Brake Check

FreightWaves, Charles Gracey
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Join Charles Gracey as he tackles the biggest topics in trucking

  1. 4d ago

    WHO THE HELL ARE YOU ACTUALLY HAULING FOR?

    The rate confirmation looks legit. The authority checks out. The email looks right. The money looks good. Then the freight disappears .... or you deliver it and nobody pays you.Freight fraud isn't just getting bigger. It's getting smarter. Stolen identities, fake carriers, double brokering, strategic theft and criminals who increasingly know exactly how to look legitimate long enough to get your truck .... or your customer's freight. On this episode of Brake Check, we're putting BOTH sides of the transaction in the same room. Jason Schaftlein, General Manager of McLeod Express, breaks down how a real carrier decides which brokers deserve its trucks, the red flags that kill a load, what five-truck fleets can verify themselves, what it really costs to operate compliant equipment, and what happens when legitimate carriers compete against bad actors. Then former Chicago Bear and Bear Down Logistics President Desmond Clark takes the broker's chair. What does a broker actually verify before trusting a carrier? How do legitimate small fleets avoid getting treated like criminals? How fast should brokers pay? What does running actual equipment teach a broker? And yes .... we go straight at BROKER TRANSPARENCY. Then comes the question underneath this entire mess: How the hell did freight build a system where carriers don't trust brokers, brokers don't trust carriers...and criminals learned to exploit BOTH? No fluff No conference-panel answers Just two people sitting on opposite sides of the freight transaction explaining who they trust, who they don't, and WHY. If you're a carrier, owner-operator, freight broker, dispatcher, 3PL, shipper or fleet owner, watch this before you book your next load. Because the paperwork can look perfect. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE PERSON BEHIND IT IS. #Trucking #FreightFraud #FreightBroker #OwnerOperator #TruckingIndustry #DoubleBrokering #CargoTheft #Logistics #TruckDrivers #Freight Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    WHO THE HELL ARE YOU ACTUALLY HAULING FOR?

  2. 6d ago

    YOU’RE AUTOMATING THE WRONG DAMN THING

    Trucking is spending a fortune on AI and automation. But what if fleets are automating the WRONG damn thing?AI can quote freight, process tenders, move data, predict maintenance problems and eliminate hours of back-office work. What it CAN'T do is lead your people.On this episode of Brake Check, Charles puts both sides of trucking's technology revolution in the hot seat. Grace Sharkey of Orderful has lived freight from nearly every angle .... brokerage executive, FreightWaves journalist and now freight-tech insider. We break down AI in trucking, freight automation, EDI, back-office technology, carrier productivity and how small fleets can separate REAL technology from another expensive demo with “AI” slapped on the front. What should a 20-truck carrier automate FIRST? What should stay human? How do you prove a technology investment actually delivers ROI? And how can you tell the difference between a real AI product and somebody who simply wrapped a shiny dashboard around an API?Then Dr. Vernard “Doctor V” Jenkins of Knight-Swift Supply Chain takes the other side.With 29 locations and roughly 10 million square feet of operations, Doctor V tackles leadership, employee retention, frontline management, AI implementation, change management and developing the next generation of transportation leaders. Because a dashboard can tell you WHAT happened. It still takes a leader to figure out WHY. And then we put $100,000 on the table:SOFTWARE OR PEOPLE?You can only choose one.If you're a fleet owner, trucking executive, owner-operator, freight broker, logistics professional, operations leader or anyone considering AI and automation, watch this before buying another piece of technology.The future isn't about choosing humans OR machines.It's knowing which damn job belongs to which.AUTOMATE THE WORK. NOT THE PEOPLE.#Trucking #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #FreightTech #TruckingIndustry #Automation #Logistics #FleetManagement #TruckDrivers #Leadership #SupplyChain

    YOU’RE AUTOMATING THE WRONG DAMN THING

  3. Sep 3

    WHO THE HELL GAVE THEM A CDL? CONGRESS, YOUR MOVE | BRAKE CHECK

    Who the hell gave them a CDL .... and why did it take a family paying the price before Washington started listening?This episode of Brake Check isn't an attack on professional truck drivers. It's an investigation into the systems, safeguards, bad actors and policymakers that are supposed to keep unqualified drivers from ever getting behind the wheel of a commercial truck.Professional truck driver and father Marcus Coleman joins Charles  after taking his family's story to Congress. His daughter Dalilah suffered catastrophic injuries in a crash, and Marcus is now fighting for Dalilah's Law and stronger accountability throughout the commercial driver licensing system.We dig into the questions Washington needs to answer:How does an unqualified driver get a CDL? Where can the licensing and verification process fail? Who is responsible when safeguards aren't followed? What would Dalilah's Law actually change? And why does government so often react AFTER somebody pays the price?Then Zach Meiborg, owner of Meiborg Transportation, joins the conversation.Meiborg isn't just talking about supporting Dalilah's family — they're opening their Rockford, Illinois headquarters September 26 for the Stand With Dalilah Charity Motorcycle Ride.But we also tackle another side of the same accountability problem: legitimate motor carriers spending real money to hire qualified drivers, maintain equipment, follow hours-of-service regulations and operate legally while bad actors can gain an unfair advantage by cutting corners.Running illegal isn't innovation. Cheating isn't competition. And a government-issued piece of paper shouldn't replace actual qualification.This episode is about CDL standards, trucking safety, driver qualification, hours-of-service compliance, FMCSA enforcement, bad carriers, Dalilah's Law and government accountability.Professional truckers deserve better than being lumped together with operators who never should've been on the road.Families deserve better than finding out where the system failed after the crash.And policymakers?CONGRESS, IT'S YOUR TURN.#Trucking #CDL #TruckDrivers #TruckingSafety #FMCSA #Congress #Transportation #TruckingIndustry #OwnerOperator #BrakeCheck

    WHO THE HELL GAVE THEM A CDL? CONGRESS, YOUR MOVE | BRAKE CHECK

  4. Sep 1

    Diesel is around $5.65 a gallon ... and suddenly EVERYBODY has something to sell you that supposedly saves fuel

    Fuel additives. Miracle MPG claims. Injector cleaners. Cheap replacement parts. And, of course, Washington taking its cut before you burn a single gallon. So on this episode of Brake Check, we're asking one question:WHO THE HELL IS EATING YOUR GALLON? First, Jessica Crabtree, Director of Technical Services at Power Service Products, brings the chemistry. We're separating legitimate diesel fuel science from expensive snake oil and digging into fuel economy, diesel additives, injector deposits, fuel contamination, cetane, regens, DPF problems, winter fuel gelling and preventive maintenance. How do you know whether a fuel additive actually works? What should legitimate MPG testing look like? Can injector deposits really hurt fuel economy? What does an unnecessary regen actually cost? And when somebody promises a massive improvement in MPG...WHAT PROOF SHOULD YOU DEMAND BEFORE SPENDING A DOLLAR? Then we follow your diesel dollar straight to Washington.Policy veteran James Edwards of ELITE Strategic Services joins us to break down the massive surface transportation bill moving through Congress, truck parking funding, autonomous trucking policy, the Highway Trust Fund, the 24.4¢ federal diesel tax, potential alternatives to fuel taxes, and who should actually pay for America's roads. Because at today's diesel prices, fractions of a mile per gallon matter. Taxes matter. Downtime matters. And b******t gets VERY EXPENSIVE. If you're a truck driver, owner-operator, fleet owner, carrier, maintenance professional or trucking executive, watch this before somebody promises to save you money at the pump. At $5.65 a gallon, don't buy miracles. DEMAND RECEIPTS. #Diesel #DieselFuel #Trucking #FuelPrices #OwnerOperator #TruckDrivers #FuelEconomy #DieselAdditives #TruckingIndustry #HighwayBill Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    Diesel is around $5.65 a gallon ... and suddenly EVERYBODY has something to sell you that supposedly saves fuel

  5. Aug 27

    YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO DRIVE TRUCKS? BULLSH*T!

    Trucking says young people don't want to drive trucks. BULLSH*T. They're showing up. The real question is why we keep losing them.... With driver turnover still hammering parts of the industry, trucking keeps searching for the next generation while arguing about recruiting, CDL training, driver pay and a supposed lack of young people willing to work. What if the pipeline isn't actually the biggest problem? What if it's what happens AFTER they enter it? On this episode of Brake Check, Charles sits down with Lindsey Trent, President and Co-Founder of Next Generation in Trucking, and Tim Crawford, Co-Founder and CEO of Tenstreet, to dig into what it will actually take to recruit ... and KEEP .... trucking's next generation. We break down young truck drivers, Gen Z in trucking, CDL training, Workforce Pell, high-school CDL programs, apprenticeships, driver recruiting, onboarding, mentorship, home time and driver retention. Can small trucking companies realistically build relationships with high schools and CDL programs? Who pays the training bill? What happens to 18-to-20-year-old CDL holders who can't run interstate? What does the next generation actually expect from a carrier? And are fleets building careers young people want — or just feeding more drivers into the same turnover machine? Then we turn to the technology side. Tenstreet CEO Tim Crawford joins us to discuss small-fleet technology, carrier verification, fraud prevention, compliance, broker trust and Driver Pulse Fleet — including why legitimate carriers increasingly feel like they're being treated as guilty until proven innocent and what small fleets can do to better prove who they are. We also tackle one uncomfortable question trucking can't avoid:If changing jobs can cost a driver thousands of dollars and they're STILL willing to pay it just to leave your company...what does that say about YOU? The next generation isn't some future trucking problem. THEY'RE ALREADY HERE. Now trucking has to give them a reason to stay. #Trucking #TruckDrivers #GenZ #CDL #CDLTraining #DriverRecruiting #DriverRetention #OwnerOperator #TruckingIndustry #Freight Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO DRIVE TRUCKS? BULLSH*T!

  6. Aug 25

    THE ONE THING TRUCKING CAN’T TAKE FROM A DRIVER

    Why would a truck driver spend thousands of dollars .... and an entire weekend ..... making a WORKING truck look better than some people's houses? Because this isn't really about chrome. And it damn sure isn't vanity. On this episode of Brake Check, Charles  sits down with Evan Steger of Evan's Detailing & Polishing / Time2Shine and David Lowry of Bennett Motor Express to uncover what truck pride is actually worth .... to the driver, the trucking company, the value of the equipment, and something much bigger than any trophy. We're going inside Stars, Stripes & White Lines, where working trucks aren't treated like trailer queens. Some competitors must prove tens of thousands of working miles, drive into the show under their own power, and then face serious judging to see who's really earned the shine. But that's only half the story. The weekend supports the mission of placing wreaths on veterans' graves at Andersonville National Cemetery through Wreaths Across America. We dig into the real business behind truck appearance and driver pride: Does keeping a truck show-clean increase resale value? Can pride in equipment improve driver retention? What does it actually cost an owner-operator to maintain that shine? Why do carriers invest in truck shows? And what can a fleet owner learn from drivers willing to spend their own money taking care of company equipment? Then we get to the reason this weekend exists in the first place: Remembering the Americans who served long after the trucks leave the speedway. Show trucks. Working trucks. Heavy haul. Owner-operators. Truck polishing. Driver pride. Fleet culture. Wreaths Across America. Veterans.It all comes together here. Because sometimes chrome isn't about showing off. Sometimes it reflects something worth remembering. #Trucking #TruckShow #ShowTrucks #OwnerOperator #WreathsAcrossAmerica #TruckDrivers #HeavyHaul #TruckingIndustry Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    THE ONE THING TRUCKING CAN’T TAKE FROM A DRIVER

  7. Aug 20

    YOUR DRIVERS AREN’T QUITTING TRUCKING. THEY’RE QUITTING YOU!

    Truck driver turnover can exceed 90% at major fleets....and trucking still keeps asking what's wrong with the DRIVER. Maybe we're asking the wrong damn question. What if trucking's driver retention problem isn't really a recruiting problem? What if it's a LEADERSHIP problem? On this episode of Brake Check, Charles sits down with fleet owner Pam Polyak and Dr. Vernard "Doctor V" Jenkins, VP of Operations at Knight-Swift Warehousing & Fulfillment, to put trucking leadership under the microscope. We're digging into why truck drivers quit, what happens during the critical first 90 days, driver-manager relationships, fleet culture, onboarding, frontline leadership, driver retention, detention, employee engagement and why constantly recruiting replacement drivers may be treating the symptom instead of fixing the disease. Why do good drivers leave? Is pay really the reason? When does a new driver actually decide they're done? How much does a bad dispatcher or manager cost a trucking company What should fleets change during the first 90 days? And if your company keeps losing drivers... AT WHAT POINT DO YOU STOP INTERVIEWING THE DRIVER AND START INTERVIEWING THE BOSS? If you're a truck driver, owner-operator, fleet owner, trucking executive, dispatcher, driver manager, recruiter, safety professional or transportation leader, this conversation is for you. Because you can buy newer trucks. Raise recruiting budgets. Add bonuses. Build better onboarding technology. But if people keep walking out the door... MAYBE IT'S YOU. #Trucking #TruckDrivers #DriverRetention #TruckingIndustry #FleetManagement #TruckDriver #Transportation #Leadership Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    YOUR DRIVERS AREN’T QUITTING TRUCKING. THEY’RE QUITTING YOU!

  8. Aug 18

    THE $304 MILLION TRUCKING HEIST NOBODY CAN STOP

    Cargo theft is changing fast .... and freight fraud is getting EXPENSIVE. Cargo theft incidents dropped 26% in Q2 2026, yet reported losses surged to $304.6 MILLION. Fewer thefts. More than double the money stolen. So HOW are freight thieves doing it  and who pays when they succeed? On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey sits down with Jared Flinn, founder of BulkLoads.com, and freight risk expert Drew Wilder to expose the new reality of cargo theft and trucking fraud. We're breaking down freight fraud, double brokering, cloned carrier identities, stolen MC numbers, fake certificates of insurance (COIs), cargo claims, broker fraud, vicarious liability and trucking insurance ... including how legitimate motor carriers can get dragged into claims involving freight they NEVER hauled. More importantly: How do you protect your trucking company before it happens? What should you verify before booking a load? How can you spot a fake COI? What happens when a broker disappears? What should you do if someone steals your carrier identity? Who actually pays for stolen cargo? And what documentation could save your company when a claim lands months later? This isn't another conversation about how bad freight fraud has become.This is how you keep somebody else's crime from becoming YOUR bill. If you're a truck driver, owner-operator, motor carrier, freight broker, dispatcher, fleet owner, shipper, insurance professional or anyone working in trucking and logistics, this episode could change what you check before your next load moves. Watch before your next load gets booked. #CargoTheft #FreightFraud #Trucking #DoubleBrokering #OwnerOperator #FreightBroker #TruckingInsurance #SupplyChain Follow the Brake Check Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

    THE $304 MILLION TRUCKING HEIST NOBODY CAN STOP
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About

Join Charles Gracey as he tackles the biggest topics in trucking

Information

  • Creator
    FreightWaves, Charles Gracey
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Firecrown Media Group 2026
  • Show Website
    Brake Check

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