DOT Blitz Week starts tomorrow, and brokers are bracing for one of the toughest weeks in years. Plus: $10.1M in stolen freight leads to five years in prison, Forward Air loses 40% of its value, diesel prices hit produce costs, and more.
Aurora's driverless trucks are moving real loads between Dallas and Houston right now, and nobody is in the cab. Plus: RXO signals a strong freight rebound, Ken Adamo joins Ease Logistics, rail got faster to Mexico, and more.
Aurora signed two major partnerships in one week. Spot rates just hit an all-time high. A Chicago cross-dock blew up Reddit over how shippers load trailers. And someone dug into Super Ego's carrier network — the safety scores are not okay.
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 Old Dominion's hope for 2026, to Super Bowl 60 here are this week’s most talked-about freight stories.
🌄Old Dominion's Hope For 2026
Old Dominion Freight Line is signaling cautious optimism that 2026 could mark a demand and margin turning point, even as volumes remain under pressure. Management said recent customer conversations point to lean inventories, and improving manufacturing data suggests freight demand may follow with a lag.
“We certainly feel like the stars are coming into alignment — but we’ve felt that way before,” said Adam Satterfield, Chief Financial Officer, on the company’s Q4 earnings call.
The numbers:
Current freight reality:
Old Dominion expects a normal seasonal rebound in Q2, which could bring revenue and margins close to flat year over year if demand continues to firm. The carrier is holding excess capacity and cutting capex, positioning itself to scale quickly if volumes return.
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🚚 Duct Tape Will Fix It
A semi truck was taken out of service and towed after police found the cab was literally held together with duct tape during a traffic stop on Highway 11 in Corman Park, CA on Feb. 1.
According to Discover Humboldt, the Corman Park Police Service was alerted by an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.
Police found smashed side windows taped over, a severely damaged windshield that limited visibility, and a driver’s side mirror taped together.
The truck was immediately ordered off the road and towed before a required inspection could be completed.
The driver received multiple citations, and police said the carrier will be notified of the serious safety violations. The driver has since been fired.
💰 GenLogs Raises $60 Million in Series B Funding.
GenLogs raised $60 million in Series B funding on Feb. 2, 2026, bringing total funding to $81 million, as it looks to expand its truck-tracking and supply chain intelligence platform.
This round was led by Battery Ventures, with participation from IVP, Cathay Innovation, 9Yards, and several existing investors.
GenLogs says the capital will be used to scale its AI-based Truck Intelligence platform, which uses roadside sensors, satellites, and other data to track commercial truck activity and verify carrier behavior.
CEO Ryan Joyce, says the company is focused on improving freight visibility, pricing accuracy, and fraud and cargo-theft prevention, with customers including J.B. Hunt, Werner Enterprises, and public-sector agencies.
We had the chance to interview Ryan Joyce recently which you can read about here:
Kaja Kusińska
Watch the podcast here.
⚖ FreightCaviar Story of the Week: RFX and R&R Express Sued
The collapse of the R&R Family of Companies has turned into a full-blown carrier payment crisis, with lawsuits showing how unpaid freight can spiral across the market.
Court filings allege that R&R-controlled brokerages, including R&R Express and RFX LLC, continued tendering loads while lacking the ability to pay, leaving carriers owed millions.
Former employees say operations and finances were centralized, masking cash problems until payments stalled. The fallout has spread beyond R&R, cutting off credit for other brokers and triggering shutdowns.
Read our feature story to get further insight on this matter.
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🏈 Super Bowl Logistics
With Super Bowl LX this Sunday, TQL broke down how much game-day food is estimated to be consumed, and how that translate to the amount of truckloads.
Now Hiring: Western Reserve Logistics Group is looking for a remote Logistics Account Manager.
MEME OF THE WEEK
DOT Blitz Week starts tomorrow, and brokers are bracing for one of the toughest weeks in years. Plus: $10.1M in stolen freight leads to five years in prison, Forward Air loses 40% of its value, diesel prices hit produce costs, and more.
Aurora's driverless trucks are moving real loads between Dallas and Houston right now, and nobody is in the cab. Plus: RXO signals a strong freight rebound, Ken Adamo joins Ease Logistics, rail got faster to Mexico, and more.
Aurora signed two major partnerships in one week. Spot rates just hit an all-time high. A Chicago cross-dock blew up Reddit over how shippers load trailers. And someone dug into Super Ego's carrier network — the safety scores are not okay.
Amazon just became a direct rival to the biggest names in parcel, freight, and 3PL services. Plus: shippers are paying a lot more, your carrier check may be passing thieves through, a $4M cargo theft recovery shows what's possible, and more.
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