FreightWaves Today

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FreightWaves NOW is your daily source for the most impactful news in logistics. We break down the complex world of freight—covering trucking, rail, air, and ocean markets—to bring you actionable insights. Whether you are a carrier, shipper, or broker, we provide the data-driven context you need to navigate a volatile market.

14 hr ago

FreightWaves Today | July 30

Malcom and Julie are live from the Westin in downtown Chattanooga at the Univar Solutions Carrier Kickoff Event. Key Segments & Highlights Rob McRae (VP of Transportation, Univar Solutions): Explains the strategy behind Univar's Carrier Kickoff and why investing in face-to-face relationships with carriers—especially in the specialized chemical and liquid bulk space—creates long-term reliability and market protection. Details what it takes to be awarded "Shipper of Choice," including driver engagement, internal talent recruitment, and maintaining disciplined, service-focused carrier scorecards. Brad Hadley (VP of National Accounts, Saia LTL Freight): Analyzes the industry shift of shipments moving from truckload to less-than-truckload (LTL) as truckload capacity tightens and rates rise.Highlights Saia's capital investments, terminal expansions, and their internal "Dock-to-Driver" training program designed to develop CDL drivers from within. Brian Riley (VP of National Account Sales, Arrive Logistics): Breaks down the "trilogy" relationship between shippers, carriers, and service providers. Discusses how shippers can navigate tightening capacity, handle lower-volume "tail" lanes, and adopt proactive contract adjustments to avoid volatile spot market pricing. Ben Caplenor (EVP of Operations, LRT Solutions): Shares insights on operational growth, prioritizing service and safety amidst industry headwinds, and how smaller carriers can leverage cost-effective technology to free up team bandwidth. Tyson Wimberly (SVP of Sales & Revenue Management, Covenant Logistics): Discusses Covenant's evolution into a full-service logistics organization, its focus on alternative fuel sustainability, and the critical importance of predictable scheduling and fair pay for professional truck drivers. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 day ago

FreightWaves Today | July 29

Join the Craig and Julie as they dive deep into a jam-packed Wednesday broadcast covering the latest Q2 earnings, market trends, rail updates, and freight technology! In This Episode: Market Dynamics & Q2 Earnings Overdrive: The hosts unpack earnings season highlights across the supply chain, analyzing surging revenue metrics, tight capacity, and how asset-based carriers like Werner Enterprises, Night-Swift, and Old Dominion (posting an unheard-of 70.1 operating ratio!) are navigating the market recovery. Trailer Optimization with Repower: Chris Hines, CEO of Repowr ("The Trailer Whisperer"), discusses the launch of TOP (Trailer Optimization Platform). Learn how automating execution layers and managing trailer pools helps carriers eliminate empty miles, improve driver retention, and stop revenue leak. Inside an Employee-Owned Fleet: Brent Nussbaum, CEO of Nussbaum Transportation, shares why transitioning to an ESOP in 2018 transformed their culture, maintained an impressive ~30% turnover rate, and created sustainable growth. Plus, a look at how Nussbaum is leveraging their new pricing technology, BidRight. Rail Industry & STB Merger Updates: Bill Stevens, Editor of Trains Magazine, drops in for the weekly Association of American Railroads (AAR) report. The team breaks down carload and intermodal trends, along with key takeaways from the "Future of Rail" symposium regarding Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern's proposed transcontinental merger. OEM Market Analysis: Chris Versace (Chief Investment Officer at Tematica / Portfolio Manager at TheStreet Pro) analyzes transport stocks, UPS’s restructuring struggles against Amazon Flex, and PACCAR’s strong demand outlook amidst the impending EPA 2027 emissions pre-buy. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2 days ago

FreightWaves Today | July 28

Live from Chattanooga, Tennessee, hosts Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp broadcast from the Future of Rail Symposium to break down the latest shifts transforming the freight and logistics industry. In this episode, Craig and Julie dive deep into the critical role of freight rail as the backbone of the American industrial economy. They discuss recent market shifts, safety technology investments, regulatory updates, and why AI-driven data center expansion and energy sector growth are creating massive opportunities for rail networks. Plus, they examine the ongoing fallout from recent legal precedents impacting freight brokers and trucking liability. Later in the episode, Zach Strickland (Head of Freight Market Intelligence) sits down with FreightWaves rail and intermodal expert Stuart Charles to dissect the latest SONAR market data. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
3 days ago

FreightWaves Today | July 27

In this episode of Freight Waves Today, hosts Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp break down one of the most transformative developments in recent logistics history: a staggering $640 million nuclear judgment involving C.H. Robinson that has sent shockwaves through the brokerage industry and freight markets.Plus, we explore how AI data center expansion is reshaping flatbed and bulk capacity, the latest trends in last-mile retail delivery, and a custom tech solution built specifically for truck drivers!Dennis McCaffrey, SVP of Enterprise Sales at RXO, drops by to share war stories from the early days of ExpressOne and XPO. He breaks down how RXO scaled into the 3rd largest freight broker, the power of managed expedite platforms, and what the next 12–18 months look like for capacity.Hackathon Winner Spotlight: RateSafe: Hackathon winner Sean Conley (VPA & Director of Business Development at Vantage Logistics) introduces RateSafe—an app built using Sonar’s API that cuts through the noise to tell drivers what not to book based on personalized operating costs and home-time expectations.Last-Mile Delivery & Retail Trends: Jake Stein, VP of Retail Growth at Burke, breaks down the shift from ultra-fast delivery to extreme reliability, multi-carrier last-mile orchestration, and the realistic timeline for drone delivery.The "Capacity Tax" & AI Data Centers: Blake Ezell, VP of Customer Success & Support at IntelliTrans, joins to challenge the market recovery narrative. Discover how hyperscale AI data center construction is quietly consuming massive amounts of flatbed and bulk capacity—creating a bidding war for specialized freight. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
6 days ago

FreightWaves Today | July 24

This jam-packed episode of FreightWaves Today covers major industry-shaking news, featuring a massive nuclear lawsuit judgment against C.H. Robinson, key updates across intermodal rail,yard security technology, and last-mile logistics. The show opens with the fallout from a $604 million nuclear lawsuit verdict handed down in Dallas County Court against C.H. Robinson and motor carrier Lupus Superior following a fatal multi-vehicle pileup in Mississippi. Cassandra Gaines, Founder of Carrier Assure, and FreightWaves journalist John Kingston join to analyze what this landmark post-Montgomery decision means for freight brokers nationwide. Later in the show, the hosts speak with Paul Svindland (CEO of Mallory Alexander and former CEO of Celadon) about his career navigating distressed supply chain companies, before exploring yard security, booming rail earnings, and the impact of the housing slowdown on last-mile delivery. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
6 days ago

BasicBlock Acquires TrueNorth, CHR Nuclear Verdict, & Tesla Semi Ramps Production | The Morning Minute

In this episode, we kick things off by examining a strategic acquisition that signals a massive shift in how financial services companies are approaching the independent carrier market. Freight factoring firm BasicBlock has officially acquired TrueNorth, an AI dispatcher and free loadboard platform, dramatically expanding BasicBlock's service offerings beyond traditional financing. By integrating TrueNorth's centralized invoice tracking, fuel, insurance, compliance and load-searching tools, BasicBlock gains critical data and operational capabilities to support its broader vision of building a comprehensive financial ecosystem around trucking customers. Next, we discuss one of the largest nuclear verdicts in trucking history and the massive implications for the brokerage sector. A Dallas jury delivered a verdict of approximately six hundred four million dollars in a case stemming from a fatal March 2021 crash that killed three people, with defendants including logistics giant C.H. Robinson and carrier Lupus Superior. Legal sources say a court rejecting the FMCSA satisfactory rating as a valid defense is a major concern for the brokerage industry in the post-Montgomery legal landscape, and C.H. Robinson plans to appeal. Finally, we explore how Tesla is ramping up commercial vehicle production as part of what executives are calling the company's largest investment cycle ever. Austin-based Tesla reported second-quarter revenue of twenty-eight point two four billion dollars, up twenty-six percent year over year, while highlighting major progress on launching production of the Tesla Semi Class 8 electric truck at its Nevada manufacturing facility. The Nevada Tesla Semi factory remains on schedule, with full production expected to begin later this year as capital expenditures more than doubled to support the aggressive expansion. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 Jul

FreightWaves Today | July 23

Is the freight market finally turning a corner? On today’s episode of FreightWaves Today, Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp break down a massive week of Q2 earnings, major rail updates, and supply chain headlines! We sit down with Josh Phelan, CVP of Operations at J.B. Hunt, to discuss driver constraints, cost inflation, contract vs. spot rate momentum, and why this cycle might look very different for carriers big and small. Plus, FreightWaves' own Todd Maiden breaks down Knight Swift’s massive Q2 earnings beat. And Paul Tonsager, CEO & Founder-Integrated Multi-Modal Solutions, LLC talks industry growth. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 Jul

Aurora's Driverless Milestone, Knight-Swift Q2 Beat, & CSX Volume Rebound | The Morning Minute

In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major milestone in the autonomous trucking race as Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation launched its second-generation driverless hardware across ten commercial freight routes in the U.S. Sun Belt. Unlike its first-generation trucks, the new fleet is built to run with no passive observer at all, erasing what one Morgan Stanley analyst called "one of the last remaining asterisks around the technology." Engineered for a one-million-mile operating life and designed for volume production rather than pilot-scale trials, Aurora is leaning heavily on manufacturing partner Roush, which is targeting an annual production run-rate of one thousand trucks by year-end. Meanwhile, the nation's largest truckload carrier is declaring that a structural recovery is finally here. Knight-Swift Transportation reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of sixty-three cents, smashing consensus by twelve cents and coming in twenty-eight cents higher year-over-year. CEO Adam Miller credited aggressive regulatory enforcement by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation for forcing out non-compliant capacity and creating what the company called a "rapid progression in truckload market conditions." Contract rates climbed throughout the quarter, with revenue per loaded mile accelerating from low-single digits in April to eight percent in June, while Knight-Swift's tender rejection rate was twice the industry average. Finally, over on the rails, CSX is riding a powerful volume rebound to beat Wall Street expectations. The Jacksonville-based Class I railroad reported second-quarter revenue of three point nine four billion dollars, up ten point one percent year-over-year, while earnings per share came in at fifty-four cents, beating analyst consensus estimates by four point two percent. Carload volumes improved by six point one percent, a dramatic swing from just zero point one percent growth a year ago, with intermodal traffic surging across CSX's eastern U.S. network. Free cash flow swung dramatically from negative one hundred fifteen million dollars in the second quarter of twenty twenty-five to positive six hundred eighty-seven million dollars this quarter. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FreightWaves NOW is your daily source for the most impactful news in logistics. We break down the complex world of freight—covering trucking, rail, air, and ocean markets—to bring you actionable insights. Whether you are a carrier, shipper, or broker, we provide the data-driven context you need to navigate a volatile market.

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FreightWaves
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

2k
Rating

Clean
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FreightWaves Today