In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with Michael Precia to break down how fleets can manage rising operational costs by avoiding some of the worst costs with safety and compliance optimization.
Volvo Trucks North America tested its all-new Volvo VNL on a 3,000-mile road trip from Colorado to Alaska, enduring minus 40 F temperatures in Fairbanks. The extreme cold-weather program validates performance, reliability and comfort through real-world scenarios.
A new report from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), released Tuesday, looks at two decades of changes in truck driver demographics to identify untapped recruitment pathways, as fleets grapple with turnover and hiring hurdles.
Motive introduces Positive Driving AI to detect safe behaviors like quick obstacle avoidance, shifting fleets to rewards-based coaching. Results show 64% fewer safety incidents and 43% lower turnover
Rising costs collided with depressed freight rates, according to ATRI’s latest operational costs of trucking benchmarking report. According to the data, the industry’s average cost of operating a truck declined slightly by 0.4% to $2.260 per mile.
CarriersEdge launched an English Language Proficiency Assessment in June 2025 to help trucking carriers comply with U.S. regulations under 49 CFR §391.11(b)(2). The tool evaluates drivers’ language skills for roadside inspections, using audio-visual cues.
Volvo Group and Daimler Truck have officially launched Coretura, a joint venture dedicated to developing a standardized software-defined vehicle platform for commercial vehicles.
Fleetworthy recently announced it had acquired Haul, a provider of AI-powered compliance and safety technology. The combination expands Fleetworthy’s offering by adding artificial intelligence and automation to its capabilities, including automated document audits, intelligent driver onboarding and scorecards, and real-time compliance monitoring. The safety and compliance gains continue to build out Fleetworthy’s existing technology suite, […]
With the rise of fuel fraud and increasingly complex fuel tax regulations, QuikQ’s fuel payment instruments utilize technology to track and prevent discrepancies at the pump.
Chattanooga-based startup Truck Parking Club recently announced it has expanded to over 2,000 locations and over 40,000 reservable spaces.
Recent identity verification changes by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are having a major impact on the number of newly minted operating authorities, according to research from CarrierOK.
RXO recently released its Q2 Truckload Market Forecast, which found that despite economic turmoil, the U.S. truckload space remained relatively calm according to shippers’ KPIs.
Recent Q1 data released by U.S. Bank as part of its Freight Payment Index painted a mixed picture of the national truck freight market, characterized by persistent declines alongside emerging signs of recovery.
OOIDA report challenges driver shortage narrative, argues turnover is the issue
Q1 earnings season is upon us, with early results pointing to continued degradation in truckload carriers’ financial health. Wisconsin-based Marten Transport released its Q1 earnings on Wednesday, but with publicly traded companies timing is everything.
Samsara report examines causes and impacts of distracted driving Technology and telematics provider Samsara released a report on Tuesday that looked at what causes distracted driving and solutions for it. The report included over 1,500 commercial driver respondents. A major theme was that distracted driving is widespread, with text messaging and social media usage as […]
Nationwide truckload carrier C.R. England recently announced it has chosen safety and telematics provider Lytx to equip its 3,500-truck fleet with driver-facing cameras.
Recent data from ACT Research’s March For-Hire Trucking Index showed fleet purchasing intentions at 35% compared to a historical average of 56% for February.
Plus, an AI-based autonomous trucking software provider, and Tier IV, the world’s first open-source software for autonomous driving, announced a partnership to develop autonomous driving solutions in Japan.
The announcement by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on emissions rule terminations marks a quick reversal of the previous Biden-Harris administration’s Clean Trucks Plan.
Recent tariffs levied by the Trump administration have various trucking groups warning of greater risks, while others take a wait-and-see approach.
RXO recently released its Q1 2025 Truckload Market Forecast, with its Curve Index showing a continuation of rate inflation first observed in Q4 2024.
The Environmental Protection Agency under the Trump administration has taken a significant step toward potentially overturning California’s stricter truck emissions regulations.
The Manifest conference in Las Vegas highlighted autonomous truck rollouts, but trucking executives are taking a wait-and-see approach.
US freight market continued to face headwinds in Q4 2024 Data released Tuesday by freight audit and payment provider U.S. Bank showed a trucking industry continuing to battle a variety of headwinds. According to the latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, shipment volumes fell 4.7% from the previous quarter, marking the 10th consecutive quarterly decline. […]
Iowa-based truckload carrier Heartland Express reported a sixth consecutive quarterly net loss (excluding one-time gains) in its Q4 earnings report.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Truck Leasing Task Force delivered a scathing report on lease-purchase programs managed by motor carriers in the trucking industry.
FTR’s 2025 Transportation Outlook predicts steady growth in spot and contract rates amid a shifting economic and political landscape but cautions that the increases will not be as significant as those of 2020 or 2021
Q4 earnings season has the potential to reveal actual progress and results for freight transportation companies, according to recent Morgan Stanley research.
Recent trailer data released by ACT Research and FTR Transportation Intelligence showed net trailer orders improving compared to October but below seasonal expectations.
The North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s recent fleet fuel study highlighted truck fuel economy gains of 7.77 mpg compared to the national average of 6.9 mpg in 2023.
Morgan Stanley released its 2025 Transportation Outlook, which describes the next year as likely a tale of two halves, one with a powerful restocking-driven upcycle followed by the fears of a downcycle beginning in 2026.
Preliminary Class 8 order numbers look promising for November, but tariff uncertainty adds risks as 40% of Class 8 trucks for the U.S. market are currently built in Mexico.
ACT Research forecasts an end of the Great Freight Recession in the for-hire truckload space, but private fleet expansion is tempering expectations.
FMCSA Clearinghouse Phase 2 enforcement may impact about 179,000 CDL holders who are in prohibited status for a drug or alcohol violation.
In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, trucking industry groups see new opportunities to change the regulatory and legislative landscape.
A recent FMCSA-sponsored study looking at the impacts of pay and working conditions on long-distance truck and bus drivers also calls into question claims of a persistent driver shortage.
ATA economist Bob Costello cites macroeconomic “return to normalcy” as a promising sign for trucking amid stagflation and private fleet growth.
ATRI’s 2024 “Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry” report saw truck parking dominate driver concerns, while motor carriers worry more about the economy.
Recent research by MIT examines how market dynamics and relationships impact contract performance.
ACT Research and FTR Transportation Intelligence reported strong September Class 8 net orders as OEM order books open up for next year.
On a recent episode of Loaded and Rolling, Matt Leffler, the Armchair Attorney, spoke about the explosion in nuclear verdicts impacting trucking.
A recent FTR Transportation Intelligence conference highlighted continued poor freight market conditions that are forcing fleets to do more with less.
ATRI’s recently released study on the costs and impacts of driver detention found detention times exceeded four hours in 4.9% of stops.
A recent ATA Driver Compensation Study shows median truckload driver salaries are up 10% in two years despite the poor freight market.
In this edition: CDL training programs get grants, autonomous trucking faces a setback and Motive releases its August economic study.
While repairs for accidents grow costlier every year, fleets running Ex-Guard have seen as much as an 80% decrease in towable accidents.
A recent survey by the National Private Truck Council highlighted the growth of private fleets in size, volume and freight value.
Crete Carrier highlighted positive trends in holiday and retail demand as customers stage shipments for Halloween and Christmas.
J.B. Hunt announced the completion of 50,000 autonomous long-haul trucking miles in a collaboration with autonomous trucking company Kodiak Robotics and Bridgestone Americas.
Werner’s Q2 earnings saw worsening financial conditions but improving freight market conditions and signs of capacity tightening.
Heartland Express’ Q2 earnings saw a net loss of $3.5 million as it works to improve its operating ratio and profitability
Recent data by Motive suggests the freight recession is closer to an end as more robust June restocking spurs higher July retail sales.
The FMCSA recently delayed rulemaking on truck speed limiters, pre-2000 engine ELD mandates and automatic emergency braking systems to 2025.
ATRI has released a June update to its operational cost of trucking report, which saw significant increases in insurance premiums and truck and trailer payments during 2023.
OOIDA and other industry groups are suing over the EPA Phase 3 final rule on greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles.
The FMCSA plans an online survey to determine driver seat belt usage after recent data shows an increase in fatalities from unrestrained drivers.
Trucker Path released its annual Highest-Rated Major US Trucking Corridors results. The I-90, I-5 and I-44 corridors took top spots in parking availability, truck stop ratings and fuel prices.
Overdrive recently surveyed owner-operators about their views on who is hauling cheap freight.
A recent Flock Freight survey reports 43% of truckload orders were partially empty, highlighting ongoing challenges for trailer space utilization.
Recent reports from Ryder System and Knight-Swift highlight significant total cost of ownership and poor range for electric trucks.
CVSA International Roadcheck is Tuesday through Thursday. Its focus is on tractor protection systems in addition to alcohol and controlled substance possession.
LTL executives highlight shippers moving spillover LTL freight to full truckload amid market weakness and low rates.
Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, highlights regulatory challenges at the FreightWaves Small Fleet & Owner-Operator Summit.
J.B. Hunt and Knight-Swift reported higher pressure from customers to cut contracted rates in Q1 bids in an effort to extend savings before the market’s eventual turnaround.
Motive, a telematics, technology and fleet management platform, announced new AI-powered products and telematics hardware at the inaugural Vision 24 Motive Innovation Summit.
Phase 3 greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles covering model years 2027 through 2032 mandate more zero-emission commercial vehicles.
Ahead of Q1 earnings reports, analysts are adjusting their earnings expectations for truckload companies as excess capacity continues to weigh down pricing and margins.
GP Transco is installing solar panels on its entire fleet of around 600 trucks after testing the tech on 10 trucks over a six-month period. The company says the technology will save around $1,700 per tractor per year.
Excess truckload capacity continues to push down rates and change shipper behaviors to a more transactional approach.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appears poised to sign legislation that addresses predatory towing fees aimed at trucking companies.
Knight-Swift President and CEO David Jackson stepped down Tuesday after a nearly 24-year tenure at the company that saw many mergers and acquisitions, including an expansion into the LTL market.
Charles Gracey of Hot Seat Services says recruitment can be difficult even in the best of circumstances, with only a tiny fraction of applicants getting an offer and successfully completing orientation.
Canadian transport and logistics provider TFI International plans to spin off Daseke as a separate company sometime in 2025.
Werner recorded a Q4 earnings miss as low rates, excess capacity and lower truckload demand weigh down its one-way truckload business. Dedicated remained a bright spot with management looking to grow in the coming months.
Insurance woes weigh down Knight-Swift earnings. Reading tea leaves with Covenant Logistics’ Q4 results; evolution of cybersecurity in the supply chain with Antwan Banks
On Wednesday, autonomous trucking startup TuSimple went private after voluntarily delisting from Nasdaq following two years of stock and boardroom drama. FreightWaves’ Alan Adler writes, “TuSimple was the first autonomous trucking company to demonstrate driverless operations on an open highway. One of its trucks traveled 80 miles with no human on board from Tucson, Arizona, to Phoenix in December 2021.”
The freight recession may ease earlier than expected, according to recent comments from Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker. In a call to clients on Monday, Shanker said, “Shippers continue to remain on reorder ‘strike’ while they wait for stronger signals or more favorable conditions on macro but while destocking at the same time, which could lead to everyone wanting to restock at the same time, when the coast clears (or they run out of inventory).”
In December, a federal appeals court ruled that company team drivers’ time spent in sleeper berths after eight hours can be compensated under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The case involved a former CRST trainee who sued CRST in 2016 alleging that the team-based driver training program violated the FLSA based on the carrier’s compensation policy.
The National Transportation Institute (NTI) recently released Q4 2023 driver pay data that shows driver earnings continue to climb in spite of the freight market undergoing a correction. Drivers’ base mileage pay brackets saw a shift, with the 40-to-50-cents-per-mile pay bracket falling 5.2% year over year as fleets raised wages to attract and retain drivers. The 50-to-60-cents-per-mile bracket saw a 6.1% y/y increase.
A report released Monday by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) examines the costs and potential impacts associated with California’s push for zero-emission vehicles. This report is a companion to a December 2022 ATRI report titled “Charging Infrastructure Challenges for the U.S. Electric Vehicle Fleet.
On Wednesday, FreightWaves hosted the Domestic Supply Chain Summit, a virtual event with RXO Chief Strategy Officer Jared Weisfeld as the keynote speaker. The interview, conducted by enterprise trucking carrier expert Thomas Wasson, included an outlook for 2024 and highlighted the biggest supply chain challenges and opportunities.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Monday published a notice in the Federal Register that the state of Florida is seeking an exemption to the CDL testing regulation pertaining to skills testing.
On Wednesday the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released a report that examined causes and impacts of predatory heavy-duty towing. The report defined predatory towing in which “a T&R [towing and recovery] company egregiously overcharges, illegally seizes assets, damages assets by use of improper equipment, or illegitimately withholds release of a truck, trailer, and/or cargo.”
FreightWaves’ Rachel Premack wrote an article on Wednesday outlining her experience attending a truck driver training conference in Corpus Christi, Texas, by the National Association of Publicly-Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS). Premack sought to get more information on a fundamental disagreement in trucking that involves driver turnover and whether there is an ongoing driver shortage.
The changing freight media landscape was on full display at the F3: Future of Freight Festival last week in Chattanooga Tennessee, as influencers, salespeople, presenters and executives intermingled during and after the events.
On Thursday FreightWaves presented the FreightTech 25 awards, which were chosen independently by a panel of CEOs, industry leaders, academics and investors who scored the companies. Chattanooga, Tennessee-based accounting and auditing firm HHM administered the vote. The awards recognize the most innovative and disruptive companies in the freight technology sector.
The Convoy saga has taken another turn as venture-backed freight forwarder Flexport announced Wednesday that it has acquired Convoy’s technology stack for an undisclosed sum. This comes after Convoy, which was valued at $3.8 billion from its final funding round 18 months ago, shuttered operations on Oct. 19.
On Wednesday the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released its latest Cost of Congestion study showing U.S. highway traffic congestion added $94.6 billion in costs to the trucking industry.
Seattle-based digital freight broker Convoy on Wednesday canceled all shipments from its marketplace and company representatives promised more details of a business transition were forthcoming. By Thursday, company employees were told in a meeting that Convoy was “closing down its core business operations.”
A Q3 shipper survey by Morgan Stanley suggests the freight industry has moved “deeper into limbo” as completion of an excess inventory purge now leads to uncertainty as there is no immediate need to restock.
FreightWaves on Tuesday interviewed Angela Acocella, postdoctoral researcher at Tilburg University and researcher with the MIT Center of Transportation and Logistics looking at the impact of ghost lanes on shipper and carrier networks.
Confusion erupted on Monday following reports that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was looking to set a 68 mph maximum speed setting for trucks newer than the 2003 model year.
A report published Tuesday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) must make its complaint database more transparent and publicly available.
At a Morgan Stanley investor conference Tuesday, trucking executives predicted a muted peak season after acknowledging the industry is in the midst bottom of the freight cycle while hoping for some improvement in 2024.
Outbound tender volumes will continue to rise out of Texas; spot rates expected to remain around $2.30 per mile
In an article published Tuesday, FreightWaves CEO and founder Craig Fuller made a case that the trucking industry is not consolidating anytime soon.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Wednesday released parameters on data collection for a new study to determine the impact of detention time on drivers. The Information Collection Request (ICR) was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval and opened the window for public comments.
On Thursday, self-driving trucking company Kodiak Robotics and Pilot Co. opened their first truckport for autonomous vehicles at the Pilot Travel Center in Villa Rica, Georgia. According to the news release, the truckport will be used by Kodiak to launch and land its autonomous trucks and serve as a hub for drivers to pick and drop off loads for first- and last-mile deliveries.
Proposed rulemaking on automatic emergency braking (AEB) introduced in June by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is getting more pushback from a coalition of state law enforcement officials and brake manufacturers that argue more dialogue is needed before moving forward.
