Sponsored Insights

Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, December 16, 2025

How freight brokers can succeed in 2026: A strategic guide to resilience

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. […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Thursday, December 11, 2025

You share a beer, we share a truck: Stone Brewing’s blueprint for balanced cost, reliability and sustainability

In beer, making the product is only half the challenge; the other half is delivering within strict windows without sacrificing quality or budget. To tackle this challenge, Stone Brewing partnered with Flock Freight to add Shared Truckload (STL) to a blended transportation strategy, cutting spend on underutilized truckloads by 23%, while maintaining 99% on-time pickup […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Wednesday, December 10, 2025

The hidden cost of manual processes in freight brokerage

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 […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Thursday, December 4, 2025

How AI-native technology is reshaping transportation management

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 […]

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Matt Herr Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Why we’re all talking about Supply Chain Insiders

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 […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, December 2, 2025

6 tips to seamlessly add Shared Truckload to your next RFP

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 […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, November 25, 2025

How Amazon Relay turns peak season volume into real opportunity

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 […]

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Matt Herr Monday, November 24, 2025

How Global Shippers Are Navigating the Most Turbulent Year in Cross-Border History

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.

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Ashley Coker Prince Thursday, November 20, 2025

Powering performance: How Chevron’s integrated fuel and lubricant solutions are transforming fleet operations

Fleet operators today face significant complexity as they balance emissions targets, operational efficiency, and cost management. Fuel diversity is increasing as fleets incorporate lower carbon intensity fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), biodiesel, and renewable diesel along with petroleum diesel. Yet this fuel diversification can create new challenges: maintaining compatibility […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, November 18, 2025

MapUp’s FuelGuru shines at F3: FirstFleet’s live demo proves power of smarter fuel routing 

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 […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Werner Premium Services: Tailored logistics for high-value, high-stakes freight

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 […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Wednesday, October 29, 2025

OTR Solutions launches Truly Instant Funding — the future of fintech in logistics

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 […]

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Sponsor Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Alternative Carriers Are Surging in Small-Parcel Delivery

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 […]

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Matt Herr Thursday, October 16, 2025

Amazon Freight Partners: Redefining Driver Careers in Transportation

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.

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Ashley Coker Prince Monday, October 13, 2025

Technology at the crossroads: How AI and sustainability are transforming trucking

Trucking’s path to sustainability isn’t straightforward, but artificial intelligence is bridging the gap between aspiration and action. In a recent episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson welcomed EROAD Chief Data Science Officer Dean Marris and Chief Sustainability Officer Craig Marris to explore the “messy middle” between sustainability and artificial intelligence in the trucking […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Amazon Relay expands equipment options to support diverse fleet opportunities

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 […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Thursday, September 25, 2025

OTR Solutions transforms access to fuel credit for carriers nationwide 

OTR Solutions, a full-service freight factoring and transportation technology company, has announced the launch of its new fuel credit offering, the OTR Fuel Card. This offer provides both new and established carriers with reliable access to credit backed by their factoring relationship, not their credit score. The factoring integration ensures carriers can fuel today and […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Wednesday, September 24, 2025

How to use AI workflows with your freight tech

The transportation industry finds itself at a pivotal moment where generative artificial intelligence (AI) holds immense promise for operational transformation, yet many logistics companies remain uncertain about how to effectively harness these emerging technologies. Rather than viewing AI as a wholesale replacement for existing infrastructure, the most successful organizations are discovering its true value lies […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, September 9, 2025

How Shared Truckload gives e-commerce shippers a competitive advantage

E-commerce retailers using programs like Amazon FBA or Walmart Fulfillment Services face mounting logistics challenges that can make or break their success. From rigid delivery windows to seasonal inventory fluctuations, these sellers must navigate a complex shipping environment while maintaining tight margins. In this high-stakes arena, innovative freight solutions like Shared Truckload (STL) are emerging […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Forwarders, 3PLs punch above their weight with AI

Small teams are rapidly adopting AI across operations, sales, and finance to eliminate back-office costs. These highly capable 1-3 person teams utilize AI to handle document processing workflows in one hour, which a team of 10 or more would struggle to complete in one week. Business goes wrong when teams start struggling. Customer support falls […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Is AI the missing link in appointment scheduling?

Freight appointment scheduling seems simple, until you have to do it. Traditionally, securing an appointment has been a slow, manual process. It also hasn’t changed much over the past few decades. Qued is using AI to change that.  “When we talk about freight scheduling, even people within our industry often don’t understand how complex it […]

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Matt Herr Monday, July 28, 2025

Truckstop.com celebrates thirty years of innovation in logistics

FreightWaves’ Thomas Wasson speaks to Todd Waldron, Truckstop.com’s VP of Carrier Experience, about the state of the industry and driver sentiment on technology adoption. As Truckstop.com celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, Waldron reflects on the hurdles of change and his hopes for more collaboration with other industry players in the future.

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Ashley Coker Prince Wednesday, July 16, 2025

TextLocate transforms the driver communication landscape

The logistics industry has long struggled with inefficient communication methods that frustrate drivers and waste valuable time for brokers and carriers. TextLocate addresses these pain points through its innovative SMS-based system. As the dominant driver communication provider in the logistics industry, TextLocate combines chat capabilities and image capture with location tracking – a powerful combination […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Friday, June 27, 2025

Utilizing dash cams for corrective action training

Safety remains the biggest obstacle for carriers today, with a recent J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights survey revealing that 51% of carriers identify it as their primary challenge. Even minor accidents and incidents can significantly impact productivity, driver wellness and ultimately affect the bottom line of any transportation company. While proper training can […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Friday, June 27, 2025

Guess less, save more: Smarter reefer management that pays off 

Cold chain providers are accustomed to walking the line between maintaining product integrity while managing operational costs. Ongoing market tension, however, has made it more difficult to strike that balance.  For companies in food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive industries, maintaining profitability in a difficult economic environment requires an enthusiastic commitment to innovation. While […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Friday, June 27, 2025

Descartes releases next-gen visibility tech to further protect from fraud and theft

Freight fraud continues to plague the transportation industry, and threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated as technology evolves. Shippers and brokers often find themselves overwhelmed by manual verification processes that are both resource-intensive and prone to error. In today’s fast-paced logistics environment, teams are subject to the challenging balancing act of covering shipments quickly while simultaneously […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Navigating the complexities of cross-border freight

As nearshoring efforts accelerate, shippers are increasingly rethinking their cross-border strategies. Unlike transporting goods across state lines, cross-border shipping demands specialized expertise, robust infrastructure and comprehensive security measures. To fully capitalize on the advantages of nearshoring, companies need partners who understand that success hinges on more than just moving trucks –– it requires mastery of […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Friday, June 6, 2025

Elevating rail safety standards with state-of-the-art training

Rail is one of the safest options in the transportation industry, and Greenbrier continues to advance that operational safety through innovation.  The company’s latest initiative—the GBX Training Tank Car—represents a significant advancement in tank car education. Built from an actual tank car, this mobile classroom delivers hands-on safety instruction and technical training. “Rail safety is […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Friday, June 6, 2025

How to keep DQ files audit-ready 

Qualifying drivers requires navigating complex Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). Doing this correctly is critical, as non-compliant driver qualification files can result in substantial audit fines and serve as a basis for negligence claims in post-crash litigation. Maintaining audit-ready DQ files isn’t just about regulatory compliance—it’s essential for protecting your business from financial and […]

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Matt Herr Friday, May 30, 2025

How shippers can prepare for supply chain disruptions

FreightWaves recently partnered with G3 Logistics and EY to host a webinar on supply chain disruptions and strategies to stay flexible during transitionary markets. With a good plan and robust technology, shippers can be poised to not only mitigate losses, but also to capture new market shares during unexpected shifts.

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Ashley Coker Prince Friday, May 30, 2025

Strategic partnerships help companies navigate recruitment challenges

In today’s rapidly evolving logistics landscape, companies face mounting pressure to maintain driver headcount amid persistent industry-wide challenges and the ongoing shortage of qualified CDL holders.  This environment has transformed how companies approach recruitment, as well as what candidates expect from the hiring process. Job applicants now engage with potential employers through increasingly diverse digital […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Werner showcases expertise in final mile services

Today’s supply chain is evolving by the hour. For shippers seeking a clear path forward, stability matters more than ever. Sizeable carrier partners working at scale can help shippers get their products into the hands of consumers and create a positive customer experience, regardless of market conditions. On a recent episode of The Stockout, Meg […]

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Ashley Coker Prince Monday, May 12, 2025

Preparing for Roadcheck 2025: What carriers and drivers need to know

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck is here once again, and carriers across North America need to prepare for this annual three-day inspection blitz. With thousands of roadside inspections scheduled for May 13-15, motor carriers and drivers should understand what to expect in order to avoid costly violations and out-of-service orders. What is Roadcheck? […]

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