Brake Check | Recruiting is broken, Drivers are tired, What the truck?

In this episode of Brake Check, we’re getting into what’s really going on in freight right now — and yeah, things are finally getting interesting again.

Charles Gracey sits down with JP Hampstead from FreightWaves to break down why the truckload market is suddenly way more volatile than what we’ve seen the past couple years. Winter storms, rising tender rejections, tightening capacity, spot rates heating up — we explain what all of that actually means without the fluff. If you’ve been wondering whether this market shift is real or just another fake-out, this conversation puts it into plain English.

We also dig into earnings and outlooks from major carriers like Old Dominion, Heartland, and CFI, talk inventory levels, tariffs, and why some shippers are trying (and failing) to lock in last year’s rates. The big question: is this finally a sustainable rebound, or are we setting up for another crash?

Then we shift to the people side of trucking with Kevin Hall, CEO of CDLLife. We talk driver recruiting, why drivers are being way pickier right now, what a “quality driver” actually means, and why respect matters more than most job ads want to admit. If you recruit drivers, manage drivers, or are a driver, this part hits home.

And to wrap it up, Malcolm Harris jumps in for some real talk on the current freight temperature, broker vs carrier perspectives, and why relationship-based freight might finally be making a comeback.

Markets, money, drivers, relationships — it’s all in here.

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