The most expensive truck in America isn't the one burning fuel down the highway.It's the one sitting still.On this episode of Brake Check, we're exposing the hidden costs that quietly destroy trucking profits every day: empty seats, slow hiring, breakdowns, repair delays, compliance bottlenecks, and downtime that most carriers never properly measure.First, Charles sits down with Tim Crawford, CEO and Co-Founder of Tenstreet, the platform helping thousands of carriers recruit, hire, onboard, and retain drivers. Tim breaks down what's really happening in driver recruiting in 2026, where AI is helping (and hurting), why some fleets consistently keep seats full while others struggle, and the costly mistakes carriers make between a driver saying "yes" and actually getting behind the wheel.Then, Alex Bezzubets, Founder and CEO of myMechanic, joins the show to tackle the other side of downtime: truck breakdowns. Alex explains why roadside repairs still take too long, what a single breakdown really costs a carrier, and how technology is helping fleets get trucks repaired and back on the road faster than ever before.Topics include: Driver Recruiting Trends in 2026 Retention vs. Recruiting AI in Trucking Recruitment Empty Seats & Lost Revenue Fleet Profitability Truck Breakdowns & Roadside Repair Maintenance Strategy Compliance & Onboarding Small Fleet Survival Downtime ReductionWhether you're an owner-operator, fleet owner, safety manager, recruiter, dispatcher, or trucking executive, this episode delivers practical insights on one question every carrier should be asking:How much is downtime really costing your business?Subscribe to Brake Check for straight talk, industry leaders, and the conversations trucking needs to have.#Trucking #OwnerOperator #Freight #Logistics #FleetManagement #TruckDriver #Transportation #BrakeCheck #FreightWaves⁠Follow the Brake Check Podcast⁠⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices