The Fleet Lead
The Fleet Lead podcast features journalists from EndeavorB2B's commercial vehicle brands, including FleetOwner, Fleet Maintenance, Bulk Transporter, and Trailer Body-Builders. It aims to help fleet managers, trucking professionals, and transportation industry leaders navigate the rapidly changing industry, covering topics like new technologies, efficiency, and regulatory shifts.
Episodes
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking:
- CVSA shared the results of its hazmat inspection blitz
- J.B. Hunt is spending an extra $25 million on drivers
- Texas is adding 175 parking spots on I-30
- Dry van, refrigerated spot rates increased
- Diesel prices continue rising
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of September 11:
- ICE has a new tip line for CDL fraud
- A bill in Congress promises to crack down on chameleon carriers
- New research shows how fleets are using telematics
- Spot market rates increased ahead of Labor Day
- Diesel prices are rising quickly
One of the most persistent headaches facing commercial fleet executives? Driver retention and turnover. In this episode, editors from FleetOwner, Fleet Maintenance, and Bulk Transporter talk about the new premium on high-quality, fully compliant drivers.
From the rising financial toll of onboarding new hires to the debates surrounding the true nature of the "driver shortage," this roundtable unpacks what it really takes to build a ...
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of September 3:
- FMCSA is removing another 270 driver training schools
- PlusAI is going public … again!
- FMCSA’s Hours-of-Service pilot is moving forward
- Spot market rates are mixed
- In fuel this week, diesel prices fell by 5 cents
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of August 27:
- Chris Spear suddenly left the American Trucking Associations
- The trade war with Canada is bad news for freight demand
- Missouri started a $33 million project for truck parking on I-70
- Descartes acquired a broker TMS for $100 million
- A new private equity operation is buying up carriers
- CVSA released its International Roadcheck enforcement results
- Kodiak and Auror...
What has kept the Chevrolet Express driving strong for nearly three decades? In this episode of The Fleet Lead, Jade Brasher and Jeremy Wolfe dive into a hands-on review of GM's iconic commercial van after an unexpected rental car test drive.
The van is certainly unique in the U.S., from its analog interior to its body-on-frame construction. Here's why this workhorse is still a top seller for commercial fleets—and what might ...
John Hitch hosts Kristy Coffman, director of Mitchell 1’s commercial vehicle group, about the 20-year evolution of multi-brand truck repair software like TruckSeries.
John and Kristy explore how modern diagnostic tools and interactive wiring diagrams help bridge the technician training gap, the responsible integration of emerging AI and what wearable tech in repair shops means for the future of commercial maintenance.
...
Can AI predict a vehicle breakdown 10 days before it happens?
John Hitch welcomes Shiva Bhardwaj, SVP of product at Fullbay and former founder of Pitstop, to discuss how machine learning and telematics are changing fleet maintenance.
FullBay is combining predictive algorithms with shop management software to streamline remote diagnostics, pre-order parts, and minim...
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of August 13:
- FMCSA is pursuing an English Language Proficiency rulemaking
- Proficient Auto Logistics is acquiring Hansen & Adkins for $130 million
- Trimble is considering selling its transportation unit
- Spot market rates keep falling
- Diesel fell 9 cents
Autonomous truck developer Kodiak AI is expanding its partnership with its milestone partner Atlas Energy Solutions.
Atlas was one of the nation's first commercial autonomous deployments, where Atlas ran its own fleet of Kodiak-powered Peterbilts to haul frac sand in the Permian Basin.
This year, Kodiak has already scaled Atlas’s fully autonomous fleet to 35 trucks running 24/7 without a driver in the cab—and the compan...
In this roundtable episode, the Fleet Lead's editors break down the latest ATRI report on the rising operational costs in trucking.
From equipment pre-buys to AI in the shop and driver retention strategies, here is where operational costs are headed and what fleets can anticipate next.
Timestamps:
- 01:33 - Driver quality and fleet retention
- 03:43 - Rising maintenance expenses
- 05:35 - Tanker carrier margins are doing good
- 07:14 ...
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of August 6:
- New trailer import antidumping duties are on the way
- Kodiak AI expanded its driverless truck partnership with Atlas Energy
- Daimler Truck is building a new domestic manufacturing facility
- For-hire rates decreased again
- Diesel went up by 4 cents
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of July 30:
- C.H. Robinson lost a lawsuit with a nuclear verdict
- Mack and Volvo are softening their trucks’ DEF derates
- Averitt announced a driver pay increase
- Senators proposed a bill to crack down on chameleon carriers
- Spot market rates decreased
- Diesel prices went up by 18 cents
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of July 13:
- Trump administration tariffs are back in the news cycle
- Some California CDL holders must retake their written exams
- Pennsylvania passed a law discouraging CDL mills
- Aurora announced second-generation autonomous truck
- Einride acquired Flipturn for as much as $73 million
- ArcBest is cutting back on its footprint
- Samsara gotrebrand
- Diesel jumped 34 cents, Houthi trou...
The economies of truck purchasing, buying, and maintaining can be messy—especially after EPA once again changed OEMs' outlook for equipment regulations over the next few years.
In this episode, The Fleet Lead's Jeremy Wolfe and John Hitch join Fleet Advantage experts Brian Antonellis and Mac Hudson for a roundtable discussion on truck lifecycle management. The panel looks at the regulatory rollback on EPA warranty manda...
Mack Trucks has called the Allentown area home for more than a century. Doug Maney, curator of the Mack Trucks Historical Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania, discusses the company's innovations, the origins of the Bulldog mascot, and why Mack's history remains closely tied to American manufacturing and trucking today.
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of July 16
- The Gordie Howe International Bridge may finally open this month
- EPA appointed a new aftermarket emissions certificate authority
- Spot market rates are dropping
- In fuel this week, diesel increased 22 cents
How does one of the nation's largest carriers manage a dashcam deployment across more than 8,000 trucks?
Adam Cassidy, senior director of safety at Werner Enterprises (No. 11 on the FleetOwner 500: For-Hire), breaks down Werner’s five-year evolution with Samsara's camera technology, moving from basic forward-facing dash cams to an advanced AI multicam setup.
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of July 9:
- EPA is weakening the upcoming NOx rule and removing DEF derates
- Rhode Island is preparing for truck-only tolls
- USMCA is in an awkward position
- Diesel fell 9 cents, but oil futures spiked
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of July 2
- Illinois Tollway is planning a 30% increase in toll rates
- FedEx is selling its 3PL arm for $1.4 billion
- Cargo thieves stole $1.7 million in condoms and lubricant
- Diesel prices fell 16 cents
Have a happy 4th of July!
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