The Supreme Court just heard arguments in the broker liability case we’ve been tracking. Plus: oil shipping costs explode, trucking insurance is stuck in 1980, regulators brace for a carrier crackdown, and more.
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.
Plus, Trump's tariff pause, comments flood in re: DOT reform, TIA updates, and more.
TGIF. Today’s feature breaks down Transport Topics' 2025 Top 100 Freight Brokerages: who climbed, who fell, and what it means in today’s freight market.
Plus:
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🐔 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT
🛑 Trump Pauses Tariffs on Most Nations; China Hit with 125% Tariffs. President Trump paused tariffs on most nations for 90 days while hiking tariffs on Chinese imports to 125%. The move, aimed at de-escalating global tensions and refocusing the trade war on China, spurred a 7% surge in the S&P 500 following the announcement. Nations like the EU responded in kind, suspending planned retaliatory tariffs. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated, “We want to give negotiations a chance,” but also warned, “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in.” Trump cited outreach from over 75 countries seeking negotiations. Market turmoil, recession fears, and investor unease over rising Treasury yields likely influenced the reversal. While the 10% tariff baseline remains, striking a long-term deal on tariff rates “could take months,” according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
📃 Drivers Push Back: Truckers Call for Major Changes to DOT Rules. In response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s call for public feedback on regulation reform, nearly 300 individuals—primarily truckers—voiced strong opinions. Many targeted rules they see as outdated or counterproductive, including Hours of Service limits, ELD mandates, and the 30-minute break rule. Drivers argued for more flexibility, reduced idle time, and the scrapping of proposed speed limiter regulations. Others criticized DOT physicals and broker transparency, calling the current system “abusive” and “pathetic.” Sentiments ran high, with several urging the repeal of California-influenced rules and expressing deep frustration with corporate dominance in the industry. Comments are open until May 5.
🚨 Cracking Down on Freight Fraud & Powering Up with AI at TIA 2025. Over 1,500 attendees, including the FreightCaviar team, are gathered in San Antonio as freight fraud takes center stage at the TIA 2025 Capital Ideas Conference. New TIA President Chris Burroughs called it “a massive fraud” and pledged stronger advocacy. “We’re also working directly with Congress and federal agencies to push enforcement of existing regulations,” he said. Despite ongoing efforts, solutions remain elusive due to limited enforcement. Meanwhile, CloneOps.ai made waves with its AI-powered communication platform, built to streamline logistics and high-volume operations. “We built CloneOps.ai for experts, by experts,” said CEO David Bell. “This is infrastructure for growth—built with real-world operations in mind.”
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The numbers are in: Transport Topics’ 2025 Top 100 Freight Brokerages list dropped, giving brokers and carriers a clear view of who’s scaling up and who’s slipping in a turbulent freight economy.
While giants like C.H. Robinson and TQL stayed at the top, the real action is in the reshuffling below. And for anyone wondering if a freight recession means less competition, this year’s rankings prove otherwise. Let’s break down the biggest names and the boldest moves.
Here’s how the top of the leaderboard shook out and how it compares to 2024:
Beyond the top 10, here are some of the most notable climbers in the rankings:
Not every brokerage had a banner year. While some companies climbed the leaderboard, others took a hit, either due to market shifts, mergers, or revenue stagnation. Here's a look at the most notable drops from the 2024 to 2025 list:
Several companies that were on the 2024 list are no longer in the Top 100 for 2025. These may have fallen in revenue, merged, or closed operations.
For example, RXO acquired Coyote Logistics from UPS in September 2024.
Adriana Pulley
The top rankings reflect a return to scale and margin focus in freight–those that kept overhead tight and built resilient networks moved ahead.
With double-brokering crackdowns, FMCSA regulation changes, and a market cautiously eyeing a recovery, this list shows who’s positioned to weather what’s next.
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🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB
📈Truck Prices to Rise. New import tariffs are projected to drive up truck costs starting in May. This is due to the 25% tariff on U.S. imports of steel and aluminum. Any additional costs from raw materials will also be passed down to customers, according to a Volvo Group spokesperson.
🛣️ Highway Launch. Highway has unveiled two new features on its platform, Load Lock+ and Exclusion Intel—tools offering real-time load tracking and deeper insurance exclusion insights for smarter, safer freight operations.
🛡️ US to Shield Panama Canal. The U.S. has pledged stronger support to safeguard the Panama Canal amid growing concerns over China's threats. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the U.S. will not allow China or any other country to threaten the operation of the canal.
📉 Inflation Fell in March. U.S. consumer prices dipped slightly in March. Economists are still watching core prices to better understand where inflation is headed, especially as the current tariff situation continues to influence pricing.
🚁 Walmart Expands Drone Delivery. Walmart is rolling out drone deliveries via Zipline across Dallas-Fort Worth. The free service is available to anyone within a 2-mile radius of the Supercenter in Mesquite, Texas.
🏆 Trucker Honored. Arthur Gerber of Ward Transport and Logistics has 3 million safe miles under his belt. He has been named Driver of the Year by the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association for 2024.
🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
FREIGHT HUMOR
The Supreme Court just heard arguments in the broker liability case we’ve been tracking. Plus: oil shipping costs explode, trucking insurance is stuck in 1980, regulators brace for a carrier crackdown, and more.
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.
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