Well, now there is a growing push for fleet emissions tracking and reporting. From the SEC Climate-Related Disclosure Ruling to CARB’s Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, new regulations are emerging fast, and emissions compliance is becoming the new norm… It is easy to image that supply chains are not tracking this information accurately as they are not given the proper resources to report something they don’t fully understand.

That’s where GreenIRR comes in – It is Carbon reporting made easy for fleets. And, similar to CNS, their mission is to take the burden of navigating complex regulations off of you, while making you more attractive in a hyper competitive market.

Joining me today is Celine King, Founder and CEO of GreenIRR. She’s here to break down how GreenIRR’s bottom-up approach to carbon accounting is transforming the way trucking companies manage emissions.

Celine, welcome to the podcast!

In this interview, we sit down with Rig Hut, the full-service truck parking management software that helps landlords, leaseholders, and property managers seamlessly run an Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) / truck parking lot.

• Can IOS solve the truck parking problem?
• Maximize Your Property’s Potential
• How does Rig Hut work?
• How can property owners generate passive income?

Whether you’re a property owner looking for a hands-off investment or a developer seeking flexible options before breaking ground, Rig Hut provides a turnkey solution that ensures steady income and peace of mind while handling tenant interactions and maintenance for you.

Founded in 2005,  @rgmtransport  is a fast-growing, asset-based trucking company specializing in hauling building products, steel, aluminum, and high-value equipment across North America. With operations in both Bethel, PA, and Buckeye, AZ, RGM serves all 48 continental states and Eastern Canada. CEO Ryan Good, who grew up in the trucking industry, took over the company in 2012 after starting with just three trucks. Under his leadership, RGM has expanded to nearly 55 trucks in 2024, with a diverse fleet of flatbeds, step decks, RGNs, and more. Committed to excellence in service, safety, and compliance, RGM continues to grow while maintaining strong partnerships with its customers and a driver-focused company culture – which we will break down in this podcast.

Ryan, welcome to the podcast!

00:00 – Intro

04:29 – How RGM started

08:42 – Advise to growing trucking company

12:59 – Managing diversification, Growing customers

17:25 – West Coast expansion

20:18 – Faith and Management

23:22 – CDL Testing

24:11 – Managing freight fluctuations

27:39 – Heavy Haul dispatch

30:59 – Growing brokerage business

33:32 – Hiring Drivers

39:32 – Driver Turnover

41:06 – Approach to Fleet Tech

45:16 – When In-House Maintenance

48:06 – Managing DOT regulations and Safety

52:12 – RGM Future

00:00 | Intro

02:57 | Crash Preventability Program Changes

04:48 | Autonomous Vehicles

06:24 | Automatic Emergency Braking

07:21 | FMCSA New Registration System

09:51 | DOT Oral Saliva Testing

12:01 | Truck Speed Limiter Rule

14:01 | New-Entrant Regulation Knowledge Test

15:27 | ELD Revisions

16:19 | Eliminating MC Numbers

17:24 | Safety Fitness Changes

19:14 | New Content Coming 2025

00:00 | Why this EV discussion is important

03:06 | Run On Less Event 2021 Takeaway

10:35 | Starting a Trucking Business?

11:39 | Tesla SEMI Production Update

15:04 | Run On Less Event 2023 Stats

22:47 | How EV Semis Compare

26:13 | Is EV Semi transition possible?

Andrea has over 20 years in the transportation industry and joined the Denver Logistics team back in 2020. A little about the company, Denver Cold Storage is family owned and operated, founded nearly 40 years ago with a mission to provide bulk frozen, refrigerated, and ambient food storage for various food manufacturers and clients. Today, they operate three warehouses in Denver, PA. Beyond palletized storage, the company offers specialized supply chain services, including order picking, blast freezing, labeling, repacking, order fulfillment, delivery, and more. And their sister company Denver Logistics, boasts around 30 trucks and reefer trailers.

Andrea, welcome to the podcast!

GFI Transport is a family-owned trucking company and a leader for over 30 years in hauling dry bulk commodities such as grain, feed ingredients, agricultural products, mulch, sand, and more… primarily serving areas east of the Mississippi.

Ryan is President and CEO of GFI Transportation. Ryan, welcome to the podcast!

My guest today is Jim Angel, Vice President of Telematics Partners at Speedgauge, a driving analytics and performance company.

Jim has 20 plus years of transportation experience, from Director if Transportation at Redman Building Products, Director of Safety and Compliance Solutions at PeopleNet, Vice President Video Intelligence Solutions at Trimple Transportation, Vice President of Video Telematics at EROAD, and more. 

Jim, Welcome to the Podcast! 

00:00 – Who is Jim Angel?

05:38 – What is SpeedGauge?

09:50 – How has fleet safety changed over the years?

14:13 – How does insurance approach safety data?

21:58 – What safety programs or policies should fleets have?

29:01 – CNS Learning Hub does what?

32:08 – What if GaugeMyFleet?

36:37 – How do the best fleets manage safety?

40:01 – FMCSA Driver Detention Survey using SpeedGauge

45:41 – What is future of fleet data and management?

51:32 – Are Unions in Trucking good?

You have probably heard about it throughout the years, but now is the time to dive deep into what a Captive is, and why it should be a goal for your fleet.

With me today to help answer this question, and many more, is Tod Bergen… Business Insurance Executive at McConkey Insurance who has over 20 years in the captive business. Tod, welcome to the podcast!

00:00 – Hello Tod Bergen
05:38 – Why insurance hates trucking
07:55 – Safety tech good?
09:57 – Risk management more than insurance?
11:50 – What is group Captive insurance?
16:03 – WHEN to join captive?
21:32 – WHY join a captive?
23:50 – Accident happens, then what?
26:03 – What’s a good captive?
31:03 – Example of successful captive
33:45 – GAPS in insurance?
38:15 – Future of Trucking advise
43:45 – Driver shortage
46:28 – Captive Advise

Dean holds a class A CDL, Inspection Mechanic License, is a certified trainer and CDL examiner AND is an authorized school bus trainer. But what can we learn from Dean’s over 30 year career in truck and trailer sales, compliance, safety, and licensing management, or his long personal life as a chicken farmer?

Let’s find out! Dean, welcome to the podcast!

00:00 – Who is Dean Weinhold?

02:15 – 1953 Tractor Pull!

03:44 – How Chicken Farm Started

06:07 – How Got Into Transportation?

08:22 – Driving in Snow

09:35 – Starting CNS

17:35 – Growing CDL School

20:47 – Teaching Trucking Tips

22:35 – Why Trucking Regulations?

26:53 – How Transport Chickens

32:20 – Proactive Safety at CDL School

36:14 – What is Bridge Formula?

40:39 – Advice to Truckers and Bus Drivers

44:04 – Training School Bus Drivers

48:07 – First Roadside Inspection

51:58 – Worst DOT Experience

58:28 – Understanding DOT Regs

Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) walked out on Tuesday at 14 major ports along the east and gulf coasts, halting container traffic from Maine to Texas. The action marks the first such shutdown in almost 50 years.

Trucking companies and freight rail operators are scrambling to move billions in trade that has been arriving at the ports.

What will happen during this strike? How long will it last? And How will trucking be affected? Let’s find out!

00:00 – STRIKE!

03:15 – Union Boss WHY striking

05:22 – What is Strike about?

12:26 – Potential Impact REPORT

18:39 – Get Class A CDL Now

21:50 – Union Boss THREAT

23:58 – Shippers NOTICE

32:20 – ATA Trucking Perspective

39:47 – Baltimore Strike VIOLENT?

44:12 – Trucker OPPORTUNITY?

49:27 – Conclusion

We at CNS are constantly listening to our customers and improving our services to small to large fleets as we focus on offering the best customer experience possible. From behind the scenes, employee onboarding, and interacting with you daily, we haven’t stopped moving, changing and growing.

So today, I am excited to chat with John Irwin, president and CEO of CNS Companies, to talk about all the exciting things happening at our group of companies and how it is helping people looking to get into the trucking industry, become their own successful business owners, keeping employees safe, lowering your business risk, and helping manage many areas of your business so you can focus on what you are experts at.

John, welcome back to the podcast!

00:00 – Intro

03: 01 – Rapid Fire Questions

04:20 – Expanding Sites at CDL School

12:14 – More Mobile Units at CNS Occmed

20:51 – CNS Connects Software Coming

26:15 – CNS Learning Hub For Training

29:48 – CNS Experience Best Customer Service

34:18 – CNS Dominating Proactive Safety

36:44 – CNS Fleet Licensing

38:49 – CNS Production and Compliance Conference

Let’s find out how. Mike, Matt, welcome to the podcast!

The livestream and other footage will cover:

• What to expect at TDC

• Driver and Company Interviews

• Livestream of the Driving Competition

• and more!

Smash Trucks are here helping business in trucking, construction, distribution, manufacturing, and more… from delaying dumpsters being haul away.

How? By smashing it down so it can be filled again and again. This reduces the number of these expensive hauls.

With me today is Derek Lehman, President and Owner of Smash My Trash’s Harrisburg, PA location.

Derek, welcome to the podcast!

Let’s get in the loop to find out!

This is where the best and safest drivers come out to play, and today we have one such GRAND champion in our midst, Bob Dolan, a retired driver after 45 years on the road with 3.5 million safe miles driven with just one accident and has won the PMTA championship and 16 National Truck Driving Championship titles! To top it all off… Bob was also awarded the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award for his lifetime of safe professional truck driving in 2019. Currently he is PMTA’s Road Team Leader.

Bob, welcome to the podcast!

With me is one of our own CDL instructors here at CNS Driver Training Center, where we offer 1-on-1 CDL training in Lititz, PA. Dave comes with over 10 years of experience driving trucks, specifically flatbeds and step decks for specialized loads.

Before being a trainer here, he worked for the best specialized load carrier in the US – RMC Transportation – where he drove and trained new drivers, teaching them the ropes of the flatbed industry! Dave, welcome to the podcast!

00:00 | Intro

01:30 | How Dave Drove Specialized Loads

05:32 | Is TMC Transportation THAT GOOD?

08:46 | Becoming a CDL Trainer

11:35 | Tips on Winter Driving

14:25 | Best CDL School on East Coast

16:13 | Why CDL Trainer Experience Matters

19:26 | From Steer Wrestling to Spartan Racing

26:32 | Clutch Leg and Driver Health

29:08 | Research Before Getting CDL

32:40 | Bad Habits at CDL School

33:59 | What was NYC Driving Like?

Talk about unfair!

I am excited to have Jana Jarvis, President of the Oregon Trucking Association now for 9 years, here to help us walk through what this lawsuit means and how it could change trucking taxes in the State.

00:00 – Intro

02:07 – How did trucking get in this mess?

05:50 – Where does weight-mileage taxes go?

07:01 – ODOTs cost have increased a lot

08:20 – CNS helps with fuel and mileage tax management

10:09 – What is unfair about vehicle taxes today?

13:47 – Truckers overpaying taxes by 32%!

15:24 – Has Oregon tried fixing unfair taxes?

17:06 – Lawsuit wants three things

19:05 – Oregon 2025 Transportation bill coming?

20:16 – How do we fix ODOT road money problems?

26:50 –OTA membership and how they need help from you

29:08 – Outro

But while we have been in a freight slowdown, the federal government has not. They have been very vocal about big regulatory changes, no matter the outcry from trucking associations (like ATA or OOIDA) or drivers.

Let’s get In the Loop with Luke and see what regulatory changes are coming in 2024 and beyond and if we believe they may get approved, and when.  

The problem is the carrier doesn’t understand that there are different scores, they are based on different factors, and there are different ways to improve each type of score.

With me today I have one of our own DOT regulation experts, Jared Kline, here to help us understand the common misconceptions around trucking safety scores, how they are used, how they affect your business, and how they can improve.

Jared, Welcome to the Podcast!

00:00 | Intro

03:22 | Jared’s Background

05:21 | Is there a Magic Wand to fix bad trucking scores?

11:46 | Should new companies be tested on Regulations?

15:41 | What are CSA scores?

18:42 | How TIME affects safety scores

23:12 | Are ALL carriers actually inspected? How?

28:05 | How inspections at Roadside work

31:26 | How are DOT audits triggered and notified?

37:13 | DATAQ fixes bad scores and inspector mistakes

41:30 | Proactive training fixes bad inspections

44:38 | Fixing Unsatisfactory ratings with CAP Plans

47:33 | Best practices to fix root of safety problems

49:25 | Wrapping Up

We will discuss his time in the military, why he is getting his CDL, how the training is going, and what he hopes his new career and business will look like. Then, hopefully in a future episode… we will discuss how it is going and what he’s learned along the way.

00:00 | Intro
01:30 | How Ted joined military
04:56 | What is TACP special forces? And stories…
09:54 | Civilian life
17:26 | Why military veterans are assets in trucking/logistics
21:57 | CDL journey – what are you anxious about?
24:20 | Favorite trucking-related movie?
26:26 | Research to prepare for CDL and Owner-Operator business?
31:42 | What will make Aurelius Logistics a success?
36:45 | Plans for loads?
42:29 | Outro

The aim is Level 4 autonomy, meaning full automation without human intervention.

If the technology is nailed, then peak hours of travel can be circumnavigated to provide greater assurance on cargo arrival times, partnered with improved safety of fellow road-users, fleets would expect to see more balanced routes and improved safety scores and fuel efficiency. Of course, truckers are hoping for a slow transition of autonomous tech that will leave plenty of time for operation optimization and new opportunities rising across the supply chain as traditional driving transitions.

Well, we will look at the autonomous trucking industry with help from Michael Wiesinger, the Vice President of Commercialization at Kodiak Robotics which was founded because they believe autonomous technology will save lives, not just some day, but soon.

Since then, the telematic and vehicle tracking hardware and software has improved dramatically, helping both truckers manage their time and equipment; as well as carriers manage fleet efficiency and safety.

But right now we are dealing with a bottom in the freight recession, high costs in vehicle maintenance, insurance carriers are dealing with high claims and increased nuclear verdicts, and more.

So, how can vehicle tech help today and what are the next steps with this technology?

We find out as we chat with John Elsner CEO of Pedigree Technologies and Joshua DeCock, VP of Product Management. Pedigree is a premier provider of tech solutions in the telematics and “Internet of Things” space for North America. In fact, in 2021, the company received an Internet of Things Innovator Award for Trucking Fleet Management!

WOMEN IN TRUCKING: https://www.womenintrucking.org/

00:00 | Women In Trucking Early Reflections

04:16 | Will Ellen get another tattoo?

05:21 | Trucking and Relationships Roles at Home

11:32 | Girl Scouts WIT Transportation Patch

15:49 | What’s Harder: CDL or Pilot License and their Pre-Trips?

19:10 | CB Handle and Favorite Trucking Movie?

22:10 | How did WIT Mentorship program get started?

23:40 | How to Mentor women in trucking

25:05 | WIT Mission and Success Today

33:20 | WIT Accelerate Conference is Awesome!

35:12 | What’s Next with Ellen Voie after WIT retirement?

36:50 | Advice for men in trucking? BE ALLIES!

To help me are the authors of their new book ‘Loving Disagreement’: Kathy Khang and Matt Mikalatos… as well as someone who can help bridge the gap to the trucking world: Ron Fraser, President and CEO of Transport For Christ.

Book: “Loving Disagreement: Fighting for Community through the Fruit of the Spirit”

— PRE-ORDER NOW: https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Disagreement-Fighting-Community-through-ebook/dp/B0BX1CH71J

Transport For Christ (TFC Global): https://tfcglobal.org/

To talk about this project, I have Stephen Hodges… not only a friend of mine, but a man of many skills… a serial entrepreneur, marketing expert, Program Manager for Student Engagement for the College of Business at Oregon State University, teacher to new business students, and mechanic with his own YouTube channel  @BadIdeasGarage  where, among loving cars and doing ridiculous things with them, has had a project fixing this old truck driving simulator at the Pacific Northwest Truck Museum outside Salem, Oregon.

If you take a test and don’t finish before August 24th, you will have to:

– Receive a new CDL permit

– Pass another driver instruction permit test

– Take knowledge theory test again, and

– Take the updated behind-the-wheel skills test

So, what exactly is changing on the behind-the-wheel skills test?

Find out with our guest Jolyn Graham, Vice President of Operations at CNS Driver Training Center in Lititz, PA.

Today, Brian manages 72 trucks, 120 freezer trailers, and 85 employees from the company’s original Pennsylvania headquarters and a second Wisconsin terminal. They provide both LTL service and Truckload coast-to-coast transportation of frozen, dry, and fresh products. They also offer on-site refrigerated cross docks and warehouses to ensure products are fresh when delivered. Just started a triaxle division this year and I am sure more to come!

00:00 – Intro

2:23 – Peters Brothers over 70 years

6:21 – Dispatching in the 90’s to CEO pros/cons

9:47 – Trucking recession, Yellow closing, driver turnover

14:50 – How to Grow in Todays Market

16:47 – Insurance Captive and how it made us Safer

25:31 – Vehicle turnover management

29:20 – Suing Govt over CARB Emissions Rules

38:35 – Does EV semi trucks still intrigue you?

41:08 – Future trucking safety tech and automation

44:06 – Why should drivers work for Peters Brother Trucking?

45:29 – Outro

With me is the President of Jagtrux, Zack Germak. Zack, welcome to the podcast!

00:00 – Intro

00:43 – How Jagtrux Started

02:31 – How Owner-operator business is different than just driving truck

06:34 – How was it growing up in the trucking industry?

12:00 – Why owner-operators should lease on to larger carrier

15:14 – Independent contractor AB5 rule in CA a growing trend?

17:34 – 7:1 trailer ratio for drop and go loads

23:05 – Driver shortage and driver culture

28:43 – Why state trucking associations like PMTA are important

38:17 – How to help fuel tax revenue lost from EV transition

39:56 – Why should a driver work for Jagtrux?

43:52 – Signing off

But, even better, with me is Rebecca Oyler, none other than the President and CEO at Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, which has been promoting the interests of the trucking industry since 1928.

00:00 | Intro

02:26 | A Girl Scouts leader

06:03 | I-95 Tanker Crash and PMTA’s Role

17:00 | How state trucking associations help truckers and carriers

25:28 | Baptized by bridge tolling

33:50 | Explaining CARB adoption in PA

37:13 | PMTA suing state govt over CARB

46:31 | Is trucking’s transition to EV adoption inevitable?

55:09 | Other PMTA initiatives

58:02 | Outro

Oh, you didn’t know that? Well, then you must be asking yourself… is it a big deal?

Let’s get in the Loop with Luke and find out!

Shortly after, James started Diamond Fleet Service, a diesel truck repair and maintenance shop for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks with visions to include upcoming Tesla semi maintenance needs, which we will definitely talk more about.

00:00 – Intro

1:09 – How did Keystone Transport get started?

3:33 – How do you handle driver retention and on-boarding?

7:01 – How did Diamond Fleet Service and Repair get started?

8:28 – On the Tesla Semi waitlist? Is EV coming?

11:58 – What about EV Semi charging?

14:39 – How do you survive in this crazy freight market right now?

17:05 – What truck safety tech does Keystone use?

19:31 – ELDs: Good or Bad?

21:06 – Thoughts on Speed-limiter Rule?

23:26 – What about Uner-21 Interstate drivers?

27:34 – How do we solve the truck parking issue?

While previous ATRI research found that truck drivers have very positive opinions about road-facing cameras, there were numerous concerns over driver-facing cameras.

Well, we are going to dive into this topic with the experts in the field… Barrett Young with Netradyne.

For those that don’t know, Netradyne is an industry-leading SaaS provider of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and edge computing solutions focused on safety and driver coaching for commercial fleets.

In this episode we talk about Shipley Energy’s approach to DOT and HAZMAT regulations, why drivers should work at Shipley, discuss the speed-limiter rule proposal, captive insurance, safety technology, and more.

CNS Job Board: https://cnstrains.com/trucking-jobs/

While I know many of you listening might not care about how the drug test is handled, that it’s just a part of being a professional trucker or employee, the new rules are critical for your career.

So, listen up as we run down the history and science of oral saliva drug tests, discuss which testing method is better from privacy to drugs to detection times, and what carriers should consider changing in their drug testing policies.

One of the most important skills to develop in the transportation industry is learning how to find loads. This is especially true for owner-operators and small fleets that are just starting out.

There is a lot to talk about, so let’s get In the Loop with Luke and dive in!

00:00 – Make money in trucking

00:26 – Understanding the Three Types of Freight

04:04 – Why knowing freight types help you negotiate with brokers

05:54 – Four ways to find loads

06:34 – Tips for vetting brokers

08:20 – How to you negotiate with brokers

10:22 – How to use a load board

11:59 – How to become a government contractor

14:24 – How to build your contract freight from shippers directly

16:02 – How to create a “carrier packet” to give to shippers

17:21 – Find shippers to work with directly

18:51 – Join industry events and associations

Join CNS’s Jared Kline and John Irwin as they discuss the full list and new additions.

0:00 | What are Insurance Underwriters?

2:57 | Insurance for New Trucking Companies

5:28 | Hiring New CDL Drivers

6:20 | Under 21 CDL Pilot Program

9:14 | Risk with Commodities

14:14 | What Underwriter’s Want to See

19:47 | Safety Tech

27:01 | Claims and Nuclear Verdicts

33:27 | Future of Insurance?

Cashflow is simply the amount of money coming in versus coming out of the company. It is your inflow and outflow of cash.

If you have positive cashflow, this allows you to pay bills, reinvest into the business, and build a safety net for maintenance issues, low freight rate cycles, and more.

If you have negative cashflow, you can try to survive while living in debt and hope your negative cashflow doesn’t kill your business. 

We are going to chat about how all of this started, CNS, the growing pains, the people making it happen, and more. If you have ever started your own business or plan to, there is a lot of great info for you to take away.

#trucking #truckingpodcast #podcast #trucker #owneroperator #business #interview

1. Reorganized and updated safety categories (BASICs), including new segmentation
2. Consolidated and group violations, including adding 14 not in the SMS
3. Simplified violation severity weights
4. Proportionate percentiles instead of safety event groups
5. Improved Intervention Thresholds
6. Greater focus on recent violations, and
7. Updated Utilization Factor

Let’s break these down.

Get signed up now!

https://www.cautionwideright.com/product/highway-use-tax/

If you’ve got the vision to start a trucking company, now is the time to make that vision reality. If you manage your new business the right way, you can see $100,000 plus in profit per year as a single owner-operator.

With CNS by your side, this roadmap to success will help you prevent the many headaches new trucking companies face when getting off the ground to year three of your business.