Brake Check

FreightWaves, Charles Gracey

Join Charles Gracey as he tackles the biggest topics in trucking

  1. How Can Trucking STILL Making Money in 2026?

    11 jun

    How Can Trucking STILL Making Money in 2026?

    Everybody says trucking is broken. Rates are soft. Insurance costs are crushing carriers. Operating expenses keep climbing. Every week another trucking company shuts its doors, another owner-operator parks the truck, and another driver wonders if it's still worth it. So here's the question: If trucking is so bad right now, how are some fleets and owner-operators still finding a way to win? On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey sits down with two trucking leaders attacking that problem from completely different angles. JR Elrod, President of BAR Transportation, a 30-year trucking veteran who spent more than two decades hauling heavy freight before building a specialized carrier focused on government, project, and niche freight. Tyler Johnston, General Manager of Mercer Transportation, one of North America's most successful owner-operator carriers, with more than 2,200 contractors and nearly 50 years in business. Topics include: Owner-Operator Survival in 2026 Open Deck & Heavy Haul Freight Trends Soft Freight Markets & Rising Costs Driver Retention & Profitability Insurance Costs Crushing Trucking Carrier-Broker Relationships Small Fleet Survival Strategies The Future of Independent Trucking Whether you're an owner-operator, fleet owner, company driver, broker, shipper, or simply trying to understand where trucking is headed next, this conversation delivers real-world strategies from people living it every day. Question for the comments: What's the biggest challenge facing trucking right now: rates, insurance, regulations, freight, or something else? #Trucking #OwnerOperator #Freight #Logistics #TruckDriver #CDL #FreightWaves #BrakeCheck #Transportation #HeavyHaul #OpenDeck #TruckingIndustry #SupplyChain #OwnerOperators #Truckers Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    45 min
  2. The Problems in Trucking Aren't Being Ignored... They're Being Protected

    9 jun

    The Problems in Trucking Aren't Being Ignored... They're Being Protected

    What if trucking's biggest problems aren't being ignored... What if they're being protected? On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey sits down with two of the most outspoken voices in trucking to tackle the issues drivers, carriers, and owner-operators are talking about across America. First, Charles Claburn joins the show. With 30 years behind the wheel, more than 3 million accident-free miles, and decades spent advocating for truck drivers, Claburn shares his unfiltered perspective on retention, training, truck parking, regulations, and why so many trucking companies continue making the same mistakes. Then Mike Cobb, CEO of the Federation of Professional Truckers (FOPT), joins Brake Check to discuss the organization's challenge to the ELD mandate, broker accountability, insurance requirements, FMCSA oversight, non-domiciled CDLs, and what real trucking reform looks like from the driver's seat. Topics include: ELD Mandate Debate FMCSA & Federal Regulation Truck Parking Crisis Driver Retention & Turnover Broker Accountability Insurance Minimums Non-Domiciled CDLs Trucking Safety Owner-Operator Challenges The Future of Professional Trucking Whether you're a driver, owner-operator, carrier, broker, or industry leader, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. Subscribe for more hard-hitting trucking conversations every week. #Trucking #OwnerOperator #ELD #FMCSA #TruckDriver #Logistics #Freight #Transportation #CDL #BrakeCheck Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    49 min

  3. 4 jun

    The Trucking Bloodbath Isn't Over. It's Just Changing Victims.

    Everyone keeps saying trucking is recovering. So why are carriers still closing their doors? Why are drivers still frustrated? Why do brokers think the sky is falling? And why does it feel like the people making money in freight are playing a completely different game than everyone else? On this episode of Brake Check, we're cutting through the noise and exposing what's really happening inside trucking in 2026. Michael Kroul, CEO of KTI, joins us to discuss freight markets, brokerage, shipper expectations, carrier relationships, technology, automation, and whether brokers will even exist in the next decade. Julie Bernard of New Legend Inc. joins us to talk driver recruiting, retention, onboarding, company culture, new equipment, and what drivers are actually looking for in today's market. We tackle:  The real state of the freight market  Why some companies are growing while others are disappearing  The future of freight brokers and 3PLs  Driver recruiting myths that need to die  Why retention matters more than recruiting  New trucks, technology, and the battle for driver talent  What trucking may look like over the next 5 years The freight market is changing. The winners are adapting. The losers are making excuses. The question is simple: Which one are you? Sound off in the comments: Who's under the most pressure right now .... Drivers, Carriers, or Brokers? And if you're in trucking, logistics, freight, supply chain, or transportation... Subscribe now because nobody is having these conversations like we are. #Trucking #Freight #Logistics #TruckDriver #OwnerOperator #FreightBroker #SupplyChain #Transportation #CDL #FreightWaves #BrakeCheck Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    52 min
  4. The Two Biggest Ways Trucking Companies Die in 2026

    2 jun

    The Two Biggest Ways Trucking Companies Die in 2026

    Today on Brake Check, we're tackling the two biggest threats facing trucking in 2026. First, Matt Roherty from CarrierForge breaks down what it really takes to go from company driver to business owner. From MC authority and compliance headaches to startup costs, profitability, and avoiding the mistakes that kill most new carriers in their first year, this is the roadmap every aspiring owner-operator needs to hear. Then Scott Cornell from Logistiq Insurance Solutions joins the show to expose the cargo theft epidemic sweeping through freight. Fictitious pickups. Identity fraud. Double brokering. Coverage gaps. Cyber-enabled theft. The threats have evolved—and many carriers and brokers don't realize how exposed they really are until it's too late. If you're thinking about getting your own authority, running a small fleet, brokering freight, or protecting the business you've built, this episode is required listening. Starting a trucking company  Cargo theft and freight fraud Insurance coverage mistakes  The future of owner-operators  Broker liability and risk #Trucking #OwnerOperator #CargoTheft #FreightFraud #TruckingBusiness #BrakeCheck #Freight #Logistics #TruckingIndustry Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    47 min
  5. Trucking’s Soft Market Is a WAR | Who Survives What Comes Next?

    28 may

    Trucking’s Soft Market Is a WAR | Who Survives What Comes Next?

    The trucking industry is at a breaking point. Spot rates are crushed. Small carriers are disappearing. Brokers and carriers are battling over transparency, pricing, and survival while AI and automation are rapidly changing the game. On this episode of Brake Check, we bring together a hard-hitting roundtable discussion on the real future of trucking: Why carrier attrition is accelerating Whether the “market cycle” excuse is finally dead The truth about broker margins and transparency What load boards MUST become to survive How AI is already reshaping trucking operations What owner-operators need to do RIGHT NOW to survive the next 2 years Who actually benefits when small fleets disappear No fluff. No corporate talking points. Just real conversations about where trucking is headed — and who may not make it there. If you’re a driver, owner-operator, broker, fleet owner, or anyone who cares about the future of freight, this is the conversation the industry needs to have. Subscribe to Brake Check for real trucking talk from the front lines of freight. Guests: Dan Lindsey & Paul Gibson from the Broker Carrier Summit Dale Prax with FreightValidate Nate Johnson with GLCS John Howland with Truckstop.com Jessica Dotson with Triumph Jacob Thomas with BridgeHaul #Trucking #Freight #OwnerOperator #Logistics #TruckDrivers #FreightBroker #CDL #SupplyChain #AI #SpotMarket #LoadBoards #BrakeCheck Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    47 min
  6. Trucking’s New Divide: Adapt… or Die

    26 may

    Trucking’s New Divide: Adapt… or Die

    The trucking industry changed fast. Freight strategy changed. Liability changed. Driver expectations changed. Technology changed. But a whole lot of fleets, brokers, and logistics companies kept operating like it was still 2015. On this episode of Brake Check, Charles dives into the growing pressure reshaping trucking right now — from freight relationships and broker exposure to legal risk, carrier vetting, and the operational mistakes that are quietly putting companies in dangerous positions. Because in today’s market, weak processes don’t stay hidden very long anymore. Joining the show: Jason Schaftlein Craig Helmreich Topics include: Why trucking’s liability landscape just shifted The growing pressure on brokers and carriers FMCSA safety ratings & carrier vetting Re-brokering risks most companies overlook Why documentation matters more than ever Freight strategy in a tightening market The operational gaps exposing weak fleets fast What smart companies are already changing in 2026 No fluff. No corporate spin. No fake trucking motivation speeches. Just real trucking talk for real trucking people. If you run freight, manage risk, broker loads, operate trucks, or lead a fleet — this conversation matters. #Trucking #Freight #Logistics #Brokerage #TruckDrivers #CDL #FreightBroker #Transportation #BrakeCheck Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    46 min
  7. Drivers Aren’t Leaving Trucking… They’re Leaving YOU

    21 may

    Drivers Aren’t Leaving Trucking… They’re Leaving YOU

    The trucking industry keeps talking about a “driver shortage”… But what if the real problem is the industry itself? On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey dives headfirst into the recruiting and retention crisis ripping through trucking right now — why drivers are leaving, why some fleets can’t keep seats filled, and why the companies winning in 2026 are doing things very differently than the rest of the industry. We also tackle the shifting legal and operational pressure hitting freight as carriers, brokers, and fleets try to survive one of the most volatile eras trucking has seen in years. Featuring: Tim Norlin from Roehl Transport David Lowry from Bennett Family of Companies The truth about the “driver shortage” Why trucking struggles to retain drivers The recruiting tactics fleets still get wrong Why lead-gen culture changed trucking Flatbed demand & the freight market outlook The growing pressure on brokers and carriers What fleets MUST do to survive the next phase of trucking Topics include: No fluff. No corporate spin. Just real trucking talk for real trucking people.If you’re a driver, carrier, broker, dispatcher, recruiter, or fleet owner… this is the conversation the industry needs right now. #Trucking #DriverShortage #TruckDrivers #Freight #OwnerOperator #CDL #BrakeCheck  #Recruiting #Retention

    52 min
  8. “See You In Court” — Brokers Are Panicking, MOTUS Is Live & Trucking Changed Overnight

    19 may

    “See You In Court” — Brokers Are Panicking, MOTUS Is Live & Trucking Changed Overnight

    The trucking industry just got hit from every direction. The Supreme Court dropped a broker liability ruling that has brokers, carriers, and insurance companies scrambling. MOTUS is officially live and already changing the compliance game. And while all of that unfolds, Washington is pushing a new Highway Bill that could reshape freight, enforcement, and trucking operations for years to come. In other words… the rules just changed. On this episode of Brake Check, Charles  sits down with Matthew Leffler along with Brandon Wiseman and Rob Carpenter from TruckSafe to break down: What the SCOTUS broker liability ruling REALLY means Why plaintiff attorneys are paying attention How MOTUS changes compliance overnight The mistakes fleets are already making What small carriers need to do NOW And whether trucking is heading toward accountability… or absolute legal chaos No fluff. No corporate spin. No “everything is fine” conference room nonsense. Just real trucking talk for real trucking people. If you’re a broker, carrier, fleet owner, dispatcher, safety director, or driver… this is the episode you cannot afford to miss. #Trucking #SCOTUS #BrokerLiability #MOTUS #FMCSA #Freight #OwnerOperator #TruckDrivers #BrakeCheck Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    45 min
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Join Charles Gracey as he tackles the biggest topics in trucking

Información

  • Creador
    FreightWaves, Charles Gracey
  • Años de actividad
    2 k
  • Episodios
    38
  • Copyright
    © Firecrown Media Group 2026
  • Mostrar sitio web
    Brake Check

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