Private fleets are outsourcing

Plus: Tariff strategy you can use | Fleet agility matters more than ever

What brings people into trucking? Well, the simple answer might be money. The longer one: introducing kids and young adults to the possibilities of a career in logistics.

Plus, we've got tips for fleet owners to navigate tariffs and pick up freight that private fleets may not have the bandwidth to handle.

But first, visual proof that bots and AVs still need some fine-tuning.

⬆️ $3.749

AVG. COST OF DIESEL PER GALLON IN U.S. AS OF 9/22, UP 0.010¢

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

ROADSIDE READS

Trucking's future. Who might be the next generation of truckers? This news video highlights the "Touch a Truck" event over the weekend that taught kids and young adults about careers in transport.

Coming up. What’s worth your time (and money) in trucking tech? Join us Thursday at 1 p.m. ET to find out. Registration is free, sign up today.

A sweet story. Meet Derrick Wolfe in this article. He's a second-generation truck driver who hauls liquid sweeteners, vinegars, wine and much more.

Not-so-sweet dreams. Here's a look at some vintage sleeper cabs. Some seem comfier than others.

INDUSTRY VOICES

How carriers can use flexibility to adapt through tariffs

Keeping up with regulatory shifts and tariff changes can feel like playing whack-a-mole for logistics leaders. One moment, freight surges as customers try to beat tariffs. The next moment, volumes dry up as tariffs take effect and shippers hit pause. But Ryan Mann, director of marketing with Lean Solutions Group, believes carriers can thrive despite these challenges.

The key: deploying what Mann calls smarter workforce solutions, adjusting up or down based on demand. "Flexibility isn’t just about labor resources; it’s about resilience," Mann writes.

Why this matters: With these kinds of ebbs and flows in freight, flexibility is a non-negotiable. If a motor carrier can't flex up to meet demand or flex down and keep the business running when times are tough, they may be in for a rough ride. (Supply Chain Brain)

FAST LANE

UNEVEN LOAD: Fewer small fleets report high levels of freight compared to large ones

FREIGHT PARTNERS: ATA, Volvo among new multimodal group aiming to modernize transport

COST HIKES: Tariff impact on OEMs to be passed to fleets in 3-6 months

PAIN POINTS: Small biz owners name cash, labor among top challenges

FREIGHT FALL: Shipments drop 9.3% YOY in largest dip since Oct 2023

OUT OF SERVICE: Almost 300 drivers OOS in Arkansas due to visa, English enforcement

SEEN & HEARD

"There's no pay disparity between men and women in the trucking industry." - Ellen Voie, founder of Women In Trucking

While gender pay gaps are common in the corporate world, it's different for truck drivers. Pay could be per load, per mile, per day, but it doesn't discriminate based on gender, age, race or other factors. That dynamic has helped bring more women into the trucking industry, with many of them being encouraged by male friends or relatives to start driving, Voie says. (Spotify)

ROAD REPORT

Private fleet freight offers opportunity for for-hire carriers

It's not all grim on the trucking front. In fact, for-hire carriers grabbed their greatest share of private fleets' outbound freight in decades. The for-hire truckers handled 19% of outbound freight, compared to 16% the year before. Why? Using carriers allowed private fleets to secure capacity and reduce their costs.

Why this matters: Fleet owners who haven't yet looked into private fleets' freight may have an opportunity in front of them. As private fleets look to stabilize their in-house logistics, for-hire carriers could swoop in to help and gain business along the way. (Transport Topics)

CONNECTED FLEET

Telematics provider Geotab rolls out cabin-facing cameras

Geotab has debuted its first-ever cameras that face inward. The tech uses dual-facing dashcams with AI and verbally alerts drivers to correct their behavior. The results so far: a 90% reduction in tailgating and a 95% decrease in phone usage.

Why this matters: Early results are promising, indicating that inward-facing cameras could enhance safety for fleets. But they also raise big questions about trucker privacy, and whether trucking companies that install the tech could push drivers away. (CCJ Digital)