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FreightWaves Today

FreightWaves

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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August 11 · 2 hr 1 min
FreightWaves Today | August 11
Welcome to today’s episode of FreightWaves Today! In this episode, we explore the cutting-edge technology, Q2 financial results, supply chain strategies, and market dynamics shaping the logistics and transportation industry. Here is what we cover in today’s show: AI-Powered Freight Execution with Overroute Alex Reed, Founding CEO of Overroute, joins the show to discuss the official launch of their AI-led freight execution platform. Developed in a year-long co-design partnership with J.B. Hunt, the platform uses AI agents to automate shipment coordination, detect exceptions, and streamline customer communications directly within existing carrier systems. Alex breaks down how the technology works day-to-day, how exceptions are handled, and the role of human oversight in AI-driven logistics. RXO Q2 Earnings & Market Share Growth Drew Wilkerson, Chairman and CEO of RXO, breaks down the company’s Q2 financial performance and market strategy. RXO reported strong volume growth across its business, with truckload volume outperforming the market by growing 2%. Drew shares how a 42% spot mix drove gross profit per load, the impact of agentic AI on operational productivity, and why he believes the freight market is in the early stages of a recovery. Managing Summer Retail Surplus & Returns Amrita Bhasin, Co-Founder and CEO of Sotira, returns to discuss how retailers are navigating late-summer return spikes and excess seasonal inventory heading into fall. Amrita explains how Sotira leverages AI to match overstock inventory with secondary buyers and donation markets—helping brands protect their bottom line while keeping surplus goods out of landfills. Transportation M&A & Freight Market Capacity Craig Decker, Managing Director at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, provides an inside look at the dealmaking environment across logistics and transportation. Craig explores how capacity leaving the system—rather than a surge in demand—is driving early signs of freight market recovery, and what buyers and sellers need to know about transportation M&A activity heading into 2026. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 11 · 3 min
Proficient Auto Logistics Hits 25%, USPS Zip Code Battle, & BNSF Q2 Earnings Surge | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off with a massive consolidation move reshaping the finished vehicle logistics market. Jacksonville-based Proficient Auto Logistics announced a one hundred thirty million dollar agreement to acquire California-based Hansen & Adkins, a deal that will push the combined company's market share to roughly 25 percent of the new car hauling market. The acquisition will more than double Proficient's fleet to over seven hundred twenty-five company-owned units and add four hundred million dollars in annual revenue, with the deal expected to close in mid-August as the auto haul industry faces rising regulatory pressures and tightening capacity. Next, we explore a brewing battle in the parcel sector where a Senate bill aimed at solving Zip code confusion is triggering fierce pushback from postal leadership. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee endorsed legislation requiring the U.S. Postal Service to designate unique Zip codes for eighty-three communities, but Postmaster General David Steiner is warning that the mandate would cause irreparable harm to both the organization and its customers. Steiner claims implementation would cost well over eight hundred million dollars, completely erasing last quarter's hard-fought performance gains for an agency that has lost nearly fifteen billion dollars over the past twenty-one months. Finally, we break down strong second-quarter results from one of the nation's largest freight railroads as BNSF Railway reported pre-tax earnings rising nearly fourteen percent on higher volume and revenue. Parent company Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that BNSF's earnings climbed to two point zero six billion dollars as revenue increased fourteen point six percent to six point five six billion, driven by a six and a half percent volume surge and higher revenue per unit. Consumer products traffic grew nine point three percent thanks to increased West Coast imports and tightening truck capacity, while agricultural and energy shipments jumped eleven and a half percent, though the railroad's operating ratio deteriorated slightly as fuel costs surged sixty-eight percent year over year. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 10 · 2 hr
FreightWaves Today | August 10
On today’s show, we dive into the shifting macro landscape, major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, and new solutions for fleet electrification: Freight Market Shakeout: Ryan Farlow, Industrials Senior Analyst at RSM, discusses how regulatory enforcement, small-carrier cost pressures, and changing capital costs could trigger a capacity shakeout to rebalance freight pricing. Enterprise AI at Scale: Adrian Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Ripple, breaks down their record enterprise deployment with global freight forwarder JAS, detailing how bespoke AI automation transforms core workflows. Autonomous Tech Milestones: Raquel Urtasun, Founder and CEO of Waabi, explains how the Waabi Driver achieved zero-retraining AI generalization by seamlessly transferring to the Volvo VNL Autonomous platform without new data. Electrification Solutions: Pat White, VP of Commercial at OptiGrid, highlights how battery-integrated fast chargers enable fleets to bypass long utility delays and slash deployment timelines from years to weeks. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 10 · 4 min
Mariner Names Flock Freight Vet CEO, BlueGrace Buys Idaho 3PL, & Little Debbie Fraud Bust | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major leadership change at an integrated asset-backed 4PL that's betting big on carrier verification technology. Mariner Logistics recently named Justin Turner as chief executive officer, handing the Coppell, Texas operation to an executive who spent the past decade scaling brokerages and freight tech companies, including a critical role helping Flock Freight grow revenue from roughly ten million dollars to more than five hundred million dollars. The company's proprietary Sentinel Protocol continuously scores carriers and lanes rather than checking them once at signup, applying multi-source verification to every shipment. Meanwhile, consolidation is accelerating in the managed logistics sector as Tampa-based BlueGrace Logistics acquired Idaho 3PL Truk TMS, a broker focused on less-than-truckload transportation with a heavy concentration in the Pacific Northwest. Truk TMS had been operating as a BlueGrace partner and will now have full access to the company's technology platform and carrier network of over two hundred fifty thousand carriers, marking BlueGrace's third acquisition in recent years. Finally, we cover a freight fraud scheme that highlights the vulnerabilities in distributor delivery verification as Pennsylvania authorities filed fifteen criminal charges involving fraudulent Little Debbie delivery invoices. The City of Washington Police Department alleges that distributor James Powell created fake invoices showing Little Debbie products reaching Pennsylvania retail stores when the deliveries never occurred, using forged employee signatures to falsely verify receipt of merchandise. Powell now faces multiple felony counts including forgery, theft by deception, and fraudulent business practices, with authorities seeking over seventeen thousand dollars in restitution. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 7 · 2 hr 15 min
FreightWaves Today | August 7
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August 7 · 3 min
PACCAR Recalls 5,919 Trucks, Canada Fraud Hits Suppliers, & International Exits Ohio | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining a major safety recall affecting nearly six thousand brand-new Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks. PACCAR is pulling model year 2027 vehicles due to a critical defect in the power distribution center that could cause drivers to lose engine power, antilock brakes, or windshield wipers without any dashboard warning. The problem originated from contaminated soldering at a supplier facility, though PACCAR estimates only 0.3 percent of recalled trucks actually have the defect. Meanwhile, a sophisticated fraud operation is targeting heavy-duty trucking suppliers across Western Canada as twelve businesses shipped truck tires, engine oil, and trailer parts on fraudulent credit card orders that initially appeared legitimate. Saskatchewan RCMP launched an investigation in March after companies across the province discovered that approved transactions ultimately failed, with callers having provided credit card details that prompted shipments before the payments declined. Finally, we cover a massive workforce reduction in Ohio as International Motors lays off 1,341 employees following the sale of its Springfield facilities to Canadian manufacturer Roshel. The sale is expected to close October 2nd, effectively ending the facility's contract manufacturing agreement with a major automotive company and paving the way for Roshel to transform the sprawling campus into a U.S.-based production hub for commercial, specialty, and armored vehicles. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 6 · 2 hr
FreightWaves Today | August 6
In this episode of FreightWaves Today, co-hosts Zach Strickland and Julie Van de Kamp break down the latest market-moving headlines across the freight, logistics, and supply chain landscape. Driver Pay & Payroll Trends: Mike Ritzema, President and Founder of Superior Trucking Payroll Service, joins the show to discuss the Driver Pay Index reaching a record 170.04. He walks through what real payroll data reveals about rising driver compensation, surging turnover rates in June, and how carrier owners can adjust pay structures to navigate tightening margins. Scaling D2C Cold Chain Fulfillment: Juan Camilo Meisel, Founder and CEO of Grip, dives into the fast-growing world of direct-to-consumer perishable logistics. Juan shares insights on shipping over $3 billion in temperature-sensitive goods, why frozen products are leading the charge, and the strategic addition of industry veteran John Hummel as President of Grip Fulfillment to drive their next phase of expansion. Freightnomics & Macroeconomic Update: On the second half of the show, Zach Strickland and DJ Donahue break down the latest ISM manufacturing data, ADP labor metrics, and modal shifts between truckload and intermodal. Plus, Dr. Zack Rogers drops in for his monthly analysis of the Logistics Managers' Index (LMI), breaking down inventory cost deltas, capacity contractions, and what to expect heading into Q4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 6 · 3 min
RXO's Mixed Q2 Results, Forward Air Recovery, & Class 8 Orders Slow | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining the latest quarterly results from third-party logistics provider RXO, which posted a mixed second-quarter performance. While net income remained at a five cents per share loss, the company achieved what it described as a historic sequential increase in profit per load driven by a massive jump in truckload spot mix. That spot mix surged to forty-two percent in the second quarter, up from just thirty-three percent in the first quarter, as the strengthening freight market provides a tailwind for the broker. Next, we explore the encouraging turnaround at Forward Air, which is showing real signs of recovery following what analysts have called a messy merger with freight forwarder Omni Logistics. The company reported its best quarterly performance since the January 2024 combination, with consolidated revenue climbing nine percent year-over-year and consolidated adjusted EBITDA rising eighteen percent to ninety-three million dollars. The expedited freight segment led the charge with a solid twenty-four percent year-over-year revenue increase, benefiting from less-than-truckload freight that had previously been lost to a depressed truckload market now returning. Finally, we cover the heavy-duty truck market where North American Class 8 net orders totaled twenty-two thousand units in July, down thirty-one percent from June. However, industry analysts are clear that the slowdown reflects limited production availability rather than softening freight demand, with calendar-year 2026 production essentially sold out. Through July, 2026 Class 8 net orders are running one hundred twenty percent higher than the same period last year, underscoring robust replacement demand and improving fleet utilization. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 5 · 2 hr
FreightWaves Today | August 5
In this episode of FreightWaves Today, hosts Craig Fuller and Julie Van de Kamp break down critical news across the freight and logistics landscape, from financial health and quarterly earnings to regulatory shifts, market indices, and tariffs. James Gellert, Executive Chairman of Rapid Ratings, joins to discuss financial health across middle-market and private companies. He highlights cash-conversion cycle pressures, rising leverage, PE hold extensions, and how high-interest environments affect supply chain counterparty risk. Jay Edlin, CEO of Wove, stops by the studio to share how their AI-powered ingestion engine helps customs brokers and shippers navigate HTS updates and Section 301 tariff changes in real time. Trains Magazine Editor Bill Stephens breaks down North American rail traffic data. Excluding coal, carload growth remains strong alongside intermodal gains, pointing to continued industrial economy momentum. CEO Geoff Anderman discusses STG Logistics emerging from bankruptcy with a restructured balance sheet, the current state of drayage and intermodal demand, and ongoing modal conversion opportunities. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 5 · 3 min
Pamt's Brutal Q2 Loss, Trimac Acquires California Freight, & Texas Blocks Shipper Liability | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining the harsh financial realities facing the truckload sector, where Pamt Corp. posted its seventh consecutive quarterly net loss and a staggering 110.6% adjusted operating ratio in its truckload division. Despite slashing its fleet by over four hundred tractors in three years, the company is finally seeing emerging signs of relief with a four percent sequential increase in revenue per loaded mile and constrained driver supply creating potential rate correction opportunities ahead. Next, we explore a major consolidation in the specialized bulk sector as Canadian hauler Trimac Transportation acquired California Freight, a bulk food-grade logistics provider operating eight terminals across California and Nevada. This strategic acquisition brings approximately five hundred tractors and tank trailers hauling raw milk, plus over four hundred thousand square feet of food-grade storage space that aligns directly with Trimac's long-term growth strategy. Finally, we break down another critical win for shippers in the ongoing legal battle over vicarious liability, where a Texas appeals court blocked liability claims against Atlas Aerospace in a fatal 2018 trucking collision case. This marks the second recent Texas court decision rejecting shipper liability for failing to control carrier selection, while C.H. Robinson continues its aggressive appeal of the massive six hundred four million dollar Lipe vs. Lupus Superior verdict. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 4 · 2 hr
FreightWaves Today | August 4
Craig and Julie cover the entire supply chain spectrum in this packed episode! GEODIS CEO Laura Ritchey recaps her first year leading the company, while John Brooks introduces the new WOW Supply Chain Activity Index from Warehouse on Wheels. Plus, Sope Creek Capital’s Kevin Nolan breaks down recent earnings and freight trends, Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka celebrates a record-breaking month, and FreightWaves’ Eric Kulisch unravels the mystery of a ghost fleet of unbranded cargo planes. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 4 · 3 min
July PMI Hits 4-Year High, STG Drayage Misclassification Settlement, & Atlas Air Invests | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining a manufacturing surge that's creating serious momentum across the freight landscape. July's Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing PMI jumped to 55.6, the highest reading since May 2022 and well ahead of analyst expectations. This manufacturing recovery is showing up directly in less-than-truckload volumes, with four publicly traded LTL carriers reporting tonnage up 2.6 percent year over year in the second quarter, and preliminary July results showing even stronger growth at 5.1 percent year over year. Next, we discuss a major driver misclassification case as drayage drivers who hauled for STG Logistics in New Jersey are eligible for a piece of a more than $2.2 million payout following the settlement. The suit, which dates back to 2023, was the first filed under a 2021 New Jersey law targeting employers who misclassified full-time workers as independent contractors. Eligible drivers can receive a lump sum based on their earnings from January 2017 to the present. Finally, we explore how a strategic investment is expanding global widebody cargo capacity as Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings completed its transaction to take a 49 percent stake in Iceland-based Air Atlanta, the all-cargo carrier and lessor announced on Monday. As part of the deal, Atlas subsidiary Titan Aviation acquired fourteen widebody freighter aircraft owned by Air Atlanta and leased them back, while Air Atlanta's CEO and vice presidents acquired a 51 percent controlling interest in the operating companies. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 3 · 2 hr
FreightWaves Today | August 3
Craig and Julie have a jam packed show to start of the week! FreightWaves Finance Editor, Todd Maiden, starts things off talking railroad earnings. He breaks down how major carriers like Schneider National handily beat expectations, signaling the early stages of a capacity-constrained rate recovery. Schneider captured double-digit rate increases on contract renewals during Q2. Zak Andersoe, Chief of Staff and VP of Corporate Relations at BNSF, outlined why the railroad strongly opposes the proposed merger between Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS). He explains how the merger creates an unprecedented level of market power (over 50% market share in the combined entity), which BNSF argues will ultimately raise prices and reduce competition for shippers—particularly bulk and carload shippers who lack competitive alternatives. Trent Broberg, CEO of FullBay, highlighted key trends and operational pressures across heavy-duty maintenance shops. Brian Fielkow, EVP of Risk Resources at Acrisure, detailed how safety directly drives productivity and enterprise value. Alex Tabarrok, Chair in Economics at George Mason University, presented findings from a white paper on autonomous vehicle (AV) adoption and opposition. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 3 · 3 min
Schneider's Rate Recovery, Aurora's Driverless Pricing, & Enterprise AI's New Battleground | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off by examining how Schneider National is aggressively pushing rates higher in a tight capacity environment. The Green Bay-based carrier handily beat second-quarter expectations and raised its full-year outlook, declaring that the truckload market is only in the early stages of rate recovery as it captures double-digit increases on contract renewals. Next, we explore the autonomous trucking sector where Aurora Innovation is spelling out exactly what its driverless technology will cost carriers. The Pittsburgh-based developer reported a second-quarter loss of two hundred seventy million dollars and detailed the per-mile pricing behind its two distinct business models, targeting different revenue ranges for its transportation-as-a-service and driver-as-a-service offerings. Finally, we cover the rapidly evolving enterprise artificial intelligence landscape as a leading CEO argues that the competitive battleground has shifted away from model quality entirely. Speaking at the Supply Chain AI Symposium in Chicago, Reindeer's founder explained that large language models are becoming commoditized and that the real edge now lies in the maintenance layer—detecting when workflows drift and adjusting agents without costly engineering intervention. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 31 · 2 hr 23 min
FreightWaves Today | July 31
It’s a action-packed Friday episode of FreightWaves Today! Host Craig Fuller, Julie Van de Kamp, and guest host Max Fuller dive deep into the latest earnings releases, critical market shifts, and major legal developments rocking the supply chain industry. In this episode, we cover: Spotlight on ArcBest: President & CEO Seth Runser joins the show to discuss ArcBest's impressive Q2 performance, signs of an early demand recovery, their strategic rebranding (consolidating Molo and Panther), and the launch of the new ArcBest View platform. Freight Market Deep Dive: A breakdown of 5 key market pillars—from capacity exits and durable spot rates to shifting driver recruiting dynamics. C.H. Robinson & Earnings Roundup: Senior Editor John Kingston drops by to unpack C.H. Robinson's earnings call, headcount reductions, and the lingering overhang of recent litigation. Legacy Carriers & Market Supercycle: Covenant Logistics Founder & CEO David Parker sits down to discuss Covenant’s transition away from one-way OTR, driver market constraints, rising insurance burdens, and why we might be in the early stages of a freight supercycle. Freight Expectations: Transportation attorney Matt Leffler breaks down the massive $604M Lupus Superior nuclear verdict against C.H. Robinson, the legal concept of vicarious liability/co-employment, and why this case represents an existential threat to the freight brokerage model. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 31 · 3 min
$1M Truck Theft Bust, XPO's Record Q2 Results, & Saia's Margin Guidance Disappoints | The Morning Minute
In this episode, we kick things off with a massive equipment theft bust as law enforcement officers across the Carolinas recovered thirteen semi-trucks, three trailers, and two motor vehicles worth over one million dollars during an ongoing Florence County investigation. Two North Carolina men face grand larceny and conspiracy charges for allegedly stealing nine commercial motor vehicles between November 2022 and October 2025, with the eighteen-vehicle recovery highlighting the critical importance of fast reporting and secure parking controls. Next, we explore the less-than-truckload sector where XPO delivered record-breaking second-quarter results that crushed Wall Street expectations with adjusted earnings per share of one dollar and seventy cents. The Greenwich-based carrier's LTL unit posted a seventy-nine point nine percent adjusted operating ratio, three hundred basis points better year-over-year, with management declaring the industry is still in the early innings of a multiyear double-digit rate growth cycle. Finally, we cover how Saia's softer full-year margin outlook sent shares tumbling twelve percent in midday trading Thursday despite delivering better-than-expected quarterly earnings. The Johns Creek carrier now expects to hit the lower end of its guidance range, with the addition of thirty-three new service centers since 2022 dragging on margins as these fresh facilities still trail the legacy network with operating ratios in the low-ninety percent range. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 30 · 1 hr 49 min
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
July 29 · 2 hr
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
July 28 · 36 min
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
July 27 · 2 hr
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

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