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What’s up, everyone?

We’re closing in on the end of the month, and my favorite time of year is right around the corner.. football on TV, plates stacked with the best food on earth, and time with the people who matter most.

Before anything else, I just want to say thank you.

Three days a week, y’all tap in, show love, drop comments, repost clips, and ride with me through every episode. I don’t take any of it for granted. We’re about 40 episodes deep now, and it’s been nothing short of incredible. You’ve helped build something special, and I feel that every single week.

Here’s a look back at this month’s shows.. plus a few headlines and stories you should keep an eye on.

Hit @FWWhatTheTruck on all platforms for the latest clips, chaos, and freight world madness.

As we head into Thanksgiving, I hope you have the best holiday. Good food, good rest, and good people. Thank you for taking the time to read this, for tuning in, and for making this journey what it is.

We’ve got some big things coming, and I’m thankful that I get to do this with all of you.

Malcolm “Miggie” Harris

Here are a few stories that have caught my eye over the past week:

Cargo Theft Is Surging — and the Numbers Are Alarming:

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

This article couldn’t be more timely. I actually had Danny on the show recently (you can watch that episode here.) and he doubled down on something he also said in this report:

“You’ve got a record number of high-value shipments on the road, tighter delivery windows, and thinner security oversight all happening at once. Organized theft crews know the calendar as well as retailers do.” – Danny Ramon, Director of Intelligence and Response at Overhaul

And now the data backs it up in a big way.

According to a new study from Overhaul, cargo theft jumped to 645 reported incidents in Q3.. a 29% year-over-year spike and a 23% increase from Q2. Electronics and food loads are getting hit the hardest, and hotspots like California and Texas continue to lead the maps.

This isn’t random crime; it’s organized, coordinated, and increasingly sophisticated. Thieves are targeting freight that moves fast and pays big, and they’re exploiting the exact moments when shippers and carriers are stretched thin. This is an industry inside an industry, and it’s one of the biggest threats to the space right now. With a platform like this, it would be negligent not to highlight it the way I do.

If you’re in trucking, logistics, or supply chain, this trend matters. It affects insurance, routing decisions, margins, operational risk, and even customer relationships. Talk about this internally, establish processes that create checks and balances, and mitigate risk by having conversations, auditing your operations, and asking the right questions ahead of time.

FMCSA’s 2026 Crackdown: Brokers, It’s Time to Wake Up

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Shoutout to JP for this one. His reporting on FreightWaves is always must-read material, and his latest breakdown on the FMCSA’s upcoming bond enforcement rules is something everyone in freight needs to lock in on. My background isn’t a secret. I’m a broker at my core. So to my friends still in the game, listen for two seconds.

Starting January 16, 2026, the FMCSA is putting real weight behind the $75,000 broker bond. If your bond or trust dips below that minimum, you’ll have seven business days to bring it back up or risk suspension. Point blank period.

A lot of brokers are going to have to rethink their financial setup, fast. And honestly, I know multiple organizations that are going to feel this crunch immediately. The margin for error is shrinking, and with margins already tight, some brokerages are about to enter a whole new level of pressure.

For carriers, though, this could be a positive shift: fewer underfunded brokers, fewer payment issues, and a cleaner marketplace overall.

Bottom line, 2026 is basically here, and if you haven’t already had internal conversations about this at a leadership level, you’re already behind. This is not something you want to scramble on at the last minute. Brokers, prepare now.

Great work by JP on this one. My guy. More to come.

A Huge Thank You to Our Sponsor

Big thanks to PCS Software for powering this month’s episodes.
In this freight market, margins are everything. PCS TMS with Cortex AI helps carriers capture the right loads, cut wasted miles, and uncover profit points on every run.

Because profit — not volume — is the new payload. See how at pcssoft.com

November Episodes

Markets, Margins & Mayhem

Kicking off with John Kingston (FreightWaves) unpacking RXO’s rough earnings hit — and what Wall Street’s reaction means for the freight market.

Then, Danielle Villegas (PCS) dives into AI, automation, and how smart TMS tools turn efficiency into profit.

And finally, Danielle Spinelli — the Fraud Girl herself — breaks down how organized cargo theft is evolving going into 2026, and how shippers and brokers can fight back.

It’s markets, tech, and freight crime like you’ve never heard before.

🎥 Watch here

Predict, Prevent and Protect

Kiren Sakhar, Chief Product Officer at Samsara, shares how AI-powered dashcams, sensors, and real-time coaching are helping fleets shift from reactive safety practices to predictive, preventative strategies. She covers improvements in driver experience, accident reduction, and how balanced coaching strengthens retention and culture.

Danny Ramon, Director of Intelligence and Response at Overhaul, breaks down the rise in sophisticated cargo theft, from identity spoofing to double/triple brokering. He explains how better training, authentication, and proactive security can protect freight during high-volume seasons.

AI, real-time data, and smarter security are reshaping fleet operations from driver safety to multimillion-dollar supply chain protection.

🎥 Watch here

Data, Decisions and Delivery

Arthur Axelrad, CEO & Co-Founder of Dispatch Science, breaks down the launch of DataSync, the newest part of their DSX ecosystem giving carriers real-time control and visibility over operations. He explains how modern architecture, APIs, and data are reshaping last-mile logistics for the future.

Sarah Olmstead, President of Rebel Logistics Service, and Mike Holland, Senior Director of Domestic Logistics at Five Below, dive into the ECA Marketplace, a “speed dating for logistics” event where shippers and carriers build real partnerships and optimize freight strategy for 2026.

Freight headlines include CDL rule reversals, Zoom Freight’s bankruptcy, and U.S. port fee suspensions on Chinese vessels.

🎥 Watch here

Giant Hauls and Precision Moves

Chris Isley, Risk Control Specialist at Travelers Transportation, breaks down heavy equipment transport, load securement standards, DOT compliance, specialized permits, escort coordination, and safety measures to protect fleets and operators moving oversized cargo.

Alex Martin-Banzer, Brand Marketing Manager for Western Star and Daimler Truck North America, shares her journey from intern to brand leader, insights on engineering and product strategy, and the storytelling behind iconic vocational trucks. She highlights Western Star’s role in moving a historic Martin Mars aircraft and previews upcoming projects and the Star Nation operator experience.

Kyle Wilkes, Project Manager at Southwest Industrial Rigging, takes an up-close look at transporting the massive Martin Mars bomber fuselage across Arizona — the tallest load ever moved on state highways. He explains planning, routing, permitting, engineering challenges, and teamwork, plus career advice and a tribute to company founder Harry Baker.

🎥 Watch here

One Step Ahead

Kenneth Hanover, Director of North American Sales & Customer Support at Fleetguard (now under Atmos), dives into the company’s Cummins-rooted heritage, engineering-first product excellence, and how Fleetguard empowers truckers with right-to-repair advocacy, top-tier warranties, and one-stop filtration solutions. He even weighs in on how loud an 18-wheeler’s horn should be—balancing the squeaker and the foghorn.

Nidhi Gupta, Co-founder and CEO of Portcast, explains why visibility tech alone still leaves operations firefighting and how predictive logistics, connected data, and AI insights are shifting supply chains from reactive to proactive. She shares real-world examples of preventing costly disruptions, reshaping billing and cash flow with predictive ETAs, and why touchless supply chains are closer than you think.

Ronak Amin of HERE Technologies tackles one of trucking’s costliest problems: bridge strikes. He breaks down why they happen, how HERE’s commercial-grade mapping and AI help fleets avoid them, and what smarter routing looks like as electric trucks hit the road. Ronak also shares leadership lessons and actionable guidance for fleets to prevent avoidable losses.

🎥 Watch here

Thanks for reading, and feel free to forward this to a friend.

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Don’t be a stranger,

Malcolm “Miggie” Harris