A FreightCaviar follower spent weeks quick-paying carriers on a steel project before learning the shipper was fake, the carriers were in on it, and not a single load was ever real. Plus: Congress takes aim at chameleon carriers, diesel keeps falling, and more.
āWhen I say youāre going to require high levels of authenticity and authentication at the point of entry... that is no longer going to be enough to prevent access. Youāre going to need multiple points that all need to match in order to unlock access- thatās where weāre going."
FMCSA launched a new carrier registry three weeks ago to stop freight fraud ā zero new carriers have been registered since. Plus: PepsiCo is running 41 driverless trucks, peak season and a shrinking driver pool, cameras know where your carriers have been, and more.
Plus: Montgomery v. Caribe goes to Supreme Court, Smoky Mountain shuts down LTL rates set new record
Happy Friday. YouTuber Will Tennyson tackles the daily life of a truck driver and its unhealthy impact.
Plus:
TOP LANE MOVERS POWERED BY TRIUMPH
ā Montgomery v. Caribe Heads to Supreme Court. C.H. Robinson filed its merits brief in Montgomery v. Caribe ahead of March 4 arguments at the Supreme Court of the United States. Chris Ugarte, Deputy General Counsel at C.H. Robinson, said the case tests whether brokers face liability under āvarying state lawsā despite federal rules governing carriers. Matthew Leffler called it āthe most important legal case for 3PLs,ā with a ruling set to resolve a long-standing circuit split on broker liability.
š Smoky Mountain Shuts Down. Smoky Mountain Logistics will permanently close its Lebanon, Tennessee operation on Feb. 28, laying off 145 workers, according to a WARN filing. The company operates as an Amazon Delivery Service Partner out of Amazonās DTN8 facility in the Nashville area. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records show Smoky Mountain reported 75 drivers and 34 non-commercial vehicles.
š LTL Rates Set New Record in Q4. AFS Logistics and TD Cowen reported LTL pricing hit a new high in Q4 as carriers held pricing despite weak demand. The LTL rate-per-pound index stood 67.9% above its 2018 baseline. āLTL carriers have resisted the urge to buy freight volume via pricing concessions,ā said Mich Fabriga of AFS. Truckload data showed flat demand and tight capacity, with the report flagging ātentative signs of recovery in late 2026.ā
Highway for Carriers is now available on iOS and Android!
Highway has launched a free mobile app for Carriers to help you find and book real freight with verified brokers through the Trusted Freight Exchange (TFX).
From the app, you can:
Download the Highway for Carriers app today!
YouTuber and bodybuilder Will Tennyson vlogged about a long-standing issue in freight: truck drivers' heath.
Tennyson's experience reflects what carriers, brokers, and safety regulators already know, but rarely address directly:
"Honestly, being a truck driver, it's like just having a cheat day on wheels."
During his time on the road, Tennyson documented:
Tennyson noted healthy choices exist in theory, but the job design works against them:
"You are just surrounded with creative, unique ways to kill you."
The numbers back this up:
Fatigue-related crashes involving truck drivers cost an estimated $20 billion annually, according to the Fatigue Science.
Driver health directly impacts:
Highly obese drivers show higher crash rates according to National Institute of Health. Fatigue, smoking, and untreated sleep apnea increase risk across networks brokers depend on daily.
Chris Kuna, founder of Driverness, focuses on visibility and accountability.
Through driver interviews and Driverness.com, he documents long-term outcomes of life behind the wheel: poor health, financial instability, and isolation.
Kaja KusiÅska
On the clinical side, Dr. Mark Manera, President & Chief Health Officer at Project 61, built a digital health platform designed specifically for trucking.
The focus: Movement, nutrition, sleep, and habits that fit real schedules.
The industry spends heavily on recruiting new drivers while losing existing ones to preventable health outcomes.
Driver's health needs to become a priority for all.
The fastest-growing brokerages arenāt adding overheadātheyāre adding AI with Augie.
Augie is the AI teammate that automates freightās daily chaosābuilding, booking, tracking, collecting, repeatingāand learns from every load. Augie connects across every workflow and system so your team can focus on growth, not grind.
Built for logistics by Augment, Augie helps ambitious brokerages move faster, scale smarter, and become harder to catch.
š Dog Rescued. Texas firefighters rescued a truckerās dog trapped in a void space inside a wrecked semi on Jan 9.
šØš¦ China Tariffs Shift. Canada will roll back its 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles as part of a trade deal securing reduced import duties on Canadian agricultural products.
š¤ DOT x AI. USDOT plans to deploy artificial intelligence to identify illegal trucking activity.
š©āš¼ EstĆ©e Lauder x AI. EstĆ©e Lauder is using AI tools to improve supply chain forecasting while expanding leadership opportunities for women across logistics.
ā Birkenstock's Warning. Birkenstock warned 2026 margins will take a hit as higher tariffs raise sourcing and production costs.
ā½ Fuel Taxes Rise. Four states have begun charging higher diesel and gasoline taxes, increasing fuel costs for carriers. Utah is the one state that has lowered cost.
š£ THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
FREIGHT HUMOR
A FreightCaviar follower spent weeks quick-paying carriers on a steel project before learning the shipper was fake, the carriers were in on it, and not a single load was ever real. Plus: Congress takes aim at chameleon carriers, diesel keeps falling, and more.
āWhen I say youāre going to require high levels of authenticity and authentication at the point of entry... that is no longer going to be enough to prevent access. Youāre going to need multiple points that all need to match in order to unlock access- thatās where weāre going."
FMCSA launched a new carrier registry three weeks ago to stop freight fraud ā zero new carriers have been registered since. Plus: PepsiCo is running 41 driverless trucks, peak season and a shrinking driver pool, cameras know where your carriers have been, and more.
The freight boom arrived. For some carriers, it arrived too late. We explain why in today's feature. Plus: real gouda fellas, satisfactory doesn't mean safe, LTL is waking up, and more.
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