Freight margins are razor-thin. The brokerages surviving it built nearshore teams that actually work.
Flatbed rejections hit a record 48.7%, broker numbers stop falling, and diesel jumps 30 cents overnight.
Congress is moving to put driverless 80,000-lb trucks on public roads. Plus: 13,000 California CDLs get cancelled, diesel hits a 32-year record, Florida wants $50K to get your truck back, and more.
Plus: ICE raids hit Illinois logistics, Texas layoffs climb past 900, and air cargo braces for turbulence and more in today’s newsletter.
TGIF. RXO’s stock plunged 23% after weak Q3 earnings, while C.H. Robinson’s AI-fueled margins sent its shares to record highs a week ago. Here's a quick round-up of brokerage Q3 performances.
Plus:
TOP LANE MOVERS POWERED BY TRIUMPH
🚨 ICE Raids Illinois Shipper Office. ICE agents entered the office of an unnamed shipper in Bensenville, Illinois, on Nov. 5, prompting confusion and backlash across the logistics community. Details remain limited, but the operation could raise concerns about federal enforcement expanding deeper into private-sector supply chain operations. This could mark a new phase of scrutiny targeting shippers and logistics firms, not just carriers or drivers.
📉 Texas Supply Chain Layoffs Widen. FreightWaves reports that more than 920 logistics and manufacturing jobs are being cut across Texas, reflecting deep strain across freight, food, and energy sectors. Among the largest reductions:
Executives cite contract losses, high costs, and soft consumer spending for these cuts.
✈️ Freight Turbulence Ahead: FAA Flight Cuts Threaten Air Cargo Flow. The ongoing federal shutdown is spilling into the freight sector as the FAA slashes flight capacity by 10% at 40 major airports, citing unpaid controller shortages. Logistics providers warn the move will choke air freight during peak shipping season, when demand for high-value, time-sensitive goods is at its highest. “Domestic air is a critical transportation mode for many of our customers,” said Mike Short, President of Global Forwarding at C.H. Robinson. “We’re implementing contingency plans, shifting freight to ground and rebalancing inventory to keep production lines running.” With belly cargo limited, holiday air supply chains face turbulence.
At Trinity, we know this industry isn’t about shortcuts or gimmicks. It’s about experience, reliability, and having the right support when it matters most. Whether your customers need truckload, LTL, intermodal, drayage, or cross-border freight, we’ve got decades of know-how and the Team to back you up.
With us, you can expand confidently, without second-guessing.
RXO shares plunged 23% after posting yet another quarterly loss.
The company blamed a rate squeeze due to locked-in contract prices vs. rising buy rates, as capacity exits the market. CEO Drew Wilkerson warned the pressure will “intensify into Q4.”
C.H. Robinson, meanwhile, flexed its tech-driven efficiency. Its profit margin jumped and stock hit a record high after management credited AI-powered productivity gains for boosting shipments-per-rep by 40% since 2022.
Brokers are walking a tightrope: rising carrier rates, falling shipper rates, and investors who’ve lost patience.
GenLogs gives you this superpower. See why the top brokerages use Shipper Intelligence to sign new shippers and expand wallet share among existing customers. It's like brokering freight on cheat mode.
🚫 Nevada CDL Phase Out. Nevada will cancel dozens of CDLs held by Mexican and Canadian drivers as part of its plan to phase out non-domiciled commercial licenses, aligning with new federal residency requirements.
🤝 AscendTMS–Highway Deal. AscendTMS is partnering with Highway to integrate carrier identity verification, allowing brokers to instantly vet and onboard carriers with real-time fraud and compliance screening.
📉 California Bankruptcies Rise. A wave of small and midsize carrier bankruptcies is sweeping California, driven by high insurance premiums, diesel costs, and sustained rate compression.
💬 Cargado Chat Launch. Cargado unveiled Cargado Chat, a verified, multilingual messaging platform for cross-border freight. “We’re making collaboration seamless across borders,” said CTO Rylan Hawkins.
⏰ Broker Rule Countdown. The FMCSA’s broker transparency rule takes effect soon, requiring brokers to disclose carrier pay details and maintain compliance records or face enforcement penalties. It begins January 16, 2026.
🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
FREIGHT HUMOR
Flatbed rejections hit a record 48.7%, broker numbers stop falling, and diesel jumps 30 cents overnight.
Congress is moving to put driverless 80,000-lb trucks on public roads. Plus: 13,000 California CDLs get cancelled, diesel hits a 32-year record, Florida wants $50K to get your truck back, and more.
Ryan Schreiber breaks down everything about strategy, relationships, mindset, and AI in logistics.
Oil spikes to $120 on Iran news before settling near $106. Plus: another influencer shipment gets stolen, Wyoming can now pull your truck, 24 states sue over tariffs, and more.
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