FMCSA launched a new carrier registry three weeks ago to stop freight fraud — 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.
Freight AI pilots succeed. Production deployments often don't. Augment CEO Harish Abbott on the change management gap — and what ops leaders need to do before the tech even matters.
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.
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 Highway taking 1st place again, to the latest in the tariff news - here are this week’s most talked-about freight stories.
🚚 Freight Brokers on Reddit: “Margins Are Trash Right Now.”
A new broker posted that he’s been in the game since May 2024, moves about 100 loads a month, has great shipper relationships, but only averages 9–10% margin. He asked how anyone’s supposed to make money when customers chase the cheapest rates.
Veteran brokers didn’t sugarcoat it. One said it’s the worst market in 15 years, another told him to stop being friends with low-margin customers and find bigger fish. Others said 9–10% is normal right now, even established shops are bidding freight at cost just to stay in the game.
The advice? Pick a niche that pays (like open deck or heavy haul), stop chasing volume on dry van, and make sure you’re not getting ripped on your split.
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🚨 Two Fatal Truck Crashes Reignite Immigration Debate on X
Federal officials confirmed two separate deadly crashes involving truck drivers living in the U.S. illegally.
In Indiana: Borko Stankovic, a 44-year-old Serbian national, drove a semi without a CDL, swerved into oncoming traffic, and killed Jeffrey Eberly. He’s charged with reckless homicide, and ICE issued a detainer.
In California: Jashanpreet Singh, an Indian national, was caught and released at the border in 2022. Police say he was drunk and speeding when he slammed into slow traffic on I-10, killing three people. ICE has filed a detainer request.
Both crashes have intensified calls for tougher vetting of drivers and closer coordination between immigration and highway-safety enforcement.
🇺🇸 FreightCaviar Story of the Week: New 25% Truck Tariff Hits Nov. 1
President Trump signed off on a 25% tariff on imported medium- and heavy-duty trucks under Section 232, citing national security risks from foreign dependence. Imports make up 43% of U.S. truck sales.
The move targets cargo haulers, dump trucks, and key parts like engines and transmissions, while U.S. assemblers get small offsets to ease costs.
The Supreme Court will review the legality of invoking emergency powers on Nov. 5.
Bottom line: Expect short-term price bumps and possible supply shifts ahead.
👉 Read our full feature to gain further insight on the new tariff.
Join Highway’s VP of Risk Management, Michael Grace and Director of Operations, Demi Ramon on Wednesday, November 5th at 1:00 PM CT to unpack what the Q3 data reveals about the evolving fraud landscape, and how brokers, carriers, and shippers can protect their organizations before fraudsters strike.
🏆 2026 FreightTech 25 Winners Revealed at F3
FreightWaves revealed this year’s FreightTech 25 winners at the Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga.
Highway took the top spot again, while Triumph jumped to #4 after acquiring Greenscreens + ISO. DAT landed at #10 post-Convoy deal, and C.H. Robinson made its first appearance at #13 with new AI tools in Navisphere.
Autonomous truck players Aurora, Gatik, and Waabi also cracked the list.
👉 See the full FreightTech 25 list here.
Meme of the Week
🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
Highway+FreightCaviar Webinar. Join us today at 12 PM CT to break down today’s freight risk landscape. Learn how brokers, carriers, and shippers can protect freight, relationships, and cash flow. Register here.
FMCSA launched a new carrier registry three weeks ago to stop freight fraud — 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.
Here's your weekly roundup of what’s trending across the freight industry on X, LinkedIn, Reddit, and YouTube.
Spot rates just hit record highs, while the carrier pool is shrinking. Plus: shippers get a win on trucking liability, the oldest tax in trucking is on the chopping block, Ohio puts 5,000 CDL holders on notice, and more.
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