Drilling Deep with John Kingston

Wrapping it up with Todd Amen of ATBS

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 14:00:00 -0000

On the final edition of Drilling Deep, ATBS President Todd Maiden tells us how drivers did financially in 2023. And host John Kingston signs off with a warning: don't give in to hysteria on oil prices.

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A cracking good idea to get hydrogen

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 20:30:00 -0000

Amogy is one of many companies trying to make hydrogen the transportation fuel of the future. They've got a unique approach and Maciek Lukawski of Amogy talks with John Kingston about their ambitious plans.

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The Promise Of Mexican Intermodal

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 20:00:00 -0000

The head of Mexico's intermodal association joins John Kingston to discuss why intermodal service from Mexico is key to a reshoring of manufacturing into North America

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Wrapping up 2024 with Scopelitis' Garney

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 17:49:00 -0000

Wrapping up 2024 with Scopelitis' Garney and a look at the regulatory landscape. Also: the permanent new diesel spread?

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Signs of an easing in the parking squeeze

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 13:13:00 -0000

Chris Oliver of Trucker Path has the data: it looks like finding a place for a truck to pull over for several hours is not as daunting as it was in the past few years.

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An industry giant takes a look at transportation cybersecurity

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 20:30:00 -0000

Theresa Lanowitz of AT&T talks edge computing and its impact on keeping systems safe.

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The risk to carrier payments from broker bankruptcies

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 14:47:00 -0000

Clayton Griffin of OTR Solutions talks about why some 3PL chapter 11 filings pose a risk to carriers. Also: the OPEC+ meeting and the impact on oil prices.

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A major trailer supplier looks to partnerships on building and leasing their product

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 20:30:00 -0000

We've got two executives from Wabash to discuss. Also: next week's OPEC+ meeting.

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The payments space continues to get more competitive

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:30:00 -0000

Robin Gregg of RoadSync discusses recent trends. Also: rising crude production is pushing down oil prices

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Fighting off the cyber bandits

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 19:30:00 -0000

Antwon Banks of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, fresh off a key industry conference, talks about the current state of cybersecurity in the trucking sector.

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Broadening the market for renewable diesel

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:30:00 -0000

Matt Lueck of Neste talks about his efforts to widen the reach of Neste MY, the company's renewable diesel product, beyond the hot market in California.

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Will an NLRB rule open the door for more unionziation?

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 19:25:00 -0000

Max Farrell of WorkHound talks a new federal rule that might give a boost to more unions in the logistics workplace.

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The efficiency of battery-electric vehicles

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 19:26:00 -0000

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency recently ran its "Run on Less" event with a focus completely on battery-electric vehicles. What did it show? Its executive director Mike Roeth joins John Kingston to talk about it.

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San Diego, the Silicon Valley of telematics

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Susan Fall of Launchit Public Relations and a long-time San Diegan talks about why that city is one of the biggest centers for the telematics industry.

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Keeping Up With The Compliance Maze

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 19:26:30 -0000

Nic Sallis of FleetDrive 360 talks compliance and host John Kingston talks soaring diesel prices on this week’s edition.

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What to do about the Highway Trust Fund?

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 18:52:00 -0000

Jim Aliosi of MIT talks about a recent paper he published looking at solutions for the U.S. Highway Trust Fund, which already was underfunded and now faces a loss of revenue from electric cars that don't pay taxes into the fund even though they use the highways that are maintained by spending from it.

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The race for speed in factoring

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 19:00:00 -0000

RoadEx says it can pay its factoring clients in minutes in a new offering. It's a big boast but Samer Hamede of RoadEx joins Drilling Deep to present what his company is doing.

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Five million and counting

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Tim Dean, a driver for Werner, recently hit 5-million accident-free miles while driving for Werner. He's here along with Werner's VP-Operations Angelo Gibson to talk about how such an achievement is possible.

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Winding your way through the maze of SBA funding

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 17:03:26 -0000

David Cody of NEWITY is an expert on how small to medium-sized businesses can obtain funding backed by the Small Business Administration and discusses it on this edition of Drilling Deep.

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Connecting To The Market Through An Advisory Council

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Transfix recently created an advisory council of shippers as another way of keeping connected to the broader market. Rachel Meranus of Transfix joins Drilling Deep to talk about what the digital brokerage hopes to get out of this initiative.

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Netradyne looks to the positive

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Adam Khan of Netradyne talks about how the company is using their camera systems more to boost drivers instead of just as a corrective tool. Also: the suddenly rising cost of diesel.

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The pros and cons of outsourcing customer service

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:00:00 -0000

The Customs Companies recently moved its entire customer service operation to outsource partner DDC FPO. What are the pros and cons of that shift? Execs from both companies are here to talk about it.

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The future of diesel as alternatives grow their footprint

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Allen Schaeffer is the executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, and it's his organization's goal to keep diesel relevant as new mobility technologies emerge alongside government mandates. He speaks about recent developments and the result of some recent research his group conducted.

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Why Scope 3 emissions are important to everyone in the supply chain

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Laura Rainier of Gartner discusses what Scope 3 emissions are and how no matter where you are in the supply chain, they are likely to matter to you even if you don't think so now.

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Lytx cameras have been watching for 25 years

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Rajesh Rudraradhya is the chief technology officer of Lytx, one of the pioneers in camera technology for trucks. He is our guest this week to talk about where the technology has been and where it's going.

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Blue Yonder surveys the market

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Software giant recently surveyed its customers on the health of the supply chain. Chirag Modi, Corporate Vice President, Industry Strategy, sat down to talk about it.

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Using technology to fight double brokering

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Mic Yariv of Omnitracs joins host John Kingston to talk about the surge in double brokering and how technology can be used to fight it. Also: why are the markets so sanguine about oil prices?

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The Social Media Tools Used For Recruitment

Fri, 26 May 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Neil Costa is the CEO of HireClix. His company is hired by trucking and other companies to run their recruitment efforts on social media. What works and what doesn’t today in this rapidly evolving landscape?

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Collaborative trucking and how it works

Fri, 12 May 2023 19:00:00 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, Justin Baile of Rose Rocket talks about the concept of "collaborative trucking" and how it increases efficiency and productivity

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Any relief in sight for trucking insurance rates?

Fri, 05 May 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Matt Planeta is a vice president of Heffernan Insurance Brokers and he speak with John Kingston about the upward push in insurance rates that has been burdening trucking for several years now and whether there might be relief ahead.

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Neste Makes its Renewable Diesel Play Near The Bay

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Finnish international oil company Neste has created Neste MY Renewable Diesel. Neste's Matt Lueck stops by the show to talk about his company's ambitious plans.

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Measuring Dwell Time with Trimble

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Dwell time and detention are uneconomic ways of drivers spending their time. But how can the extent of it be measured. Trimble thinks it has a way and Trimble's Rishi Mehra joins Drilling Deep to talk about it.

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Selling a company into an ESOP

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 19:00:00 -0000

A Midwest carrier named Rapid Response was sold recently into an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Why would that method of selling be pursued? How do the workers benefit? An investment banker who helped put the deal together, Albert del Pilar from the investment firm of Butcher Joseph, joins Drilling Deep to talk about why an ESOP may be the way to go.

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Diesel ain't dead yet

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 19:00:00 -0000

In this week's Drilling Deep, Allan Schaeffer of the Diesel Technology Forum gives an overview of where diesel technology stands as alternative energy sources try to capture the heavy duty vehicle market.

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The hurdles and benefits of LTL inside Truckload

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Ben Wiesen is the CEO of Carrier Logistics, which provides software services to the LTL sector. He joins Drilling Deep to discuss what happens when LTL trucking is brought inside a truckload carrier.

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What did drivers make in 2022?

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Nobody has better data on the earnings of independent owner operators than ATBS, which does tax services for many drivers. Its president, Todd Amen, joins Drilling Deep to talk about what the numbers say this year.

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Love’s expands its program to train next generation of diesel mechanics

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Gary Price of Love’s Travel Stops talks about the travel center chain’s plan to double the number of academies it operates to train a new supply of diesel mechanics, who remain in short supply throughout the industry.

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The outlook for fuels, from regular diesel to renewable

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 20:00:00 -0000

In this week's Drillling Deep, long time industry analyst John Auers of RBN Energy reviews an extensive study his company recently completed that will be of interest to anybody who is going to be buying diesel in the future. And that's pretty much everyone.

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How does the supply picture shape up for diesel?

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 20:00:00 -0000

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Ryder signs up a Ryder

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 20:00:00 -0000

There's a golfer named Sam Ryder, He did something spectacular last year in front of a lot of screaming fans. There's a logistics company called Ryder. Ryder the company thought they might be able to do some good things with Ryder the golfer. Stephanie Wicky of Ryder the company joins Drilling Deep to talk about it.

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Is blockchain ready to aid the supply chain?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:00:00 -0000

In this week's edition of Drilling Deep, University of Tennessee-Knoxville professor Sara Hsu discusses whether after years of hype and anticipation, blockchain is ready to aid the supply chain. Also this week: the EU ban and restrictions on Russian diesel.

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Idelic moves into insurance

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Idelic has long been known for its safety programs and its in-cab hardware aimed at improving driver performance. But now it's taken a big step by moving into the insurance side of the business. Michael Gramm of Idelic talks about the company's expanded role.

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The "votes" are in on the Department of Labor's Independent Contractor Rule

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Thomas Scroggins is an employment attorney who has been closely watching the Department of Labor's efforts to craft a new independent contractor rule. With the comments period now closed, Scroggins joins host John Kingston to talk about the next steps forward.

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Looking into the 2023 crystal ball with Scopelitis Consulting.

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 19:36:22 -0000

P. Sean Garney is co-director of Scopelitis Consulting and he gives his outlook on some of the key regulatory trends that will drive trucking and transportation in 2023.

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How owner operators are doing from a man who serves them

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Paul Adams is the CEO of Michigan-based RoadEx, a relatively new firm that provides a large suite of services to independent owner operators. It gives him a perspective on the current state of their market. He is the guest this week on Drilling Deep.

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Looking at government and trucking in 2023

Tue, 27 Dec 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Dave Heller is the senior vice president at the Truckload Carriers Association. He takes a look at the nexus between government and trucking in 2022 and what 2023 is likely to bring.

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Looking back--and ahead--on the wild market for used trucks

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 19:30:00 -0000

The list of crazy logistics-related markets since the pandemic need space for used trucks, where prices have bounced up and down for months. Chris Visser of JD Power knows as much as anybody about that market and talks about it with host John Kingston.

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What goes in the decision to expand

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 19:40:42 -0000

LTL carrier A. Duie Pyle just announed an expansion of its northeast network. But it isn't a simple decision to just grow. John Luciani of the company discusses what goes into the process when a trucking company decides to get bigger.

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Trying to get everyone paid faster

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 19:30:00 -0000

Robin Gregg is the CEO of RoadSync, a fintech company focused exclusively on getting merchants that serve truckers paid faster. She talks about her company's latest initiatives. Also: diesel is hanging in there against crude.

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Veterans and their skills are a hot commodity with Ryder

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:00:00 -0000

Lots of companies are trying to fill their ranks with veterans and the skills they bring. Todd Skiles, a senior VP with Ryder and a veteran himself, leads the effort at Ryder. He's our guest this week. Also: the end of the East Coast diesel squeeze?

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The state of the chassis "squeeze"

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 19:30:00 -0000

Among the parts of the supply chain that have been squeezed for many months has been the supply of chassis. Donna Lemm is chief commercial officer of drayage giant IMC so she has a good view of the supply/demand balance for this vital equipment. She joins Drilling Deep to talk about it. Also on DD: why there is some good news coming for diesel consumers.

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A skeptical view of the Department of Labor independent contractor rule

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 19:30:00 -0000

Liya Palagashvili is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason, and employment work--particularly gig workers--is her area of focus. She's read the Department of Labor's proposed rule on independent contractors, and she sees a lot of issues with it. Host John Kingston talks to her about it, as well as providing an update on diesel markets.

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Low Mississippi water levels provide opening for trucks

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 18:36:28 -0000

The low water levels in the Mississippi may be creating an opportunity for trucking. If things don't improve, will shippers who normally use the barge system on the Mississippi turn to trucks instead? Karl Fillhouer of Circle Logistics joins Drilling Deep to discuss that prospect. Also on the show: host John Kingston talks the environmental rule that is driving diesel higher.

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Your TMS and California's AB5

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:29:54 -0000

On this week's edition, host John Kingston speaks with Andrew McKay of LoadStop, a provider of TMS services. One more thing to worry about in California: does your TMS set you up to comply with the AB5 law on independent contractor status? Also on DD: what the DOE did when it changed its methodology for its weekly diesel benchmark number.

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Invoices at US Bank showing the market downturn

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 19:30:42 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, Jeffrey Pape of U.S. Bank looks over the bank's gigantic pile of invoices and discusses what it says about the freight market.

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A group keeps its eye on truck safety

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 19:05:00 -0000

In this week’s Drilling Deep, representatives from the Truck Safety Coalition discuss their priorities as they battle for better safety performance on the roads.

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Transflo on automation and "app fatigue"

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 18:30:00 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, Justin King, the Chief Product Officer at Transflo, covers a wide range of topics in his discussion with host John Kingston. Among them: automation in the processing of the many forms still in use in the supply chain, and how to fix the problem known as "app fatigue," where drivers need so many tools on their phone that they can't keep up with the changes on all of them. Also on the podcast: this week's soaring diesel market.

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Companies taking steps to comply with AB5

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 18:30:00 -0000

Lisa Mitchell is on the front lines for TransForce as it offers its "two-check" system for AB5 compliance in California. The regional vice president for TransForce joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston to survey the scene on the ground as the state's trucking sector seeks to line up with the law governing independent contractor status. Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about the latest craziness in the diesel market.

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Leasing in a market with declining rates

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:44:22 -0000

Matt Harris is the president of Pathway Leasing, one of the largest independent leasing companies in the U.S. For the first time in awhile, he's dealing with drivers on lease who are also facing declining rates. How does that resolve itself? He joins host John Kingston to talk about the lease market.

Also on the podcast: has the diesel spread against crude moved to a more permanent elevated level?

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Factoring is speeding up but is it enough?

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:30:00 -0000

Factoring is the grease that makes trucking run. Independent owner operators and small fleets need to get paid quicker than the standard 30 days or more terms, and factoring allows it.

But what if technology can pay drivers even faster? Where does that leave factoring? Craig Cohen is the CEO of a new factoring company called TransCap. He joins host John Kingston on Drilling Deep to discuss the state of factoring.

Also on the podcast: diesel suddenly takes a huge downturn. How did that happen?

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The intersection of last-mile, Prop 22 and AB5 in California

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 18:43:46 -0000

It's an interesting approach: Prop 22 might allow a drayage company to avoid some of the more onerous aspects of AB5 in California.

That's the theory of Andrew Leone, the CEO of last-mile platform Dispatch. He joins the first-ever video edition of Drilling Deep to discuss that prospect with host John Kingston.

Also on the podcast: the recent drop in crude oil prices is not filtering through to diesel numbers. Kingston tells you why.

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How trucking fuel costs fell faster than pump prices

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 13:00:00 -0000

It didn't seem possible. A study by ATRI showed that over 10 years, the fuel cost of operating a truck fell twice as fast as the decline in retail diesel prices during that time.

But that was what the data said. On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston speaks with Mike Roeth, the executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, on how long-term trends in fuel mileage could produce such a result.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about a significant factor driving diesel prices down: the value of the dollar.

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Truck insurance and the changes to be wrought by AB5

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 16:00:00 -0000

Dan Abrahamsen is the founder and CEO of Cover Whale, an "insurtech" company that is focused on not only delivering insurance to truckers but using other tools to assist in driver safety.

He joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston to discuss truck insurance in general, and specifically why the insurance market is about to feel the impact of AB5 coming to California's trucking sector.

Also on the podcast, Kingston focuses on the complicated relationship between natural gas prices, diesel prices and the need to take sulfur out of fuel, and how they're all interconnected.

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A monthly report raises concerns about the diesel market

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 14:00:00 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston returns again to the diesel market, this time reviewing a recent report that has some unsettling news for diesel consumers.

Also on the podcast, the CIO of Sleek Technologies talks about his company's supply chain software solution that puts carriers and shippers together, but doesn't consider itself a digital broker. He tells us why.

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A turnaround coming in diesel?

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:00:00 -0000

On this week's opening oil market discussion, podcast host John Kingston looks at the diesel market that has fallen a long way but has some fundamental imbalances that may slow further declines.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks with Carrier Logistics' Ben Wiesen, celebrating its 50th year as a supplier of TMS systems to the LTL sector. What's changed in the functionality of the TMS during that time?

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More on what drives a healthy supply chain

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Host John Kingston visited the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium in early June, and he met so many interesting folks with tales to tell that he's got this third guest in a row on Drilling Deep coming out of that meeting.

Craig Moore is the vice president of sales for Korbel, which provides supply chain software that goes into warehouses. What are the challenges in software for that sector compared to other parts of the supply chain? He's on Drilling Deep to discuss.

Also on the podcast, Kingston looks at the suddenly rapidly plummeting price of diesel and the numbers that are driving wholesale and futures prices lower.

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How to move off your antiquated supply chain systems

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Karon Evanoff is the vice president of the global supply chain at a major manufacturer of audio equipment. A few years ago, she was saddled with out-of-date systems that weren't keeping up with the latest developments in supply chain software and visibility.

She joins host John Kingston on Drilling Deep to talk about her company's supply chain transformation and what it took to change direction into a cloud-based approach that is current with the most cutting edge technology. She discusses what a company needs to do to get there.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about the missing data from the Energy Information Administration that so many in trucking rely on every week. What happened to it?

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The collapsing level of ocean freight

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0000

FreightWaves' Henry Byers created a bit of a storm recently when he wrote an article for FreightWaves.com with the provocative title: US import demand is dropping off a cliff.

In this week's edition of Drilling Deep, Byers sits down with host John Kington to talk about the methodology used to reach that conclusion, and what it means for the larger issue of backed-up supply chains.

Also on the podcast, Kingston looks at what a just-released oil market report says about the diesel market, and why it continues to outperform crude oil and gasoline in such a dramatic way.

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Four Kites prepares for the post-pandemic future

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0000

At the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium in Orlando, podcast host John Kingston sat down with two executives from Four Kites to talk about visibility in the supply chain and what companies like Four Kites need to do in the post-pandemic market to meet customer needs.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses how an environmental rule from 2020 may be impacting diesel prices now, after years of being a non-factor.

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Getting into the business as a dispatcher

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0000

There are lots of entry points into the trucking industry: driver, broker, mechanic. One that doesn't get a lot of attention is the role of an independent dispatcher.

But that job is the focus of what Laura Weston does. She's the head of Effective Dispatching Plus and it's her job to take somebody who might be interested in entering the trucking business as a dispatcher and tell them how to prepare. As she notes on the Drilling Deep podcast with host John Kingston, it is a way to get into the business with a relatively low barrier of entry that may also allow you to perform dispatching as a second career.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the latest further tightening of East Coast diesel supplies but why it isn't showing up in some key numbers.

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Drilling Deep: Creating a strong relationship between LTL carrier and shipper

Fri, 27 May 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Geoff Muessig is the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at LTL carrier PittOhio. He joined podcast host John Kingston to share his perspectives on how a shipper using the services of an LTL carrier can work with that company to provide greater efficiency and cost savings that filter down to the customer.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the latest news on the East Coast diesel market, and that it seemed to be sending two very different signals.

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Cutting off the driver's ability to use a cell phone while driving

Fri, 20 May 2022 13:00:00 -0000

NoCell is a relatively new company that is trying to improve driver safety by doing something fairly radical: cutting off a driver's ability to use a lot of cell phone functions while on the road. Corey Woinarowicz of NoCell sits down with host John Kingston to discuss this simple technology and why it's controversial.

Also on the podcast, Kingston reviews this week's latest inventory report and what that means for the tight squeeze in diesel on the East Coast.

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Spencer Tenney on mergers and acquisitions in the supply chain

Fri, 13 May 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Spencer Tenney heads the Tenney Group, one of the leading companies set up to help both buyers and sellers navitage the world of mergers and acquisitions in the supply chain. He's got a ringside seat to the dances that buyers and sellers perform when moving assets, and he joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston to share his perspectives on how those dances are going.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about the super-tight East Coast market and why there may be a few signs that the worst could be over.

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Talking Saia, Hub Group and how trucking did in the first quarter

Fri, 06 May 2022 13:00:00 -0000

With first quarter earnings in the book, Todd Fowler joins host John Kingston on Drilling Deep to talk about the strong opening to the year and whether it's sustainable.

He addresses a few companies specifically: Saia, Hub Group and Old Dominion Freight Lines get his attention.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the inventory numbers for ultra low sulfur diesel on the East Coast that are starting to become so tight that they're scary.

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Getting young people into trucking nice and early

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Lindsey Trent is the president of the Next Generation in Trucking Association, founded just last year. Her group works with high schools and trade institutes to steer young people toward a career in logistics, whether it's as a driver, a diesel mechanic or some other area.

She joins host John Kingston on this week's edition of Drilling Deep to talk about the work her group is doing and how the association is making its pitch to the nation's young people.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about a recent report by an analyst that the increase in the price of diesel compared to crude and gasoline is the result of some permanent factors and isn't necessarily going to disappear.

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The talent wars for freight brokers

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0000

It isn't just truck drivers who are in tight supply. It's just as competitive for freight brokers too.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston interviews Brent Orsuga, the head of Pinnacle Growth Advisors, on the red-hot market for freight brokers. His message: it's just as much a battlefield there as the fight to get good drivers into the cab.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about how a long-forgotten rule from a few years ago that had its impact softened by the pandemic is starting to rear its head again in diesel markets.

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Acquisition market for brokerages is pretty hot

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 20:32:43 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Peter Stefanovich of Left Lane Associates gives listeners an overview of the market for buying and selling all sorts of trucking-related assets, but with a particular focus on how the demand for brokerages is doing.

Also on the podcast, host John Kingston looks at whether a lot of the reason oil prices are rising higher is because diesel is dragging it there.

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What tax returns said about trucker pay in '21

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 13:12:47 -0000

Todd Amen is the president of ATBS and it gives him a ringside seat for how independent owner operators in the trucking market are doing financially.

ATBS processes thousands of tax returns for owner operators every year. It's getting toward April 15, when taxes need to be filed, and Amen joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston to discuss what he's seen in this year's tax returns coming off the strong freight market of 2021.

Also on the podcast, Kingston reviews the market for jet fuel, which has reached dizzying heights, and explains why that could impact the price of diesel.

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The case for releasing lots of oil from the SPR

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 13:00:00 -0000

The U.S. is releasing more oil out of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve than it ever has before. Is this good policy?

On the Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston discusses why such a move now is precisely why the reserve was built in the first place.

Tracy Rosser, an executive vice president at Transplace, is the guest of the week on Drilling Deep. What does the massive amount of data that his company processes every day tell us about the state of the supply chain crisis? Rosser sits down to share his perspective.

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The state of road safety, post-pandemic

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 13:00:00 -0000

As the roads have become clogged again as the country comes out of the pandemic, there is some bad news coming from them: safety has not improved.

Rob Abbott has spent much of his career dealing with truck safety issues. He's now the commercial leader for enterprise trucking at Lytx. He joins host John Kingston to discuss the state of safety on the roads today.

Also on the podcast, Kingston looks at some diesel numbers that are at record highs, but it isn't just the price. It's where diesel is relative to crude oil. The numbers are eye-popping. He will discuss what all that means.

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The status report from the backed-up West Coast ports

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 13:00:00 -0000

With so much other news, you may have lost track of what is going on with the backed-up ports on the U.S. West Coast and how their situation has spilled over into other ports.

Greg Miller, FreightWaves senior editor who has been following the port backups for months, joins host John Kingston to bring listeners up to date on the easing of the backlog but why the situation is far from being over.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the latest craziness in the diesel market and why retail prices haven't plummeted with the fall in futures prices.

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A truckstop is less than two years old and already top of the heap

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 14:00:00 -0000

Just as the pandemic was starting, a new Kansas truckstop, Bert's, was getting ready to open its doors.

It went ahead with the opening and now it's been recognized as one of the best in the country. On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston interviews the owner and manager of Bert's to find out how they pulled off this accomplishment.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the wild ride that diesel is undergoing, featuring record moves up and record moves down.

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Training the next generation of LTL staffers

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:00:00 -0000

LTL has a highly unique set of practices, pricing and operations that sets it apart from truckload companies.

Training people wanting to enter the LTL field is a major challenge, especially if they are coming in cold from the outside. On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston sits down with Brian Thompson, the chief commercial officer of SMC3, to discuss how his company approaches the challenges of getting the next generation of LTL employees and managers ready to take on the market.

Also on the podcast, Kingston reviews the diesel market that propelled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been doing things it has never done before.

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A Lot of Misinformation Floating Around Out There About Oil as War Commences

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 14:00:00 -0000

As the world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and oil markets start gyrating in response, there's a lot of bad information out there about the state of the oil market.

That's not a good formula in an industry where fuel prices are a major cost for transportation costs. Host John Kingston clears up some of the so-called "facts" this week on Drilling Deep.

Also on the podcast, Transfix and The Trucking Fitness Company are teaming up to get a fitness program into the hands of drivers. Representatives from the two companies join the podcast to talk about their plans.

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What's motivating the Canadian drivers?

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:00:00 -0000

Michael Lemecs is a former truck driver and is now an assistant professor at the University of Houston-Downtown. He's spent a good part of his career studying drivers from the perspective of the forces that shape their careers and their perspective on the world.

Given that, host John Kingston wanted to sit down with him and get his views on what happened with the Canadian truck blockade of several crossings with the U.S. as well as downtown Ottawa, and with the forces that led drivers in a country known for being "nice" to take such extreme action.

Also on the podcast, the demand numbers that are helping to drive oil prices higher.

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Mehrotra looks at a very profitable trucking fourth quarter

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 16:25:33 -0000

Amit Mehrotra, head of the transportation research team at Deutsche Bank, joins host John Kingston to review the numbers that poured out of public companies in the recent round of earnings reports for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Also on podcast: Kingston talks about the troubling drop in global refinery throughput last year. Those refineries are needed to make diesel. Why didn't they turn out more?

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The feedback coming from drivers

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 12:58:15 -0000

WorkHound is a company designed to bring in feedback from drivers using nothing more than a text message, and it brings in more than 60,000 comments per year. Not all of them are complaining; there was a lot of praise last year too.WorkHound CEO and founder Max Farrell joins host John Kingston to discuss what he heard in 2021 and why the feedback points to the utter importance of training as leading to a much happier workforce.Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about the red hot diesel market and how the outright prices aren't revealing just how hot that market is.

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Where do you want me to put your package, sir?

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 14:00:00 -0000

Making the final mile more efficient is a challenge with hundreds of moving parts. It is particularly challenging in an urban setting with clogged streets and limited parking.

Host John Kingston caught up with Penn State's Andisheh Ranjbari after hearing her presentation at the urban freight session at the Transportation Research Board's annual meeting in Washington earlier this month. She was recently on a team that dealt with a uniquely last-mile type issue: should a multi-unit dwelling use a locker system as a place to take in packages? It's a quirky question but one that has significant impact on fuel consumption and driver time on the road.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about a recent report that says renewable diesel might not be the bonanza that some forecasts say it is going to be.

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Switching from gas taxes to mileage fees

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:27:52 -0000

In an interview done from the Transportation Research Board annual meeting, Barb Rhode of the Mileage Based Users Fee Alliance talks about continuing progress in the drive to replace gasoline taxes with mileage fees. She joins podcast host John Kingston following a presentation she made at the conference to bring us up to date on where that push stands.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about the renewed surge in natural gas prices and how that can impact the price of diesel.

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A recruitment/retention CEO on his company's approach

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 14:00:00 -0000

Driver recruitement and retention were a big issue in 2021. It is likely to be no different in 2022.

Dan Johnston, co-founder and CEO of WorkStep, joins host John Kingston on the Drilling Deep podcast to discuss his company's software-based approach to recruitment and retention. He has pretty blunt words for the efforts that have gone on otherwise in that field; his argument is that they all pretty much failed in 2021.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about how the current price increase is in defiance of what all the supply/demand models said should occur at the start of 2022. Even if there's an imbalance, the market isn't accepting it.

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Wrapping up the year in oil and trucking

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 15:42:07 -0000

Sean Garney of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting joins host John Kingston on this week's Drilling Deep to review some of what happened during this past crazy year in trucking and look ahead to some of the biggest policies that might come out of Washington in the coming year.

In his end-of-year oil recap, Kingston has some of the numbers on where the diesel market has taken the trucking industry in the last 12 months, and what might be holding back U.S. investment in more drilling.

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Lots of infrastructure money; how should it be spent?

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 14:00:00 -0000

With the infrastructure spending bill now on the verge of sending billions of dollars to various local governments, the question will arise: how should we spend it?

One person they may turn to is Kyle Schneweis, the CEO of High Street Consulting. His firm advises governments on setting priorities in their infrastructure needs and spending. He speaks with host John Kingston about the types of spending he thinks should be a priority and how he would advise his clients.

Kingston also looks at the troubling decline in U.S. refining capacity and whether it has had any impact on diesel prices.

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Driver Desiree fights for more truck parking

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Desiree Wood is an independent owner operator who has devoted much of her time educating those who need to know about the crisis in truck parking today. She speaks in public, she joins webcasts and on Drilling Deep this week, she joins host John Kingston to discuss her recent efforts to alert the world about the parking squeeze.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about a diesel-related market: that of diesel exhaust fluid. Its price is rising sharply and Kingston reviews the supply chain to show why.

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The Contrast Between Booming LTL Markets and the Issues on the Ground

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Don Newell and Scooter Sayers are long-time LTL industry experts and consultants. Although the stock prices of LTL companies have been soaring on Wall Street, Newell and Sayers join host John Kingston on Drilling Deep to talk about some underlying fundamental problems in the LTL sector that they want to see fixed.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the recent OPEC reaction to the release of oil out of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the potential fall in demand coming from the Omicron variant emergence.

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The eye-popping numbers coming out of the used truck market

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 20:16:10 -0000

Chris Visser of JD Power has been tracking used truck prices for a long time. And as he will tell you, he's never seen a used truck market quite like this one. He joins Drilling Deep co-host John Kingston to discuss the wild swings in prices and what needs to happen for them to slow their upward march.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve announced earlier this week. The supply may not seem like much but inventories are key.

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Every method of testing drivers for drugs has its pros and cons

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Testing for drug use in drivers rests now primarily on urine testing. But it has drawbacks.

Others argue that hair testing is preferable. But it has drawbacks too. Saliva testing? Easy to do, but it isn't perfect.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, two academics who have studied the issue join host John Kingston to discuss recent research they've completed on the various methods now in use and under discussion for the future. Dr. Douglas Voss from the University of Central Arkansas and Dr. Ron Gordon from the University of Arkansas will discuss their findings and the state of the current debate in the industry.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the latest results from a key oil industry report and what it means for prices going forward.

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KeyBank's Fowler talks Marten, Werner and others in a review of the third quarter

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 14:00:00 -0000

With the third quarter earnings season wrapped up, Todd Fowler of KeyBank joins Drilling Deep to answer the question: how did they do?

He shares his views on several companies, including Knight Swift, Werner and Marten in his discussion with host John Kingston.

Also on the podcast, the point of view that believes oil markets may ease up in the first quarter, as well as the controversial suggestion to ban crude exports from the U.S.

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Starting a truckload carrier with AI as its backbone

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Fleet AI is a new truckload carrier that is trying to distinguish itself in a field full of new and existing entrants where it's tough to stand out.

Its founder and CEO is Marc El Khoury. He joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston to talk about how his company is trying to stand out and get that competitive edge by its use of AI and algorithms.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the possibility of the U.S. and other western nations releasing oil from their strategic stockpiles to temper further increases in the price of oil.

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Trucking begins to push back against the vaccine mandate

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Dave Heller is the vice president for governmental affairs at the Truckload Carriers Association. In that role, he is deeply involved in the trucking industry's reaction to the looming vaccination mandate coming out of the Biden administration.

At the recent annual meeting of the American Trucking Associations, Heller sat down with Drilling Deep host John Kingston to talk about that battle in Washington and how it might play out.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses how the rising price of natural gas, particularly in other parts of the world, is impacting diesel prices.

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Using a helper if Amazon is fulfilling your shipments

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 13:06:46 -0000

First, you become a third party seller on Amazon. Then maybe you use Fulfillment by Amazon to fulfill those shipments, taking it off your hand but requiring money to be paid to Amazon for their services.

And then in order to make your life easier, you might hire an outside consultant to help you navigate FBA. That is what GETIDA does. Its co-founder Yoni Mazor will join co-host John Kingston on the Drilling Deep podcast this week to discuss what his company does as well as some of the quirks of the FBA program.

Also on the podcast: Kingston reviews key numbers in the still-rising diesel market.

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The Impact of Insurance Company Actions on Driver Availability

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 13:00:00 -0000

In this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Kurt George of Property Damage Appraisers joins host John Kingston to talk about the current strong freight market from the perspective of the companies that insure those trucks. His company is not an insurer itself but works with enough of them to know what they're thinking...and what they're doing. Are insurance company actions having an impact on driver supply?

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about the latest upward move in diesel prices and the current state of U.S. inventories of the fuel.

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The decision to add a truckload terminal can be complicated

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Alabama Motor Express is a growing truckload company that just added a terminal in Atlanta.

This may not sound like a big deal, but for the company that makes such a decision, it's a lengthy process to get the point of yes/no.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Jared Moore of AMX joins host John Kingston to discuss the decision-making that goes into what is a monumental step to deploy capital and set up operations to ensure a strong rate of return.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the diesel market, now at its highest level--according to one key measurement--since 2014.

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Whose data is it anyway?

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:00:00 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, two attorneys from the Benesch law firm, Helen Schweitz and Jonathan Todd, join host John Kingston to discuss the ownership of the growing stream of data that trucks are producing on every trip.

Whether it's through an ELD, a camera system or a wired trailer, there is a lot of information that trucks are throwing off these days. Figuring out the ownership of that data will be a big legal challenge.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses even more disturbing numbers from the market that signal a tightening supply of diesel fuel.

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The good times roll for independent owner operators

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 13:00:00 -0000

When you advise independent owner operators on their finances, you get a good look at how they're doing. And Todd Amen of ATBS likes what he's seeing.

Amen, president and CEO of ATBS, sat down with host John Kingston on Drilling Deep to discuss what he's seeing in the finances of the independent fleet. The market is great and it's showing up in their performance.

Also on Drilling Deep, Kingston discusses why there hasn't been more of an upward kick in the price of oil given the continued loss of output as a result of Hurricane Ida.

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The "final milers" get together in Philly

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Of all the tough parts of the supply chain, getting products into a person's home is the most challenging.

That mission brought together hundreds of attendees to an exhibition in Philadelphia recently. FreightWaves' Brian Straight was there, and he'll sit down with Drilling Deep host John Kingston to talk about what he saw and heard at this show that went on despite the pandemic.

Also on the podcast, Kingston invites Drilling Deep listeners to join him at an upcoming FreightWaves virtual summit to talk about the growing importance of renewable diesel to the country's fuel supply. He'll give an introduction to some of the topics that will be discussed September 22.

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The troubled industry that provides the market with diesel

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Truckers need diesel to operate and diesel comes out of refineries.

The U.S. refining industry is challenged by a drop in demand and weak margins. This week, it was reported that a large U.S. refinery has been put on the sales block. Will there be a buyer for it or will it go the way of other refineries that have been closed? Host John Kingston discusses that on this week's podcast.

Also this week, our guest is Sam Agyemang, the co-founder of HaulerHub. It's a new company in the business of linking carriers to shippers and he's got some views on the supply chain coming into the holiday season.

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Why the grease at your pizzeria is impacting diesel

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 13:00:00 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston sits down with Jay Delaney of Trimble to discuss the landscape for transportation management systems. What are customers demanding today and how ready is the industry to provide it?

Kingston will also talk about an unexpected snag in the march to more renewable diesel: the price of the stuff needed to make it is getting out of hand. Today it's soybeans but tomorrow it could be grease. He'll discuss why the market economics for renewable diesel is different than that of regular diesel.

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The Biden administration call for more oil

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 14:00:00 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston kicks things off by looking at the unexpected call by the Biden administration for OPEC to put more oil on the market. The call may be coming just as the need for it is starting to fade.

Also on the podcast, the guest of the week is Eric Wanberg, the head of inventory management at Taulia. His company recently produced a paper on that subject, and he's on Drilling Deep to discuss such aspects of the topic as the role of fintech and how Just in Time is starting to turn into Just in Case.

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Saia, ODFL and KC Southern on Mehrotra's mind post-earnings season

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Amit Mehrotra of Deutsche Bank stopped by with host John Kingston for the Drilling Deep podcast to talk about the just-completed earnings season.

A few companies are on his discussion list: Saia, Old Dominion Freight and Kansas City Southern, among others. He reviews them in a compelling discussion.

Also on the podcast: Kingston talks about the contraction in upstream oil exploration spending and what that might mean for oil prices several years from now.

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It's time for the big spinoff at XPO

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:22:13 -0000

It's been a long time in coming but the market is on the verge of XPO spinning off its contract logistics business into GXO.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Mark Solomon of FreightWaves, a long-time observer of XPO, talks about the reasons behind the move and what it means for the new company about to be created, as well as the company it is leaving behind. What can XPO do now that it's been reshaped into a company that is heavily focused on transportation?

Also on the podcast this week, a brief statement on an earnings call heard by host John Kingston said a lot about the effectiveness of fuel surcharges during a time of rising oil prices.

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Perry on freight bulls vs. bears

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 12:48:03 -0000

The bull vs. bear showdown is present in markets at all times. Freight is no exception.

Noel Perry, long-time freight economist who works closely with the Transportation Intermediates Association and Truckstop.com, talks about the reasons for both arguments on this week's Drilling Deep.

Also on the podcast, host John Kingston discusses the wild ride that commodity diesel prices have been on the past week. A sharp downturn followed by days of gains that recovered all of the decline. It's tough to keep on top of it.

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How will LTL and truckload coexist after the big Knight Swift deal?

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 13:00:00 -0000

It's not just a big deal in terms of dollars. The acquisition of LTL carrier AAA Cooper by Knight Swift is radical in that it joins an LTL carrier with a truckload carrier, one of the biggest.

The two businesses are very different. How will they integrate? On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, FreightWaves JP Hampstead talks about the road ahead for this most unusual and groundbreaking of transactions.

Also on the podcast this week, host John Kingston talks about the latest forecast from a key agency and why it sees tight oil markets continuing.

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The KSM outlook on the trucking market

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:00:00 -0000

David Roush is the President of KSM Transport Advisors and he's been watching trucking markets for a long time. As a result, he's well positioned to talk about how long he thinks the current bull freight market can keep roaring along on this week's Drilling Deep podcast with host John Kingston.

Roush also will talk about how this current market has made some changes in how companies do business that might stay in place once the inevitable turndown arrives.

Also on this week's podcast, Kingston talks about the recent OPEC meeting and its failure to increase output. What does that mean going forward for oil supplies?

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A hurricane's impact on trucking and how long that sticks around

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0000

When a hurricane hits, how long does trucking get impacted?

That was the focus of a recent study at Omnitracs. Dr. Ashim Bose, the chief data and artificial intelligence officer at Omnitracs, led that study. He'll join Drilling Deep podcast host John Kingston to discuss what they found.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about why a statistic coming out of the federal government this week signaled that for oil at least, the pandemic is really over.

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The impact of the KCS railroad acquisition

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 12:28:35 -0000

The dust has mostly settled now on the fate of Kansas City Southern; it has agreed to be bought by Canadian National.

But consideration of what that is going to mean for the rail industry is just beginning. Long-time industry expert Jim Blaze will join host John Kingston on this week's edition of Drilling Deep to talk about the impact of this mega-merger between two class 1 railroads.

Also on Drilling Deep, Kingston has the numbers that are helping to drive the price of oil higher, as it has added $2 per barrel of crude just in the last week.

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Pallets are the latest thing to get squeezed in the supply chain

Fri, 28 May 2021 12:56:32 -0000

There is almost nothing that is not being impacted by rising commodity prices and tight availability in the supply chain.

Add the humble pallet to the list. In this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston speaks with an expert on pallet markets, Matt Zielenski of the Freedonia Group, on how the price of lumber is affecting pallets and where there are other signs of squeezes in the pallet supply chain.

Also on this week's Drilling Deep: a price for West Texas Intermediate crude we haven't seen in a long time.

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Striving for fuel efficiency as the diesel price rises

Thu, 20 May 2021 14:52:41 -0000

With diesel prices at levels they have not visited since the end of 2018, Drilling Deep takes a look at some of the fallout from these lofty levels.

Justin King of Comdata, which among other things processes fuel purchases made through the Comdata card, joins host John Kingston to talk about how the higher prices have impacted some purchasing patterns, including what the reaction he saw from the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline.

Kingston will also address a little-known factor that is helping to drive the price of oil higher.

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Diesel in the wake of the Colonial shutdown

Fri, 14 May 2021 16:55:33 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston talks about how diesel markets fared during the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline.

There was so much focus on gasoline supplies, gasoline lines and the hoarding that created it that it raises the question: how did diesel do during this unprecedented time?

Also on this week's podcast, Kingston is joined by Todd Fowler of KeyBanc. Fowler sits in on Drilling Deep every other quarter to talk about what earnings said about the state of the trucking market.

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"Big Rig" author Viscelli on how drivers are doing today

Thu, 06 May 2021 19:59:12 -0000

Steve Viscelli popped up on the trucking sector's radar several years ago when he wrote "The Big Rig." He had been a truck driver turned academic and he wrote a first-hand look at the life of drivers on the road.

In particular, he took aim at lease purchase deals, arguing that they were distinctly bad deals for drivers.

Viscelli joins host John Kingston on Drilling Deep today to talk about how drivers are doing in this strong market and whether his views on lease purchase deals have changed at all.

Also on Drilling Deep, Kingston talks about the renewed surge in diesel prices.

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What invoices tell us about the first quarter in freight

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 20:39:23 -0000

U.S. Bank is a major factoring company. That gives Bobby Holland, vice president and director of Freight Data Solutions, strong insight to what markets are doing. Holland joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston this week to talk about what he has seen in the markets. Just how strong are the trends?

Also on Drilling Deep, after several weeks of quiet diesel prices, with a somewhat downward trend, markets are starting to rise again. Kingston discusses some of the reason for the increase.

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In hiring drivers, speed is of the essence

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:30:47 -0000

Did somebody just apply for a truck driver job at your firm? You'd better act quickly.

Tim Crawford, the CEO of Tenstreeet, joins host John Kingston on Drilling Deep this week to talk about the trends he's seen in driver recruitment and retention from his perch. Tenstreet works with fleets through the entire application process, so he sees the data on the numbers of applicants, and the actions of the companies that win the war in the battle for talent.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about how renewable fuel standards and rising agricultural prices are starting to push diesel prices higher.

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The scattered factoring business might become a lot more unified in coming years

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:38:28 -0000

The factoring business has always been highly fragmented. But on this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Marius Silvasan, the CEO of eCapital Corp., talks about his own acquisitons in the sector and why he thinks it is an industry ripe for consolidation.

Also on this week's podcast, host John Kingston talks about two reports out of the oil patch that on their face seem to contradict each other but may be more in sync than one might think.

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The sharp competition in the visibility sector

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 20:15:00 -0000

With capital pouring in and acquisitions being made, the fight to become the dominant player in the visibility space is in full swing.

JP Hampstead, the director of Passport Research at FreightWaves, has been closely following the developments in that sector. He joins host John Kingston on Drilling Deep to talk about the biggest players in the market, gives a definition of visibility and reviews just how competitive the field is.

Also on Drilling Deep, Kingston talks about the blessed sounds of silence coming from the diesel and oil markets these days.

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The case for lease purchase deals even as lawsuits grow

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:00:00 -0000

Lease purchase agreements, to put truck drivers in the seat and possibly on their way to ownership, have long been controversial. There are plenty of lawsuits kicking around over deals that went bad. Some media coverage of lease purchase agreements have been devastating.

In this week's Drilling Deep, Matt Harris of Pathway Leasing joins host John Kingston to give his views on the success stories of leasing but also with a dose of reality that leases may not be for everyone.

Kingston also will discuss why the rise in air travel could have an impact on the diesel market.

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The independent contractor minefield is getting even more treacherous

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 20:30:00 -0000

With the rise of more gig economy jobs, the implementation of AB5 in California and changes in Washington, defining independent contractors has never been more tricky and uncertain.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston speaks with Aaron Hageman, the owner of Delivery Drivers Inc., a firm that works with both independent contractor workers and the companies that employ them. Hageman discusses California's AB5 law and its prospects for expanding its reach nationwide, as well as what changes in the Department of Labor will mean for federal regulation on the question of IC classification.

Also on the podcast, Kingston discusses the always frustrating development when wholesale diesel prices fall and retail diesel prices don't follow along.

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What truck drivers are going to report to the IRS this year

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 15:00:00 -0000

It was a wild year, with markets so bad at one point that truckers were protesting in Washington against "rapacious brokers" and freight rates at the end of the year that can only be described as eye-popping.

So what did that mean for what drivers made? Todd Amen is the President of ATBS, a financial advisory firm that works mostly with owner operators. He joins host John Kingston on the Drilling Deep podcast to talk about the numbers he's been seeing in driver tax returns.

Kingston will also talk about a hot subject among drivers on social media: is Joe Biden responsible for the increase in the price of diesel? His answers may make some people unhappy and some others surprised.

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Canada's very gentle launch of its ELD mandate

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 15:39:16 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston speaks with Scott Stofer of ELD manufacturer Orbcomm about how Canada will be rolling out its ELD mandate in the next few months.

Given the amount of cross-border trade, the ELD rule in that country can have impacts on either side of the border.

Also on Drilling Deep, Kingston discusses why diesel prices, as high as they are, might actually be viewed as weak at least by one measurement.

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What is trucking going to be like in 2030?

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 18:17:01 -0000

On this week's edition of Drilling Deep, the podcast is joined by Ben Stanley of the IBM Institute for Business Value. That institute recently completed an update on its ongoing five-year look at the future of trucking. It’s called Trucking 2030. He will be sharing his long-term perspectives.

Host John Kingston also will be talking about some numbers in the diesel market that had not been seen for more than 11 years. He'll discuss why it matters to diesel consumers.

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Battery technology is racing ahead

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 15:46:59 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, James Frith of Bloomberg NEF brings his expertise in battery technology to the show and discusses some significant technological developments in battery technology just in the past few months. How rapid are we moving toward cost-competitive batteries?

Also on Drilling Deep, host John Kingston talks about the record that was set just a few days ago: 16 consecutive weeks of increases in the weekly DOE/EIA retail diesel price, used as the basis for fuel surcharges. With refineries in Texas still struggling after the cold snap, will this tighten diesel further?

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Getting the regulation right to push ahead on autonomous vehicles

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 19:21:53 -0000

Getting the technology down for autonomous vehicles is one thing. Getting the regulation right is another.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Finch Fulton of autonomous vehicle company Locomation sits down with host John Kingston to discuss his new role with the company as vice president of Policy and Strategy. Fulton comes out of the Department of Transportation so he knows how to navigate its corridors, a key task for the autonomous industry.

Also on this week's Drilling Deep, Kingston talks about the crazy market for diesel fuel and the impact its price might take as a result of the many refineries shut in Texas due to the cold snap.

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Reviewing the 4Q earnings, how did Werner do so well?

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 18:32:25 -0000

Werner Enterprises had just about the best earnings performance of any of the truckload carriers in the fourth quarter of 2020, based on the latest numbers released in recent weeks.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston welcomes Deutsche Bank's Amit Mehrotra to discuss what's going on with Werner to post those kind of numbers. Mehrotra also takes a look at the changes and market trends hitting the LTL industry.

Kingston will also talk about how the cold weather is kicking back on the red-hot diesel market.

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Pushing truck drivers toward the front of the vaccination line

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 15:49:34 -0000

Michael Lemke is a former driver who now studies trucking and in particular driver's health from his position as a faculty member at a Houston university.

In a recently-published paper, Lemke makes the case that truck drivers should be much further up the line to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. He joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston this week to lay out his case why he thinks drivers need to be a much higher priority to get a needle in their arm.

Also on the podcast, Kingston talks about how the rising diesel market is starting to come full circle and is approaching pre-pandemic levels.

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What the WorkHound feedback stream from drivers said in 2020

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 19:21:29 -0000

When drivers get a chance to give anonymous feedback to their employers, they often use the services of WorkHound, a cell phone based service that can send back their thoughts, good and bad.

Founder and CEO Max Farrell joined host John Kingston on Drilling Deep this week to talk about his company's service and some of the things that drivers were saying during the notorious year of 2020. Some of it was good; some of it wasn't so good. But they had a lot to say.

Also on this week's podcast, Kingston discusses the government-imposed shutdown of the KeystoneXL pipeline and how there's one group of workers that might benefit form it.

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What 2020 meant for more efficient fuel and freight trends

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:47:06 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Mike Roeth of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency looks over the tumultous year of 2020 and what it meant for the efficiency of trucks heading down the highway.

There were some favorable trends: wide open highways at the start of the pandemic, lower fuel prices in the first half of the year, followed by a more return to normal traffic patterns by the end of the year and rising diesel prices.

Also on this week's podcast, host John Kingston discusses whether the seeds for a price surge in oil are being put in the ground now because of a lack of investment in new supply.

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C.H. Robinson and SAS set out to inject huge new transparency into the retail supply chain

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 16:54:16 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Chris O'Brien of C.H. Robinson joins host John Kingston to talk about CHRW's recent announcement of a sweeping data partnership with SAS that is targeted at a freer flow of information up and down the retail supply chain.

The partnership, announced this week, was described by both companies as "unprecedented." It is yet another step to bring more transparency from retailer to carrier and all the parts in between.

Also on Drilling Deep, Kingston discusses the 10th consecutive weekly increase in the DOE/EIA average retail diesel price and how two important numbers are signaling different directions for diesel markets going forward.

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Manufacturing's upcoming boost to trucking

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 20:03:32 -0000

Parts of the manufacturing world were laggards in the strong freight market of 2020. But on this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Jason Miller of Michigan State University discusses his bullish outlook for manufacturing in 2021 and the impact it will have for the nation's fleets.

Also on Drilling Deep, host John Kingston talks about the red-hot diesel market that is sending prices back to where they were at the start of the pandemic. It's part of a broad surge in prices for man

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A startup in freight tech gets a lot of money; here's what it is doing with it

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 16:55:56 -0000

What do you do when you find yourself with $7 million? Maven Machines succeeded in raising that much money this year to invest in its cloud-based freight software, which includes an ELD product and machine learning-driven route optimization. It also hired a lot of people.

Its founder and CEO Avi Geller joins host John Kingston on the Drilling Deep podcast this week to talk about where his company is headed, what it's been able to do with greater funding and the functionality that he finds his trucking customers want in their information systems.

Kingston will also discuss how a number looking at 2021 and comparing it to 2022 spells a tighter market for diesel.

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Tapping into the brains of a leading college to aid trucking

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 16:38:07 -0000

Sometimes, those on the inside of a company need to turn to an outside perspective. They can always hire consultants for a lot of money. Or in trucking, they can turn to the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics.

On the Drilling Deep podcast this week, David Correll, a research scientist at the center and an expert on trucking, joins host John Kingston to discuss his perspectives on the industry and how he believes that tackling terminal dwell should be a key target in bringing more efficiency to the supply chain.

Also on this week's Drilling Deep, Kingston talks about why decisions being announced this week are likely to have significant implications on the oil market of the future. From the perspective of diesel consumers, the decisions aren't favorable.

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Money pours into supplying new warehouse space

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 19:40:10 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, Thomas LaSalvia of Moody's Analytics REIS looks at the market for warehouse space additions being driven by the growth in e-commerce. And he finds that even as demand for it is soaring, the supply of new space is keeping up and it's keeping rents relatively soft.

Also on this week's podcast, host John Kingston looks at the sharp increase in oil and diesel prices in the last two weeks and wonders whether the diesel market hasn't made a lasting turn in its current weakness.

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The mess out at the southern California ports

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 18:14:22 -0000

Weston LaBar is the CEO of the Harbor Trucking Association. That's the trade group that represents the drayage community in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

On this week's edition of Drilling Deep, LaBar joins host John Kingston to discuss the group's recent call for the Federal Maritime Administration to step in and suspend the drayage and demurrage charges that have soared as operations at the port have backed up enormously. LaBar also talks about changes in the harbor operations that led to this situation developing when faced with a surge in import volume.

On the podcast, Kingston will also talk about the diesel market, which just got hit with the biggest one-week jump in the basis for fuel surcharges since September of last year.

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Taking apart the earnings numbers from the third quarter

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:10:22 -0000

The earnings season for the third quarter has wrapped up and Todd Fowler of KeyBanc has a few things to say.

Fowler is the lead transportation analyst at KeyBanc and he shares his perspective on the numbers on this week's edition of Drilling Deep. What companies did things that were notable? And what did the earnings say about the future?

Also on Drilling Deep, host John Kingston talks about the rising diesel market, but in one area, it isn't rising fast enough. That might sound odd to buyers of the fuel but he'll explain why there's a mismatch.

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The upturn in the market for used trucks

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 21:36:45 -0000

Ryder is a major seller of used trucks. So it was notable that in its quarterly earnings report, it said the amount of money it was getting from the sale of used trucks was better than its estimates and that the market had been a pleasant surprise for them.

To talk about the market for used trucks, Chris Visser of JD Power joined host John Kingston on Drilling Deep. Visser is head of the research team at JD Power that studies the market for both used and new class 8 vehicles and he's got a solid perspective on what's happening in that market.

Also on Drilling Deep this week, Kingston talks about how diesel consumers have benefited from an imbalance in the market that the owners of refineries are starting to shut down. There are going to be fewer refineries. How is that going to affect you?

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Did hair testing take a step forward or is it still stuck?

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 20:24:48 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, P. Sean Garney of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting looks at the recent federal guidelines for hair testing to determine if a driver, or a potential driver, has drugs in their system.

And Garney wonders: will this ever get off the ground to become an industry standard? He'll talk about why he's skeptical.

Also on this week's episode, host John Kingston looks at how some numbers in the diesel market are eye-popping, but the market for oil overall is so weak that it's possible nobody will notice.

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Postal Service mired in controversy before Election Day

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:09:30 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston brings in his colleague Mark Solomon again to talk about the state of the US Postal Service. Mark was a guest on Drilling Deep not all that long ago to talk about the same subject. But the amount of new controversy that has arisen since then means it's time to revisit this key cog in supply chains.

Also on Drilling Deep this week, host John Kingston discusses how a couple of big deals in the U.S. oil patch could be good news for trucking companies that serve that sector.

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Trucking capacity, the pandemic and the holiday season

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 19:52:27 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, Andrew Cox of FreightWaves talks to host John Kingston about how strong the peak season is going to be given two big factors: the pandemic and what that has done to spending patterns, and the growing tightness in driver capacity.

Kingston will also talk about a possible turn in the diesel market. That shift in economics may occur because of things that data is showing that hasn't happened in at least 30 years in the U.S.

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A company takes steps to increase pay and hold on to its drivers

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 19:44:21 -0000

Soon after Dave Ables took over as president and CEO of Dart Transport, and as the first days of the pandemic receded into a strong freight market, he knew there was a problem: retaining and attracting drivers.

So the Minnesota-based company put through an increase in compensation on several different fronts. It wasn't just a straightforward increase in pay. There were other steps taken to ensure the company retained the drivers it needed to hold on to for its business to succeed.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston talked with Ables about the process for making those decisions and how those new policies were greeted by the driving community.

Also on Drilling Deep this week, Kingston talks about the latest federal government report on diesel prices out to next year and how their fate will be even more tied to crude than usual.

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Buying and selling logistics companies in a pandemic and a great freight market

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 15:19:44 -0000

With a freight market this good, why would anybody want to sell a logistics business?

But there are people who do and people or companies that want to buy. On this week's Drilling Deep, Peter Stefanovich of Left Lane Associates talks to host John Kingston about how strong the market for properties is these days and whether the pandemic has made any changes in what's getting moved.

Also on this week's show, diesel prices had a weak September and host Kingston will talk about why.

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A greater private sector role on the nation's highways?

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 21:03:03 -0000

Governments are strapped as a result of the pandemic, the nation's infrastructure isn't any better than it was at the beginning of the year and states are faced with keeping their roads in good shape. What's the solution?

On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston speaks with Bob Poole of the Reason Institute about bringing the private sector into the mix to turn toll roads into privately-owned and operated highways. But that always raises the prospect of higher tolls, and Bob explains why users of the roads shouldn't be worried about that.

Kingston will also talk about how three seemingly disparate developments about the future of truck fuel this past week ultimately comes back to the fact that the internal combustion engine powered by diesel might turn out to be a tough competitor after all.

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New drivers aren't coming out of CDL schools and that's a problem

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 18:02:42 -0000

Jeremy Reymer is the founder and CEO of DriverReach, but he's also a member of the research advisory committee for ATRI, the research arm of the American Trucking Associations.

He's the guest this week on Drilling Deep, and he's got a good perspective on one of the reasons why the driver market is so tight: CDL schools aren't pumping out ready-to-drive candidates like they used to, all because of the pandemic.

Reymer also talks with host John Kingston about the upcoming ATRI survey of the biggest issues in the industry. There's a new candidate this year: COVID-19. How will that end up in the closely-watched poll?

Kingston also will talk about a quirky bit of diesel data that came out this week and what it says about demand.

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What the StayMetrics data says about driver retention in the pandemic era

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 15:47:25 -0000

Tim Hindes is the CEO of StayMetrics, a company that offers data and recommendations to trucking companies on retaining drivers.

But StayMetrics has also shared insightful data with the industry on the level of retention and his firm has a new data series, the Stay Days table. Coming several months into the pandemic, it's a fascinating look at whether drivers stuck around through the heavy demand period of March, the weakness of April and the strong rebound since. Hindes joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston on this week's show to talk about it.

We'll also take our weekly look at oil and diesel prices, where all the arrows are pointing down right now. And they're doing so even as freight rates are pointing up, a nice combination for drivers.

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The mental state of drivers dealing with the pandemic

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 13:19:32 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, Michael Lemke talks about the mental strain on drivers who are keeping the U.S. supply chain afloat during the pandemic. Lemke is a professor at the University of Houston-Downtown and he is a former driver. So he's studied the profession from the inside and the outside. The pandemic has put a whole different sort of strain on those behind the wheel and Lemke joins Drilling Deep to talk about it.

Also on Drilling Deep, host John Kingston discusses why the price of oil, though trending higher gradually since early June, may have reached a high point for now. There are lots of things that are suggesting prices may be trending lower.

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A trucking market on fire; a diesel market barely reacting to a huge storm

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 19:15:56 -0000

Amit Mehrotra, the chief transportation analyst at Deutsche Bank, was on numerous analyst calls during the recently-completed earnings season. He heard CEOs repeatedly report the same scenario: April was terrible, May was better, and the improvement continued into June and July.

But now Mehrotra says he is hearing that the trucking market is "on fire." He joins host John Kingston on Drilling Deep to discuss his take on the quarter, as well as the somewhat confrontational discussion he had with XPO on its earnings call.

Also on this week's edition, Kingston talks about why the diesel market reaction to Hurricane Laura is so restrained and so different from what has gone before. But what if this massive storm really does do a lot of damage? Can the diesel market handle that?

That's all on this week's Drilling Deep

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The efficiency challenges facing intermodal rail

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 18:52:23 -0000

One of the biggest arguments in favor of moving goods by rail in an intermodal service is that while it might be more complex and slower, there are efficiency gains that make it competitive with trucking in certain markets.

With diesel prices at historically low levels, one of those advantages is eroded. FreightWaves contributor and rail economist Jim Blaze joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston on this week's edition to discuss the conditions for the rails in general and intermodal in particular. Also on the agenda: has the cutting of employees gone too far?

Kingston in his opening oil segment will discuss the recent closure of three U.S. oil refineries, what it means for diesel consumers and why plans at two of the plants offer some good news for those buyers.

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The US Postal Service at a crossroads

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 16:55:52 -0000

The untenable situation at the U.S. Postal Service is coming to a possible breaking point.

It is carrying a significant amount of e-commerce traffic but other competitors want that business. It continues to lose money and has an enormous pension burden that no other entity in America has. It suddenly has an unexpected role in the Presidential election. And it has a controversial new leader.

On the Drilling Deep podcast this week, John Kingston speaks with his colleague Mark Solomon, a long-time expert on the U.S. Postal Service, on these various challenges and how the agency might confront them.

Kingston opens the podcast by talking about the continuing lag in the diesel market, good news for any consumers of the fuel.

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Loan forgiveness is the next big step as PPP moves toward its completion

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 15:35:30 -0000

The last day to apply for funding under the Paycheck Protection Program is August 8. But that's when things will get busy for people like Michael Rofman. He’s a partner and leader of the New Jersey Transportation & Logistics practice at the national accounting firm of Mazars USA. Michael has been working with clients for months now who have gotten money or tried to get money out of the Paycheck Protection Program.

Join Drilling Deep host John Kingston this week as Michael Rofman talks about how he views the success of the PPP program and what the forgiveness process might be like. Micahel will discuss that process which is expected to kick off next week.

Kingston will talk about the announcement this past week that two U.S. refineries will close, an infrequent event. How is this going to impact the supply of diesel?

Please join us on Drilling Deep.

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What the invoices are telling us about the strength of the freight market

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 15:50:43 -0000

Whenever there's a transaction in the supply chain, there's an invoice. And a lot of those invoices get processed by US Bank, which has long had a large amount of business in the trucking sector.

The bank puts together a quarterly summary known as the U.S. Bank’s Freight Payment Index, and it's a good barometer of the strength or weakness in the market. Bobby Holland, vice president and Director of Freight Solutions at US Bank, will join Drilling Deep host John Kingston to talk about what the bank said about market conditions in the second quarter.

John will also talk about the push to restrict the construction of new oil and gas pipelines in the U.S., why it's mostly futile but is yet one more place for a competitive standoff between the trucking and rail industries.

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Fighting nuclear verdicts by preparing for them now

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 16:40:19 -0000

Keith Dunlap is the senior vice president with the transportation group at Gallagher Basset, and one of his jobs is to head off nuclear verdicts before they hit the wallet and balance sheet of a trucking company.

Gallagher Bassett is what is known as a third party administrator, meaning his company handles the claims of thousands of carriers. It's from that perspective that he advises companies on how to keep out of situations where a nuclear verdict might ensue, what steps should be taken to prepare for them and how to avoid legal pitfalls that might lead to them. Dunlap speaks with Drilling Deep podcast host John Kingston about the approach his company takes in advising its clients.

Also on this week's podcast, Kingston as always gives his listeners the state of the oil market, which right now is as calm as a pond on a windless day. But he talks about one force that might drive prices higher: the U.S. dollar. Join him on this week's edition of Drilling Deep.

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The first in-person industry meeting of the COVID era

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 19:12:59 -0000

There were fewer people, some cancelled receptions but a whole lot of effort that looks like it pulled off a successful gathering without anybody getting sick. GMTA’s president and CEO Ed Crowell joins host John Kingston to talk about the steps the organization undertook to put together the meeting.and how it turned out.

We’ll also be looking at how OPEC has managed to tighten the oil market, boosting the price of crude but with diesel trailing the increase. The group and its allies are declaring victory in the first round effort to increase the price of oil. What do they have for round #2? Kingston will discuss oil’s future, all of this on Drilling Deep.

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A lot of money flowed into trucking from PPP; what will be the impact?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 18:04:39 -0000

With the release of the identity of the biggest recipients of money under the Paycheck Protection Program, reviewing all the names of those who got money and figuring out how this will impact the industry's operations is now the hot topic of discussion in trucking.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston sits down with FreightWaves Director of Research Kevin Hill to talk about what they found in the enormous amount of data that the Small Business Administration released to the world this past week. Will it keep capacity operating? Was the number of recipients a surprise? Who were the bankers who got a lot of the business of servicing those loans?

Kingston will also talk about the shutdown of a crude oil pipeline and why it's great news for the nation's railroads.

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Dealing with now, but getting ready for a post-COVID world

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 12:56:21 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, David Roush of KSM Transport Partners, with a wealth of experience in the sector, tackles several issues on the minds of truckers everywhere. Why do some companies take freight with a lousy price? What does it mean to get ready for a post-COVID world? And what does capacity look like for the end of the year?

Host John Kingston interviews Roush and also takes a look at the diesel market. Retail diesel prices have acted as if movements in the broader range of crude and products don't matter. That may be about to end.

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The LTL model adapts to the COVID-19 world

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 08:00:22 -0000

The LTL sector of the trucking sector is generally more stable than the truckload carriers it shares the road with. But that doesn't mean it has faced the pandemic without major upheaval.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston speaks with Brian Thompson, the chief commercial officer of SMC3. His company sets the base rates for LTL shipments and he has a special insight into how the sector is faring. Its primary base of business from industry is getting squeezed but growing last-mile deliveries of all sorts of products is offsetting some of that financial pain. Thompson discusses it on this week's podcast.

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The diesel engine isn't going anywhere for a long time

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 18:10:02 -0000

To watch the stock of Nikola Motors, the company that has raised millions to produce a hydrogen-produced truck, you'd think that the day of the diesel engine was going to end soon.

But that isn't the case. Allen Schaeffer, the executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, joins host John Kingston on the Drilling Deep podcast to talk about the work his group is doing to produce engines that are cleaner and that stay a step ahead of other technologies, powered by a significant wave of funding.

Kingston will also talk about the other aspect of the collapse in oil prices: the drop in production and how it's impacting that part of the trucking world that needs the U.S. to keep drilling to keep their workers employed and their vehicles on the road. And while the price of oil may be rising, a key report sees production continuing to drop well into next year.

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The Professor of Trucking gives his measure of the market

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 13:01:33 -0000

Steve Burks was a truck driver in an earlier professional capacity. He also got is Bachelor's degree, his Master's degree and then his PhD. He's a professor of economics at the University of Minnesota-Morris where he continues to research truck drivers and the markets where they ply their trade.

He joins the Drilling Deep podcast this week along with host John Kingston to offer his views on the state of a market whose decline, he says, is unprecedented.

We'll also talk a set of numbers: the price of retail diesel versus the price of wholesale diesel. It's a spread that had been frustrating to drivers as they kept hearing about the price of crude oil falling and they weren't seeing any benefit. The relationship was completely out of whack. But as happens in markets, it no longer is. John will discuss what happened.

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What to do about the food trucks at the rest stops?

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 16:37:45 -0000

When food trucks were allowed to start selling their products at rest stops on many of the nation's highways earlier this year, it marked a significant shift from years of policy that mostly kept the trucks on the road but the food off of an exit.Yes, there were vending machines at the rest stops. And in some states where the interstate was part of a road more controlled by the state, like the Pennsylvania Turnpike, there were full-service stops. But for those small rest stops with minimal facilities, hot food was a pipe dream.The food trucks changed that. But they were allowed there because of the pandemic. Will they be allowed to stay after it starts to ease?Jessica Gandy is an attorney with the Institute for Justice in Washington, a group that among other things looks to knock down barriers to small businesses. She and her group have taken an interest in the food trucks. She joins Drilling Deep host John Kingston to discuss her group's views on why they think the trucks should be allowed to stay and whether the Institute is going to fight for that permission.John will also talk about how we're living in historic times: by one measure, we've got more diesel fuel in inventory than we've ever had before.

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A lot less money is being put in the hands of toll collectors

Thu, 28 May 2020 16:28:43 -0000

Tolls on bridges, tunnels and roads are plummeting in the wake of the pandemic. Unlike the broader system of highways whose upkeep is funded by the rapidly depleting highway trust fund, infrastructure funded by tolls generally has a steady stream of income to keep them in workable condition.

But that is now being threatened by a dramatic collapse in revenues due to the sharp dropoff in traffic. Steep cuts in capital expenditures are coming. Is this going to weaken this part of a nation's infrastructure that already is considered well below the standards that the economy needs? Pat Jones of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association is going to join the Drilling Deep podcast to discuss the state of his organization's members.

Host John Kingston also will look at an aspect of the oil and gas business that could be good news for the trucking sector: some activity may be coming back. It may not be a lot but for all the trucks sidelined in the oil pat

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A broker defends his industry

Thu, 21 May 2020 15:08:40 -0000

Steve Moss is the general manager of DTS Logistics in Montana. He's heard the fierce criticism being leveled by drivers against the 3PL industry as rates fall, with a great deal of blame being placed at the feet of the brokerage sector.

Moss reached out to FreightWaves to spell out his case as to why he believes this criticism is unfair and we speak to him on Drilling Deep about the complaints and his views on them, based on 20 years in the business.

We also look at what seems incredible: the price of diesel at the pump has been amazingly steady in the midst of an otherwise volatile market. Host John Kingston talks about the role inventories are playing in that stability.

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The last mostly "normal" quarter in trucking is in the books

Wed, 13 May 2020 20:30:00 -0000

The numbers are in: earnings for the quarter have been reported by all the trucking and other freight-related companies for the three months that ended March 31. And what a quarter it was, finishing up in the middle of a radically-changed scenario that nobody could have ever modeled for.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston talks with Todd Fowler, the transportation equity analyst at KeyBank. Todd sat in on all the main earnings calls for the quarter--and followed up with the management of many of them after the calls--so he's got lots of perspective of how companies fared and where they're going for the rest of the year.

John will also talk diesel prices, noting how oil prices are climbing in international markets but diesel at the pump isn't. It's a nice situation that a lot of people don't think can.

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Surviving carrier bankruptcy

Fri, 08 May 2020 20:30:31 -0000

There are plenty of trucking companies going bankrupt in the trucking world. We know that. But what if a change in the bankruptcy law last year could keep a lot of them alive?

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston brings in attorney Matt Ferris from the firm of Haynes & Boone to talk about a changed provision in federal bankruptcy law that could keep a lot of smaller companies alive when liquidation might have been the only course of action. Larger companies utilize chapter 11 to reorganize and continue on; as Ferris notes, it's been tougher for smaller companies to do that. But those changes in the law will open the door a little wider to staying alive rather than disappearing entirely.

John will also talk about just how much diesel is in inventory in this country. It's close to unprecedented.

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The air cargo industry scrambles for a quick reinvention in the age of the pandemic

Fri, 01 May 2020 14:48:21 -0000

Airlines have suffered mightily from the loss of passenger traffic as a result of the pandemic. But there also has been a demand for its services to move a lot of freight including an area that has always been taken to the skies to move from point A to point B: medical supplies.

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston talks with his colleague Eric Kulisch of FreightWaves on how airlines have tried to use their spare capacity to compensate for their loss in passenger movement. There are fewer commercial passenger flights with their bellies filled with freight along with luggage. But there is still demand for those services and Eric will talk about how airlines are responding.

John will also discuss whether diesel prices have come down "enough" at the pump given the decline in other prices. The question: what constitutes "enough"?

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Truck insurance has been expensive; what’s its future in the age of COVID?

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 15:30:06 -0000

In the week that saw crude prices turn negative, host John Kingston on the Drilling Deep podcast tries to turn that once-in-a-lifetime occurrence into what it says about diesel prices. He also discusses the impact on the trucking sector that services the oil patch and how the negatives from that are going to outweigh the positives of cheaper diesel.

He’s also joined by Dan Cook of True North about the crisis that was a crisis before the pandemic: insurance costs. What happens to the already significant issue of insurance costs after the pandemic eases? Are they going to continue to rise or does the industry get a break? Dan discusses the new reality in the insurance business as a result of the upheaval.

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Getting that relief money from Washington into the right hands

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 07:05:07 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston heard from Jack Rybicki, a managing principal at the accounting and consulting firm of CLA. Jack has been steering many clients through the process of trying to get money from the federal government under the CARES Act, in particular, the Payroll Protection Plan that will allow employees to be retained and a lot of the bills to be paid. It's good for firms of less than 500 people; it's good for an independent owner operator.

John will also talk about numbers from the diesel market that help confirm that not only is the trucking market weak but based on diesel demand, it's historically weak. The numbers don't lie.

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What do truckers on the road do if they're feeling sick in the age of the coronavirus?

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:25:11 -0000

What do truckers on the road do if they're feeling sick, particularly in the age of the coronavirus? They often just suck it up. But they also can head to an urgent care center at a truck stop, like the UrgentCare Travel centers found at Pilot and Flying J truckstops. On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, we talk to Mitch Strobin of UrgentCare Travel on what his urgent care centers at those truck stops are doing to cope with the demand for their services coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The centers are the first line of medical treatment for a lot of the drivers keeping the country supplied with goods right now.

Also on Drilling Deep, host John Kingston looks at some recent numbers coming out of the diesel market. They point to lower prices but more worrisome, they also point to a lot lower demand, a sign of the weakening for trucking services.

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What's working on the railroads during a pandemic?

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 20:13:26 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston welcomes Mike Baudensitel of FreightWaves to discuss whether the nation's rail and intermodal sectors are getting any sort of lift from the trends that have helped the trucking markets since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. John also discusses the desperate attempts to bring the collapsing oil market into some sort of balance and how the U.S. will need to do something it has never done before and maybe can't do: find a way to reduce its output.

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Trucking companies look to stay profitable in unprecedented times

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 11:33:42 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston talks with Chris Henry of FreightWaves. Chris is the head of the TCA Profitability Program. It's a program designed to both benchmark best practices as well as share them among its members, helping ensure that trucking companies all over the country stay in the black. With such an uncertain market ahead, such guidance is particularly important. Chris talks about what he's seeing with the dozens of companies he's in contact with every week and how they should get through the age of COVID-19. John also shares his views on how the collapse in oil prices is going to be a disaster for that portion of the trucking world that services the U.S. oil patch.

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Where the crisis in truck insurance rates came from

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 14:39:42 -0000

It's shut down businesses and thrown planning into turmoil. No, it's not COVID-19. It's the insurance rates that trucking companies have been facing over the last few years. The problem seems to have gotten particularly acute in the last year or two and insurance rates have been cited by several trucking companies as a key reason why they've shut their doors. On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston sits down with Craig Dancer, the National Transportation Industry Practice Leader at Marsh, a global insurance broker. Craig shares his view on where the surge in insurance rates came from and where it might be headed. And with diesel prices plunging, John will share his views as to why.

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Great news! Diesel prices are lower. Bad news! Diesel prices are lower

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 11:31:02 -0000

Among all the chaos in markets these past days has been one that is of particular importance to the trucking industry: the price of oil and the price of diesel have collapsed. This may sound like nothing but a good thing for the trucking sector, but as are many things, it's complicated. Drilling Deep host John Kingston is joined by FreightWaves' Sultan of SONAR Zach Strickland to discuss his work on the correlation between diesel prices and freight rates. It's not what you might think.

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Passing the torch to a new generation of trucking leaders

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 17:00:05 -0000

In this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston is at the annual meeting of the Truckload Carriers Association in the Orlando area, and he sits down with Dave Heller of the TCA. Dave led a panel of several "next generation" leaders at three smaller truckload companies. How are their views different from those of the generations before? Dave will talk about that and what else he heard at the meeting of the truckload sector.

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Sticking a stake into the heart of California's AB5...so far

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 17:00:12 -0000

AB5 in California created the potential for chaos among independent owner operators earlier this year when the law went into effect. But attorney Bob Roginson led the fight against it on behalf of the California Trucking Association and so far, he and the CTA have won.AB5 may be wreaking havoc on a lot of industries that hire independent contractors but the trucking industry--so far--has been spared.

Bob joins host John Kingston on the Drilling Deep podcast to discuss the battle in court and what lies ahead for the classification of independent drivers.John also talks about the continuing collapse in the price of diesel fuel. It's a great thing for the industry...or is it? He'll offer his perspective.

Drilling Deep is one of the FreightCasts family of podcasts from FreightWaves.

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What truck drivers are going to report to the IRS this year

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 17:00:01 -0000

Todd Amen, the president of ATBS, sees lots of trucker tax returns. It's one of the things his company does among the services they provide to truckers.On this week's Drilling Deep, Todd sat in with host John Kingston to discuss some of the numbers he's seen so far. It's reasonable to assume that driver incomes went down in 2019 compared to 2018.

But how much did they fall? Todd discusses the type of year drivers had last year.Also on this week's podcast, John talks about the diesel market and a new report that should make everybody who is exposed to the price of diesel--shippers and carriers--very happy.

The report sees lots of diesel sloshing around in the world, especially in Asia and the report sees little chance of a significant uptick in diesel prices, even after the coronoavirus spread is brought to a halt.Drilling Deep is one of the family of FreightWaves' FreightCasts podcasts.

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Getting a look at tomorrow's diesel prices today

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:00:05 -0000

On Drilling Deep, host John Kingston sits down with Scott Susich of DTN to discuss FreightWaves' new predictive model for projecting wholesale diesel prices a day ahead. The new offering in FreightWaves SONAR market dashboard can predict with a high degree of accuracy where wholesale diesel prices at the rack will be the next day, whether it's in Seattle of Miami. And as far as a forecast, Kingston also checks in with his overview of a glutted diesel and oil market and where it might be headed.

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IMO 2020 isn't over for the freight markets; an analyst's bearish forecast

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 08:05:07 -0000

The price of diesel was supposed to rise because of IMO 2020. It hasn't. What happened? Join Drilling Deep host John Kingston as he talks about why the price impact from IMO 2020 in the diesel market has nowhere near played itself out yet and why the consumers of diesel still need to watch for those movements. We also talk to noted freight economist Noel Perry of Transport Futures and so much more to get his decidedly bearish take on trucking markets.

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What comes after the breakup of XPO?

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 08:05:09 -0000

On this week's Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston talks with FreightWaves Markets Editor Mark Solomon on the radical plan to turn giant XPO into a more focused LTl carrier and send its other parts off to different futures, no longer under CEO Bradley Jacobs. We'll also talk about the decline in diesel prices and what that might mean for freight rates. There generally is a correlation between the two.

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What a trucking lawyer thinks about ‘nuclear’ verdicts

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 08:05:03 -0000

Rob Moseley is an attorney at Moseley Marciniak in South Carolina. He’s on the side of trucking companies in the courtroom, and he’s watched as verdicts against trucking companies have been soaring. Is this a sudden shift or just another period in a cycle? And how should trucking companies deal with it? Host John Kingston talks to Rob on the Drilling Deep podcast and also gives us the good news for truckers: There’s lots of diesel out there, and concerns about a price spike can be put to rest for now.

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Independence Day in January

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:21:55 -0000

What does it mean to be “energy independent?” The President of the United States thinks the country is there now. On this week’s Drilling Deep podcast, host John Kingston talks about how the U.S. can never truly be independent under most definitions. But that doesn’t mean that things aren’t a lot better than they used to be. We also speak with Deutsche Bank’s chief transportation analyst Amit Mehotra on how the trucking sector is going to perform over the first half of this year. Is the sharp fall in truck orders a positive sign for rates? Amit will share his views with us.

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How long does relief from AB5 last in California?

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 08:05:11 -0000

Just as the trucking industry in California was getting ready to begin dealing with the impact of AB5, which had the potential to seriously impact of not kill the entire owner operator model, a federal court rode to the temporary rescue.

What happens now with this new uncertainty?

On Drilling Deep, we will talk with Weston LaBar, the CEO of the Harbor Trucking Association, the trade group representing drayage operators. Podcast host John Kingston will also give his take on where oil prices may be headed following the U.S. drone attack that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani last week. Please join us on this week's episode.

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Trucking and Wall Street 2019

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 08:05:23 -0000

Drilling Deep host John Kingston joins with his colleague FreightWaves Finance Editor Todd Maiden to discuss how the trucking industry did on Wall Street during this past year. What does its performance mean for the future? And your host will be wrapping up the "right back where we started" year in oil.

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Hydrocarbons, Celadon's used truck sell down, and a big corporate writedown

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 16:08:33 -0000

A recent big corporate writedown in the oil and gas sector was a big deal. But in this week's Drilling Deep, host John Kingston discusses that maybe it isn't quite as big a deal as some people were making it out to be. And then we'll shift gears and talk about one aspect of the Celadon bankruptcy that could ripple across a significant part of the sector: the used truck market. Chris Visser is an expert in that area and he will join us to offer his perspectives on how used truck markets might react when thousands of vehicles are suddenly made available from one seller.

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Crisis or calm: Is a storm headed for oil markets

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 08:10:05 -0000

What does the outcome of last week's OPEC meeting mean for the price of fuel in 2020? Podcast host John Kingston shares his view as well as wondering whether we're ever going to see a market reaction to IMO 2020. Also, we look at some of the biggest news events likely to hit the trucking sector in 2020 with Dave Osiecki, the president and chief executive officer of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting. His perspectives have a Washington flavor to them and he'll discuss the regulatory landscape.

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The Viennese Waltz

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 16:11:22 -0000

In today's edition, John Kingston talks about the oil market that OPEC faces as it gathers in Vienna, Austria to set its 2020 strategy. He then switches to the roads and the question of how to pay for building and maintaining them. He's joined by Baruch Feigenbaum of the Reason Foundation, who isn't shy about expressing his support for something most truck drivers hate: tolls.

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