Plus, a cabless autonomous truck just raised $24M, non-domiciled CDLs rules need clarifying, CSX posts a 26% profit jump while watching the UP-NS merger closely, and more in today's newsletter.
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ICYMI: FreightCaviar is travelling across the U.S. Here's what the first three weeks have looked like: Sponsor meetups, subscriber photo shoots, premieres, truck stops, Elk Grove to Phoenix, and more. FOMO starts now.
Here is another round-up of the most engaging and talked-about freight content from around the web and from us.
FreightCaviar Weekly Recap. From labor deals linking Kenyan truckers to U.S. roads to federal pressure on states to enforce English proficiency rules, questions of workforce and compliance took center stage. Here are this week’s most talked-about freight stories.
TOP LANE MOVERS BY TRIUMPH
This week on r/FreightBrokers, users responded to the FMCSA’s decision to scrap a proposed broker transparency rule that would have required brokers to provide transaction records in electronic format within 48 hours of a carrier’s request. While the agency signaled it will return to the issue with a new proposal in May 2026, the freight community had plenty to say about why the original rule failed—and what should come next.
The original proposal was widely seen as ineffective, even by those open to more transparency. One Redditor summed it up:
“As long as waiver remained viable, I don't think the rule would have practically changed anything.”
Commenters quickly dug into the deeper issues behind the rule and its potential consequences:
One user pushed back, asking: “Can we propose a rule for shippers and carriers to disclose their margins and profits too?”, pointing out the frustration over perceived one-sided demands for visibility.
A third commenter called the proposal a distraction, arguing it wouldn’t address the actual structural problems facing the industry:
“Carriers don't deserve to know what I make… when they can’t even follow instructions on a rate con.”
They added that margin assumptions are often exaggerated, and most brokers earn modest pay relative to the work involved—especially in today’s market.
Another argued the rule would have done more harm than good, predicting it would escalate tensions between brokers and carriers:
“You would’ve seen an increase in people back-dooring your customer. Lawsuits everywhere and nobody trusting anyone.”
They noted that many carriers didn’t want transparency for fairness—but to access direct shipper info.
More broadly, several people pointed to deeper issues not tackled by the proposed rule, illegal drivers, licensing fraud, and double brokering, as far more pressing problems for the industry. California was mentioned repeatedly as a hub for regulatory breakdowns, with ELP enforcement, CDL scams, and fraud drawing frustration.
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A post from Gord Magill drew strong attention this week after he blasted Nebraska’s new labor deal with Kenya as part of the “driver shortage scam.” His viral tweet called the program “total fraud” and accused U.S. officials of “replacing American truckers with Kenyan migrants,” citing what he claims is a manufactured driver shortage narrative.
Jerome Washington
At the Kenya–Nebraska Beef Trade and Investment Conference in Nairobi, officials from both governments signed a labor mobility agreement that would allow Kenyan commercial truck drivers to train and work in Nebraska. The deal was framed as a limited program to fill demand for skilled CDL drivers in the state.
“We have the need for that in the United States… Now we have labour mobility with Kenya,” said Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen.
But backlash came swiftly across the trucking community.
Werner Enterprises, based in Nebraska, publicly denied involvement, clarifying it had no part in the agreement.
The deal could a spell a potential trend of labor mobility partnerships to fill job gaps in trucking, healthcare, and manufacturing. Kenya has signed similar agreements with Germany and is eyeing more across Europe and North America.
While the Nebraska–Kenya deal is currently small in scope, the backlash reveals deeper fractures in the freight industry:
Freight data for September paints a stagnant picture: volumes are soft, rates are flat, and capacity continues to contract slowly. According to recent reports from Nolan Transportation Group and Arrive Logistics, the market remains in equilibrium, with tech and data smoothing out traditional freight cycles.
But under the surface, regulatory shifts and trade changes are adding new friction:
While the top-line data shows a market stuck in neutral, brokers and carriers alike should stay alert because shocks, not cycles, are driving today’s volatility.
Read the full feature to take a deeper dive into everything that is happening in the month of September.
Tim Higham, CEO of AscendTMS, offered a timely warning about AI misuse in freight. Citing a frustrated Reddit post from a carrier who spent 37 minutes battling unhelpful AI bots, only to book nothing. Higham called for restraint in how the industry rolls out automation.
His takeaway? Moving too fast with “new toys” can damage long-standing relationships. Higham urged freight companies to proceed cautiously, double down on what works, and pull the plug quickly on what doesn’t. Otherwise, the industry risks repeating past tech fads, like blockchain, with the same lack of real-world payoff.
He also gave FreightCaviar a nod for spotlighting stories where operational missteps have real consequences, which we appreciate!
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ICYMI: FreightCaviar is travelling across the U.S. Here's what the first three weeks have looked like: Sponsor meetups, subscriber photo shoots, premieres, truck stops, Elk Grove to Phoenix, and more. FOMO starts now.
Plus, the offshore dispatchers your safety score can't catch, why Hormuz stays closed even after the war ends, what Triumph Financial's invoice volumes say about where freight is headed, and more.
"I think some TMS's are failing because they don’t understand what brokers do every day."
Plus, USPS gives non-domiciled CDL carriers an 11-day deadline, the spot-to-contract spread starts squeezing 3PLs, Knight-Swift trims its Q1 guide but stays bullish, and more.
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