DOT Blitz Week starts tomorrow, and brokers are bracing for one of the toughest weeks in years. Plus: $10.1M in stolen freight leads to five years in prison, Forward Air loses 40% of its value, diesel prices hit produce costs, and more.
Aurora's driverless trucks are moving real loads between Dallas and Houston right now, and nobody is in the cab. Plus: RXO signals a strong freight rebound, Ken Adamo joins Ease Logistics, rail got faster to Mexico, and more.
Aurora signed two major partnerships in one week. Spot rates just hit an all-time high. A Chicago cross-dock blew up Reddit over how shippers load trailers. And someone dug into Super Ego's carrier network — the safety scores are not okay.
Plus: AFN founder Ryan Daube passes away, DAT acquires Outgo, ArcBest unveils new AI tools and more.
Happy Friday. FreightWaves spotlighted ten companies leading the fight against freight fraud at its 2025 Freight Fraud Symposium in Dallas this week.
Our feature breaks down how each award winner is tackling fraud.
Plus:
TOP LANE MOVERS POWERED BY GREENSCREENS.AI
🐔 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT
🕊️ Ryan Daube, Founder of AFN Logistics, Passes Away at 47. Ryan Daube, Founder of AFN Logistics, passed away on May 14 at age 47 after battling Stage 4 lung cancer. A respected leader in freight brokerage, Daube launched AFN in 2003, growing it into a top-tier 3PL known for its service culture and proprietary tech before its 2018 sale to GlobalTranz. He was also a guest on Episode #5 of Andrew Silver’s The Freight Pod, where he shared his insights and experiences in the industry. Remembered for his authenticity and team-first mindset, Daube wrote, “Throw at least five high fives for me today… nothing is guaranteed.” He is survived by his wife, Andrea, and four sons. A memorial will be held today in Deerfield, IL.
🤝 DAT Acquires Outgo to Integrate Instant Payments Into Load Board Platform. DAT Freight & Analytics has acquired Seattle fintech startup Outgo Inc. to embed same-day payment and factoring services into its DAT One platform. Outgo, Founded by former Uber and Convoy execs, enables automated broker setup, invoicing, and payment within 15 to 90 minutes. “Cash flow is the lifeblood of small carriers,” said DAT CEO Jeff Clementz. The move intensifies competition with TriumphPay as both companies race to control the freight lifecycle from booking to payment. Outgo CEO Marcus Womack will join DAT’s executive team, as both firms push toward a vertically integrated, digital freight clearinghouse model.
🤖 ArcBest Pilots AI Tools to Cut Planning Time and Boost Freight Efficiency. ArcBest is accelerating its push into automation with AI-driven pilots targeting call handling, route optimization, and freight dimensioning. During its Q1 earnings call, President Seth Runser cited a case where routing time dropped from four hours to 45 minutes. Tools like Vaux Vision—ArcBest’s forklift-mounted dimensioning system—are helping digitize freight data in real time. A new General Manager, Brian Nachtigall, will lead the Vaux platform as the company scales these tools. With 45% of shipments now digitally fulfilled, ArcBest is betting on AI to modernize operations and stay competitive in a tech-driven freight landscape.
In Q1 2025, Highway blocked more than 400,000 fraud attempts—including 352K phishing emails and 1,190 identity theft cases.
These aren’t one-off incidents. They’re part of a larger pattern of organized, scalable threats.
Download the Q1 Freight Fraud Index to see:
Fraud doesn’t slow down. Neither should your strategy.
At the Freight Fraud Symposium in Dallas, FreightWaves named 10 companies as winners of its 2025 Fraud Fighters Awards, recognizing standout solutions that are actively stopping fraud across the supply chain.
John Paul Hampstead
Here are the companies leading the charge:
Highway’s Carrier Identity platform is stopping fraud at scale:
Focuses on detecting stolen MCs, impersonation, and fictitious pickups before freight moves.
We recently interviewed Michael Caney, the CCO of Highway. Check our interview below:
Crowley’s Strategic Anti-Fraud Ecosystem reduced unvetted carrier usage by 97%.
A global player in logistics tech, Descartes combines:
Together, they provide full-cycle fraud prevention—from booking to delivery.
Clients report up to a 90% drop in fraud-related issues.
Echo moved 1 million truckload shipments in 2024 with <0.01% loss from theft.
Only trusted carriers get approved to haul high-value freight.
Early impact:
Overhaul’s layered intel tools also helped BNSF and California law enforcement recover customer cargo.
Thomas Wasson
Fraud detection that links telematics + spend data in one platform:
Truckstop uses AI + proprietary data to rate carrier risk in real time:
Real-time tracking tool with proven results:
Thomas Wasson
A next-gen tracking solution for real-time asset visibility:
Users report fewer losses and tighter control over in-transit cargo.
Wirebee tackles fraud at the phone level:
It’s become a critical front-line tool for brokers overwhelmed by fraudulent outreach.
Check out our recent interview with the Wirebee team here:
CtrlChain is a cost-effective solution that helps carriers secure more contract freight with reliable shipper companies. The company emphasizes stable income for carriers by fostering long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships between carriers and shippers.
CtrlChain system simplifies the day-to-day tasks of fleet owners and operators by digitizing and automating manual tasks such as managing delivery information, updating customers, and providing PODs. It replaces spreadsheets, emails, phone calls, and post-it notes by offering a single platform for planning, executing, and receiving payments for deliveries.
🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB
🚛 Central Asia Takes the Wheel. We went to CABXPO to see what’s fueling one of the fastest-growing business communities in freight. From family-run carriers to scrappy startups, Central Asian Americans are making big moves in logistics.
📋 FMCSA Revokes 8 ELDs. The FMCSA has removed eight electronic logging devices from its approved list due to non-compliance with federal technical standards. Carriers using these ELDs must replace them immediately to avoid violations.
📦 Amazon, FedEx Reunite. Amazon and FedEx have signed a new delivery agreement for large packages, marking their first major partnership since 2019. The deal aims to fill capacity gaps left by reduced UPS reliance.
🛒 Walmart to Raise Prices. Walmart announced plans to raise prices in response to increased tariff-related costs, warning that consumers could soon feel the impact of broader trade tensions.
🚗 Japanese Carmakers Tariff Hit. Japan’s major automakers could lose up to $19 billion under new U.S. tariffs. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are particularly exposed as tensions escalate under current trade policies.
😔 Daimler Lowers Outlook. Daimler Truck has cut its full-year guidance, citing economic uncertainty and weaker-than-expected demand in North America—its largest market—as key risk factors.
🏭 Clorox Eyes Sourcing Shift. Clorox is considering changes to its supply chain after projecting a $100 million impact from new tariffs. The company is reviewing alternative sourcing and production strategies to mitigate the cost.
🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
🎙 The FreightCaviar Podcast. We sat down with Roberto Icaza, Co-Founder & COO of Rapido Solutions Group, at their HQ in Guadalajara, Mexico. Roberto shares how a college friendship with Andrew Silver (Co-Founder of MoLo) led to a career at Coyote Logistics, and eventually, to building one of the fastest-growing nearshoring talent providers in the freight industry. Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.
💬 FreightCaviar Forum: Now Live! A space built for brokers, carriers, dispatchers, and freight tech to connect, share, and learn from one another. Sign up now here.
FREIGHT HUMOR
DOT Blitz Week starts tomorrow, and brokers are bracing for one of the toughest weeks in years. Plus: $10.1M in stolen freight leads to five years in prison, Forward Air loses 40% of its value, diesel prices hit produce costs, and more.
Aurora's driverless trucks are moving real loads between Dallas and Houston right now, and nobody is in the cab. Plus: RXO signals a strong freight rebound, Ken Adamo joins Ease Logistics, rail got faster to Mexico, and more.
Aurora signed two major partnerships in one week. Spot rates just hit an all-time high. A Chicago cross-dock blew up Reddit over how shippers load trailers. And someone dug into Super Ego's carrier network — the safety scores are not okay.
Amazon just became a direct rival to the biggest names in parcel, freight, and 3PL services. Plus: shippers are paying a lot more, your carrier check may be passing thieves through, a $4M cargo theft recovery shows what's possible, and more.
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