As tariffs and geopolitical risk reshape global trade, Gartner’s inaugural 4PL Magic Quadrant highlights a shift from execution to full-scale supply chain orchestration.
Health insurance has never been simple in trucking. For owner-operators and small carriers, it’s often one of the most confusing, expensive, and emotionally loaded parts of running the business. And in 2026, that pressure could increase — not because of a new law, but because a temporary one may quietly run out. Several provisions tied […]
With 2025 almost in the books, the smartest thing a small carrier can do right now isn’t chase one more load — it’s slow down just enough to decide what 2026 actually needs to look like. If you’re reading this with less than two weeks left in the year, you’re right on time. Not late. […]
There’s a moment in every trucking journey where two operators standing in the same parking lot, pulling similar freight, and running similar equipment quietly drift onto completely different paths. On the surface, nothing looks different. Both trucks are running. Both drivers are working. Both businesses are technically “operating.” But underneath, one is being held together […]
Some carriers are taught to think in cost per mile. It’s familiar. It’s easy to explain. And it’s only part of the picture. Cost per mile tells you how expensive it is to move the truck down the road. It does not tell you how expensive it is to run a business. That’s where cost […]
Winter doesn’t usually just put trucking companies out of business overnight. It exposes the cracks that were already there. That’s the core idea behind the Winter Readiness Masterclass we recently held inside Playbook. Not winter as a weather problem—but winter as a stress test on your equipment, your drivers, your cash flow, your dispatch decisions, […]
That story feels familiar to small carriers for a reason. Spot rates don’t move on a schedule, and they don’t follow clean rules. For years, the industry has tried to predict them with confidence — the turn is coming, capacity is tightening, just wait a few more weeks. After enough missed calls, you stop reacting. […]
Your truck isn’t just a piece of equipment. It’s your office. Your income. Your schedule. Your leverage. And the moment a DPF light or engine fault shows up on the dash, all of that can grind to a halt. That reality is exactly why this recent episode of The Long Haul hit home for so […]
RPM’s second acquisition this month adds more services to the non-asset auto hauler.
Empire National’s growth from a small family business into a national asset-based carrier reflects a deliberate strategy centered on operational discipline, technology investment, and people-first leadership.
After years of volatility, players across the transportation industry are holding hope that 2026 brings equilibrium. Many analysts forecast 2026 to be a reset year, representing a realignment more than a dramatic boom or bust. Today, capacity is normalizing somewhat due in part to stricter compliance enforcement. This has spurred a marginal spot rate increase. […]
Amid 18-month expansion Qargo quadruples customer base, grows processed invoicing to $2.5 billion
The FreightWaves Roadshow 2026 is gearing up for an exciting kickoff. We’re connecting freight and supply chain professionals with critical insights and strategies in some of the most pivotal freight cities across the country.
Most freight brokerages say they can handle whatever the market throws at them. Nearly two-thirds report feeling resilient despite rate swings, volume drops, and cash crunches, according to new research from FreightWaves and OTR Solutions. Digging deeper into the numbers, however, a different story emerges. About 68% of surveyed brokerages experienced financial stress over the […]
President Donald Trump said he will impose an additional 5% tariff on Mexican imports unless the country releases 200,000 acre-feet of water owed to Texas under a 1944 treaty.
FreightWaves is building recognition for the freight and logistics centers that play crucial roles in our daily lives. We want to bring together community voices from across the country to identify which towns are doing the most to drive our supply chain forward.
The transportation industry stands at an inflection point, and carriers are facing a complex web of challenges that stretch operational capabilities to their limits. Companies are dealing with fluctuating capacity, compressed margins, rising customer expectations, and an increasingly competitive landscape where real-time decision-making separates winners from mere survivors. Traditional transportation management systems – many of […]
Pallet just debuted the newest logistics series: Supply Chain Insiders. Leaders are getting candid about their real experiences and we got the inside scoop. “Supply Chain is built on the conversations that happen behind closed doors,” said Supply Chain Insiders host and General Manager at Pallet, Michael Burg. “We wanted to create a space where […]
Pratham Bansal of Lanesurf shares how their AI platform (trained by freight brokers and carriers) is making load booking possible within 10 minutes with vetted carriers during their tech demo at the 2025 F3: Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
For years, drivers rolling through North Carolina have been dealing with a problem that never should’ve been part of their workday—a growing number of private parking-lot companies slapping boots on tractor-trailers and box trucks the second a driver stepped away from the vehicle. Some operators waited in the shadows for truckers to leave the cab. […]
Historically, shippers struggled to align their freight needs with rigid mode options like LTL and truckload. Less-than-truckload (LTL) services often come with hefty fees and increased damages, while shipping a partially empty truckload is essentially paying to ship air. Shared Truckload (STL) has emerged as a convenient and increasingly popular option for these shippers. Shared […]
SONAR goes much deeper in volume data with a new tender source.
At this year’s F3: Future of Freight Festival, Amazon Freight General Manager Ari Silkey offered a detailed look at how Amazon’s transportation network has evolved.
In this episode of Net-Zero Carbon, host Mary O’Connell sits down with Dave Slade, principal biofuels scientist at Chevron, to break down the various fuels available to fleets, the advantages of running alternative fuel options, and how companies can decide what fuels are best for them.
Holiday shopping events mean one thing for carriers: more freight on the road. Amazon Prime’s Black Friday sale—running from November 20 to December 1—brings a surge in e-commerce volume that translates directly into increased loads across Amazon Relay’s load board. For carriers looking to capitalize on seasonal demand, this multi-day shopping event creates opportunities that […]
Alpha Augmented Services says global logistics providers are accelerating their shift toward AI-driven automation — driven by labor shortages, data gaps and tariff volatility.
FreightWaves’ Thomas sits down with Patrick Frith, Senior Director of Growth and Cross-Border at Avalara, to talk about the most turbulent year global shippers have faced in decades. They break down the rapid tariff changes, the end of U.S. de minimis, the rise of tariff engineering, and how automation and AI are becoming essential for staying compliant amid 600,000+ tariff updates in 2025.
A newly surfaced draft memo from inside the U.S. Department of Transportation signals one of the strongest federal moves yet to identify and shut down “chameleon carriers” — companies that repeatedly shut down, reopen under new names, and dodge enforcement. For years, these operators have quietly slipped through the cracks, hurting small legitimate carriers and […]
When Home Depot reported earnings early this week, it gave us the first real signal about how freight could shape up heading into Q1. They told us the consumer wasn’t collapsing, but they also weren’t opening their wallets like they used to. Big home projects were getting delayed. DIY was soft. And inventory levels were […]
The used truck market has been on a roller coaster for the last five years. First came the COVID boom, when prices exploded and used tractors were selling for more than brand-new models did prior it felt like. Then came the freight recession, which sent prices tumbling and flooded the market with equipment nobody wanted […]
For months, the trucking industry has been waiting to see whether EPA would bend, pause, or extend the 2027 NOx emissions deadline. Industry groups filed petitions. Manufacturers warned about rushed timelines. Trucking associations argued the rollout was too fast and too expensive. But none of it moved the agency. EPA said no. The deadline remains. […]
In a spirited debate at the Chicago Traffic Club, two of the transportation industry’s most influential voices squared off on the challenges facing freight markets.
Journey offers freight brokerages recruiting, consulting, and training.
When the lights came up at FreightWaves’ F3: Future of Freight Festival this fall, few expected one of the most talked-about sessions to shift the conversation away from agentic AI and toward something a little more grounded: fuel routing. That’s exactly what happened when MapUp took the stage with FirstFleet, Inc. to debut its new […]
From pharmaceutical products that must remain within a strict temperature range to high-value technology moving across borders, high-stakes freight demands a higher standard of care. Werner Premium Services represents the company’s go-to-market strategy for specialized freight that demands more than standard handling. This division builds on Werner’s core operation with advanced capabilities and added layers […]
Freight moves fast, and even the most seasoned carriers and brokers can struggle to keep up. PCS Software wants to change that.
Declining container volumes are aiding port and terminal operations, but trucking issues could impact the supply chain in 2026, a new report finds.
In this episode of What the Truck?!?, host Malcolm Harris sits down with eTruux CEO Shan Ravin to break down how eTruux is bridging efficiency and trust between shippers and carriers with transparent pricing and integrated TMS + ELD systems.
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.
The first real winter as an owner-operator feels a lot like your first year running your own business — the weather just exposes what you didn’t prepare for. Cold doesn’t care how motivated you are, how nice your truck is, or how solid your dispatcher sounds on the phone. When the temps fall below freezing, […]
At this year’s F3: Future of Freight Festival, Sope Creek Capital Founder Kevin Nolan sat down with FreightWaves’ Founder Craig Fuller to talk about the kinds of startups that succeed in the current logistics landscape.
FreightWaves sat down with Danielle Villegas of PCS Software to talk about how the freight industry will have to reorganize to make the best use of AI in logistics.
Supply chain leaders at a Samsara webinar outlined how they’re using tech solutions for safer, smarter operations during the holiday rush
Sen. Thom Tillis secured a multi-million earmark for a North Carolina truck driver training expansion included in the spending package to reopen the government.
Major impacts to travel are happening across the midwest as an early season storm brings snow and ice to the regions.
A federal lawsuit is now underway challenging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new interim final rule that limits the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The lawsuit, filed on October 20, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the D.C. Circuit, argues that FMCSA’s decision to enforce the rule immediately—without going through […]
Trucking’s pain is spreading beyond freight rates and diesel prices — it’s now hitting the banks. In its third-quarter earnings release, Midland States Bancorp revealed that trucking industry woes triggered $5 million in equipment finance charge-offs for the quarter, prompting the Illinois-based lender to walk away from equipment financing altogether. That decision wasn’t made lightly. […]
GXO Logistics reported record third-quarter revenue and outlined a sharpened North America growth strategy.
Explore shipper sentiment and freight market trends in a soft October.
“The supply-demand balance may retrench in the coming months…”
You want your stuff unloaded? Pay somebody to do it. Small carriers should not have to worry about having to pay someone to unload at a receiver.
The U.S. Senate’s bipartisan vote to roll back President Donald Trump’s global tariffs underscores mounting resistance to his trade agenda.
AI is only as good as what you ask it to do.
Starting January 16, 2026, freight brokers will face stricter financial standards that could thin the herd—and for small carriers, that shift might finally level the playing field.
OTR Solutions, the leader in logistics-focused back-office technology and financial solutions, today announced the launch of Truly Instant Funding, the industry’s most advanced factoring solution, giving carriers access to much needed liquidity within minutes of invoice upload, 24/7/365, to any bank account. Built to give carriers true financial control, this innovation marks a defining moment […]
When adjusted for inflation, truck driver wages have grown 1.1% in 15 years.
Nuvocargo’s acquisition of Mentum is aimed at benefiting shippers and carriers in the North American trade corridor.
Small-parcel shipping has entered an era defined less by brand loyalty and more by cost transparency, resilience, and speed. Shippers are diversifying away from single-carrier dependency toward a portfolio that blends incumbents with credible alternative carriers. From SmartKargo’s vantage point (where airline networks, data, and unified “dock-to-door” orchestration meet) this shift is structural. And one […]
When you disrespect the skill it takes to drive a truck, you’re not just wrong — you’re dangerously uninformed.
There comes a time when legacy institutions must step aside — not out of disrespect, but because they’ve simply lost touch. And in the case of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), that time is now.
Let’s keep this simple: lumber and steel are two of the biggest drivers of flatbed freight in this country. If people are building houses, warehouses, retail centers, data centers, transmission lines, and factories, you’re hauling the stuff — framing lumber, coils, plate, beams, structural steel, rebar. When that demand is hot, you feel it right […]
When used the right way, AI can handle all of the processes that you wished you had, but you just couldn’t find the bandwidth to build them out.
The U.S. and China are poised to de-escalate their trade war through a new framework agreement, but the White House announced new tariffs on Canada.
The latest generation of steer tires, like the Firestone FS592, isn’t just rubber and tread—it’s engineered safety, longer life, and better ROI for small fleet owners who can’t afford guesswork.
If you’re an owner-operator or small fleet owner staring down the barrel of an engine problem, you already know the feeling—an uneasy mix of fear, frustration, and that sinking question in your gut:
What happens when brokers start choosing capacity not by safety, but by who’s $500 cheaper? Welcome to the underbelly of the non-domiciled CDL crisis.
It should’ve just been another Tuesday. But in the early hours on I-10 in California, three lives were lost — violently, unnecessarily — when a big rig, reportedly driven by an unauthorized immigrant under the influence, plowed into traffic. The impact was immediate. So was the outrage. This wasn’t just a crash. It was another […]
In today’s market, a check engine light can be more than an inconvenience — it can be a trap. Here’s why code clearing without real diagnosis is one of the most dangerous shortcuts a shop can take on your equipment.
When the Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized its rule on non-domiciled commercial drivers, it likely knew pushback was coming — but maybe not this quick. A coalition of immigrants and advocacy groups has now filed a formal legal challenge against FMCSA, arguing that the federal government’s move to deauthorize nearly 200,000 lawfully present drivers is […]
In a market defined by high fuel prices, flat freight rates, and relentless pressure, simply staying alive as a small carrier is a mark of discipline—not defeat.
Robinson announces its ‘Agentic Supply Chain.’
You don’t wait until the house is on fire to learn how to use an extinguisher. The same goes for load claims. If you’re running a trucking business — whether it’s one truck or ten — load claims aren’t a matter of “if.” It’s a matter of “when.” When that day comes, your driver will […]
It’s one thing to debate rules in Washington — it’s another when 6,000 drivers are removed from the roads.. That’s what’s happening across the country as federal regulators begin enforcing a rule that’s been on the books for decades but rarely taken seriously — the requirement that every commercial driver operating an 80,000‑pound truck in […]
For many small carriers and owner-operators, factoring can feel like a lifeline. You deliver a load today, and instead of waiting 30 to 45 days to get paid, your factoring company cuts you a check within 24 hours. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? But what many don’t realize is that the contract you sign with […]
There was a time when folks laughed at the idea of ELDs becoming mandatory. A time when faxing rate cons felt like standard procedure. And when you could run a whole dispatch board with nothing but a yellow pad and a flip phone. That time ain’t now. We’re living in the age of automation. And […]
There’s a quiet, ugly truth behind many of the owner-operator breakdowns you see these days: DPF systems and emissions enforcement have bled carriers dry for years. The semiconductor chips, the sensors, the regeneration cycles—they’re not just technical burdens. They’re capital killers. Now, a new bill—the “Diesel Truck Liberation Act”—is pushing back against the EPA’s reach, […]
Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it would withhold approximately $40.7 million in federal grant funding from the state of California, citing that it failed to enforce the federal English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement for commercial drivers. That move is deeper than headline politics. For the trucking industry — especially small carriers and […]
Over the past several years, the transportation industry has struggled to keep pace with soaring e-commerce demand. Against this backdrop, Amazon developed the Amazon Freight Partner program to create opportunities within its middle-mile logistics network for both leaders looking to start a transportation business and professional CDL-A drivers looking to expand their driving career.
When I first stepped into CDL school more than two decades ago, there was one thing that stuck with me—not just for the test, not just for the road exam—but something that still rides with me every single mile: the Smith System. They didn’t just teach it. They drilled it. Burned it into our brains […]
Contributed Content If you’ve ever thought about hauling FEMA loads, now’s the time to get your paperwork in order. FEMA’s Transportation Service Provider (TSP) program opens registration once a year — and if you miss it, you’ll be sitting on the sidelines when emergency freight starts moving. Getting approved isn’t complicated, but it does take […]
A white paper and webinar analyze the trucking market’s sudden shift.
Arkestro co-founder Edmund Zagorin advises companies to treat tariff disruptions as an opportunity to modernize procurement with AI.
For small fleets and owner-operators running on thin margins, idling is one of those hidden costs that can sneak up and eat thousands off your bottom line. But here’s the truth: not all idling is bad. Sometimes it protects your engine, your driver, and even your revenue. The key is knowing when idling makes sense […]
Robinson’s Asset Management System provides detailed, live data on trailers to brokers and their customers.
Mexico’s tariffs on Chinese goods and new customs requirements are forcing U.S. retailers to rethink fulfillment models.
Every time that check engine light comes on, you’re left guessing — but with one small device in your cab, you could skip the tow, avoid the shop, and handle regens on your own terms.
Rates are holding steady for now, fuel prices are climbing, and reefer carriers are still outperforming the rest — but without a real uptick in volumes or inbound freight, small carriers are walking a fine line between survival and pressure this October.
While headlines focus on arrests, the real story is playing out on the road. Drivers are quietly avoiding entire regions, brokers are scrambling to cover freight, and rates are climbing as fear starts rewriting the trucking map.
Walk into any diesel shop today and you’ll see it plain as day — bays full of trucks, fewer techs on the floor, and longer wait times that stretch into weeks instead of days. For a small carrier, that’s not just an inconvenience, that’s revenue bleeding out while your truck sits idle.
Amazon Relay has evolved significantly beyond its traditional power-only foundation, creating new opportunities for carriers with diverse equipment configurations. As Amazon’s consumer sales continue growing and the company expands support for third-party shippers, Relay recognizes the critical need to accommodate carriers operating various trailer types and specialized equipment. Breaking beyond power-only limitations When carriers think […]
National Tree Co. CEO warns that tariffs and inflation are adding millions in costs and could tighten supplies of artificial trees and holiday décor.
Over 8 out of 10 attendees walked into Amazon RelayCon 2025 looking to grow — not survive — and the event made one thing clear: for the right type of small carrier, Relay is a business model worth studying.
Every small carrier says they’re “reliable.” Every one says they’re “family-owned.” And all of them promise they “treat customers like partners.” Those slogans look good on a website, but the truth is they don’t move the needle when you’re one of nearly 580,000 active U.S. carriers — and more than 91% of them run 10 […]
PMI just posted a 49.1 — and while that might not mean much to most, for small carriers, it’s a crystal ball into freight demand, margin pressure, and the moves you need to make now to stay profitable.
Every small carrier has been there — staring at a weak load board, wondering if hauling a $1.35-a-mile load is better than running empty. On paper it looks like “something is better than nothing.” But the real cost of cheap freight goes far beyond the numbers you see in the rate confirmation.
Trucking isn’t a flat line — it’s a rollercoaster of peaks, valleys, and regional swings driven by what people eat, buy, and build. If you don’t plan for freight seasons, they’ll plan for you — and usually the result is a thin wallet.
Every owner-operator faces that moment of truth: take the cheap freight in front of you, or burn diesel running empty to the next market. The wrong choice can eat your margin. The right one can save your week. Here’s how to know the difference.
Many small fleets don’t think about their next driver until the seat is already empty. By then it’s too late — you’re scrambling, trucks are parked, and revenue is bleeding. Building bench strength isn’t a luxury, it’s survival.
Consistently heavy freight doesn’t just risk a DOT ticket — it slowly eats away at your truck’s suspension, brakes, and cooling system until potentially one day you’re sidelined with a repair bill.
Your trailer doesn’t have to blow a tire or drop a landing gear to ruin your week — sometimes it’s as simple as a drip from the roof or a weak wall panel that lets in water. Those small oversights are what turn profitable freight into expensive claims and can cost you the shipper’s trust for good.
