The Fleet Lead

This week in trucking: Prime's nuclear verdict, non-domiciled CDL disputes

These are the major headlines in trucking, as of December 18:
California is suing DOT over terminated transportation funding
DOT is also threatening New York's funding over non-domiciled CDL practices
Oregon is ending the Trusted Carrier Partner program
Prime Inc. faces part of a $44M nuclear verdict
Legislators launch trucking caucus
Trailer orders fell sharply
Diesel dropped 6 cents

New ATA chairman on drivers, tankers, regs, and trucking's future

ATA's latest chairman and Groendyke Transport's CEO, Greg Hodgen, thinks of himself as an optimist, while others call him a realist. But both perspectives are on display in this episode of The Fleet Lead, where Hodgen and Bulk Transporter Editor Jason McDaniel sat down for a frank conversation about the transportation industry, with a special focus on tank trailers. From discussing the shortage of drivers versus qualified drivers to tort reform and beyond, McDaniel and Hodgen cover the spectrum of realism to optimism in trucking while looking ahead for 2026.
Catch this episode of The Fleet Lead podcast here or search for The Fleet Lead on your favorite podcast app.
Chapter index:
1:04 - Hodgen's road to the industry and ATA leadership
5:00 - Drivers vs qualified drivers
11:53 - The importance of innovation in tank trucking
14:01 - Government and regulations
23:58 - Tort reform and cybersecurity
31:19 - Looking ahead for 2026
37:31 - Appreciating the trucking industry

This week in trucking: Fleets downsizing, autonomous expands

These are the major headlines in trucking, as of December 11:
For-hire fleets getting acquired or downsizing
Aurora expands autonomous truck operations
Wreaths Across America Day is here
Diesel prices dropped by 9 cents

Dean Croke's' connection to Wreaths Across America, U.S. truck drivers

Analyst Dean Croke talks about his plans for this year’s Wreaths Across America, his bustling social media, and the trucking community's dedication to honoring service members.
Dean Croke will be attending the Escort to Arlington with RadioNemo. Croke is a senior analyst for DAT Freight & Analytics, but he’s also a longtime truck driver with an industry social media presence. Croke shares his plans for this year’s Wreaths Across America, his own connection to honoring service members, and some of the reasons why many truck drivers are so passionate about the event.
Timestamps:
0:29 - Origins and the convoy
9:52 - Connection, supporting truckers' lonely work
12:42 - Dean's social media and "rollers"
16:02 - How to get involved, where to listen

Trucking's year in review: Uncertainty

The Fleet Lead’s editors share a retrospective on 2025 and a look ahead to 2026, focusing on the industry’s latest problems: freight demand and regulatory uncertainty.
In 2025, the three-year economic slump continued to drag on. Fleets and manufacturers struggled to plan for the future as a new administration muddied the industry’s future. Electric vehicle hype died down.
How will these challenges take shape in 2026, and who will come out on top?
Featuring John Hitch from Fleet Maintenance, Josh Fisher from FleetOwner, Kevin Jones from Trailer Body Builders, and Jason McDaniel from Bulk Transporter.
Timestamps:
1:07 - The never-ending recession
5:41 - Driver quality
8:15 - FET repeal: Pipedream?
11:37 - EVs on the backburner
15:25 - Tariff impacts
23:05 - Looking for a positive outlook
Predictions for 2026
32:57 - Josh Fisher: Autonomous trucking
33:51 - Jason McDaniel: No pre-buy & tech integration
36:25 - Kevin Jones: Market share shakeup
37:15 - John Hitch: AI tools

This week in trucking: CDL crackdown, truck orders plummet

These are the major headlines in trucking, as of December 4:
FMCSA improves ELD review
Truck orders continue to plummet
FCMSA removes 3,000 CDL training providers
Minnesota’s non-domiciled CDLs are in FMCSA’s crosshairs
10 Roads Express is shutting down
Diesel prices dropped 7 cents

Podcast: Ryder recruiter Suzanne Varghese on veteran hiring best practices

When it comes to adding veterans to your fleet or shop, there are plenty of benefits you stand to gain. After all, many veterans bring both hard and soft skills to the table, from technical training to leadership, dedication, and reliability.
For instance, Suzanne Varghese, a gas turbine engine mechanic and maintenance supervisor for the U.S. Navy has parlayed her skills to the civilian world with Ryder as a recruiter. In this episode of The Fleet Lead, listen to Fleet Maintenance's Editor-in-Chief John Hitch, a former submarine sonar technician, discuss vet hiring best practices with Varghese.
And along with commercial vehicle maintenance, this is one area Ryder excels at. Ryder has more than 4,000 veterans on staff and is routinely recognized as a top employer for vets. Since 2011, Ryder has hired more than 15,000 veterans.
Chapters:
1:29 - Varghese's role with Ryder
4:25 - Life as a Navy technician
11:50 - Where and how to recruit veterans
13:42 - How to interview a veteran
17:44 - Veterans' soft skills

Hendrickson's 'Beyond Suspensions' strategy

Hendrickson is a manufacturer and supplier of medium- and heavy-duty suspensions, axle and brake systems, tire pressure control systems, and other products to the global commercial transportation industry.
In this episode of the Fleet Lead Hendrickson’s VP of marketing, Jeff Sass, talks about the company’s ‘Beyond Suspensions’ strategy, American manufacturing, an aftermarket myth, and beyond.
Timestamps:
01:06 - American manufacturing is critical
03:02 - Investing for the rebound
05:09 - What would Magnus think, 100 years on?
06:08 - A trailer is more than a box on wheels
08:09 - Tariffs: Who pays?
12:29 - Down markets are opportunities
13:58 - Myth: Aftermarket grows when new CV sales are down
15:07- Crystal ball: The growing importance of CV equipment

This week in trucking: Freight recession symptoms, Bollinger quits

The major headlines from the week of Nov. 24 in trucking, just before Thanksgiving:
Bollinger Motors is no more
Demand for Class 8 equipment is very weak
Industrial production is doing even worse than expected
The first all-new Mack Pioneers have been delivered
Diesel prices dropped 4 cents

Volvo Trucks on the freight recession, fleet survival, and the bottom line

Volvo Trucks North America launched its new VNL and VNR models in the middle of the prolonged freight recession. While OEMs don't choose the market conditions when they develop a new truck, Peter Voorhoeve, president of VTNA, points to the bright side: the models' fuel efficiency can be a critical tool for carriers' bottom line.
In this episode of the Fleet Lead, Josh Fisher talks with Volvo's Voorhoeve about fleets' equipment acquisition strategies, the current environment of uncertainty, and electric vehicle adoption.
2:07: New trucks launch in longest freight recession
3:42: Fuel savings and equipment replacement advice
7:47: Electric truck focus is waning
11:30: Global strategy and regional markets