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Oct 2026

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The Podcast Network Dedicated to Spotlighting the Trucking Industry

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October 28, 20268 min

Take An Audio Tour Of PACCAR Connect With Peterbilt’s Chase Wolfe

For this episode of Destinations, we return to Charlotte and ATA’s MCE 2026 event to spend some time with Chase Wolfe, a Market Segment Manager with Peterbilt. Chase took a few minutes to give PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson a guided audio tour of the PACCAR Connect system that will be rolled out with the Peterbilt trucks that will be hitting the highways across the country in 2027. PACCAR Connect is essentially a voice command and touch-screen system that is the size of an Ipad tablet embedded in the dash of the truck. As Chase shares with us, the display features four standard PACCAR applications including digitized operator’s manuals with searchable functionality and driver tutorial videos for quick how-to guidance. It also has real-time vehicle health monitoring with fault code diagnosis and troubleshooting capabilities as well as a GPS-enabled dealer locator with contact information and hours of operation. In addition, the system supports four analog and four digital camera inputs that can be integrated with vehicle functions such as turn signals. It also includes compatibility with the Virtual Vehicle App Marketplace, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, AM/FM, weather radio and SiriusXM Radio. The system incorporates hands-free voice control activated by “Hey Peterbilt” commands and it features an ergonomic design with a dynamic upper display area and persistent lower section for quick access to climate controls, audio, and phone functions. The post Take An Audio Tour Of PACCAR Connect With Peterbilt’s Chase Wolfe appeared first on PodWheels .

October 27, 202628 min

Buy-Side M&A in Trucking: What to Buy, What to Fix and How to Integrate It

The Grawe Pod places a focus on the purchasing side of the merger and acquisition process in the trucking and logistics industry. Taking an inside look at the variety of considerations with the buy-side of M&A are Grawe Group Founder and CEO Doug Grawe and Grawe Group Executive Business Partner Gary Randall. As you will hear, Doug and Gary take a deep dive into the evaluation process for making an acquisition. From their experience in the field, defining the goal of the deal should come first before moving to the due diligence stage and pricing. As they both note, how the acquisition is integrated within the existing company structure should be planned around the goal that has been defined. Gary brings practical experience from buying carriers and leading transitions, while Doug shares the advisory and due diligence perspective. Together, they discuss how to avoid common mistakes, protect existing operations, and build a transition team that can execute. You will hear Doug and Gary discuss why the first question in any acquisition is: “What are we trying to buy?” They also explore the difference between buying a company as an investment and buying it to operate and improve it. The conversation between Doug and Gary highlights why a clear mission and a realistic plan matter as much as enthusiasm for the acquisition. Their discussion includes thoughts on how to plan the transition, noting who should be there on day one, who communicates with each team, and when to begin planning. Additionally, they cover the cost behind the cost, considering the operational changes and hidden expenses that affect whether a deal makes sense. The post Buy-Side M&A in Trucking: What to Buy, What to Fix and How to Integrate It appeared first on PodWheels .

October 26, 202610 min

Hear Audio Tour Of FlowBelow’s New Trailer AeroSlider Slider System

Our Destination for this episode is the land of reduced fuel costs. With diesel prices hitting historic levels earlier this year, FlowBelow’s debut of the company’s new Trailer AeroSlider Slider System was perfectly timed for the American Trucking Associations’ Management and Exhibition Conference that was held Oct. 17-20 in Charlotte, NC. PodWheels Executive Producer talked with Josh Butler, the President and Chief Technology Officer of FlowBelow. As you’ll hear, Josh provides an audio tour of FlowBelow’s redesigned Trailer AeroSlider System, an aerodynamic solution that saves 3.0 gallons of fuel per 1,000 miles traveled. Given the state of fuel prices in today’s market, FlowBelow’s new AeroSlider System offers payback in under 12 months, with some refrigerated fleet applications achieving ROI as fast as six months. Josh tells us that installation requires approximately 45 minutes for retrofit (30 minutes on factory lines), mounting to mudflap hangers and wheel ends to address labor constraints in the industry. As Josh notes, the bottom line here is that FlowBelow’s new AeroSlider System delivers savings of approximately 1.8 cents per mile. It should be no surprise that FlowBelow’s latest innovation has attracted strong interest from major fleets, with at least 10 expected to begin trials or equipment orders coming from the MCE 2026 event in Charlotte. LEARN MORE, READ FEATURE STORY: To learn more about FlowBelow’s new AeroSlider System, we invite you to read the feature story from The Trucker Media Group, which collaborated with PodWheels on our coverage of ATA’s MCE 2026. To access the feature story on FlowBelow’s new AeroSlider System, please click here . The post Hear Audio Tour Of FlowBelow’s New Trailer AeroSlider Slider System appeared first on PodWheels .

October 23, 202627 min

Hear ATA Chairmen Hodgen and Leathers Discuss State Of Trucking Industry at MCE 2026

In this episode, our Destination is Charlotte, NC, for the ATA’s Management Conference and Exhibition (MCE 2026). PodWheels had our microphones in record mode during the General Session on October 19th when outgoing ATA Chairman Greg Hodgen and incoming ATA Chairman Derek Leathers led the audience through a discussion in the State of the Trucking Industry and the road ahead. As you will hear, Hodgen describes the current moment as a chance for trucking to move from surviving to shaping the next cycle, with responsible carriers having maintained safety and investment standards through difficult conditions. While freight market recovery feels uneven, Hodgen calls for confidence, discipline, and urgency. Leathers agrees that the future belongs to carriers investing in safety and playing by the rules, with ATA working to raise marketplace standards and distinguish professional carriers from those “color outside the lines.” Hodgen and Leathers also dedicate some time to discussing policy achievements, highlighting unified advocacy advancing priorities including sensible emissions policy, truck parking expansion, CDL integrity, and workforce opportunity. Leathers points out that federal crackdowns removed nearly 10,000 non-compliant CDL schools including 550 fraudulent operations, investigated hundreds of high-risk carriers, and placed thousands of unqualified drivers out of service. Truck parking secured $200 million in federal appropriations for 2026, with $61.7 million now flowing to five states. At the end of their discussion (23:15), Hodgen and Leathers call incoming ATA President and CEO Mark Colson to the stage to address the audience. You’ll hear what Colson shared with the General Session audience, which was expressed with a great deal of humility and gratitude. Colson, who first learned about trucking as a kid in his grandfather’s Alabama-based tire shop, talked about the value he places on listening to ATA’s membership and he also shared his commitment to honor the essential work of America’s professional drivers. The post Hear ATA Chairmen Hodgen and Leathers Discuss State Of Trucking Industry at MCE 2026 appeared first on PodWheels .

October 20, 202648 min

Listen To ATRI’s Big Reveal Panel Discussion At ATA’s MCE 2026

As part of PodWheels’ collaboration with The Trucker Media Group in covering ATA’s Management Conference and Exhibition, this episode of Destinations takes us to Charlotte, North Carolina. PodWheels had our recording equipment rolling for the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual unveiling of the survey results listing trucking’s top issues. As she has done now for the past 22 years, ATRI President and Chief Operating Officer Rebecca Brewster went through the list of the Top 10 issues in trucking as determined by ATRI’s survey of more than 3,000 respondents representing a cross-section of the trucking industry. As you will hear, Rebecca was joined by a panel that featured fleet executive Ben Banks, who is the President of TCW, Gary Johnson, the Head of Safety and Compliance Strategy at Motive and Jason Damron, an America’s Road Team Captain and veteran driver for Kansas-based Convoy Systems. Earning the title “ATRI’s Big Reveal,” the countdown and discussion of trucking’s Top 10 issues in 2026 also served as a milestone moment for Rebecca, who will be retiring from ATRI in February. The post Listen To ATRI’s Big Reveal Panel Discussion At ATA’s MCE 2026 appeared first on PodWheels .

September 29, 202635 min

Driving For Excellence Award’s Final Five: A Grateful Group Humbled By Time Together

In our first episode following the announcement of the finalists for the 2026 Transition Trucking Driving For Excellence Award, our special series brings you the immediate thoughts of the five professionals behind the wheel who advanced in the search for America’s top rookie military veteran driver. Recorded within the first 30 minutes following the announcement that, for the first time in the program’s history, five of the semifinalists would be moving forward (due to ties in the scoring), Destinations talks with Monica Brooks Buck and Brandon Ward from Werner Enterprises. We’ll also be joined by Daniel Doss of Melton Truck Lines and Gary Williams of Stevens Transport. Mo Arzola with Patriot Group International caps off our conversations that capture each of the finalists’ immediate reaction that they are moving forward in this year’s edition of the program. The winner of the Driving For Excellence Award will receive a new Kenworth T680 truck. As you’ll hear, a great sense of humility is the theme running throughout this series of brief interviews. Each of the finalists noted that they were surprised to hear their names called, especially after having the opportunity to meet and spend time with the fellow members of the Elite 11. This year’s semifinalists had the opportunity to spend parts of two days together during their time onsite at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, and during the tour of the Kenworth plant in Chillicothe. To read more about the events in Columbus and Chillicothe as well as the view from the ground during the finalists’ announcement, we invite you to read the story by PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson in TheTrucker.com by clicking here . The post Driving For Excellence Award’s Final Five: A Grateful Group Humbled By Time Together appeared first on PodWheels .

September 21, 202624 min

Elite 11’s Daryus Jones Makes The Most Of Every Day As A Local Driver

Daryus Jones is the lone local driver to be selected for the Elite 11 in the 2026 Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence Award program. DJ also has the honor of being the final member of the Elite 11 to be featured as part of our special Destinations series that is continuing to cover this year’s Driving For Excellence Award. As you will hear in this episode, DJ’s transition to trucking actually began during his four years of military service in the Army, where he worked in logistics handling recovery missions and moving supplies in the field. It was in the Army that DJ developed a passion for trucking while working in Poland and traveling on the road through Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Germany and other countries. When considering his options with trucking after the military, DJ wanted to stay close to home. DJ and his wife, Vanessa, have four children who range in age from 11 through two years ago. DJ also serves as the head coach for the youth football team, and his oldest son, Aiden, is a standout offensive lineman on the team. Securing his CDL through Tulsa Tech’s Driver Professional Driver Program, DJ landed a local job with Anheuser-Busch, running routes throughout the Tulsa and Broken Arrow area of Oklahoma. As he shares with us, DJ’s days start well before dawn, arriving at the distribution center most days between 5:00 to 6:00 a.m. The early start allows him to be ready to lead football practice in the afternoons during the Fall. The post Elite 11’s Daryus Jones Makes The Most Of Every Day As A Local Driver appeared first on PodWheels .

September 20, 202629 min

Elite 11 Honoree Michael Bivens’ Transition To Trucking A Full-Circle Moment

Michael Bivens from Stevens Transport is our featured guest as we continue our special series sharing the personal stories of the Elite 11 from Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award. Our conversation looks back at Michael’s life, including his 13 years of military service in the Marine Corps and the career turn that brought him into the trucking industry. As you’ll hear, Michael shares how his years as a Marine shaped his sense of discipline and how his family, especially his wife, children, grandson, and late father, continue to inspire his path in life. One of the highlights of the conversation takes place when Michael tells us about his time at the Tennessee Truck Driving School in Knoxville, where he secured his CDL. Michael notes that the instructors were highly impressed with his backing skills and asked him if he had previous driving experience. As you’ll hear, Michael credits his father for teaching how to properly back vehicles, even those attached to trailers, when he was younger. Entering the trucking industry has become a bit of a full-circle moment for Michael, whose father drove professionally for a brief time before focusing on farming and a career in telecommunications. The post Elite 11 Honoree Michael Bivens’ Transition To Trucking A Full-Circle Moment appeared first on PodWheels .

September 19, 202621 min

Juan Rosado Lozada Reflects On Marine Experience and His Road To Elite 11

With this episode of our special series featuring the Elite 11 from Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award, Juan Rosado Lozada reflects on how his service with the Marines paved the way for him to be behind the wheel at Roehl Transport. Juan was seeking to make some positive changes in his life when he enlisted in the Marines after working in a series of unfulfilling jobs after high school. As he shares with us, the Marines not only offered Juan what became the life-changing opportunity to get behind the wheel as a motor transport operator, but the daily structure he embraced while a part of the Corps reshaped his sense of responsibility and time management. The Marines also provided Juan with other skills that have translated quite well and made his transition to trucking a smooth ride. During the conversation, Juan also credits the support he has received from his wife, Mayumi Kawashiro, who he met while he was deployed with the Marines in Japan. The post Juan Rosado Lozada Reflects On Marine Experience and His Road To Elite 11 appeared first on PodWheels .

September 18, 202636 min

Elite 11’s Daniel Doss Learning Lessons, Growing In Confidence With Every Mile

Daniel Doss of Melton Truck Lines is our guest as we continue to feature the members of the Elite 11 from Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award. Catching up with Daniel just days before his first anniversary on the road with Melton, we look back at his rookie year as a professional driver following his retirement from the Air Force. Getting the call that Melton wanted to nominate Daniel for the Driving For Excellence Award came as a bit of surprise in what has been a seemingly very fast year. Daniel talks to us about how he found his path to service in the Air Force – following in a long family tradition of military service across generations in and multiple branches of the military. One of the highlights of Daniel’s look back at his time in the Air Force is hearing his memories of leading the Honor Guard at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington. In discussing his transition to trucking, Daniel places a good deal of credit on the success he has seen in his first year on the road to his wife, Brandy. You’ll hear the role that Brandy has played in being a supportive resource on the phone as well as her efforts on the homefront with their three children. Speaking of family, Daniel’s big blue Melton truck was an instant hit with his seven-year-old son. The post Elite 11’s Daniel Doss Learning Lessons, Growing In Confidence With Every Mile appeared first on PodWheels .