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.
U.S. Xpress Founder, Max Fuller, breaks down trucking before deregulation, how tech changed the industry, and its future.
We sat down with Max Fuller, Founder of U.S. Xpress.
At its peak, the company had nearly 10,000 trucks. He’s been in trucking for 50+ years and has seen everything, from heavy regulation to the free-for-all that came after deregulation.
This is a preview of that conversation.
The full interview is available only to FreightCaviar Magazine subscribers in our private Circle community.
On our recent trip to Chattanooga, we sat down with Max Fuller, Founder of U.S. Xpress.
He’s been in trucking for over 50 years.
He’s seen:
And he’s one of the few people who can explain how we got here and what’s coming next.
Max’s dad, Clyde Fuller, got into trucking in the late 1950s by trading two Volkswagens for a truck and hauling chickens in North Georgia. That’s how it started.
By the late 80s and early 90s (after deregulation), they were growing 70–80% per year. That kind of growth only happens when the rules change, and you actually take advantage of it.
Max came up through it the hard way. Washing trucks, changing oil, and figuring out how the business actually works.
A Trucking Company Owner at 17
In 1974, at just 17 years old, Max became the registered owner of Southwest Motor Freight. He recounts the story.
“When my father bought it he had ICC authority going west but didn't have freight coming east. There was a company called Southwest Motor Freight that had just gotten ICC authority to haul freight coming east … so he actually found it and ended up wanting to buy the company. Of course, he couldn't, because he already owned a carrier, so at age 17, I became an owner.”
That’s also when he learned how serious the business really is.
Riding the Wave of Deregulation
The 1980s brought massive change to the trucking world. Deregulation opened the door to new competitors and innovation. Max compares the industry back then to the Wild West, but that opened the door to new ways to compete and innovate.
When the opportunity arose, Max didn’t wait; he created his own path. When Clyde sold the company in 1984, Max received a portion of the stock and used it to launch U.S. Xpress. Long before it became standard, he embraced technology.
"We adopted satellite communications and started building software to track trucks. That was the beginning of modernized trucking."
That’s how U.S. Xpress scaled.
Over the course of five decades, Max has seen the industry reinvent itself again and again. From tightly controlled regulation to today’s tech-driven, hyper-competitive landscape.
Fast forward to today, and the industry looks completely different.
“The over-the-road truckload market is almost decimated."
That’s where we cut it.
In the next part of the conversation is where he explains what he believes will happen next; especially for brokers, and how the next cycle plays out.
We didn’t put that part out publicly.
The full interview is available to FreightCaviar Magazine subscribers inside our private Circle community.
Listen to the preview of our interview on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or watch the preview on YouTube.
We also sat down with Max’s step-brother, David Parker, Founder & CEO of Covenant Logistics. That full interview will be released soon to FreightCaviar Magazine subscribers.
We’re also dropping our original film, FREIGHT ALLEY, featuring the people who built what is now known as Freight Alley.
Coming soon.
Introducing: OTR Select
"Post and Pray" shouldn't be the only way to find new capacity - and now with OTR Select, it's never been easier to find reliable capacity and market insights.
OTR Select is a capacity and rate intelligence platform now available to a select group of vetted brokers.
Issue 002 of FreightCaviar Print is almost here.
80 pages on the history of Freight Alley.
Print magazine + Caviar Circle access.
From $17/month.
30-day money-back guarantee. If it's not for you, we'll refund you right away, and you still keep both Winter and Spring editions.
Subscribe → here.
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.
Bad carriers are gaming the weigh station system. Plus, C.H. Robinson's own engineer goes scorched earth on Reddit, the Ghost Truck Act gets roasted, and more in today's newsletter.
Plus, overseas ELD tampering, 100 pallets of stolen womenswear, 20,000 Mexican truckers losing US visas, and more in today's newsletter.
While everyone in trucking is watching rates, capacity, and fraud, a much bigger shift may be happening quietly in the background: the future of rail.
Join over 14K+ subscribers to get the latest freight news and entertainment directly in your inbox for free. Subscribe & be sure to check your inbox to confirm (and your spam folder just in case).
