66% of logistics pros say talent quality — not cost — is the #1 factor in choosing a nearshore partner. Rapido's integration model explains why that's the right question to be asking.
Plus, a carrier pleading guilty to mob money laundering while still FMCSA-active, Iran's first post-ceasefire attack and what it means for diesel surcharges, FedEx Freight's first earnings as a standalone company, and more in today's newsletter.
Freight brokers are measuring their inboxes wrong. Most inbound email is monitoring, not work. And the longtail categories that look like noise are costing real margin. Here's how to audit what's actually in your inbox, and why it matters in 2026's margin-first market.
A preview from FreightCaviar Print. December copies are still available.
Sponsored by: FreightCaviar Print Magazine.
FreightCaviar Print is our quarterly print magazine focused on long-form reporting, original interviews, and market analysis.
If “unpredictability” were the freight industry’s word of the year, 2025 aced the test.
Tariffs rewrote trade lanes. Enforcement tightened. Fraud reached new levels of creativity.
For the December edition of FreightCaviar Print, we asked 8 respected voices in freight to call their shot on what they believe will define the U.S. freight market in 2026.
Below is a preview from the magazine.
A Dangerous Fraud Cocktail
The fraud problem will continue to grow in 2026 to the point where it may become existential for many companies. AI advances, non-domicile CDL enforcement, and weak demand create a dangerous mix. Brokers without strong digital risk-mitigation strategies will be especially vulnerable.
Flat Is the New Up
I expect flat rates and lower volumes again in 2026, possibly alongside a recession.
If capacity tightens meaningfully due to enforcement actions, flat rates may actually be a win. Any real upside must come from the supply side — not demand.
Regulation as a Market Filter
Stricter CDL requirements, training standards, and enforcement will continue to make it harder for fraudulent or non-compliant operators to survive.
If demand improves, these changes could meaningfully tighten capacity and improve overall market conditions.
AI or Die
Margin compression isn’t temporary — it’s structural.
AI will determine which brokerages can operate profitably at lower margins. Falling behind in AI adoption is a strategic vulnerability that’s difficult to recover from.
Housing Is the Domino
Residential construction and home sales drive massive trucking demand — from building materials to furniture and appliances.
A true freight recovery likely begins when housing activity returns.
This is an excerpt from the December print edition.
The remaining predictions (including insights from Will Jenkins, Jennifer Morris, David Spencer, and Bogdan Kruzhinskiy) are available in the December print edition.
The December issue of FreightCaviar Print is available now, and we have a limited number of copies remaining.
Orders ship within a few days of purchase.
This issue includes:
Freight Caviar
ICYMI: FreightCaviar is travelling across the U.S. Here's what the first three weeks have looked like: Sponsor meetups, subscriber photo shoots, premieres, truck stops, Elk Grove to Phoenix, and more. FOMO starts now.
The contract cushion brokers relied on is nearly gone. Here's what that means for your margins. Plus: FMCSA is pulling ELDs fast, Hormuz cracks open - barely, $821k ghost load scheme, and more.
U.S. Xpress Founder, Max Fuller, breaks down trucking before deregulation, how tech changed the industry, and its future.
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