

WHAT THE TRUCK?!?
FreightWaves
WHAT THE TRUCK?!? is FreightWaves' irreverent award-winning podcast breaking down the biggest stories in transportation and logistics. WTT?!? is all about the people that make freight move. On the show you'll hear from founders, CEOs, VCs, truckers, brokers, and influencers. Join the industry three times a week on FreightWavesTV and podcast players everywhere.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 30, 2023 • 1h
Idalia makes landfall, disruption watch and why Teamsters killed 22,000 jobs
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is covering Hurricane Idalia’s impact on freight as it makes landfall. WeatherOptics’ Scott Pecoriello gets us strapped down for the storm.Why did Teamsters allow 22,000 union jobs to vanish? FreightWaves’ Rachel Premack discusses if labor and unions are winning, why did Yellow lose so badly?AIT Worldwide’s Greg Weigel predicts peak season, alerts us to supply chain disruptions on the horizon and shares the impact nearshoring has had on trucking. Trucker Tricky Mick hauls cars and drops bars. We’ll take a look at the life of a car-hauling music producer.FreightWaves’ Justin Martin talks about how a 100-truck carrier could operate for the U.S. Postal Service without insurance; Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams’ abrupt shutdown; driver shortage narrative violations; living in a mansion on 18 wheels; and delivery instructions gone wrong.Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 28, 2023 • 60min
What the biggest plush company on Amazon has to say about peak season
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking to the biggest plush seller on Amazon about Prime Day results, peak season prognostications and if retailers have worked through the inventory glut. Viahart President Molson Hart breaks it all down and shares insights on how to shoot your shot, when to develop new business ideas and why you shouldn’t wear polyester underwear. We’re keeping up with the Jones Act as Campbell University professor Sal Mercogliano and MarineTraffic Capt. Adil Ashiq debate the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. Fleetworthy Solution’s CEO Michael Precia has a report on what his customers are saying about their inventory levels and what it means for trucking volumes. Precia also advises us on how to expedite new assets.Plus, a supercar carrier crashes, Hollywood delivery robots and Dooner goes back to school with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 25, 2023 • 60min
Is trucking a commodity and the Please Advise Summit
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking to Justin Martin about why truckers don’t care about National Truck Driver Appreciation Week; is trucking a commodity; and the runaway truck ramp experienceThen it’s the first-ever Please Advise Summit, where Reed Loustalot, Dominick Tullo, Chase Osborne and Garrett Allen break down a historic mugshot; freight marketing BS; truck stop robots; how to build a community and more.FreightWaves Market Expert Donny Gilbert crunches the numbers on the freight market. Plus, what are moon rocks; teaching a dog to fetch lobster; and a trip to Boston. Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 21, 2023 • 48min
How bull hauling works and Yellow’s billion dollar bankruptcy bids
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking to bull hauler Lora Andela all about the art of hauling livestock. Yellow now has two billion dollar offers for their terminals, which one will they take? Is contingency coverage alone enough? Craig Leinauer, inland marine corporate claims manager at Travelers, tells freight brokers how to make sure they’re fully covered in the event of an incident. Mike Bush is starting his first day at CDL1000. He’s here to talk about the job market for supply chain employees, what’s good at CDL1000, marketing tips and the power of supply chain meetups.Plus, tender rejects reach yearly highs; Cruise’s rough ride in San Francisco; how merging works; how not to use hammocks; and a terrible way to fix a hole in a wall. Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 18, 2023 • 60min
Who is paying for Yellow’s bankruptcy; freight recession report; and a highway angel
Guests: Bart De Muynck (industry consultant), Jon Adam (Highway Angel), Lewie Pugh (representative from OOIDA). Topics: fallout from Yellow's bankruptcy, recent bankruptcies and health of transportation, Highway Angel's heroic story, speed limiters, broker transparency, truck parking problem, freight recession, carrier exits, UPS drivers in fashion, shipping container pools, trucks vs bridges and trains, Cybertruck sightings.

Aug 16, 2023 • 60min
Truck visits down at Target; truck parking solutions; and warehouse tech
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is joined in the studio by Alex Mai from Mutha Trucker News and Truck Parking Club’s Evan Shelley and Hunter Shearer. They’re talking about truck parking solutions, bathroom access for truckers, unusual pets, semi-truck pontoons and more.FreightWaves’ Rachel Premack is looking at how freight data showed Target’s troubles early on. With discretionary purchases at the retailer falling, so are truck visit counts. Plus, she’ll look at the latest in manufacturing and transportation labor data.CEO Ivo Verhaegh and Henrik Bergsager of Powerhouse AI take us on a virtual tour of a DHL distribution hub in Singapore to show off how their tech works. With DOT audits up 54% from 2022, now’s a perfect time to talk to J. J. Keller’s Josh Lovan. He lays out the latest FMCSA audit data and gets fleets prepared for what to look out for.Plus, 3PLs encounter trouble sending aid to Maui, cities in the South, container homes and a ridiculous way to turn one day into three. Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 14, 2023 • 59min
State of LTL in a post-Yellow world
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is joined in the studio by Averitt Express’ Kent Williams to talk about the state of LTL in a post-Yellow world. Who is benefiting and who is feeling the pain now that this megacarrier has gone under? Mothership’s Aaron Peck has been helping LTL carriers stay above water for the past few years. We’ll find out how it is handling a tidal wave of LTL volume that Yellow has left in its wake. Remember just-in-case? You may be the only one. As shippers are shifting back to Just-In-Time, Convoy is here for it with a new service. According to FreightWaves, “This solution ensures an on-time delivery, within a 15-minute window, for its shipper customers with fully vetted carriers that understand the firm delivery standards needed to provide JIT offerings.” Mitch Violett is here to tell us how it works.We’ll meet Markel McCloud. He helps run a family trucking business. We’ll find out how it is building from the ground up.Plus, Big Rig Bruce’s mini-rig; forgetting forklifts; an accident on Metallica’s tour; why trains hit trucks; a Cyber Truck on a Tesla Semi; and what you need to know about a truck. Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 11, 2023 • 60min
Truth and lies in autonomy, NASCAR’s trucker appreciation and fuel economics
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking to The Road to Autonomy’s Grayson Brulte about the good, bad and ugly in autonomous vehicles.Relay Payments partners with NASCAR on driver appreciation week at its Haul of Fame. David Barak gets us up to speed on the sponsorship and tells us why Relay Payments is honoring drivers a quarter mile at a time.Wholesale diesel prices are up 27% from their one-year lows back in June of this year, so we’re finding out how Hell Bent Xpress’ Jamie Hagen is staying above water by being smart with fuel. He’ll give us a crash course in being an owner-operator, managing fuel and knowing your costs.Fires in Maui have caused devastating losses, including more than 35 human lives. SeaWide Express’ Monica Thornton lets us know what’s going on over on the islands, how it is impacting freight and if any relief is being organized. Plus, a day in the life of auto transport; your first headset; building a beer tap; and semi-trucking cats. Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 9, 2023 • 1h
Owner-operators feeling rate sting; trucking in Alaska; and how TSA air cargo security works
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking about spot rates dropping by 7.6% while diesel fuel has increased by 8.4% in the past month. Will this market lead to more Yellows? FreightWaves’ Rachel Premack went for a ride-along to the most northern truck stop in the world during her trip to Alaska. We’ll find out what trucking is like up in the Last Frontier. She’ll also get us up to date on the fallout at Yellow. TSA’s security exemption for unwieldy air cargo sunsets Oct. 31. We’ll find out what this means for shippers from TSA’s John Beckius. We’ll also learn everything we need to know about how TSA air cargo security works.FreightWaves’ Justin Martin is talking about the rate sting that owner-operators are facing; working at Buc-ee’s versus UPS; why you should get a job in AA&E; delivery robots; a Cruise versus a Semi; and the toddler-sized rig you’ve got to get your kids this Christmas. Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 7, 2023 • 60min
Delivery robots vs. Hollywood; Yellow makes it official; and 3PLs get scrappy
On today’s episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking about a delivery robot viral video straight out of Hollywood. We’ll take a look at what happened to Serve Robotics’ bots when they took to the streets of Los Angeles. Yellow officially announced that it’s shutting down. General Trucking Inc. CEO Larry Long has seen his fair share of shutdowns. We’re talking to him about what to do when your company dies, how to get a new trucking job and why his company may be the home for you.Sope Creek founder Kevin Nolan is here to tell us to get over the freight recession and to start getting scrappy. We’ll learn how some 3PLs are winning in a depressed market. Nolan hits on employee shuffling, what’s investable and a bank for truckers. Then it’s ice bucket challenge time!Makt-Trans LLC’s Justin Cornwell talks about the difference between being an agency owner and an agent. We’ll learn how both positions work and which may be best for you.Plus, how to deliver a whale shark; getting run over by a combine; golf club-stealing bears; the water jug truck; and more.Watch on YouTubeVisit our sponsorSubscribe to the WTT newsletterApple PodcastsSpotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


