The Playbook

A reefer unit burns its own diesel. Anyone who runs refrigerated freight knows this, because they are paying for two fuel burns on every load: the diesel that moves the truck down the road, and the separate diesel that runs the refrigeration unit on the trailer keeping the freight cold. Both come out of the […]

What Actually Happened During Blitz Week and What the Numbers Mean The 2026 CVSA International Roadcheck ran May 12 through May 14, a 72-hour enforcement initiative across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The surrounding DOT Blitz Week extended from May 10 through May 17, producing 15,952 total inspections and the 32.8 percent out-of-service rate […]

Now the market turns. Spot rates in mid-2026 are running roughly 15% above where they sat a year ago, the strongest year-over-year comparison since early 2022. That load that paid $2,200 last year is paying $2,500 or $2,600 now. Good. Real money. But there is a caveat, because this is where operators fool themselves. The […]

FMCSA is stripping out compliance noise with one hand and chasing chameleon carriers with the other. The trick is keeping the two in balance.

(The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.) Snap-on Incorporated just bought Diesel Laptops for $100 million in cash. The deal closed on June 8, 2026. The move gives Snap-on a stronger foothold in the world of big truck and heavy […]

North Carolina trucking companies are seeking answers after veteran motor carriers were reportedly identified as new entrants following an FMCSA SafeSpect update.

The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program is an option for small carriers looking to raise capital and scale effectively.

Why This Argument Never Ends Go search “factoring” in any trucking group on Facebook. Doesn’t matter which one. What you’ll find looks less like a conversation and more like a street fight. One driver swears it kept his business alive through the freight recession. The driver next to him says it quietly ate his margins […]

(The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.) On May 22, 2026, the United States Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II that removed a legal shield freight brokers have relied on for decades. Eleven […]

(The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.) A broker has a load and three carriers willing to haul it. Which one is safe? For all the data our industry supposedly drowns in, there is still no dependable way to answer […]

Excerpt: The benchmark used for most fuel surcharges is below $5 for the first time since early March.

How maintenance frequency maps to violation patterns, and why the carriers stretching their service intervals are the same ones showing up with brake and hub seal failures at roadside.

The benchmark diesel price fell more than 15 cts/g as the market ponders what happens post peace deal.

To hold a hazardous materials endorsement, a driver must pass a written knowledge exam on regulations, packaging, and emergency procedures, administered in English. So, how does a driver cited 98 times for being unable to read or speak English still hold that endorsement?

H.R. 5408 gives employers 120 days to reach a first union contract or a government arbitrator writes one for them. The House passed it 230-193 on June 9. The Senate is the last wall. If you run trucks, this is not someone else’s problem.

There is a version of trucking that lives on YouTube. Somebody stands next to a box truck and explains how they made six figures in their first year, and the comments fill up with people saying they are about to quit their jobs and do the same thing. Some of them actually do it. Victor […]

On June 6, a trailer full of fireworks burned and detonated for 25 minutes on I-75 outside Chattanooga. The driver had no hazmat endorsement, no placards, no shipping papers.

Federal safety rules attach to the truck, not the driver. Get under the weight, the seats, or the license class, and some screening lifts. Here’s what the inspection data shows about who ends up behind the wheel of your delivery truck.

Pre-trip inspections are the first line of defense against mechanical failure on the highway. For most of the industry, they are a 30-second checkbox exercise completed in the cab. That gap between regulation and reality is showing up in courtrooms.

Under National Registry 2, the physician is now required to upload the results directly to the FMCSA, which then transmits the data to the state. The driver’s career and the carrier’s compliance both depend on a workflow that the physician may not understand exists.