The Armchair Attorney® Podcast is program hosted by the Armchair Attorney® himself, Matthew M. Leffler. Matthew is a real-life attorney with a curious mind and a passion for how things work. From law to supply chain and everything in-between, he bridges the gap between education and entertainment.
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May 29, 2026Episode 13456 min
What is an Unsafe Motor Carrier?
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Montgomery v. Caribe, freight brokers face new liability risks for carrier selection, potentially ending the era of hiding behind FAAAA preemption when negligent vetting leads to accidents. In this episode, we sit down with Ryan Joyce, CEO of GenLogs and former CIA operations officer who now applies intelligence-driven analytics, roadside sensors, and AI to verify real carriers and combat fraud in the trucking industry.We break down what the ruling really means for brokers, shippers, and insurers, how 'chameleon carriers' and weak vetting expose the supply chain, and how GenLogs' ground-truth platform is helping the industry adapt with proactive risk signals and better due diligence. Follow Ryan over on X right here!This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
May 20, 2026Episode 13355 min
Hop on the Convoy!
Join us for an insightful conversation with Bill Driegert, EVP of the Convoy Platform at DAT Freight & Analytics. A true pioneer in freight technology, Bill has shaped the industry for over 15 years, from his early days as the 4th employee at Coyote Logistics, to co-founding Uber Freight, leading trucking at Flexport, and now driving innovation at DAT following the acquisition of the Convoy Platform. In this episode, we dive into the evolution of digital freight matching, AI-powered tools transforming broker and carrier operations, what’s actually sticking in freight tech (and what’s hype), the future of marketplaces, and how established players like DAT are blending massive network scale with cutting-edge automation to make freight easier and more efficient for everyone. Whether you're a broker, carrier, shipper, or logistics enthusiast, this is a must-listen discussion on where the industry is headed. Tune in!This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
April 30, 2026Episode 1321 hr 3 min
Freight Expectations
What do you get when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? It's Freight Expectations!This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
March 25, 2026Episode 13157 min
Should I Panic?
Should I Panic?The US supply chain faces ongoing volatility from global conflicts, intensified regulatory pressures, & persistently low freight volumes. Escalating Middle East tensions, including US-Israel strikes on Iran & related disruptions, have delayed any large-scale return of container shipping to the Red Sea, forcing rerouting around Africa, higher surcharges, & increased costs for energy, commodities, & imports.Domestically, freight demand remains subdued after 2025's tariff-driven front-loading, with containerized imports softening, trucking & rail volumes depressed, & spot rates mixed amid weather impacts & regional capacity tightness. With all of that said, I asked two of the brightest minds in freight, Jason Miller of the Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business & Ken Adamo of DAT Freight & Analytics to join the Armchair Attorney® Podcast to help me answer the age old question: "Should I Panic?"Join us live as our experts answer my concerns. Get ready. This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
March 19, 2026Episode 13039 min
FMCSA Final Rule and ‘Dalilah’s Law’ target CDL eligibility
The U.S. government took two big steps to fix problems with truck drivers who live outside the country. One is a new rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL), which tightens rules on who can hold a commercial driver’s license. The other, Delilah’s Law, is a new Senate bill that proposes even stricter nationwide changes. The bill is named after Dalilah Coleman who was five years old in June 2024 when she was critically injured in a multi-car pileup in Adelanto, California. The crash was caused by an 18-wheel tractor-trailer driven by Partap Singh, an Indian national who had entered the U.S. illegally in 2022. Both moves come after deadly crashes and widespread state noncompliance, and they could reshape the pool of available drivers for fleets. Here is an article I wrote that was recently published with Freightwaves. This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
March 9, 2026Episode 1291 hr 4 min
ACT Research 74th Commercial Seminar: Law & Insurance
Who would have guessed that a panel about law & insurance would electrify the attendees at ACT Research Co.?I, for one, expected it.For 40 years, ACT Research Co. has brought the trucking industry together to anticipate change and chart its future. What's more, ACT Research Co. recently hosted its 74th Market Vitals: The Current & Future Health of the Industry Seminar in Columbus, IN. The event marked a special milestone of 40 years delivering commercial vehicle and freight market intelligence to the industry.On the third panel of the day, ol' Armchair Attorney® brought some sizzle. It's easy to do that when you share the stage with the likes of Thom Albrecht, Chief Revenue Officer at Reliance Partners; Anthony Johnson, President at Marvin Johnson & Associates, and the imperturbable Timothy Denoyer as our esteemed moderator. We covered insurance and litigation pressures in the freight market. But so much more! We discussed the latest issues regarding non-domiciled CDLs, nuclear verdicts, IEEPA, and motor carrier insurance.This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
March 6, 2026Episode 1281 hr 39 min
Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC - Oral Arguments
In Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, argued on Wednesday, March 4, the court considers whether a federal law initially designed to deal with state trucking regulations supersedes state common-law claims holding freight brokers liable for negligently selecting dangerous motor carriers or drivers. That may not sound particularly fascinating, but the issue before the court, which involves the scope of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994, could have broad liability implications for transportation logistics and the freight broker industry.These are the oral arguments before SCOTUS. Link here to the full transcript. This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
March 4, 2026Episode 12743 min
Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II Reaction
The case asks whether the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA) preempts state negligence claims against freight brokers for carelessly selecting unsafe motor carriers or drivers. The crash happened December 7, 2017, on Interstate 70 in Illinois. Missouri truck driver Shawn Montgomery had pulled his 2015 Mack truck onto the shoulder for mechanical repairs. While standing outside, he was struck from behind by a speeding 1995 Freightliner tractor-trailer driven by Yosniel Varela-Mojena. Montgomery lost his leg and suffered permanent disfigurement.Varela-Mojena worked for Indiana-based Caribe Transport II, which owned the tractor. The trailer was leased from a related Florida company. Freight broker C.H. Robinson arranged the shipment of plastic pots from Ohio to Arkansas and Texas under a contract with Caribe II. Montgomery sued under state law, claiming negligence against the driver, the carriers, and Robinson for negligent hiring. Robinson argued the FAAAA’s Section 14501(c)(1) preempts the claims because they relate to a broker’s “price, route, or service” in transporting property. The district court said the claims related to broker services but fit the safety exception in Section 14501(c)(2)(A), which preserves state “safety regulatory authority… with respect to motor vehicles.” The 7th Circuit held that negligent-hiring claims against brokers are preempted. Montgomery argues to the Supreme Court that his claims are not preempted. He says the FAAAA targets economic regulations, not safety-based torts. The safety exception protects states’ traditional authority over motor vehicles, and requiring brokers to use reasonable care when hiring carriers falls within that power. He warns broad preemption could leave victims without remedies and encourage brokers to choose risky carriers for profit.Robinson and the other respondents reply that state tort claims like negligent hiring are expressly preempted by the statute’s plain text. The safety exception applies only to rules with a “direct connection” to motor vehicles. Brokers do not own or operate vehicles, so states lack authority to impose personal injury liability on them. Policy concerns cannot override the law’s wording. The U.S. government filed a brief supporting the respondents, arguing the text requires a direct link to vehicles, and a broker’s duty to select carriers carefully does not qualify. The government reversed its prior position after new review and court developments.The outcome is hard to predict, especially with the government’s shift. Oral argument will likely feature questions about what counts as a “direct connection” to motor vehicles.This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
February 24, 2026Episode 12634 min
Drop it Like Its Hot: Elevating Drop Trailer Solutions to Match Modern Demand Cycles
It's not everyday I get to moderate a panel of experts. Even rarer is getting the audio to release to all of you! Well, earlier this month I was fortunate enough to moderate a panel on drop trailers with Tom Larson & Peter Weis of ITS Logistics, Lance McCrorey, MBA of Continental, & Courtney Padgitt of Post Consumer Brands. The energy was palpable. Spoiler: everyone loves trailers.This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
February 23, 2026Episode 1257 min
Dodging a Constitutional Iceberg
We're less than a week out from the Learning Resources case. No surprise, I'm still collecting my thoughts. At issue were the reciprocal tariffs used under IEEPA, or, put another way, the "gradual but continual accretion of power in the executive branch & away from the people's representatives." In this video, I take an excerpt from the oral arguments between Justice Gorsuch & Solicitor General Sauer where we first heard of the "one-way ratchet." We then look at Justice Gorsuch's closing paragraph in his concurring opinion. Spoiler: it's a message for you. And you won't want to miss it.This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency.This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!
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