Trucker Talk Radio

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Ben Greenberg, president and CEO of the North Carolina Trucking Association, joins Justin to break down some of the most pressing legal, regulatory, and operational challenges facing the trucking industry today.Ben shares how he went from a general litigation attorney in Asheville to becoming one of the most active voices in trucking advocacy, and why he believes the industry is consistently getting outworked by plaintiff's lawyers. He explains the concept of social inflation in jury verdicts, why he supports the Fair Trucking Act to move more cases into federal court, and what it will actually take to bring insurance costs down for carriers who are doing everything right.The conversation also covers freight fraud and driver verification, including why brokers face growing liability in the wake of recent Supreme Court decisions and how tools like digital driver profiles could help close the gap. Ben and Justin also dig into truck parking as a dignity issue, the data showing women drivers are statistically safer, and what the North Carolina Trucking Association does year-round to recognize top drivers and technicians through events like their Truck Driving Championship and Top Tech Challenge.On the future of trucking, Ben offers a grounded take on autonomous vehicles and AI, arguing that wide-scale adoption is still years away and that infrastructure, societal acceptance, and operational complexity will slow the transition far more than most headlines suggest. For carriers, owner-operators, or anyone paying attention to where this industry is headed, this is a conversation worth your time.Chapters0:00 Intro0:05 Sponsor: Ready App1:41 Ben's Background in Trucking Law6:48 The Lawyer Problem in Trucking Cases11:19 Plaintiff Lawyer Billboards & Perception12:15 About the North Carolina Trucking Association13:43 Member Advocacy and Lawmaker Relationships17:01 Rising Insurance Costs in Trucking19:05 The Fair Trucking Act Explained24:44 Fraud, Double Brokering & Driver Verification27:03 Supreme Court Ruling and Broker Liability29:10 Recognizing Top Drivers and Driver Scorecards34:08 Women in Trucking37:18 Truck Parking as a Dignity Issue42:40 Truck Driving Championships and Top Tech Challenge45:44 AI and Autonomous Trucks: 3 to 5 Years Out49:16 How to Connect with NCTA50:01 Closing ThoughtsFollow Us!X: https://x.com/trucktalkradioIG: https://instagram.com/truckertalkradioTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@truckertalkradioFollow Ben GreenbergLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bensgreenbergWebsite: https://nctrucking.comAbout Trucker Talk Radio:Powered by Ready AppThe driver-verification platform protecting brokers, carriers, and shippers from identity fraud, onboarding risks, and unsafe hires.Learn more at: https://ready-app.comSupport GreyCross.orgA 501(c)(3) supporting families affected by roadway tragedies across America.Donate at: https://greycross.org#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #truckingadvocacy #truckinginsurance #freightfraud #truckingindustry #truckdriver #cdldriver #owneroperator #truckparking #fairtruckingact #womenintrucking #truckingsafety #freightmarket #northcarolina #autonomoustrucks #logistics #supplychain

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Latoya Wilson, founder of Big Rig Nation Network, joins Justin to break down one of trucking's most persistent pressure points: recruiting, onboarding, and preparing drivers for the reality of the industry. With a background in sales and customer service, Latoya entered driver recruiting around 2018 with no prior logistics experience and has spent years navigating every major market shift, from the 2020 freight boom to the 2022 correction and the ongoing fallout from the 1099 carrier collapse in markets like Chicago.Latoya explains why she shifted her focus toward new CDL drivers: experienced drivers with damaged work histories needed time to clean up their records, while fresh graduates were entering the industry completely unprepared for what comes after school. She shares how CDL training programs focus on certification, not career readiness, and why she built Big Rig Nation Network around filling that gap by providing drivers with a real strategic foundation before they ever take their first load.The conversation also covers what carriers could do better to reduce turnover, why third-party recruiting can actually benefit drivers when done right, and the growing need for verified driver identity in a space that has long operated in the gray. Latoya and Justin dig into the non-domicile CDL issue, driver verification gaps, and why tools like a digital driver passport could help qualified American drivers stand out in an increasingly crowded field.Latoya wraps with direct advice for drivers at two critical stages: those thinking about getting their CDL-A, and those who just graduated. Her message is clear: trucking is not just a job, it is a top-tier certification that demands flexibility, commitment, and the right mindset from day one. Big Rig Nation Network is currently undergoing a full rebrand launching June 1st, but drivers, carriers, and CDL schools can reach Latoya now at bigrignation.org or by calling or texting 757-944-2211.Chapters0:00 Intro0:53 Latoya's Background in Recruiting2:51 Learning the Industry from Scratch3:48 The 2020 Freight Boom and Aftermath5:48 Building Big Rig Nation Network6:44 How Recruiting Has Changed9:00 The Recruiter and Carrier Disconnect11:57 Shifting Focus to New CDL Drivers14:49 What Carriers Could Do Better17:46 The Recruiter's Role and Bad Reputation23:49 Driver Verification and Non-Domicile CDLs29:44 Driver Passport and Standing Out31:07 Big Rig Nation Network Relaunch34:07 Advice for New CDL Drivers37:09 Coaching Drivers Through the First 90 Days39:46 How to Reach Latoya Wilson42:00 Sponsor Shoutouts and OutroFollow Us!X: https://x.com/trucktalkradioIG: https://instagram.com/truckertalkradioTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@truckertalkradioFollow Latoya WilsonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latoya-wilson-a0698269/Website: https://www.bigrignation.orgphone: 757-944-2211About Trucker Talk Radio:Powered by Ready AppThe driver-verification platform protecting brokers, carriers, and shippers from identity fraud, onboarding risks, and unsafe hires.Learn more at: https://ready-app.comSupport GreyCross.orgA 501(c)(3) supporting families affected by roadway tragedies across America.Donate at: https://greycross.org#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #trucking #cdldrivers #driverrecruiting #truckinglife #owneroperator #truckingpodcast #bigrignationnetwork #newcdldriver #freightindustry #truckdriver #truckingbusiness #driveradvocacy #cdla #logistics #supplychaintalk #keepontruckin

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Aleks Bates, co-founder of Carrier Defender and key figure at PGT Northside, joins Jon and Justin for a raw, unfiltered conversation about life in trucking from the ground up. Born in Toronto, Aleks took a trip to Serbia, saw a different way of living on day two, quit his job, and never looked back. He built dispatch offices overseas, spent years on the carrier side learning the business inside and out, and eventually crossed over into brokerage, joining the flatbed-heavy PGT Northside operation that moves roughly 1,200 loads a day.Aleks breaks down what makes flatbed trucking a different animal entirely, from the physical demands on drivers to the seasonal swings and the specialized knowledge required for permitting and load securement. He shares a firsthand story of a driver who wanted to watch a YouTube video before strapping down a load, and the conversation gets serious fast about the real consequences of overconfidence and under-regulation in open deck freight.The episode goes deep on Carrier Defender, the company Aleks co-founded with Michigan attorney Dan Arteve to protect carriers from false and emotionally-driven reporting on platforms like Freight Guard. He explains how a single bad report from a broker can cripple a 90-truck operation over one driver's mistake, and why he believes brokerages need more accountability in who gets to post public complaints. The discussion also covers the Supreme Court ruling holding freight brokers liable for negligent carrier hiring, the growing sophistication of freight fraud, and why the industry's biggest problem is that nobody works together or shares data across platforms.Aleks also pulls back the curtain on how he built a 13,000-follower LinkedIn following starting with Friday afternoon memes about brokers, and how his media presence through Asset Based and Ilumino Lense grew from a simple desire to give carriers a voice in a brokerage-dominated conversation.Chapters0:00 Intro1:18 From Toronto to Serbia3:23 Work Culture: North America vs. Serbia5:09 AI, Efficiency & Remote Work6:19 Aleks' Trucking Career Path7:41 Building a LinkedIn Following9:01 PGT Northside & Flatbed Operations10:27 What Makes Flatbed Trucking Different11:11 Broker Training & Permit Knowledge Gaps13:51 Driver Recruiting for Flatbed16:07 Carrier Defender Explained19:17 Freight Fraud & Industry Accountability20:18 Advanced Scams & Shipper Verification22:42 Supreme Court Ruling on Broker Liability26:20 Why the Industry Won't Work Together29:54 Closing Plugs & Sponsor ShoutoutsFollow Us!X: https://x.com/trucktalkradioIG: https://instagram.com/truckertalkradioTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@truckertalkradioFollow Aleks BatesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleks-bates-738a82225/Powered by Ready AppThe driver-verification platform protecting brokers, carriers, and shippers from identity fraud, onboarding risks, and unsafe hires.Learn more at: https://ready-app.comSupport GreyCross.orgA 501(c)(3) supporting families affected by roadway tragedies across America.Donate at: https://greycross.org#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #aleksbates #carrierdefender #pgttrucking #flatbedtrucking #freightfraud #truckingpodcast #owneroperator #freightbroker #truckinglife #cdldrivers #supplychain #logistics #truckdriver #freightindustry #truckingnews #carrierrights

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Francisco Lopez Roualdes, Co-founder and CEO of Double Nickel, joins Jon and Justin to break down what is actually broken in truck driver recruiting and how his Brooklyn-based startup is building something better.Francisco comes from an unlikely background for trucking: 8 years at Boston Consulting Group, a lending director role at Klip in Latin America, and an MBA from Columbia Business School. But after watching labor imbalances deepen across the economy during COVID, he and co-founder Elif Kenli walked away from consulting and pointed their full attention at one of the most overlooked corners of logistics: the ATS. Today, Double Nickel serves fleets like Maverick Transportation, Nussbaum, Custom Transport, Universe Carrier, and Panhandle Express, all with a team of roughly 10 people.The conversation digs into the data behind Double Nickel's AI virtual recruiter, including why 50 to 60 percent of driver applicants come in overnight or on weekends when no one is available to call, and how that speed-to-lead gap is killing conversion. Francisco also walks through what switching from TenStreet actually looks like, why two-thirds of annual driver turnover happens in the first 90 days, and how freeing recruiters from admin busy work can directly improve retention.They also get into the bigger picture: autonomous trucks, AI replacing recruiters, driver verification and compliance, and what the next 12 months look like for Double Nickel as they target larger fleets and build toward conditional job offers generated in seconds. If you run a fleet or manage recruiting, this one is packed with real insight.Chapters0:00 Intro0:04 Industry Hook: Driver Shortage Stats2:40 Welcoming Francisco Lopez Roualdes3:05 ReadyApp Sponsor Read3:46 Francisco's Background and Path to Trucking7:13 What's Broken in Driver Recruiting9:59 The AI Virtual Recruiter Explained15:20 Recruiting, Retention, and Justin's 15 Years17:25 How Double Nickel Helps Retention21:03 Competing Against TenStreet25:51 Switching From TenStreet: The Process29:13 Driver Verification and Compliance Tech32:15 ReadyApp and the Driver Passport Vision37:59 Autonomous Trucks and the Future of Recruiting43:08 The Origin of the Double Nickel Name44:06 Will AI Replace Recruiters?48:52 Seed Raise and What's Next for Double Nickel50:43 Where to Find Double Nickel51:39 Sponsor Shoutouts and ClosingFollow Us!X: https://x.com/trucktalkradioIG: https://instagram.com/truckertalkradioTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@truckertalkradioFollow Francisco Lopez RoualdesWebsite: https://www.getdoublenickel.comemail: fran@getdoublenickel.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franciscolopezroualdes/Fifty Nickel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/double-nickel-software/About Trucker Talk Radio:Powered by Ready AppThe driver-verification platform protecting brokers, carriers, and shippers from identity fraud, onboarding risks, and unsafe hires.Learn more at: https://ready-app.comSupport GreyCross.orgA 501(c)(3) supporting families affected by roadway tragedies across America.Donate at: https://greycross.org#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #trucking #truckingpodcast #truckdrivers #driverrecruiting #doublenickel #airecruiting #truckingtech #fleetmanagement #owneroperator #cdldrivers #logisticstechnology #truckingbusiness #freightindustry #driverretention #autonomoustrucks #supplychain