🎣 Convoy Tech Lands at DAT

Happy Hump Day. DAT just bought the Convoy platform from Flexport and brought on Bill Driegert to help lead it. Is this the rebirth of digital freight, or a new freight tech power grab? We break it all down in today's feature.

Plus,

🚂 Rail Giants Unite in Historic Freight Merger
⚠️ Charlotte Crash Renews Underride Safety Debate
🛳️ South Korea Proposes Shipbuilding Deal to Dodge Tariffs
... and more.

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🍳 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT

🚂 Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern Merger and Hub Group Deal Signal Freight Consolidation. Union Pacific has officially announced an $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern, forming the first coast-to-coast Class I railroad. The combined carrier will control 50,000 miles of track and handle nearly half of U.S. rail freight volume. “This is a great, great merger for America,” said UP CEO Jim Vena, though labor leaders and senators warned of higher costs and reduced competition. Separately, Hub Group bought Marten Transport’s intermodal division for $51.8 million, doubling its refrigerated container fleet. Deutsche Bank analysts called the move “strategically significant,” reflecting growing demand for temperature-controlled freight despite broader market volatility.

⚠️ Charlotte Crash That Killed Six Renews Focus on Underride Safety Gaps. Six people, including three children, were killed July 26 in Charlotte, NC, when two cars became trapped beneath a tractor trailer in what experts classify as an underride crash. A 16-year-old girl was the sole survivor. “Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that I’ve ever seen a minor injury occur as a result of an underride crash,” said attorney George Salinas. Despite updated rear guard standards, the NHTSA recently rejected a petition for mandatory side guards, saying no federal requirement exists. Advocates warn underreporting masks the true scale. “How do we know the extent of the problem?” asked attorney Joe Fried.

🚢 South Korea Proposes Shipbuilding Partnership to Avoid U.S. Tariffs. South Korea has offered a sweeping shipbuilding partnership with the U.S. to avert 25% tariffs set for August 1. Seoul’s plan, dubbed “Making American Shipbuilding Great Again,” includes multi-billion-dollar investments in U.S. shipyards and technical expertise from Korean builders, the world’s second-largest after China. The initiative supports the Trump administration’s goal to strengthen U.S.-flag shipping. Negotiations continue as political infighting in Seoul delays a deal. Without an agreement, South Korean exporters face steep tariffs, even as Japan and the EU have secured their own U.S. trade deals.

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From Freight Darling to Load Board Resurrection: DAT Acquires Convoy’s Platform

DAT Freight & Analytics has acquired the Convoy Platform from Flexport, marking a full-circle moment in freight tech’s most dramatic soap opera.

DAT, once sued by Convoy for monopolistic load board practices, now owns Convoy’s core tech. The platform—shuttered, then resurrected—will now become part of DAT’s roadmap to move beyond static load board listings.

Let’s break down what happened, where this fits in the freight tech landscape, and what it means for the future of digital freight.

The Latest: Convoy Tech, Now a DAT Asset

Transaction: DAT acquired the Convoy platform from Flexport, including its automated freight-matching tools, carrier apps, and pricing intelligence engine.
Leadership shakeup: Bill Driegert, former Uber Freight co-founder and Flexport SVP, will now take on a leadership role at DAT, helping lead the Convoy tech integration.

"Driegert [is] one of the most respected and loved executives in logistics," FreightWaves’ Craig Fuller posted, calling his arrival a step toward repairing DAT’s brand reputation.

Convoy’s Rise, Fall, and Flip

Founded in 2015, Convoy was once Silicon Valley’s logistics darling—backed by the likes of Bezos, Gates, and Y Combinator.
At its peak, Convoy reached a $3.8B valuation, promising to automate brokerage through tech-first load matching.
By October 2023, it collapsed under freight recession pressures and failed acquisition talks. Flexport scooped up the platform’s tech assets but not its people or liabilities.
Now, in 2025, DAT has acquired the same platform—giving it a second resurrection, this time under the banner of the very company it once legally challenged.

DAT & Convoy's Past

Not long ago, DAT and Convoy were suing each other in federal court.

DAT filed the first lawsuit accusing Convoy of breaching contract terms and misusing trade secrets after launching its own digital freight network.
Convoy countersued, alleging DAT used its dominant 64% market share to lock brokers into anti-competitive exclusivity agreements.
The two companies dropped their suits against one another following an "amicable" settlement agreement.
Now DAT owns Convoy’s digital network.

Freight Tech 3.0?

This Reddit post captures the growing concern that DAT could use Convoy’s tech to go shipper-direct, cutting brokers out of the equation entirely.

So, what does this mean for the freight tech ecosystem?

This acquisition could signal the end of the load board as we know it, replacing static listings with smart, closed-loop networks.
Driegert’s leadership may steer DAT toward becoming a full-service digital freight platform, blending marketplace liquidity with real-time verification and execution.
And yet, it raises deeper questions:
- Will broker trust follow?
- Will shippers go direct?
- Can tech platforms finally solve the fraud epidemic?

Convoy tried to replace the old guard. Now its ghost is helping DAT become the next iteration of it. That’s freight.

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🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB

😔 Carroll Fulmer Shuts Down. Carroll Fulmer Logistics, a 400-truck carrier operating since 1954, has ceased operations. The Florida-based company cited mounting financial pressures as the freight downturn continues to force closures among mid-sized fleets.

🌊 Tsunami Advisory for West Coast Ports. A tsunami advisory has been issued along California’s coast is prompting temporary caution at key ports. Officials are saying avoid harbors & marinas, thus it is likely delays may follow as operators assess potential impacts on West Coast shipping.

🛒 Albertsons Seeks CEO Conduct Details. Albertsons has requested further information regarding the personal conduct of former Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen, as the companies continue to navigate regulatory scrutiny surrounding their failed $25 billion merger.

📉 U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows. The U.S. goods trade deficit shrank in June, a positive sign for Q2 GDP. The narrowing reflects increased exports and slowing imports, offering a potential boost to overall economic growth.

🇺🇸🇨🇦 Trade Talks Heating Up. U.S.-Canada trade negotiations have entered an “intense phase,” according to Canadian envoy Mark Carney. Talks focus on tariffs and cross-border supply chains as both nations push to secure a new agreement before Aug. 1.

🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER

FreightCaviar Podcast: In this week’s episode, we sit down with Samir Burdzovic of Elysium Enterprise to talk about his journey from owner-operator to launching GetDrivers.ai, why trucking lead prices are about to explode, and why marketing isn’t optional anymore—it’s survival. Catch it on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.
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Freight Broker Group Chat: Lost a load to a ghost MC? Just discovered a 15-layer carrier spoof ring? Come swap war stories, drop memes, and ask the stuff no one wants to post on LinkedIn. Join us on forum.freightcaviar.com