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
Jim Mullen is replacing Jim Ward as president of the Truckload Carriers Association in early April. How will Mullen use his deep trucking industry experience—as a former mega-carrier executive, past FMCSA acting administrator, and leader in autonomous trucking and the Clean Freight Coalition—to guide the truckload sector through a massive regulatory shift?
FleetOwner's Josh Fisher sat down with Mullen at TCA's Truckload 2026 to dis...
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of February 26:
- The Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs
- FMCSA is continuing its driver qualification crackdown
- Daimler revealed its next heavy-duty engine
- Spot rates increased over 2 cents
- Diesel prices jumped 10 cents
As EPA's new NOx standards creep nearer, Daimler Truck North America this month revealed its next generation of complaint heavy-duty engines. The Detroit-branded Gen 6 diesel engines will be available in 13-, 15-, and 16-liter options that meet the looming 35-milligram NOx limit, and will power future Freightliner and Western Star trucks.
In the historic Detroit Manufacturing Plant, FleetOwner's Josh Fisher talks with David Carson,...
The relocation of manufacturing back to the U.S. could be a boon for domestic freight. The pandemic recently spurred business interest in reshoring, but tariff volatility also paralyzed many investment decisions. Rosemary Coates, executive director of the Reshoring Institute, explains the current state of U.S. reshoring.
Timestamps:
- 00:42 - The Reshoring Institute's mission
- 04:00 - Global supply chain vulnerability
- 06:30 - Tar...
Here are the trucking industry's headlines this week, as of February 12:
- EPA finalizes removal of trucks’ greenhouse gas regulations
- FMCSA makes another attempt to tighten non-domiciled CDLs
- TCA's next president will be Jim Mullen
- In fuel, diesel prices rose by 1 cent
Modern work trucks have become very advanced, and OEMs' strategies to manage those trucks even more advanced. Ford Pro's Eric Rice, general manager of U.S. fleet sales, details the industry's latest trends: driver assistance, predictive maintenance, the technician shortage, and more.
Timestamps:
- 02:23 - Total cost of ownership
- 07:35 - Advanced safety tech
- 11:35 - The technician shortage
- 16:30 - Machine learning for actionable ...
Here are the trucking industry's headlines this week, as of February 5:
- The latest highway funding bill includes truck parking
- Five employees won a $52 million verdict against food distributor Sysco
- EPA is looking to further weaken DEF derates
- Heavy-duty equipment demand in January was very strong
- Spot rates made a record-high jump
- Diesel prices increased 6 cents
Erik Neandross, president of TRC’s Clean Transportation Solutions Group, previews ACT Expo 2026 in Las Vegas. As the industry pivots from clean fuel goals to "clean intelligence," Neandross shares an insider’s look at where OEM and fleet capital is actually flowing this year.
Timestamps:
- 2:00 - Shift to economic sustainability
- 9:53 - ACT Expo's focus on continuing education
- 13:40 - The rise of virtual drivers
- 20:06 - Software-...
Here are the headlines from this week in trucking, as of January 29:
- Werner acquired FirstFleet
- Gatik completed 60,000 autonomous medium-duty hauls
- Traton gave $25 million to PlusAI for autonomous truck development
- Diesel deleting no longer risks jail time
- FMCSA issued HOS exemptions to most states
- Eaton is spinning off its commercial vehicle business
- Diesel prices increased 9 cents
2025 had no shortage of regulatory changes for the trucking industry, vacillating between rapid crackdowns and sluggish rulemakings. David Heller, senior VP of Safety and Government Affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association, shares his outlook for the next year’s regulatory landscape—from English proficiency to CSA scores and beyond.
Catch this episode of The Fleet Lead podcast here or search for The Fleet Lead on your favorit...
Here are the headlines this week in trucking, as on January 22:
- California started enforcing English language proficiency requirements
- United States Postal Service launched a bidding website for last-mile delivery
- A judge blocked New York’s truck tolling surcharge
- Spot rates decreased for dry van and refrigerated
- Diesel prices jumped 7 cents
The first 2026 roundtable of the Fleet Lead podcast brings together editors from Fleet Owner and Bulk Transporter to analyze a commercial vehicle market currently transitioning from a stagnant 2025 toward a cautiously optimistic 2026.
Despite continued carrier bankruptcies and consolidations, there are signs that the market might turn later this year. FMCSA's continued crackdown on driver qualifications could help bring upward pres...
Here are the headlines from this week in the U.S. trucking industry, as on January 15:
- Tennessee is asking CDL holders for proof of legal residence
- FMCSA targeted North Carolina’s non-domiciled CDLs
- STG Logistics filed for bankruptcy
- Mack Anthem began production
These are the major headlines in trucking, as of January 8:
- DOT cut more of California's funding
- USPS is trimming its use of non-domiciled CDLs
- Autonomous trucking announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show
- Truck orders reached a three-year high
As the transportation industry continues to meet ever more stringent emissions rules from the EPA, especially the latest low NOx rule, new heavy-duty engines and heavy-duty engine oils are on the way as well. Set for rollout at the start of 2027, the American Petroleum Institute's (API) recently approved three key actions to vote on to establish the new heavy-duty engine oil specification, Proposed Category 12 (PC-12): Acceptance o...
Lawsuit abuse is the second-highest concern among fleet executives in 2025, second only to the economy. When thermonuclear verdicts against carriers are stretching beyond $100 million, they may be getting out of hand.
According to new research form the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), those lawsuits against carriers are hindering the U.S. economy. If states reduced commercial auto tort costs over 10 years,...
These are the major headlines in trucking, as of December 30:
- DOT targeting Colorado over non-domiciled CDLs
- Standard Forwarding Freight ceased operations
- Advocacy group sues California's CDL cancellation
- Spot rates up, fuel prices down
Have a happy new year!
These are the major headlines in trucking, as of the holiday week of December 23:
- California paused its plans to reissue 17,000 CDLs
- Major rail merger wants to take market share from trucks
- Spot rates made big holiday gains
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
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 t...
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