Driver trust, not just pay, may be the biggest driver retention challenge facing trucking fleets today. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Deborah Lockridge talks with CarriersEdge CEO Jane Jazrawy about what this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program reveals about communication, AI, survey fatigue, owner-operators, and what today's drivers expect from employers.Drawing on driver surveys, fleet interviews, and years of Best Fleets data, Jazrawy explains why trust and communication are becoming increasingly important to retention. She also discusses survey fatigue, how AI-assisted route planning may improve driver satisfaction, why owner-operators have different priorities than company drivers, and why fleets may need to rethink how they communicate with the next generation of drivers.Topics include:Why driver trust is becoming a competitive advantageThe communication strategies top fleets useSurvey fatigue and what drivers really wantAI's role in fairer route planningSupporting owner-operatorsWhy social media may no longer be the best communication toolOne surprisingly simple driver perk that consistently stands outFollow HDT Talks Trucking so you never miss an episode

How do you manage and maintain more than 18,000 connected trucks? Data. Lots of it.Waste Connections' Chuck Palmer explains how telematics, predictive maintenance, safety analytics, and AI help keep vehicles on the road and drivers safe in this episode of HDT Talks Trucking.Hear his thoughts on AI, predictive maintenance, alternative fuels and electric vehicles, in-cab cameras and more.

Running a small trucking fleet right now isn’t easy, especially right now. And Jamie Hagen doesn’t sugarcoat it.In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, the Hell Bent Xpress owner joins HDT’s Jack Roberts for a real-world conversation about what small fleets are dealing with today: weak freight rates, rising costs, compliance headaches, nuclear verdicts, and the constant balancing act of staying profitable.But it’s not all doom and gloom. Jamie also talks about why he’s still investing, what separates strong fleets from struggling ones, and why he believes opportunities are coming for carriers that can weather the storm.If you’re an owner-operator, small fleet owner, or just trying to keep up with where trucking is headed, this is a conversation worth hearing.Learn more about Jamie: How A Social Media Influencer Grew From Owner-Operator to a Small Fleet -- https://www.truckinginfo.com/articles/how-a-social-media-influencer-grew-from-owner-operator-to-small-fleetLearn more about the Supreme Court ruling on brokers discussed in the interview: How the Supreme Court Broker Liability Ruling Could Reshape Trucking’s Safety Landscape -- https://www.truckinginfo.com/news/why-the-supreme-court-broker-liability-ruling-could-reshape-truckings-safety-landscape

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has the trucking industry paying close attention — especially freight brokers, carriers, and legal teams.In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Heavy Duty Trucking Executive Editor Jack Roberts speaks with transportation attorney Greg Feary about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling involving broker liability, negligent hiring claims, and what the case could mean for the future of freight transportation litigation.Feary explains the legal background behind the case, why it matters to brokers and carriers alike, and how future lawsuits and safety scrutiny could affect the trucking industry moving forward.Topics include:The C.H. Robinson caseNegligent hiring claims against brokersFederal preemption and FAAAA implicationsWhat this means for trucking companies and freight brokersPotential ripple effects across the industrySubscribe to Heavy Duty Trucking for more trucking news, legal insights, fleet strategies, and industry analysis at Magazine Subscription | Heavy Duty Trucking

Fleets need to "get on board the train" with AI, says Lance Evans of K&B Transportation in this HDT Talks Trucking Short Takes.Deborah Lockridge talked to Evans about how fleets are using data and artificial intelligence to improve safety, driver coaching, and operational performance.For more on K&B and technology, listen to the full-length version of our HDT Talks Trucking interview with Lance Evans!

How is technology changing trucking safety? In this HDT Talks Trucking Short Takes, K&B Transportation shares how it’s using safety technology to reduce distracted driving, improve coaching, manage speed, and help protect drivers on the road.The conversation covers cellphone-blocking technology, speed management systems, weather geofencing, bridge avoidance tools, and multi-camera systems that help fleets coach drivers and document incidents.For more on K&B and technology, watch the full-length version of our HDT Talks Trucking interview with Lance Evans!

Fleet safety is evolving fast—and technology is at the center of it. Learn how a former commercial vehicle enforcement officer turned director of safety at K&B Transportation is embracing real-world safety technology. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Deborah Lockridge sits down with Lance Evans, Director of Safety at K&B Transportation, to talk about how fleets are using data, AI, and emerging technologies to reduce risk and improve driver performance.Evans shares how his fleet is tackling distracted driving, managing speed through geofencing, and using multi-camera systems to coach drivers and protect against liability. They also dig into the realities of driver pushback, the role of AI in safety, and why distracted driving remains one of the biggest threats in trucking today.👉 Key topics include:Using technology to eliminate distracted drivingSpeed management and geofencing for safer operationsHow AI is changing driver coaching and safety analysisBalancing driver acceptance with safety investmentsWhy data-driven safety decisions matter more than ever💬 “Data doesn’t lie—it tells you what’s really happening.”

When diesel prices are as volatile as they've been in 2026, it makes it tough for trucking fleets to plan and control costs.In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Deborah Lockridge sits down with Jenny Vander Zanden, COO of Breakthrough, to talk through what’s driving the volatility and what fleets can actually do about it.They get into practical, real-world strategies, from being smarter about where you buy fuel to improving driver habits and spotting hidden costs in your data.

Trucking technology is evolving fast — but what’s real, what’s hype, and what actually matters for fleets?In this episode, we cover:AI in real-world fleet operationsSoftware-defined vehiclesSafety tech and AI coachingThe EV market resetHow fleets should approach new techIf you're trying to make sense of where trucking tech is headed, this conversation with ACT Expo organizer Erik Neandross breaks it down.

The future of trucking isn’t diesel — or electric. It’s the “messy middle.”In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, Deborah Lockridge talks with Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, about insights from the latest Run on Less – Messy Middle demonstration.The project tracked trucks running multiple alternative fuels and powertrains, including diesel, natural gas, renewable fuels, and battery-electric trucks.In an interview at Geotab Connect, Roeth explained what the data is revealing about:• Battery-electric truck performance• Renewable diesel and biodiesel• The renewed interest in natural gas and RNG• Why fleets may rely on multiple fuels for decades• How telematics and data are guiding fleet decisions#Trucking #RunOnLess #ElectricTrucks #FleetManagement #hdttalkstrucking