FreightCasts

In this Thanksgiving edition of Third & Long, Adam Wingfield and co-driver Kaylee Nix break down one of the biggest stories shaking the trucking world: California’s CDL compliance battle with the FMCSA, the threat of losing $158 million in federal funding, and the lawsuits claiming civil rights violations. This episode goes deep into the political tension between state and federal authority, how these policies affect small carriers and owner-operators, and what the fallout could mean for the industry moving forward. We cover: FMCSA vs. California — federal funding, compliance failures, and courts stepping in Civil rights lawsuit — why non-domiciled CDL holders say the rules are unfair Public perception of drivers — including the viral “low-skilled job” debate Real-world industry impact — hiring, safety, insurance, and the future of driver qualifications The massive training gap — 63,000 CDL schools but only 3,000 federally compliant What shippers must do next — and whether this opens a door for small carriers Along the way, Adam shares real stories from the road, what it really takes to safely operate 80,000 lbs of equipment, and why the idea that trucking is “low-skilled” couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether you're a small carrier, an industry insider, or someone who wants to understand what’s really happening behind the headlines, this conversation is one you don’t want to miss. Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss a new drop. Sign up for the newsletter for deeper insights Follow The Long Haul Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 100-year-old P Judge and Suns Trucking and Warehousing Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey, listing both assets and liabilities between $1 million and $10 million. The podcast covers the ongoing debate surrounding the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, which UP CEO Jim Vena advocated for at the RailTrends industry conference. Vena stressed that the United States should not be the only country in North America without seamless rail service, noting that the merger is necessary to enable railroads to compete with the trucking industry. Strong opposition to the deal comes from Western Railroad BNSF, which views the merger as a disruption that would likely lead to a reshaping of the entire North American Rail Network. BNSF’s chief marketing officer highlighted that customers are not advocating for the merger, and that existing transcontinental options are already practical through collaboration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special Thanksgiving-week edition of WHAT THE TRUCK?! with your host, Malcolm Harris! Even though he’s out of the studio and home for the holidays, Malcolm is still delivering—like DoorDash—with a jam-packed double feature you won’t want to miss. Today’s Lineup John Kingston – Editor-at-Large, FreightWaves John joins to break down his latest article on what he calls the “jobs apocalypse” hitting logistics. From AI-driven workforce disruption to what’s happening inside Trimble’s panels, he digs into: Why AI could eliminate thousands of entry-level logistics jobs CH Robinson’s AI-powered transformation The shifting role of human judgment What this means for the future of freight work Carlos Guillen – President & Cofounder, BG Trucking Carlos brings an inspiring deep-dive into cross-border operations, driver-first culture, and BG’s explosive growth to 400+ employees across 11 states. He shares: What true high-compliance cross-border trucking looks like The tech and transparency powering BG’s success How BG supports its drivers and protects them on high-risk routes Their powerful community partnerships, including a California Fire Foundation wildfire relief initiative with a mobile QR-coded donation trailer Breaking News + Headlines Malcolm also covers: A container ship fire that forced four terminals to shut down at the Port of LA A tentative deal between Canada Post and its union A wild near-disaster involving the ECU Pirates’ equipment truck Brand-new, just-dropped reporting: Amazon shutting down a Little Rock warehouse due to earthquake-related structural flaws Watch on YouTube Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Experts at the Trimble Insight conference are forecasting a "significant reduction" in employment levels as rapidly maturing AI tools become cheaper and more efficient than human workers. This technological shift is already translating into measurable gains, with companies like C.H. Robinson openly connecting rising profitability directly to a shrinking workforce. However, achieving the full strategic potential of AI requires clean and comprehensive data, meaning much of the current investment is directed toward routine tasks that don't rely on perfect data, such as calling drivers or getting quotes. Regulation is increasing alongside technological pressure where the Department of Transportation is developing a data-driven severity scoring system to proactively identify and shut down dangerous "chameleon carriers". This federal crackdown will flag patterns of fraud, including shared addresses and recycled phone numbers, while also reflecting heightened attention to operational risks, such as the electrical fire that shut down four terminals at the Port of Los Angeles following an explosion on the ONE Henry Hudson. We also analyze the high-stakes future of North American rail with the proposed Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger necessary to compete effectively with the evolving trucking sector. Nevertheless, analysts are highly skeptical of the forecast for 10% volume growth within three years given the rail industry's decade of flat volume, ensuring the Surface Transportation Board will conduct a stringent and independent review. Finally, we touch upon the tentative contract agreement reached between Canada Post and its largest union after two years of contentious talks, which came right after Canada Post reported a record quarterly loss of $385 million. Ultimately, the intense demands from AI and the new government scrutiny raise a critical question for managers across the supply chain: how quickly will clean data become the single most defining competitive advantage in the entire freight ecosystem? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The container ship ONE Henry Hudson was towed out to anchorage at the Port of Los Angeles after an electrical fire that began onboard while it was berthed was substantially contained. The incident temporarily suspended port operations, closed four of the seven container terminals, and led to a mile-wide safety zone, though no injuries were reported among the 23-person crew. Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement following over two years of bitter negotiations and strike activity by more than 50,000 mail carriers. The agreement comes as the national mail carrier reported a record quarterly loss of $385 million due to labor actions causing businesses to switch carriers, resulting in a 40% drop in parcel revenue. South Carolina truck driver Dennis Eugene West and his company pleaded guilty to negligent discharge of pollutants after West crashed while driving under the influence in West Virginia. The August 2022 crash spilled thousands of gallons of alkyl dimethylamine into Paint Creek, which temporarily harmed aquatic life, resulting in West and the company facing over $1.6 million in restitution and penalties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malcolm Harris brings a stacked lineup diving into e-commerce logistics, fleet operations, and the growing impact of AI across the supply chain. Headlines: Malcolm breaks down the latest in freight, including FMCSA bond enforcement, driver shortages affecting farm labor, Maersk’s relocation to Charlotte, 3PL marketing ROI insights, and rising cargo theft trends. Featured Guests Carlos Barbosa — VP of E-commerce Solutions, ePost Global Carlos shares insights from ePost Global’s new report analyzing 20 million international shipments, revealing why multi-carrier strategies outperform single-carrier setups by 37%. He explains how speed, reliability, cost stability, and AI-driven decision-making are shaping the future of cross-border e-commerce. Zach Cellar — Operations Manager, Ploger Transportation Zach talks about how adopting AI-powered planning transformed their fleet operations. He discusses: -21%+ increase in load volume -Higher driver satisfaction & better scheduling -Reduced manual planning -Improved retention and recruiting -A must-watch for fleets exploring AI adoption. Ben Marks — Senior Solutions Leader, Optimal Dynamics Ben breaks down how Optimal Dynamics serves as the decision layer for trucking fleets—optimizing planning, increasing efficiency, and allowing dispatchers to focus on higher-value work. He also shares how fleets can evaluate AI partners and prepare for the future of automated operations. ⁠Watch on YouTube⁠ ⁠Visit our sponsor⁠ ⁠Subscribe to the WTT newsletter⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠More FreightWaves Podcasts⁠ #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A preliminary investigative report has been released by the National Transportation Safety Board regarding the fatal UPS MD-11 freighter crash in Louisville. The report cited fatigue cracks in the left-wing engine mount, which separated shortly after liftoff, leading UPS to continue grounding its remaining MD-11s per FAA guidelines, a situation explored further in "NTSB links fatigue cracks to fatal crash of UPS cargo jet - FreightWaves". The broadcast also covers Walmart’s impressive Q3 performance, which included a 27% jump in global e-commerce sales and a nearly 70% increase in sales for same-day delivery. Walmart continues to leverage its pickup and delivery options, asserting that it can now deliver to about 95% of U.S. households in under three hours, a popular expedited choice examined in "Walmart e-commerce sales rise 27% as shoppers opt for same-day delivery - FreightWaves". Finally, we review the delayed September employment report, which showed truck transportation jobs slid by one of the biggest drops seen in three years, contributing to a total transportation job decrease of 6,800. With job losses detailed in "Trucking employment down in Sept from August, mostly flat over 12 mos - FreightWaves," experts suggest we should expect continued drops in this sector as regulation continues to tighten up with drivers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freight data suggests a muted peak season from a demand perspective, but ongoing capacity reductions make it hard to say it will be a complete non-event. ⁠Follow the Freightonomics Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. freight market is grappling with a massive security crisis as cargo theft surges 29% in Q3 driven by organized crime targeting electronics and high-value pharmaceuticals. We analyze how carriers must implement comprehensive security measures and establish clear policies to ensure truck cameras succeed in litigation, especially regarding how crucial video retention rules are. The logistics industry faces a dramatic regulatory shift as the FMCSA’s tighter bond enforcement looms over freight brokers in 2026, taking full effect on January 16, 2026. These new rules mandate immediate operating authority suspension for bond shortfalls and require BMC-85 trust funds to be solely cash or cash-equivalent assets, accelerating market consolidation among poorly capitalized 3PLs. Agricultural supply chains are under threat due to regulatory confusion, detailed in the crackdown on foreign truckers that threatens US farm labor, as states inadvertently pause CDL issuance for essential H-2A farm workers. Industry groups are urgently pushing the FMCSA to clarify this existing H-2A exemption and extend similar CDL exemptions to J-1 visa workers due to their vital seasonal role in custom harvesting. We also cover the operational crunch in air freight, as UPS compensates for lost use of grounded MD-11 cargo jets after the mandatory grounding of its MD-11 fleet following a deadly crash. UPS is mitigating this peak season capacity gap by wet leasing supplemental lift from partners like Cargojet and Amerijet, alongside reconfiguring its ground network. Finally, we discuss the major strategic footprint change as Maersk relocates its North American HQ to Charlotte, moving its headquarters from New Jersey to North Carolina. This relocation involves a $16 million investment and 500 new jobs, driven by Charlotte’s affordability and growing talent pool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truck parking is one of the most talked-about challenges in our industry — but recently, some are claiming the problem doesn’t even exist. In this episode, Adam sits down with Andrew King, Director of Operations at OOIDA Foundation, to cut through the noise. We dig into the flawed assumptions behind a recent parking report, break down federal data from Jason’s Law, and challenge the idea that drivers are just “bad planners.” If you’re tired of surface-level takes, this episode goes deep into policy, equity, and what real change should look like for small carriers. ⁠Follow The Long Haul Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices