Freight rebound or false start?

Plus: Celebrating drivers | How fleets are fighting theft with AI

Thanking all truckers! It's the 37th annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Today, we're sharing a few ways fleets, industry associations, government officials and many more are showing their support.

We're also covering a mixed picture for the freight market. While volumes were up last quarter, trucking execs are still strapping in for a bumpy road ahead.

First though, check out this dash cam video that captures a moment scarily similar to the illegal U-turn crash in Florida. Fortunately, its ending is much better.

⬇️ $3.739

AVG. COST OF DIESEL PER GALLON IN U.S. AS OF 9/16, DOWN 0.027¢

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

ROADSIDE READS

Celebration time. It's National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, and fleets are taking to social media to thank their drivers. Plus, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy expressed his appreciation and is meeting with truckers.

What we're reading. An interesting feature article details the ways railroad mergers and transcontinental routes may impact trucking and how they might speed up intermodal shipments.

Life after trucking. Drivers discuss what they decided to do next when it was time to move on from trucking.

Weed out. Some truck driving schools in Oklahoma are turning away applicants with medical marijuana cards. A news report looks at how state laws and federal regulations are clashing, and who’s getting left behind.

INDUSTRY VOICES

How cabotage undercuts the entire trucking industry

American Trucking Associations CEO Chris Spear penned a scathing article, calling on the Trump administration to crack down on cabotage. Spear notes that some carriers are allowing Mexican and Canadian drivers to haul on domestic routes, when they should only be permitted to carry out cross-border shipments.

The result: "Each illegal load is a paycheck stolen directly from an American driver," Spear writes.

Why this matters: Spear notes that cabotage undercuts the American trucking industry. If the government doesn't take action, carriers may continue the practice, which often involves lower wages for drivers. That could distort the market as a whole and threaten the business of fleets that are in compliance. (American Trucking Associations)

FAST LANE

TURNING POINT? Truckload volume up 4%, LTL up 8.9% in Q2

THREATENED TRUCKERS: Sikh drivers face harassment after Florida tragedy

PAPER'S OUT: FMCSA to stop accepting checks, paper payments

NEW RULE: Bill proposes requiring brokers, shippers to only contract with FMCSA-registered fleets

FRESH LOOK: I-40 Love's reopens after renovation with 77 parking spots

DRUG CHARGE: Trucker found in possession of $12.5M of cocaine

SEEN & HEARD

"If you don't have a team in place and you don't have an office in place, your business is worth nothing. So get ready to expand your business or just be happy being that owner-operator where you're in that churn and burn mode." - Matt Jackson, owner of Matt The Driveway Guy

Matt Jackson owns a pressure washing business, and on his podcast, he shares tips that can apply to all small businesses, from equipment and marketing, to mindset shifts toward profitable business. In the latest episode, he and his cohost Clay Smith share insights on the critical transition from owner-operator to running the business, which allowed them to finally scale. (The Wash Bros Podcast)

ROAD REPORT

Trucking supply-demand imbalance expected to persist

Call it “a bumpy next 12 to 18 months” or “a rollercoaster ride;” either way, the consensus among trucking execs and analysts is that the near-term future for trucking will be plagued with a lot of the same market conditions as recent years. Capacity remains high, while demand has plateaued, with businesses still unsure what to expect from the presidential administration.

Why this matters: Projections for when the freight recession may end keep getting pushed farther out. It's even more critical for fleet owners to cement their shipper relationships and run their businesses as efficiently as possible, as they await an improvement in market conditions. (Transport Topics)

CONNECTED FLEET

AI is a helpful weapon in the battle against cargo theft

Multiple trucking executives are pointing to yet another use case for AI: stamping out cargo theft. Landstar has upped its investment and stressed the need for vigilance. Meanwhile, Werner Enterprises SVP of Logistics Jordan Strawn says the technology plays a "hefty role" in fighting theft problems. AI can be used to vet carrier partners, possibly preventing a theft issue. It can also be used via computer imagery to detect when, where and how a theft occurred.

Why this matters: Freight theft costs the U.S. economy up to $35 billion each year, so methods to reduce cargo theft are essential. If fleet owners can adopt AI-based tools to fight or prevent theft, the ROI could materialize quickly. (Trucking Dive)