by double digits! John Kingston explains why emergency red-dyed diesel policies won't solve the underlying global supply deficit. Subscribe to FreightWaves on YouTube for daily market intelligence, freight news, and expert commentary! Get SONAR Freight Data: https://sonar.freightwaves.com Read more logistics news: https://www.freightwaves.com #Freight #SupplyChain #Logistics #CrossBorder #Trucking #DieselPrices #FleetSafety #SONAR Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 13 · 3 min
Netradyne's AI Agent Expansion, Mexico Driver Visa Crisis, & Freight Fraud Awareness Day | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off with a major AI expansion designed to let fleet managers build their own custom safety tools. San Diego-based Netradyne has expanded its lineup of AI agents running on its Netradyne Intelligence platform, adding a Campaign Agent for driver coaching and a builder that lets fleet managers create custom agents by describing in plain language what they need. Customers created more than two hundred fifty agents within a month of release, turning coaching into competitions and automating recognition lists. Next, we head south to examine a critical capacity crisis as severe driver shortages and aggressive visa restrictions squeeze cross-border trucking even as freight demand remains soft. U.S. authorities have withdrawn visas from approximately twenty-five thousand Mexican freight drivers, while an aging driver workforce and security concerns deter younger workers from entering the profession. Logistics provider TRAFFIX warns that North American cross-border capacity will remain constrained into twenty twenty-seven, with rates on some Canadian corridors climbing twenty-five to thirty-five percent over the past month. Finally, we cover the freight industry's annual moment to confront a hidden epidemic as Freight Fraud Awareness Day returns on October fourteenth with advocates across transportation and insurance pushing for open dialogue about criminal schemes and prevention resources. This marks the third annual campaign, with supporters including Verified Carrier, Truckstop, and multiple insurance providers. Industry experts warn that cargo theft has been exploding, with some criminals leveraging their understanding of legitimate operations to exploit businesses. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 12 · 1 hr 16 min
FreightWaves Today | October 12
In today’s episode of FreightWaves Today, hosts Craig Fuller and Malcolm Harris dive into the latest developments, market trends, and high-impact discussions shaping the logistics and transportation sector: Legal & Regulatory Watch: The show opens with key legal cases disrupting the industry, including a Fifth Circuit appellate court consideration regarding broker and carrier liability involving Penske, along with an EEOC age discrimination lawsuit filed against a Texas trucking carrier over insurance policy restrictions. Cross-Border Market Intelligence: A look into Mexico’s automotive export trends highlights a widening gap between domestic demand and export-oriented manufacturing bound for North America, featuring recent production data from GM, Nissan, and Ford. Electric Heavy-Duty Trucking: Rudy Diaz, Founder & CEO of Hight Logistics, joins the show to share real-world operational insights on running electric drayage fleets (including Volvo and Tesla models) out of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. He breaks down the realities of range, vehicle weight, charging infrastructure, and total cost considerations. SONAR Market Update: A deep dive into data trends covering diesel price shifts, rising contract rates, spot rate movement, and tender rejection metrics as the market prepares for peak season. Tech & Freight Innovation: Felipe Capella, Co-Founder & CEO of Loadsmart, discusses the evolution of digital freight brokerages over the past decade, the shift toward blended SaaS/service models, and how AI agents are transforming freight orchestration workflows. Global Air Freight & AI Boom: Senior Editor Eric Kulisch breaks down how the surging AI data center expansion and semiconductor demand across Asia are driving massive air cargo volumes, altering traditional trade flows across the Pacific. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 12 · 4 min
Penske En Banc Fight, Mexico Vehicle Exports Plunge, & Texas Carrier Sued Over Age Limits | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining a closely watched federal appellate case with enormous disruptive potential for broker and carrier liability. The Fifth Circuit is now considering whether to grant an en banc hearing in a fatal crash case involving companies in the Penske network that centers on a double-brokered load and the question of control. The appellate court's ruling that Penske Logistics was liable for a subcontracted driver's actions has prompted the American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association, and Trucking Industry Defense Association to file amicus briefs in support of the company's petition. Next, we shift to the cross-border sector where Mexico's automotive export trade is flashing warning signs for North American freight flows. While more than three-quarters of Mexico's light-vehicle exports still head to the U.S., September shipments plunged eleven point nine percent year over year to two hundred seventy-seven thousand units, with production falling even more sharply at fifteen point one percent. General Motors, Nissan, and Ford all posted double-digit declines, highlighting a widening gap between Mexico's domestic automotive market and its export-oriented manufacturing sector. Finally, we cover federal discrimination charges against a Texas trucking company over age-based hiring restrictions allegedly tied to its insurance policy. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against Pharr-based Trancasa USA Inc., alleging the company systematically rejected older driver applicants based on a commercial liability insurance policy that capped eligibility at age sixty-five. The lawsuit stems from a discrimination charge filed by Gilbert Cerda, a sixty-four-year-old truck driver with more than two decades of experience, who was told by a company recruiter he could not be hired because of his age. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 9 · 1 hr 2 min
FreightWaves Today | October 9
On this episode of FreightWaves Today, Malcolm Harris and Julie Van de Kamp break down the latest developments shaping freight markets, transportation regulations, and logistics technology. The show opens with a look at Hurricane Isaias and its potential impact on the Gulf Coast, including flooding risks, road closures, and disruptions to freight operations across Alabama and the Southeast. The Morning Minute covers a legal challenge involving a truck driving school's removal from the FMCSA training registry, a proposed split sleeper berth pilot program, and record-setting global container shipping volumes. Malcolm and Julie also discuss a federal fraud case involving fictitious trucking accounts. Nextcade co-founder and CEO Dan Bailey joins the show to examine how artificial intelligence is transforming logistics, including C.H. Robinson's planned acquisition of ECHO Global Logistics. Bailey explains why capturing industry-specific knowledge is essential to successful AI implementation, how companies can launch smaller pilot projects, and how AI-powered agents can automate freight quote requests, improve response times, reduce costs, and drive revenue growth. Julie delivers the latest SONAR market update, highlighting stable tender rejections, rising contract and spot rates, and increasing freight market activity around Mobile and Montgomery ahead of the approaching storm. She also explores SONAR's new intermodal rate intelligence capabilities, which allow users to compare intermodal and truckload rates, evaluate potential savings, and identify nearby rail ramps. Finally, transportation attorney Matthew Leffler, the Armchair Attorney, joins Malcolm and Julie for an in-depth discussion of C.H. Robinson's proposed $5.8 billion acquisition of ECHO Global Logistics. The conversation explores the deal's potential $300 million in synergies, shareholder and regulatory considerations, integration challenges, nuclear verdicts and liability exposure, and the growing importance of drop-trailer networks as brokers expand beyond traditional brokerage services. From AI-driven efficiency and freight market trends to major industry mergers and evolving legal risks, this episode delivers essential insights into the forces shaping the future of freight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 9 · 2 min
NJ CDL School Sues FMCSA, Split Sleeper Berth Pilot, & Record Container Volumes | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major legal challenge that raises serious questions about federal oversight of driver training schools. Start CDL Inc., a New Jersey-based truck driving school, is contesting its emergency removal from the federal registry after FMCSA cited six trainees with English-language violations but provided evidence containing troubling discrepancies. The two hundred thirty-six-page complaint highlights contradictory documents that name different schools and drivers, raising fundamental questions about how regulators connect roadside safety violations to training providers. Next, we explore a regulatory development that could fundamentally reshape how drivers manage their mandatory rest periods. In a Federal Register notice released Wednesday, FMCSA moved closer to launching a pilot program that would test shorter split sleeper berth configurations, allowing five-five or six-four hour splits instead of the current seven-three minimum. The program will recruit up to two hundred fifty-six volunteer drivers who will each receive one thousand six hundred dollars for sixteen weeks of participation in a pilot scheduled to run thirty-four to thirty-six months. Finally, we break down historic milestones in global container shipping despite ongoing disruptions across major trade routes. According to Container Trades Statistics, global container volumes reached a record seventeen point four six million TEUs in August, surpassing the previous record set in July and marking a three point seven percent increase year over year. Freight pricing climbed alongside volumes, with the Global Price Index hitting one hundred seventeen in August, approximately fifty percent above its January level, driven largely by an eight percent increase in Asia exports year to date. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 8 · 1 hr 23 min
FreightWaves Today | October 8
FreightWaves Today looks at the latest forces shaping freight markets and supply chains, beginning with Hurricane Isaias and the potential impact of severe weather on freight infrastructure and operations. Malcolm Harris and Zach Strickland also discuss weather risks across the country, including flooding concerns in the West and what freight operators should watch as additional systems develop. The Morning Minute covers major developments across rail, cross-border and ocean freight, including Union Pacific’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern, record U.S.-Mexico trade activity and rising profit expectations at ZIM amid strong container demand. The conversation also examines Mexico’s growing importance to North American supply chains and the movement of automotive components across the border. The episode features a conversation with Ilhan Kolko of Aviro36, focused on the company’s third-generation mobile inventory product and the use of hardware, computer vision and AI to provide real-time visibility inside freight yards. The discussion explores “yard blindness,” reducing asset search times, improving gate and yard operations, integrating with existing systems of record and the potential for greater automation and autonomy in freight yards. Zach then delivers a Sonar Update on the freight market, examining elevated tender rejection rates, rising spot rates, fuel prices and regional volatility. Particular attention is given to Ontario and Southern California, with the analysis emphasizing that the biggest sources of market volatility may be outside the areas receiving the most headlines. The episode closes with Zach and Sonar head economist DJ Donahue discussing the broader economy, including the effect of tariffs on consumer prices and inflation, along with major developments in the freight brokerage market. Together, the segments connect current weather, trade, technology, freight rates and economic conditions to the issues facing transportation and supply chain professionals today. Follow the Freightonomics Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 8 · 3 min
UP CEO 99.99% Confident on Merger, Mexico Trade Hits $94.3B, & Zim Lifts Profit Forecast 72% | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining the railroad industry's most ambitious consolidation as Union Pacific's CEO expresses extraordinary confidence that regulators will approve the $85 billion Norfolk Southern acquisition. Despite fierce opposition from labor unions, agricultural groups, and competing railroads, the executive argues that combining the two networks would save customers up to 48 hours by eliminating interchange delays. The proposed mega-merger would create a rail giant controlling roughly 50,000 miles of track, with a final decision from the Surface Transportation Board expected in 2027. Meanwhile, cross-border commerce is reaching record-breaking levels as Mexico remains the United States' largest trading partner with August two-way trade surging to $94.3 billion, up nearly 27% year over year. Port Laredo handled $38.56 billion in commerce during August, cementing its position as the nation's busiest international trade gateway and the primary conduit for the rapidly expanding U.S.-Mexico supply chain. Motor vehicle parts and diesel engines led the gateway's top export commodities. Finally, we cover a major ocean carrier that is dramatically raising its full-year profit outlook by 72% on surging container demand and favorable freight-rate momentum. Zim Integrated Shipping Services now expects adjusted EBITDA of $2.7 billion to $3 billion for 2026, up from its previous August guidance range of $2 billion to $2.4 billion. The Israeli container carrier's revised forecast represents a midpoint increase of approximately $650 million as it awaits completion of its pending acquisition by Hapag-Lloyd. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 7 · 1 hr 1 min
FreightWaves Today | October 7
In this episode of FreightWaves Today, hosts Julie Van de Kamp and Malcolm Harris break down the latest supply chain headlines, including a major LA rail cargo bust, 247Services' cross-border expansion, and Uber's $2.3B acquisition of ezCater. Trains Magazine Editor Bill Stevens and Trinity Industries CFO Eric Marchetto join the show to analyze recent rail traffic trends, equipment fleet capacity, and trade tariff uncertainties. Malcolm has his meteorologist debut in the SONAR update as he and Julie track Hurricane Isaias's potential impacts on Gulf Coast freight and fuel refining capacity. Finally, John Conrad, Chief Revenue Officer at Evans Transportation Services, stops by the studio to discuss the true meaning of managed transportation, the role of AI in 3PL operations, and current carrier pricing dynamics. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 7 · 3 min
LAPD Uncovers $1M Stolen Rail Cargo, TA Services Expands Cross-Border, & Uber Acquires ezCater | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off in Southern California, where law enforcement just uncovered a massive cache of stolen rail freight hiding in plain sight. Los Angeles Police Department detectives searched a Whittier shoe retailer and discovered 59 pallets of branded merchandise connected to stolen BNSF and Union Pacific rail cargo totaling about one million dollars. The recovered property included Nike, New Balance, Brooks and Sanuk footwear, along with Yeti cups, JanSport backpacks, and Shark vacuums, and led to the arrest of the business owner on suspicion of receiving stolen goods. Meanwhile, a major expansion is reshaping the U.S.-Mexico cross-border logistics landscape. Mansfield, Texas-based third-party logistics provider TA Services announced it has acquired two Texas trucking companies, adding 133 power units and a massive 550,000 square feet of warehousing to its growing cross-border network. The transaction expands TA Services' footprint in El Paso and Laredo—two critical gateways for freight moving between the U.S. and Mexico—and strengthens the company's ability to serve manufacturers in the expanding industrial corridor. Finally, we explore how Uber is making a colossal bet on high-value business deliveries as Uber Technologies agreed to acquire workplace catering platform ezCater for $2.3 billion in an all-cash transaction. The deal combines ezCater's corporate catering business with Uber Eats and Uber for Business, giving Uber access to a large pool of higher-value, scheduled deliveries with an average order value exceeding four hundred dollars. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 6 · 1 hr 4 min
FreightWaves Today | October 6
The freight industry continues to digest C.H. Robinson's acquisition of RXO, described as the largest brokerage M&A transaction in history. Craig and Julie speak with Chris Wofford, founder and managing partner of Wofford Advisors, for a deeper look at the roughly $5.8 billion transaction, the importance of the $300 million in expected synergies, the challenges Robinson will face in delivering those savings, and what the deal could mean for competition, market consolidation and the next wave of M&A across freight and logistics. The episode also features an in-depth conversation with ImportGenius co-founder and CEO Michael Kanko about what shipment-level trade data reveals about the U.S. economy and the ongoing trade war. Kanko explains how ImportGenius tracks nearly 8 billion international shipment records, offering granular visibility into products, shippers, receivers and sourcing patterns. The discussion covers shifting import activity in China, Vietnam and Mexico, the gap between Chinese and U.S. trade data, compliance and enforcement applications, and the company's push for the Manifest Modernization Act to bring greater transparency to air cargo. The show also takes a closer look at freight capacity through a SONAR market update, challenging the idea that rising operating authorities necessarily mean more trucks are entering the market. Julie examines elevated tender rejections, relatively modest truckload volume growth, declining new-fleet tractor counts and the barriers keeping capacity from returning, including driver availability, insurance, litigation, regulation and diesel costs. The outlook points to a capacity-constrained market through early 2027 and potentially longer, with tractor counts, fleet miles and the gap between tender volumes and rejections emerging as key indicators to watch. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 6 · 3 min
STG Logistics Names New CEO, FMCSA Doubles HOS Emergency Relief, & Class 8 Orders Jump 18% | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining the major leadership changes at STG Logistics, where the intermodal marketing company has installed a new CEO following its massive financial restructuring. Jack Holmes, a UPS veteran who previously led UPS Freight, takes the helm after the company slashed its funded debt by a staggering ninety percent through a pre-packaged Chapter 11 that reduced debt by nearly one billion dollars while securing one hundred fifty million in fresh capital. Over in Washington, truckers responding to regional disasters just received significant regulatory relief as FMCSA published a final rule doubling the automatic hours-of-service exemption period from fourteen days back to thirty days. This change, which took effect immediately, reverses a 2023 policy that had shortened the emergency relief window and is expected to drastically reduce administrative burdens, cutting annual extension requests from approximately fifty down to twenty-five. Finally, we explore the heavy-duty truck market where Class 8 orders climbed eighteen percent in September as fleets navigate murky regulatory terrain heading into model year 2027. While year-to-date orders have surged a massive ninety-five percent compared to last year, the market faces significant uncertainty over upcoming EPA nitrogen oxide emissions requirements, with nonconformance penalties potentially adding six to seven thousand dollars per truck versus eight to twelve thousand for fully compliant engines. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 5 · 1 hr 4 min
FreightWaves Today | October 5
The freight industry wakes up to a blockbuster deal as C.H. Robinson announces its acquisition of RXO in what the show describes as the largest transaction in freight brokerage history. Craig and Julie break down the roughly $5.8 billion deal, the $300 million in expected synergies, the strategic rationale behind the acquisition, and what the combination could mean for competition and further consolidation across the brokerage market. The episode also features an in-depth conversation with Estes President and COO Webb Estes, about the current freight market, including strong tonnage growth, available trucking capacity, regional freight trends, manufacturing, retail and grocery demand, and the outlook for the next phase of the freight cycle. The discussion explores Estes' emphasis on customer transparency, employee retention and service, along with the company's plans for a new Chattanooga-area cross-dock facility. Later, the show returns to the C.H. Robinson-RXO deal with John Kingston for a deeper look at Dave Bozeman's transformation of C.H. Robinson, the role of technology and AI, the companies' recent financial performance, and why the transaction could become a catalyst for additional M&A throughout the freight industry. The episode also includes a Highway Verified segment covering a major cocaine seizure at the Lewiston Bridge and a cargo theft involving a redirected shipment of glycerin, plus a preview of the upcoming F3: Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 5 · 3 min
C.H. Robinson Acquires RXO, Truckload's Mixed Signals, & NMFTA Cybersecurity Portal | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining a powerful new cybersecurity defense tool as the freight industry battles escalating digital threats. The National Motor Freight Traffic Association has launched a comprehensive threat reporting portal where companies can anonymously share attack data to help protect the entire sector. By pooling intelligence on hacker tactics and breach indicators, carriers and logistics providers can stop bad actors from simply recycling the same playbook across multiple targets. Next, we discuss a massive consolidation move reshaping the third-party logistics landscape as C.H. Robinson announced its acquisition of RXO in a major cash-and-stock transaction. The deal values RXO shares at thirty dollars and twenty-five cents each and will significantly expand the country's largest 3PL by combining complementary brokerage, managed transportation, global forwarding, and last-mile capabilities into one diversified multi-modal powerhouse. Finally, we explore the genuinely puzzling dynamics unfolding in the truckload market where spot rates are climbing rapidly even as actual freight volumes decline. The National Truckload Index has surged more than ten percent since late August and now sits fifty percent higher year-over-year, yet the accepted load volume index has fallen below its twelve-month average. Analysts point to sharply rising diesel costs as a key culprit, squeezing carrier cash flow as fuel expenses spike before revenue adjusts upward. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 2 · 2 hr 7 min
FreightWaves Today | October 2
Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp sit down with Triumph Financial CEO Aaron Graft to discuss the latest Mile Marker data, the shift toward “defensible capacity,” changing broker margins and why new carrier formation remains unusually low. The episode also looks at the growing connection between ocean and domestic freight. Matt Anderson of WiseTech Global explains the company’s new Ocean Freight Risk Outlook, why reliability is becoming more important than rates on some trade lanes, and what shippers should consider heading into peak season. Plus, the show covers major freight headlines including the Savannah port expansion, CMA CGM’s acquisition of FedEx Supply Chain and a major cocaine seizure at the U.S.-Canada border. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 2 · 3 min
Savannah Terminal Hits 60%, $6M Cocaine Seizure, & CMA CGM Acquires FedEx Supply Chain | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining a massive infrastructure milestone at the Georgia Ports Authority where the $1.6 billion redevelopment of Ocean Terminal has officially surpassed the 60% completion mark. The sprawling expansion will drastically transform Ocean Terminal's annual capacity from 200,000 twenty-foot equivalent units to a staggering 1.75 million TEUs, forming a central component of Georgia Ports' broader ten-year master plan calling for approximately $5 billion in capacity investments across the state. Meanwhile, we explore a stark reminder of why border enforcement remains critical in both directions as U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers uncovered approximately 450 pounds of cocaine hidden beneath the floor of an empty semi-trailer headed toward Canada at Lewiston Bridge in New York. The narcotics carried an estimated street value of about $6 million, and investigators ultimately uncovered 174 vacuum-sealed packages inside the modified trailer structure after a CBP canine alerted during initial inspection. Finally, we break down how France-based shipping conglomerate CMA CGM Group has officially completed its $1.4 billion acquisition of FedEx Supply Chain, the contract logistics arm of FedEx Corp. The blockbuster purchase significantly expands Ceva Logistics's contract logistics operations in North America, tripling the warehouse footprint by adding about 34 million square feet and 130 customers, while the combined business now operates approximately 150 warehouses across more than 240 North American locations. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 1 · 1 hr 33 min
FreightWaves Today | October 1
FreightWaves Today kicks off the fourth quarter with a packed episode covering autonomous trucking, freight market conditions, driver appreciation and the latest issues shaping transportation. Malcolm Harris and Zach Strickland break down the morning’s biggest freight headlines, including new commercial trucking and cross-border enforcement legislation, a bizarre autonomous-trailer theft involving Plus AI, and growing challenges around cross-border freight between the U.S. and Mexico. Then, Kodiak’s Daniel Goff and PrePass CTO Chas Worcester join the show to discuss Kodiak’s partnership with IKEA as a driverless launch shipper and its work with PrePass to connect autonomous trucks with roadside inspection systems. They explain how autonomous vehicles are being tested for safety, how enhanced inspections work and what the path toward nationwide deployment could look like. Zach Strickland delivers a SONAR market update, examining tender rejection rates, truckload capacity, spot rates, early-October freight demand and the continued growth of domestic intermodal. The episode also features a conversation with Samsara’s Kelly Soderlund about the company’s first Driver Appreciation Month and its new Driver Perks program, including discounts and benefits designed for professional drivers. Later, Zach and Thomas Watson dig deeper into the fourth-quarter freight outlook, economic indicators and the impact of elevated diesel prices on carriers and transportation costs. Plus, get the latest details on the upcoming F3: Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, taking place October 27–28. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 1 · 4 min
$100K Cabotage Fines Proposed, PlusAI Thieves Get Sand, & Nearshoring Hits Border Crunch | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off in Washington, where a Texas congressman has introduced sweeping legislation aimed at overhauling trucking safety and cross-border enforcement. Named after eight-year-old Barron Ritchey, who was tragically killed when a wheel assembly struck his family's vehicle, the bill would require mandatory English-proficiency tests for all commercial drivers and impose fines of up to $100,000 per vehicle per day on foreign carriers caught illegally hauling domestic freight. The legislation also targets chameleon carriers and would establish a pilot program using GPS and geofencing technology to identify foreign-domiciled carriers suspected of cabotage violations. Next, we explore a bizarre cargo crime story out of California that took a remarkably unexpected turn. When thieves stole two PlusAI trailers bearing NVIDIA branding from the company's Fremont warehouse, they expected high-value autonomous trucking technology but instead found 40,000 pounds of sand used for simulated loads during manual testing. In a stroke of luck, both trailers were discovered just hours later outside a Newark office, abandoned with all the sand still intact after the disappointed thieves opened the back doors and found nothing worth stealing. Finally, we examine how the massive nearshoring boom is running into serious operational headwinds at the U.S.-Mexico border. Industry executives warn that a shrinking pool of cross-border drivers, tougher customs enforcement, and increasingly sophisticated cargo theft are making cross-border freight movements more difficult and expensive. Cargo theft in Mexico's key Bajío manufacturing region has surged eleven percent year-over-year, with criminal organizations now deploying GPS jammers, inside information, and violent tactics that render basic tracking systems inadequate for freight security. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 30 · 1 hr 5 min
FreightWaves Today | September 30
As the third quarter comes to a close, FreightWaves Today looks at the forces shaping freight heading into Q4 — from cargo theft and diesel prices to record-setting intermodal volumes and the evolution of electric trucking. The show opens with a look at a coordinated national cargo-theft enforcement operation that recovered roughly $635,000 in stolen freight, followed by an update on falling diesel prices and new cold-storage warehouse safety requirements in California. Then, Sarit Tamir, founder and CEO of a computer-vision company, explains how warehouses can use cameras they already have to identify hidden sources of lost capacity, including idle dock doors, congestion, blocked aisles and forklift bottlenecks. The episode also features a SONAR intermodal update, with domestic rail container volumes reaching a new annual high and shippers continuing to shift freight from truckload to rail in search of significant cost savings. The discussion examines whether railroads, terminals and drayage providers can keep pace as intermodal volumes continue to grow. Trains Magazine editor Bill Stephens joins the show to break down the latest rail traffic data, including growth in intermodal, chemicals and metals, while discussing drayage capacity, rail service and the bankruptcy of Brightline. Finally, FreightWaves’ Adam Wingfield shares his firsthand experience driving a loaded Tesla Semi. A longtime skeptic, Adam discusses the truck’s acceleration, regenerative braking, camera-based visibility, maintenance advantages and the remaining questions around range and long-haul applications. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 30 · 3 min
Cargo Theft Blitz Recovers $635K, California Cold-Storage Crackdown, & Diesel Prices Drop | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining a landmark law enforcement operation that dealt a major blow to cargo theft networks nationwide. The coordinated National Supply Chain Blitz resulted in multiple arrests and approximately $635,000 in recovered stolen freight, including thirty stolen transformers worth roughly $600,000 that were located at a Massachusetts facility using fraudulent documentation. Next, we explore how California is tightening regulatory oversight of cold-storage facilities following a devastating industrial fire. Governor Gavin Newsom signed new legislation requiring emergency financial resources and authorizing significantly higher penalties for safety violations at large cold-storage warehouses after the massive eight-day Lineage fire in Los Angeles triggered a state emergency declaration and widespread public health concerns. Finally, we cover some welcome news for truckers as retail diesel prices dropped nearly fifteen cents per gallon from their recent all-time highs. The decline ends a three-week streak of record-breaking weekly prices and is being driven by increasing crude oil flows out of the Persian Gulf approaching pre-war levels. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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