FreightWaves Today: Weekly diesel fuel average continues to fall

Phillips Connect outlines ‘Smart Trailer’ roadmap for autonomous transition

Corey Klujsza, vice president of pricing at RXO, emphasized that spot brokerage operations are acting as a critical “911” service to keep shipper freight moving as tender rejections climb. (Photo: FreightWaves)

Trailer tech 

Mark Wallin, President and General Manager of Phillips Connect, highlighted how the dry van trailer is evolving from a basic asset into a highly intelligent, data-rich node on the supply chain. 

Beyond basic GPS tracking, fleets are rapidly adopting advanced sensors to monitor tire pressure, brake health and door-open events to combat cargo theft and improve roadside safety. 

Wallin noted that as the industry prepares for autonomous trucking, smart trailer capabilities –including cameras paired with AI to monitor volumetric cube utilization– will shift from a premium differentiator to a standard operational requirement.

Fuel markets

FreightWaves reporter John Kingston broke down the latest weekly Department of Energy diesel benchmark, which dropped 14 cents to land at $5.21 per gallon. 

This decline marks the third-lowest average price since the onset of the Iran war, mirroring broader downward pricing trends on CME ultra-low sulfur diesel contracts. 

Kingston noted that while gasoline often sees demand destruction from retail consumers, diesel demand remains rigid as commercial carriers must maintain their schedules to deliver essential goods regardless of price shifts.

RXO reports rising spot demand as contract routing guides fail

Corey Klujsza, vice president of pricing at RXO, joined the show’s “Capacity Now” segment to discuss how the accelerating freight market is placing unprecedented stress on traditional contract networks. 

As primary carriers increasingly reject contracted loads, shippers are seeing routing guide compliance deteriorate and are turning to spot providers for emergency coverage. 

Corey emphasized that spot brokerage operations are acting as a critical “911” service to keep shipper freight moving as tender rejections climb.

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Caleb Revill

Caleb Revill is a journalist, writer and lifelong learner working as a Junior Writer for Firecrown. When he isn't tackling breaking news, Caleb is on the lookout for fascinating feature stories. Every person has a story to tell, and Caleb wants to help share them! He can be contacted by email anytime at Caleb.Revill@firecrown.com.