Broker Liability and Federal Enforcement
Every Mile, Informed July 2026, Issue 1
ttnews.com
Transport Topics has evolved with the industry for more than 90 years. Its next chapter begins now. Along for the Ride
Cover Price $8.95 • $11.95 Outside U.S.
Where Trucking's Legal Leaders Connect Join in-house and outside counsel, trucking executives, and safety, risk, and HR leaders in Washington, DC for the ATA Litigation Center's 2026 Trucking Legal Forum. Connect with top transportation law experts and gain practical insight into the legal, regulatory, and compliance issues shaping the trucking industry.
11111111111
Designed to deliver:
• Direct access to transportation litigators, regulators, and industry decision-makers • Practical guidance on managing litigation risk, claims exposure, and compliance pressure • Clear takeaways to strengthen legal strategy and protect your organization
August 2-4 I Washington, DC Omni Shoreham Hotel
Register today a t a f orum .t ru ckin g . org
CONFRONTING TRUCKING'S LEGAL
CHALLENGES TOGETHER
In this issue of
7 Up Front: Quotes, notes and numbers at-a-glance
GOVERNMENT 12 Lawmakers behind the GHOSTRUCK Act argue foreign actors can evade enforcement while manipulating ELD records 12 Texas revokes more than 6,400 non-domiciled CDLs after federal auditors identified noncompliant licensing practices 13 Postmaster General David Steiner told Congress the USPS is “running out of cash” without structural change TECHNOLOGY 10 Samsara used its Beyond 2026 conference to highlight a broader push into agentic AI across fleet operations 10 Tech vendor unveils a smart tracking label that is designed to improve shipment visibility and reduce disruptions FREIGHT MARKET TRENDS 22 FedEx Freight benefited from capacity constraints in the truckload sector and posted increased earnings in the second quarter 22 American Trucking Associations’ For-Hire Tonnage Index shows a slowdown continued in May after a strong start to the year EQUIPMENT 24 Daimler Truck North America is rolling out a software update that incorporates revised DEF inducement parameters 24 DTNA teams up with Keyou to begin o ering tractors with hydrogen-fueled internal combination engines 25 President Trump’s visit to Mack Trucks’ manufacturing plant served as a rally to promote his economic and energy policies
6 Industry Watch: Welcome to the new Transport Topics
18 English-Language Proficiency
Enforcement of an existing English- language rule is putting drivers out of service and raising the stakes for compliance
8 Filter Takes the Wheel at Schneider
8 Truck Dealers Growing Optimistic
14 Deep Dive: Scrutinizing Carrier Selection A recent Supreme Court ruling on broker liability has sharpened the industry’s focus on carrier selection practices 16 Small Business Impact
The Montgomery decision has placed additional pressure on smaller brokers and carriers
20 A Holistic Approach to Driver Wellness
23 Industry Obituaries 26 Inside Lane: Company News, People and Events 27 Classifieds
Transport Topics • July 2026, Issue 1 5
A Division of American Trucking Associations, Inc. Phone: 703-838-1770 • Fax: 703-838-7916 Web: TTNews.com
RELAUNCH INDUSTRY WATCH
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, TRANSPORT TOPICS OPERATIONS Kala Burke • 703-838-7903 • kburke@trucking.org
Welcome to the new Transport Topics
EDITORIAL
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joe Howard • 703-838-1913 • jhoward@ttnews.com
MANAGING EDITOR, FEATURES AND MULTIMEDIA Seth Clevenger sclevenger@ttnews.com MANAGING EDITOR, jhanson@ttnews.com MULTIPLATFORM EDITOR Joe Antoshak jantoshak@ttnews.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Aaron Perryman aperryman@ttnews.com MULTIPLATFORM Judd Hanson
FEATURES EDITOR Michael Freeze mfreeze@ttnews.com STAFF REPORTERS Connor Wolf cwolf@ttnews.com Noël Fletcher nmfletcher@ttnews.com Keiron Greenhalgh kgreenhalgh@ttnews.com SENIOR CONTENT MANAGER Linda Tufano ltufano@ttnews.com FEATURES COORDINATOR Mike Senatore msenatore@ttnews.com
ADVERTISING/MULTIMEDIA SALES
VICE PRESIDENT, TRANSPORT TOPICS ADVERTISING Kevin Ginty • 703-838-1872 • kginty@ttnews.com
REGIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Laurie Donaldson ldonaldson@ttnews.com 248-231-2129
Advertising questions: DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING OPERATIONS Cristen Wills cwills@ttnews.com 703-838-1746
Classified advertising: classifieds@ttnews.com • 703-838-1770
Here’s what’s changing: • Fewer print issues, published twice a month • More in-depth reporting and sharper analysis • Cleaner design, stronger visuals and better use of data • A subscriber experience that better fits how readers use Transport Topics We also made some hard calls about what to leave be- hind. We looked at each element in the newspaper and evaluated against reader feedback. If something wasn’t val- ued or didn’t serve a clear purpose, it wasn’t included in our updated design. There’s a business case here, too. If we build a stronger product for readers, we create a stronger audience for ad- vertisers. The digital updates we’re rolling out, including premium content, updated subscription options and better audience data, will help us serve readers and advertisers better over time. What hasn’t changed is what matters most. At a time when much of the media environment is pushing toward entertainment and hot takes, we’re go- ing in the other direction. We’re doubling down on our trusted reporting. That means facts, sources, analysis and the kind of coverage trucking leaders can rely on to make smart decisions. That hasn’t shifted, and it isn’t going to. I’ll be honest about something else: Getting here wasn’t easy. There were concepts we scrapped, ideas we tested and walked away from and plenty of internal debate. Work like this takes time, and we have a 92-year legacy we take seriously. We wanted to get this right. We’re not finished. The website, multimedia and social channels are still evolving. This issue is a turning point, not the finish line. Some of the changes will be obvious as soon as you open the magazine. Others you’ll notice over time. Either way, we hope it makes the experience better and worth your time. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
It’s been a long road to get here. Transport Topics has evolved with the trucking industry for more than 90 years. This relaunch is part of that history, but it also reflects how trucking oper- ates today and how read- ers use the news. This work has been more than a year in the
DESIGN & MARKETING/AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tim Smith tsmith@trucking.org PRODUCTION MANAGER Debra Devine ddevine@ttnews.com PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Juan Sorto jsorto@ttnews.com
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Macy Wong mwong@trucking.org CLIENT MARKETING, SALES ENABLEMENT MANAGER Erin Rodgers erodgers@ttnews.com 703-838-1729
Kala Burke Senior Vice President, Transport Topics Operations
making. In the previous issue, we gave you a first look at the new design alongside our annual Top 100 For-Hire Carriers list. This issue is the true relaunch — the version of TT we’ve been building toward. I want to give you some context on what’s changing and why, because this is more than a design update. We started this project with two questions: How are people using Transport Topics right now, and what do they need from us? We didn’t guess. We surveyed read- ers, talked with industry leaders, looked at how business media is evolving and took a hard look at our own prod- uct. Some of what we found was encouraging, and some of it wasn’t. All of it was useful. A few things stood out. Our readers are busy profession- als with limited time. They’re taking in a constant flow of information, from industry news to internal company data. Our job is to help them understand what it means and why it matters to their business. They are also reading us digitally before print ever arrives. We knew we needed to rethink the roles print and digital play for our readers. Breaking news belongs online. It’s where readers go first and where we can keep up with a story as it devel- ops. Print has a di erent role now. It’s where we can slow down and go deeper into the stories shaping the trucking industry.
Subscription, per year, U.S............ $109.00 Canada and Mexico........................ $149.00 All other countries .........................$399.00 U.S. Single Copies ...............................$8.95 Foreign Single Copies....................... $11.95
80 M Street SE, Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20003
Copyright © 2026 by ATA Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission prohibited.
Reprints & Permissions: kburke@trucking.org • Subscription Queries: 800-517-7370
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Greg Hodgen President and Chief Executive O cer Groendyke Transport ATA GENERAL OFFICERS
FIRST VICE CHAIR Derek Leathers Chairman & CEO Werner Enterprises Inc. SECOND VICE CHAIR Randy Cli ord Chairman & CEO Ventura Transfer Co.
VICE CHAIR Gregg Troian President PGT Trucking Inc. SECRETARY John M. Smith Chairman CRST International Holdings, LLC
TREASURER Harold Sumerford Jr. CEO J&M Tank Lines Inc.
Chris Spear President and Chief Executive O cer ATA EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Henry Hanscom Chief Advocacy & Public A airs O cer
Richard Pianka Chief Legal O cer & General Counsel
Dan Horvath Chief Operating O cer
6 July 2026, Issue 1 • Transport Topics
Up Front
AI isn’t the story. It’s just the next chapter, and all of us have a role in writing that next chapter.
WORLD CUP FREIGHT RUSH
No Stoppage Time for Refrigerated Cargo
The world’s most-watched sporting event has driven demand for temperature-controlled freight such as beer, meat, produce and prepared foods to stock bars, stores and stadium kitchens for domestic and international soccer fans.
Inbound reefer rates
Tehzin Chadwick , chief safety o cer for private carrier UNFI, discusses AI implementation in the trucking industry at Samsara’s Beyond 2026 conference in late June Beyond 2026 conference in late June.
surged 11.4% in the 11 U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup between May 4 and June 22, outpacing the broader market by 5.4 percentage points. Source: DAT Freight & Analytics
TRANSPORTATION HISTORY Interstate Highway System Turns 70 The Federal Highway Administration recently marked the 70th anniversary of the Interstate Highway System, established under President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 29, 1956. At the event, FHWA Administrator Sean McMaster launched “Reimagining America’s Interstates,” an initiative collecting pub- lic input on how to improve the nation’s highway infrastructure.
MULTIMEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
TT’s RoadSigns podcast: Keeping cool as maintenance demand heats up The summer heat and
Inside the New Transport Topics Transport Topics is presenting an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the making of its fully redesigned print magazine and enhanced digital content. Hear directly from TT’s management, editors and report- ers about the new format and visual approach and the deeper insights that TT will deliver in print, online and via multimedia. The program airs at 2 p.m. ET on July 15 and will be available for replay.
rising demand can turn routine truck maintenance issues into high-pressure customer service events. In a recent RoadSigns episode released July 9, Cox Fleet’s Alex Fraser explains how fleet maintenance leaders can stay ahead of the game through proactive planning and disciplined uptime strategies. Visit ttn.ws/episode198 or follow the RoadSigns podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or SoundCloud.
TT webinar: Higher rates, thinner margins? After a prolonged mar- ket downturn, freight rates are finally recov-
ering this year, but improved pricing power does not automati- cally translate to better margins. Find out how motor carriers can avoid the profitability trap by watching Transport Topics’ executive webinar with Mark Hill of PCS Software. The program, which originally aired July 9, is available for replay at ttn.ws/PCSwebinar.
SCAN THE QR CODE to register or watch the replay:
Transport Topics • July 2026, Issue 1 7
Wisconsin native Jim Filter takes the wheel at Schneider
elements in his slight tweak from what’s come before: • Growth in areas of differentiation • Building a lower-cost organization • Earning even greater customer loyalty • Disciplined M&A When it comes to the last of the four, he said during an exclusive interview: “We want to focus on those opportuni- ties where we’d be able to realize syner- gies and continue to grow the business.” “We just happen to see the most op- portunities lying within dedicated, but we’re not averse to an intermodal or lo- gistics opportunity,” he added. “But we would want the right cultural fit and the right opportunities to be able to continue to grow that business.” The carrier’s business model concen- trates on three segments: truckload; in- termodal; and logistics, including con- tract logistics, brokerage and power only. Schneider ranks No. 10 on the TRANS- PORT TOPICS Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America, No. 5 among truckload/dedicated carriers and No. 4 in the intermodal/drayage rank- ings, as well as No. 18 on the TT Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies. Differentiators Filter has already had time to shape the company, including the past four years as operating president, but he is keen to sharpen those edges. “We have a lot of differentiation in each one of the service offerings we have, and we want to make sure that we’re fo- cused on growing into those areas, as well as making sure that we’re deploying capital to those places where we have differentiation,” Filter said. Schneider’s intermodal division is al- ready implementing an initiative exem- plifying the ethos of differentiation. In November 2025, the company launched Fast Track, which combines Schneider’s truckload and intermodal ca- pabilities with strategic rail partnerships to create a network of faster intermodal lanes, and the carrier says it results in up to two days faster transit than competitors on key U.S. and Mexico lanes. “There are customers that have either their entire supply chain or parts of their supply chain. They have very high expecta- tions for service levels. And in the past, they would often avoid intermodal on those parts of their network,” Filter told TT. “What we were seeing was that we could actually provide the same level of service for intermodal that we do over the road, be- cause we do haul shipments on intermodal for automotive companies where they virtu-
By Keiron Greenhalgh Staff Reporter
When Jim Filter joined Schneider 28 years ago, it didn’t take long for him to realize he wanted to spend decades at the carrier. But back then, he never envisioned be- coming CEO. On July 1, Filter became Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider’s top executive. The Wisconsin native is the fifth CEO of the company founded by Al Schneider in 1935 and the first Wisconsinite to hold the post since Don Schneider followed in his father’s footsteps. Filter replaced Mark Rourke, who held the CEO post since 2019 and will become executive chairman of the board. The tran- sition was announced in January. A former Marine Corps helicopter me- chanic, Filter started out at Schneider as a maintenance team leader in Green Bay. He then moved to Detroit, where he met his wife, Maria, who also worked for Schneider. Over the next couple of decades, Uni- versity of Wisconsin-Green Bay alumnus Filter worked his way up the ranks, in- cluding time spent heading the compa- ny’s Mexican operations. The Filter family moved back to Green Bay in 2012. At the time, the CEO was Chris Lofgren, the company’s first chief executive whose family name was not Schneider. Lofgren — formerly the chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce board of directors — is the Filters’ next-door neighbor. Schneider went public under Lofgren in 2017. At that time, Filter was head of the company’s intermodal division. But it is the truckload division that has seen the largest change since Schneider went public. In 2017, some 70% of its truckload business was network and 30% was dedicated, shares that have been reversed. By the end of 2025, the long-term stra- tegic metamorphosis had boosted the dedicated fleet to nearly 8,600 tractors. Acquisitions have been a driving force in the division’s transformation, with November 2024’s $390 million purchase of Baltimore-based Cowan Systems building on the acquisitions of Midwest Logistics Systems and M&M Transport Services in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Filter revealed recently that more ac- quisitions are likely sooner rather than later, but dedicated carrier acquisitions are only part of his plans for Schneider. The executive told TT there are four
On July 1, Filter became Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider’s top executive, succeeding Mark Rourke. (Schneider)
think this industry should be,” Filter said, adding: “I don’t think you’re going to see capacity reverse itself and begin to grow until we get to that point where all the infla- tionary costs have been recovered.” Inflation is accelerating. The annual U.S. inflation rate in May was 4.2%, a three-year high, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not unexpectedly for an industry un- dergoing its longest downturn in living memory, the economy was the top issue causing stress for trucking executives in 2025 for a third consecutive year, accord- ing to the American Transportation Re- search Institute. Stress is ever-present for a CEO as the focal point of a company. Filter said Rourke told him it can be a lonely job, but he continues to offer nuggets of ad- vice, as does Lofgren. Filter has his own prescription for working through the stress: running. “I have a training program, so it’s a differ- ent run. Every day is a little bit differ- ent,” he said. “I’ll absolutely continue to do that.”
ally need to be 100% on time,” he added. Schneider has also increased its inter- modal lanes connecting Mexico and Mid- west and Southeastern states, adding op- tions for automotive, consumer product or paper goods customers. At a time when federal initiatives on cabotage and visa enforcement are re- ducing over-the-road truckload capacity, the services are offering differentiation. Sustainable rebound Capacity cutbacks boosted rates in the first six months of 2026, and Filter sees the ongoing freight market rebound as sustainable. “What we now understand is the amount of capacity that entered the mar- ket wasn’t playing by the same set of rules as everybody else,” he said, noting that data shows carrier costs climbed about 25% since 2020 due to inflation. “Rates have not kept up with that pace of inflation. And we expect that it’s probably going to take more than just one allocation season to be able to raise rates up to the point that would equal where we really
ATD expectations high for truck sales By Keiron Greenhalgh Staff Reporter
250,000 vehicles, an increase of 12% com- pared with a forecast of 220,000 at the start of 2026, Manzi said. ATD is a division of NADA. “The business community is realizing that all of the uncertainty out there, be it the tariffs, the war, whatever it is, it’s al- most like this is kind of the new normal, and we’ve got to get on with it and move forward and maybe go out and take a big- ger risk than maybe we’re comfortable with, but we need to move forward and buy new equipment,” Manzi told Trans- port Topics in an exclusive interview. Sales were expected to increase in 2025, but tariffs introduced by the Trump
Truck dealers are growing more opti- mistic about the prospects for Class 8 truck and tractor sales in 2026 and 2027, citing a relative decrease in economic un- certainty and carriers needing to renew their fleets. American Truck Dealers’ expectations for 2026 Class 8 sales are now 227,000 vehicles, a 7.5% increase compared with 210,000 units at the start of the year, according to National Automobile Dealers Association Chief Economist Patrick Manzi. Sales in 2027 are now expected to total
July 2026, Issue 1 • Transport Topics 8
and Iveco vehicles. The Council of Supply Chain Manage- ment Professionals’ 2026 State of Logistics Report, released earlier in June, found that uncertainty is now a constant in 2026 and likely to remain so in the coming years. Carriers are adapting to change, includ- ing the supply-driven capacity reductions boosting rates significantly for the first time in four years and expectations of a sustained freight market recovery.
administration — including for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and parts — paused investment by carriers uncertain about the macroeconomic environment. Those same tariffs plus other trade pol- icy initiatives simultaneously delayed any rebound in the freight market, extending the longest downturn in industry memory. “Unless we start having these just mas- sive policy shifts that change week to week again, I think the industry is going to con-
tinue and go forward and make these big capital in- vestments and buy these trucks finally,” Manzi said after a presentation to ATD members in Washington as part of the trade group’s an- nual Fly-In visit with con- gressional delegations. That’s even without ex- pectations of carriers ramp- ing up purchases to beat the deadline related to the intro- duction of stricter Environ- mental Protection Agency nitrogen oxide emissions, an expected surge colloqui- ally known as the “pre-buy.” Orders for Class 8 trucks rose year on year for a sixth consecutive month in May, totaling 26,500 vehicles for a 103% jump compared with May 2025. May was the fourth month in a row in which there was a 100% or more year-over-year increase. May’s orders were 56% above the 10-year monthly average of 17,046 units, FTR Transportation Intelligence data shows. However, through the first five months of 2026, Class 8 sales totaled 73,419 vehicles, down 16% compared with 87,447 in the same period a year earlier, according to Omdia Automotive data. Truck makers are now playing catch-up after orders in 2025 were so poor that some production lines were shut during the first quarter of the year, including at Volvo Trucks North America’s flag- ship Dublin, Va., facility. Dealers are seeing more appetite from carriers, even in the unstable marketplace, and the trend line is moving in the right direction, Korey Neal, CEO of Hyattsville, Md.-based K. Neal Truck and Bus Center, told TT. “Last year, there was a lot of uncertainty, whether it was tariffs; are they here, are they not? I think that we know that we have a plan to move forward, and tariffs are what they are, so now we can exe- cute based upon the current business environment,” said Neal, whose dealership sells International Motors, Hino
Transport Topics • July 2026, Issue 1 9
TECHNOLOGY
Streamlining maintenance In addition, Samsara introduced its new Connected Asset Maintenance feature, which uses agentic AI to help fleets priori- tize vehicle maintenance work and translate fault code data into actionable intelligence. Tapping into historical operating data, the AI provides context such as the severity of a particular fault code and the estimated cost to fix it, along with the likelihood that it will turn into a more severe fault if not addressed and the associated cost. Shipping and mailing service provider Pitney Bowes has been utilizing Samsara’s technology to streamline maintenance pro- cesses and also is testing the new Agent Stu- dio to help free up time for its employees. “We want our managers spending more time with our drivers and less time behind the desk,” said Michael Keller, director of network solutions at the company. “Reten- tion is the key. Without the drivers behind the wheel, we don’t work here. This AI, this automation, this is going to bridge that gap.” Enhancing the driver experience Samsara also is expanding its AI- powered in-cab visibility and communica- tions tools, including enhancements to its AI Multicam platform for on-road fleets. For vehicles such as box trucks operating in urban environments, the company has added Bird’s Eye View, a new feature that provides drivers with a top-down, 360- degree composite view of the vehicle’s im- mediate surroundings. This viewpoint as- sists drivers as they navigate crowded yards and narrow spaces to help prevent crashes. “It gives you that extra set of eyes in tough-to-maneuver conditions,” said Jo- han Land, senior vice president of product at Samsara. Bird’s Eye View uses AI to stitch to- gether video from four fisheye cameras positioned around the vehicle. The new capability will be available by the end of this summer, Land said. The company also introduced its new 360 Camera for operated equipment such as forklifts, construction machinery and airport ground equipment. The camera system elim- inates blind spots by providing a full pan- oramic view from a single mounting point. “This 360-degree visibility changes the fundamentals of safety,” L d d. Additionally, new two munication functionality h h fundamentals of safety,” Land said. Additionally, new two-way voice com- munication functionality through
share experiences, troubleshoot challenges and learn from each other. “We have spent more than a decade build- ing one of the most diverse and experienced customer bases in physical operations,” said Meagen Eisenberg, Samsara’s chief market- ing o cer. “The Samsara Community is how we put that collective knowledge to work and shape the industry’s future.” Samsara Community members can par- ticipate in product-specific forums and in- dustry and regional groups, access a range of Samsara resources and participate in programs that inform Samsara’s product road map. Beyond 2026, Samsara’s fifth annual customer conference, drew about 4,000 attendees, the company said. Smart tracking label o ers new option for shipment monitoring By Seth Clevenger Managing Editor, Features and Multimedia LAS VEGAS — Samsara has introduced a smart tracking label that creates a new, lower-cost option for continuous ship- ment monitoring. The Samsara Tracking Label is a printable, single-use sticker that adheres to a package or pallet and connects with the technology supplier’s ubiquitous Bluetooth network to provide constant location updates. The flexible, paper-thin label, which contains a small battery with a 45-day life once activated, is designed to be dis- carded after the shipment arrives. The Bluetooth-based label provides a constant flow of tracking updates by sending low-energy signals that can be received by the millions of connected Samsara devices installed on trucks, trailers, vehicles and other equipment on virtually all major U.S. roads and at ware- houses and worksites across the country. Samsara said transportation businesses c h f m of shipment tracking to i rove customer service, proactively address de- lays and disruptions. “This kind of visibility can use this form of shipment tracking to improve customer service,
Attendees gather in the expo hall at Samsara Beyond 2026 in Las Vegas. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)
Samsara extends AI to ‘automate away' grind, boost safety By Seth Clevenger Managing Editor, Features and Multimedia LAS VEGAS — Samsara is embedding artificial intelligence deeper into its connected-operations technology, enabling fleets to further automate back-o ce tasks and support drivers with voice assistance and camera-aided visibility in the cab. Sanjit Biswas, the company’s CEO and co-founder, said AI has grown more pow- erful within the past year, with AI agents now increasingly capable of not only pro- viding insight but formulating plans and taking action. “AI can now start automating away some of the task work that has to hap- pen every single day as part of your oper- ation. And this is a huge unlock. We can now automate away the grind,” Biswas said June 24 at Samsara’s Beyond 2026 conference. As part of this shift toward automated workflows, the technology supplier is put- ting agentic AI development directly in the hands of its customers with its new Agent Studio, which fleet operators can use to create and deploy their own cus- tomized AI agents. Building on data generated by mil- lions of connected vehicles and equip- ment, fleet operators can configure vir- tual agents to handle myriad tasks, such as communicating key information to drivers, generating daily fleet perfor- mance summaries and enhancing vehi- cle maintenance processes.
Users can build custom agents from scratch or utilize more than 15 pre-built templates across safety and maintenance, all without requiring expertise in software development. “It’s all in plain English and powered by the Samsara data you already have in the system,” Biswas said. Fleets can experiment with Agent Stu- dio now in open beta testing. To support fleet safety e orts, Samsara is also applying AI to driver ride-alongs and coaching. Standard ride-alongs typically involve a senior driver or trainer in the cab taking notes on the driver’s performance behind the wheel, including proper mirror checks, anticipation of potential hazards and signs of aggressiveness or disengagement. While those ride-alongs can catch sub- tle driving behaviors that otherwise might have gone unnoticed, they require signifi- cant time and labor. To address this, Samsara is rolling out AI-powered ride-alongs, which enable fleets to more closely assess driver perfor- mance at scale. The new feature is avail- able now in beta testing. Samsara developed the AI ride-along capability in collaboration with food dis- tributor UNFI, which ranks No. 16 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest private carriers in North America. “AI isn’t the story. It’s just the next chapter, and all of us have a role in writing that next chapter,” said Tehzin Chadwick, UNFI’s chief safety o cer. AI can also help fleets better under- stand which of their drivers need help with coaching. Samsara’s new Coaching Priority feature predicts which drivers present the highest risk of being involved in a crash so fleets can focus their resources where it matters most.
the Samsara dash cam al- lows drivers and fleet managers to exchange messages without rely- ing on mobile phones or external communication tools. Businesses also can use that same channel to send drivers automated AI briefings, which can
enables us to change the game, going from reac- ive to proactive. You can make decisions so much earlier,” said David Gal, Samsara’s vice president of onnected equipment. Gal introduced and ated the new tracking la- age at the company’s Be- tive to proactive. You can connected equipment.
d demonstrated the new tracking la- bel June 24 on stage at the company’s Be- yond 2026 customer conference. b l 2 d 2026 mer conference. The smart labels also can help fight the escalation of cargo theft, a growing industry problem that Samsara said has been com- pounded by insu cient shipment visibility. “Cargo theft is a national crisis in the United States, costing the economy more than $35 billion a year,” Gal said.
deliver information rang g from an overview of the ahead to tra c and weather conditions and safety coaching reminders. Sharing knowledge The company also introduced the Samsara Community, an online hub and professional network for customers around the world to deliver information ranging from an overview of the route
July 2026, Issue 1 • Transport Topics 10
The new product, which is available now, provides shippers, carriers and logis- tics providers with a lower-cost option for shipment-level tracking compared with us- ing larger GPS and cellular devices. At the same time, the smart label offers much more consistent visibility than tradi- tional barcode scanning that only indicates when a package or shipment has departed or arrived at a facility. It’s also an alternative to RFID, or radio fre-
freight such as a copper wire reel to be- gin tracking it continuously. From there, businesses can closely moni- tor location status via the Shipment Center, which uses artificial intelligence to automati- cally flag shipments that require attention. The constant tracking makes it easier for managers to stay ahead of potential shipping delays and more difficult for bad actors to divert or steal cargo without being detected.
“AI can now start automating away some of the task work that has to happen every single day as part of your operation," Biswas says. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)
quency identification, which provides updates when a tagged shipment passes elec- tronic readers at certain facili- ties or checkpoints. The disposable labels have no lithium or hazardous mate- rials so they can be used for air, ground and rail shipments. Businesses can print them using standard, off-the-shelf label printers. Fulfillment provider DCL Logistics is an early adopter of the smart tracking labels. Dave Tu, DCL’s president, hailed the technology as “revolutionary.” “You have as many track- ing updates as you want,” he said. “I think the industry is hungry for this.” Tu said this capability is particularly applicable for truckload and less-than- truckload shipments, where visibility typically is limited to updates when the freight departs a facility and when it arrives at its destination. “That’s counterintuitive, because those are your most valuable shipments,” Tu said. During a press conference, Samsara CEO Sanjit Biswas said pricing for the tracking labels varies based on volume but is designed to be in the “single-digit-dollars” range. The technology provides the clearest value for critical and time-sensitive shipments but could serve as a flexible tracking option across many use cases and types of goods. “We really are curious to find out where our customers want to take it,” Biswas said. Customers can manage the tracking labels within Samsara’s new Shipment Center and Shipment App. Workers can use the app to activate the tracking labels with their mobile phones or scanners. They can scan a bill of lading, carrier tracking number or warehouse license plate number and the app au- tomatically links the tracking label to the existing shipment ID. After printing out and ac- tivating a tracking label, a worker simply sticks it onto a box, pallet or high-value
Transport Topics • July 2026, Issue 1 11
GOVERNMENT
noncompliant licenses, she added. FMCSA Deputy Administrator Jesse Eli- son as past chief counsel issued a non- compliance notice in October to Gov. Greg Abbott and DPS Director Freeman Martin after auditors found a 49% failure rate in a sample of the 9,600 valid non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs issued by DPS. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy last year ordered states to halt issuing non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner’s permits pending a nationwide federal audit, prompted after foreign truck- ers reportedly caused multiple-fatality crashes in highly publicized cases. “During FMCSA’s investigation of a crash that occurred in March 2025 near Austin, Texas, that involved five fatalities, the agency became aware of a non- domiciled driver … to whom DPS errone- ously issued a regular CDL,” Elison noted. He said DPS erroneously determined the foreign driver’s indefinite employment au- thorization and associated refugee status entitled the driver to a regular CDL instead of a non-domiciled one. However, this DPS “error” resulted in an ineligible foreign driv- er being issued a regular CDL, Elison said. Texas was ordered to complete a list of eight corrective actions, or FMCSA would sanction the state by, first, permanently withdrawing $182.5 million in its fiscal 2027 share of National Highway Perfor- mance Program and the Surface Transpor- tation Block Grant Program funds. A long delay in completing the corrective actions would result in Texas jeopardizing up to $365 million in the second and subse- quent years of noncompliance. Elison advised DPS to fix identified defi- ciencies in its non-domiciled licensing program, such as voiding/rescinding ille- gally issued driving credentials, or face losing its ability to issue CDLs. Since June 1, Texas has resumed issuing
said, “and FTA will continue to support measures that uphold those standards.” Other supporters include the Truck- load Carriers Association, the Owner- Operator Independent Drivers Associa- tion and the National Motor Freight Traffic Association. Ryan Streblow, CEO of the National Tank Truck Carriers, lauded the bill. “Accountability in driver records is es- sential to maintaining compliance, pro- tecting drivers from undue pressure and ensuring that commercial motor vehicles operate safely on our nation’s highways,” he said. Texas revokes 6,407 non-domiciled CDLs for foreign truckers By Noël Fletcher Staff Reporter Texas has revoked 6,407 non-domiciled commercial driver licenses held by foreign truckers as the state resumes limited issu- ance under tighter federal requirements. Sheridan Nolen, press secretary at the Texas Department of Public Safety, told Transport Topics that the state sent CDL downgrade notices to those drivers. “Customers were notified that their CDL privileges were removed, but they could continue to operate noncommercial vehicles,” Nolen said. The non-domiciled CDL revocations were part of a corrective action plan that Texas DPS was ordered to follow after be- ing found by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration auditors to have issued
Lawmakers introduce bill that would limit foreign edits to ELDs GHOSTRUCK Act would restrict driver log changes to authorized users in North America
April 1 began enforcing a new out-of- service condition for truckers and motor carriers caught disobeying federal driving limits via ELD tampering. “Beyond powering our nation’s supply chain and economy, our nation’s truck drivers share the road with American families, and there’s nothing more im- portant than ensuring everyone reaches their destinations safely,” said Taylor, who is chairman of the Congressional Trucking Caucus and a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Manual edits to HOS records in ELDs can be performed to remove hours indi- cating a driver worked when in reality the time was used for rest breaks or refueling. The congressmen noted that recent reports have revealed “some for- eign-based dispatchers have manipu- lated driver logs to underpay and over- work their drivers beyond safe hour maximums, resulting in serious safety concerns on American highways.” They contend the GHOSTRUCK Act would close a loophole enabling for- eign-based actors outside the reach of U.S. enforcement authority to avoid facing le- gal consequences if their driver or dis- patcher falsifies records that lead to a fatal crash. Alex Rosen, legislative affairs senior vice president at American Trucking Asso- ciations, thanked Taylor and Steube for working to strengthen accountability and ensure ELDs are used to promote safety. “Tampering with electronic logs is a growing problem that undermines en- forcement, rewards bad actors and puts the motoring public at risk,” Rosen said. “Roadway safety depends on consistent compliance with hours-of-service regula- tions, and preserving the integrity of elec- tronic logging devices is central to that mission.” The bill also was also backed by Florida Trucking Association CEO Scott Perry. “The safety of our drivers and the travel- ing public on America’s roadways remains the trucking industry’s top priority,” he
By Noël Fletcher Staff Reporter
Two U.S. representatives want Congress to ban people outside North America from changing a trucker’s electronic logging de- vice records. The GHOSTRUCK Act was introduced June 18 by Republicans Dave Taylor of Ohio and Greg Steube of Florida. The full name of the proposed legislation is the “Guarding Hours-of-Service Oversight and Stopping Tampering by Remote Unofficial Carrier Keeper Act.” H.R. 93969 seeks to amend Title 49 un- der the U.S. Code to only allow authorized individuals physically located in North America to edit/annotate ELD records pending driver approval and for other un- defined purposes. “Foreign dispatchers should not be able to manipulate trucking safety records from halfway around the world and put American lives at risk,” Steube said. “Re- ports have exposed how overseas actors are falsifying driver logs, overworking truckers beyond safe limits and avoiding accountability when tragedies occur. The GHOSTRUCK Act closes this loophole and helps keep our roads safe.” The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Ad- ministration requires all commercial trucks operating in the United States to have ELDs that track a driver’s hours of service behind the wheel to prevent ex- ceeding safety limits crafted to deter fa- tigued driving. The issue of fake electronic driving re- cords is of such growing concern that the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance on
FMCSA issued a noncompliance notice to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after auditors found deficien- cies in the state's issuance of non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs. (E.J. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
July 2026, Issue 1 • Transport Topics 12
non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs only to drivers having temporary agricultural worker H-2A visas. FMCSA approval has not been given to issue the other two visa types for foreign trucker licenses — an H-2B for nonagricul- tural workers and E-2 for treaty investors. “The department will be authorized to resume non-domiciled CDL issuances for H-2B and E-2 visa holders at the discretion of the FMCSA. We will share official up- dates as they become available,” Nolen explained. USPS revamps network as cash concerns build, calls for Senate reforms By Noël Fletcher Staff Reporter The U.S. Postal Service is revamping its logistics and transportation network to speed package flows and cut costs, but the postmaster general says its business model is running out of cash. This message was delivered by U.S. Postmaster General and CEO David Stein- er during his recent testimony before a U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Se- curity and Governmental Affairs. Steiner said Congress needs to fix the post office’s “broken business model” that is “running out of cash by the end of this fiscal year.” He said the agency’s “unre- stricted cash position [is] deteriorating to a negative $125.9 billion by FY 2035 absent structural change.” He delivered a 33-page address called “Reforming the U.S. Postal Service’s Bro- ken Business Model” on June 24. “Every lever that is available to private- sector enterprises, or even other govern- ment agencies, is unavailable to the Postal Service,” Steiner said. He said Congress should allow USPS “to operate as a truly independent agency, free of government-imposed mandates, or pay us for those mandates. We truly believe that paying for those mandates and utiliz- ing the Postal Service as a growth engine for the $2 trillion mailing industry is what is best for the American people.” Amid the call for changes, he outlined on- going logistical inefficiency improvements to modernize “operational precision.” USPS has invested nearly $20 billion to redesign its facilities and processing to handle a higher volume of letters and au- tomate package processing to efficiently handle today’s evolving mail and package mix, Albert Ruiz, USPS senior public rela- tions spokesperson, told Transport Topics. Changing transportation network The USPS has changed its transporta- tion network to have regional processing and distribution centers as a focal point with supporting facilities and high-speed routes. The goal is an efficient, lower-cost transportation network designed for faster flows of packages and mail.
Packages are sorted at a regional processing and distribution center in Phoenix. USPS aims to establish 60 RPDCs. (U.S. Postal Service)
“Under the legacy network, processing functions were spread across several facil- ities in a given region, leaving the process- ing network decentralized and necessitat- ing duplicative or excessive transportation trips to move mail and packages between processing facilities,” Ruiz said. Today’s new RPDCs feature standardized processing, transportation and cross-dock- ing functions for mail and packages. These centers also can handle higher-powered package sorting equipment — boosting package processing to 88 million in 2025 from 60 million five years earlier. USPS aims to establish 60 RPDCs. It launched three new ones June 29 in Nash- ville, Tenn.; Oklahoma City and Sacra- mento, Calif. Other active RPDCs USPS’ other active RPDCs are located in Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Boise, Idaho; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Greensboro, N.C.; Houston; Indianapolis; Jacksonville, Fla.; Jersey City, N.J.; Memphis, Tenn.; Port- land, Ore.; Richmond, Va.; and St. Louis. “Our old, inefficient and expensive patch- work of facilities is being systematically re- placed with a structured, logical and efficient hub-and-spoke network,” Steiner said. Sorting and delivery centers USPS is also modernizing its transporta- tion system of 19,000 local delivery units in key markets for fewer, larger sorting and de- livery centers. By combining operations in centralized facilities the agency plans to streamline processes and improve reliability and efficiency in final-delivery operations. The agency has now opened 158 SDCs with modern package sorting equipment, electric vehicle-charging infrastructure and optimized transportation to and from processing facilities. By mid-July, USPS plans to open SDC sites in Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Washington state. Regional optimization A third component of improvements is regional transportation optimization. This objective aligns transportation schedules between processing facilities and post office locations to improve oper- ational efficiencies. RTO was fully implemented nationwide in July 2025. Without changing deliveries, RTO “is focused on more efficient collec- tion, transportation, and processing of mail and packages,” Ruiz said.
Transport Topics • July 2026, Issue 1 13
CARRIER SELECTION COMES UNDER SCRUTINY
By Mindy Long Special to Transport Topics
However, the primary concern for brokers is that there is no single national standard, which could lead to differing expectations depending on the state and create pressure for brokers to overcorrect in ways that may not improve safety, Burroughs explained. Brenny Transportation Inc. has already tightened its requirements. The company uses Highway, a freight se- curity and fraud detection platform, to vet carriers and has added four steps to its carrier approval process. “We monitor each carrier and they must agree to tracking while under dispatch of our brokerage,” said Joyce Brenny, CEO of Brenny Transportation. The company also requires photos of the driver’s license, the driver and the motor carrier number displayed on the side of the truck before loading. One of the biggest problems is a dearth of formal safety ratings from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. When Brenny started 30 years ago, she had an au- dit and rating within six months of opening the busi- ness, she said. “What happened to that time frame?” Brenny asked, adding that she won’t use unrated carriers. Shannon Breen, CEO and founder of FreightVana, said about 90% of carriers are unrated by FMCSA. Brokers are already performing their own vetting, but Breen questioned expectations that they can as-
because they fall within the statute’s safety exception. “There were 30 states this already applied to. This opens it to all 50,” Sanders said. The ruling reinforces the need for brokers to “be thoughtful, consistent and well-documented in their processes,” said Chris Burroughs, CEO of the Trans- portation Intermediaries Association. “That means having a written carrier selection policy, using reli- able data sources, maintaining records of what was reviewed and applying standards consistently.”
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II ruling has raised the stakes for how freight brokers approach carrier selection, docu- mentation and liability exposure, even as many in the industry say it will make existing practices more for- mal, consistent and defensible rather than introduce new operational responsibilities. “For those of us in the industry who take risk seri- ously, nothing really is going to change,” said Jeff Tucker, CEO of Tucker Company Worldwide, who added that the issue has long been part of responsi- ble brokerage practices. “For me, it is interesting and maybe a little bit alarming that people think this is a new issue.” Brokers were already exposed to risk if they were not taking proper care in selecting carriers, said Greg Sanders, CEO of RDS Capacity Solutions. The ruling primarily brings broader legal attention to broker liability across jurisdictions, he said. “All this did was put a microscope on it and opened it up to all judicial districts.” As part of the May 14 decision, the Supreme Court held that negligent-hiring claims are not pre-empted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act
Tucker says not much will change for risk-aware brokers. (Tucker Company Worldwide)
July 2026, Issue 1 • Transport Topics 14
RDS uses Bluewire, a safety analytics platform used by insurers to evaluate carrier risk, and Highway to help assess risk. Sanders said companies need a well-documented policy. “You vet it with your insurance company and your attorney, and you train your associates to be very con- sistent,” Sanders said. “If there are going to be any overrides, it bubbles up to your management.” Carrier evaluation may also need to become more frequent. Historically, a broker might vet a carrier during onboarding, but Sanders said today’s environ- ment requires ongoing evaluations. “The original vetting is step one, but at the time of dispatch, you also have to re-vet the carrier to make sure everything is in place,” he said. Tools can help verify whether a driver picking up a load has a valid commercial driver license and proper insurance, but Sanders said brokers lack the level of driver-specific visibility available to asset-based carriers. “As a broker, we don’t hire drivers,” Sanders said. “All we do is select carriers, and we use the best infor- mation we have to make sure that carrier is safe to operate.” That driver-level gap is not lost on major ship- pers. Doug Cantriel, head of North American trans- portation and modernization for Ford Motor Co., said he asked his transportation partners what they are doing since the ruling and found that vetting is increasing. “They’re actually getting down to the driver level as they look at this,” he said. “There is a cognizant approach to how deep they’re going to make sure they’re vetting these drivers at a deeper level than they ever have before.” The ability to vet drivers is one of the key differences between asset-based and brokered transportation. John Pemberton, CEO of Pemberton Truck Lines, said asset-based carriers have a different level of visi- bility and control. “With asset-based operations, we’re in charge of the entire transportation process,” he said. “They are our trucks, our drivers, we’re the ones that qual- ify the drivers, and we can track visibility on the shipment 24/7.” Pemberton expects shippers to increasingly favor carriers that can demonstrate safety and not just a clean record. “I think shippers are going to rely more heavily on carriers that have a deep culture of operational and accountability excellence,” he said. “It boils down to the accountability a carrier takes for the drivers they partner with.” The ruling could push shippers to look more closely at asset-based carriers or brokers that also operate an asset-based business, which can signal accountability. Asset-based providers may benefit Kenneth Johnson, executive chairman of Leonard’s Express, which operates both asset-based and broker- age divisions, said several customers that previously allowed the company to broker their freight have since requested asset-only service. Others have structured agreements that set a baseline percentage on company trucks with brokerage filling surge capacity. “I think in certain circumstances it can be an ad- vantage,” Johnson said of having asset and brokerage operations. Deen Albert, vice president of operations for Grand Island Express, said the ruling is pushing shippers to place greater emphasis on defined standards and rep- utable partners. “The decision is pushing shippers to look to more reputable solutions than they have in the past and look to see where standards have been put in place,” he said.
ciation also supports stronger safety oversight, better data and more effective enforcement. “Litigation after a crash does not prevent unsafe carriers from operating. Better federal data and en- forcement can,” Burroughs said. Tools and data fill the gaps Brokers are typically left to evaluate insurance, au- thority status, inspection history, compliance infor- mation and their past experiences with a carrier. Many are also turning to outside technology tools.
sess carriers more deeply than regulators. “[The question is] how we’re expected to know more about carriers than the government that licenses and over- sees about 400,000 of them,” he said. TIA’s Burroughs said brokers cannot replace FMCSA’s role in ensuring carrier safety. “Brokers do not inspect equipment, hire drivers, supervise training or manage carrier operations,” he explained. TIA has asked FMCSA to clarify which standards brokers should use when selecting carriers. The asso-
For those of us in the industry who take risk seriously, nothing really is going to change. For me, it is interesting and maybe a little bit alarming that people think this is a new issue.” Jeff Tucker , CEO of Tucker Company Worldwide “
Transport Topics • July 2026, Issue 1 15
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator