Optimize freight broker operations by fixing payment workflows in Q1. Streamline carrier pay before capacity shifts compress your margins.
Tucker Carlson’s nicotine brand loses 378,000 tins in a cargo theft. Plus: produce rates reset, diesel climbs, and a bill that could pull hundreds of thousands of drivers off the road.
The Middle East crisis is already hitting carriers. Plus: Florida lost $3B in crops, flatbed rates posted a fifth straight weekly increase, a $5B brokerage was just acquired, and more.
Plus: U.S. slaps new tariffs on Canada while Mexico gets 90 more days, a $15M Apple cargo heist exposes security flaws, Ancora scores big on its coast-to-coast rail bet, and more.
TGIF. We sifted through the Q2 earnings calls from C.H. Robinson, Schneider, J.B. Hunt, and more, so you don’t have to. Today’s feature breaks down what execs are really saying about freight margins, contract rates, LTL trends, and AI workflows reshaping brokerage ops.
Plus,
🍳 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT
📉 New U.S. Tariffs Hit Canada, Mexico Gets a 90-Day Reprieve. The Trump administration further modified tariff schedules last night, imposing 35% duties on select Canadian steel, aluminum, and autos, citing reciprocal treatment gaps. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the move “unjustified” and warned of supply chain blowback, even as 95% of Canadian exports remain USMCA-compliant. Mexico, meanwhile, secured a 90-day extension to avoid new U.S. tariffs. “We avoided the tariff hike announced for tomorrow,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said. But trade experts warn the real fight looms in next year’s USMCA renegotiation, which could reshape North American trade for the next decade.
🔒 $15 Million Apple Cargo Heist Shows Security Gaps. A $15 million shipment of Apple products and semiconductors managed by Ceva Logistics was stolen July 3 in Reno, Nevada, after thieves drove off with a trailer left unsecured. “Cargo crime has evolved into a sophisticated operation driven by insider leaks, advanced surveillance, and AI-enabled coordination,” said Ilan Gluck of GearTrack. Cargo theft losses reached $1 billion in 2024, up 27% year-over-year. Experts warn high-value loads need stricter protections, including fenced facilities, 24/7 surveillance, and real-time tracking. The Reno heist underscores growing vulnerabilities as U.S. cargo crime grows more organized and costly for the logistics sector.
🚂 Activist Investor Ancora Cashes In on Union Pacific–NS Merger. Eighteen months after launching a proxy fight over Norfolk Southern’s weak safety, poor strategy, and underperformance, Ancora Holdings is now poised to walk away with a potential 45% return on its investment. The $85 billion all-stock merger with Union Pacific—set to create America’s first coast-to-coast rail network—caps off a dramatic turnaround led by Ancora’s board shakeup and strategic repositioning of NS. Ancora president Jim Chadwick called the deal “unthinkable 18 months ago,” crediting changes like PSR adoption, improved safety, and a Trump-aligned STB with clearing the path.
Utilize funding options that fit your unique brokerage needs with OTR Solutions.
Take advantage of OTR Solutions’ industry-leading working capital solutions now made available within the Epay Manager platform. Leverage OTR’s flexible offerings directly inside your TMS.
Forget the stock price tickers. The real gold in Q2 2025’s earnings season was hidden between the lines of executive commentary. Behind every trimmed guidance and upbeat margin report, a freight exec was hinting at what’s really coming next.
We decoded the calls, stripped out the fluff, and boiled it all down to what you need to know to win the rest of the year.
Q2 wasn’t a bloodbath, but it wasn’t a recovery party either. Here's the overall vibe:
“We don’t feel the need to chase bad revenue.” — Adam Satterfield, CFO, Old Dominion
When Robinson talks, every broker listens. Here’s the key takeaway:
They’re not chasing volume. They’re doubling down on efficiency, and it’s working.
These asset-heavy giants are hinting at where capacity, pricing, and shipper trends are going.
J.B. Hunt
Knight-Swift
Schneider
The Broader Field (Werner, TFI, PAM, Universal): The story was similar, with a focus on dedicated freight and cost control.
Is the spot market back? In a word: no. No one wanted to say "spot market" on their calls. The focus was on contract performance. Knight-Swift noted better yields and higher bid compliance, while J.B. Hunt stressed that their contracted freight is holding.
Are shippers restocking yet? Don't bet on it. The consensus is that inventories are "balanced" but not growing. Shippers are still haunted by the memory of 2022's bloated warehouses.
LTL gives a glimpse into B2B demand, and right now, it’s mixed.
XPO
Saia
Old Dominion
This wasn't the quarter the freight market roared back to life. It was the quarter where the smartest players retooled for a new reality.
The lesson is clear: you need to think like your biggest competitors. The second half of 2025 will still be a grind. But if Q3 brings even a modest volume uptick, the companies that got lean and smart in Q2 will be the ones who cash in.
TrueNorth is The First AI Loadboard built to protect brokers.
🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB
đźš« De Minimis Ends. The White House confirmed the duty-free de minimis exemption for imports under $800 ends August 29, 2025. Trump revoked the rule, impacting platforms like eBay, Etsy, Shein, and Temu.
🏚️ Colorado Carrier Bankruptcy. Pierce-based Indian Creek Express filed Chapter 11 on July 28, citing liabilities up to $10 million against assets under $50,000. Creditors include Daimler Truck Financial and BMO Bank.
đźš” Border Officers Guilty. Two CBP officers admitted to a scheme letting drug-laden vehicles bypass inspections at Tecate and Otay Mesa. One smuggler trafficked 75 kg of fentanyl. Sentencing is scheduled for fall 2025.
🛣️ Aurora Expands Routes. Aurora began nighttime driverless trucking on the Dallas–Houston corridor and opened a Phoenix terminal. Three driverless trucks have logged over 20,000 autonomous miles. Expansion targets Phoenix–Fort Worth next.
🕵️ $500K Embezzlement Charge. David Jarrard, a former Tribe Transportation manager, in Gainesville, Georgia, was charged with embezzling $500,000 meant for driver support between May 2018 and May 2024. Cited as a “clear example of greed,” prosecutors are stressing accountability in the trucking sector.
🤖 PCS Launches Cortex AI. PCS Software introduced Cortex AI on July 30, aiming to automate freight operations. The tool debuts publicly at the PCS Customer Summit in Houston on September 25, 2025.
🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
FREIGHT HUMOR
Tucker Carlson’s nicotine brand loses 378,000 tins in a cargo theft. Plus: produce rates reset, diesel climbs, and a bill that could pull hundreds of thousands of drivers off the road.
The Middle East crisis is already hitting carriers. Plus: Florida lost $3B in crops, flatbed rates posted a fifth straight weekly increase, a $5B brokerage was just acquired, and more.
Plus: autonomous trucking just raised $113M, California is fighting to keep 20,000 drivers, Arrive's 2026 truckload freight forecast, and more.
Two bills just dropped in the Senate that could reshape trucking faster than anything since deregulation. Plus: Russian hackers targeted your load board, flatbed rejection rates just hit 40%, and a robot is taking the Houston-Dallas overnight run.
Join over 14K+ subscribers to get the latest freight news and entertainment directly in your inbox for free. Subscribe & be sure to check your inbox to confirm (and your spam folder just in case).
