The shipping world is currently in a state of “seasonal strangeness.” In our latest podcast episode, Spot Co-founder, Andrew Elsener, sits down with Senior National Account Directors Theo Mascari and Alex Buening to discuss the logistics marketplace and more. Â
From the surge in Florida floral volume to the “depleted profile” of the long-haul driver, this episode goes into the details of the current market dynamics.
The Long-Haul Crisis: It’s a Supply Side Problem
One of the most striking insights from the discussion is the state of long-haul freight. While demand hasn’t necessarily skyrocketed, the supply of drivers willing to stay on the road to fill the long-haul needs is a harder ask today than it used to be.
Fuel Tables: Gamesmanship vs. RealityÂ
With diesel prices continuing to spike, fuel is the “hot topic” in every carrier conversation. However, the team uncovers an interesting trend: Gamesmanship.
The takeaway? Shippers who try to “game” the system by adjusting fuel tables (like extending gaps or capping maximums) often find that carriers simply adjust their line-haul rates to offset the difference. At the end of the day, it costs what it costs to move the truck.
Is the Annual RFP Dead?Â
Shippers have been conducting more frequent bids than ever.
The “Low-Cost Carrier” Trap: Alex and Andrew warn against “bid fatigue” and the danger of awarding loads to the lowest bidder in a tightening market. If a carrier offers a $50 savings but defaults when the market gets tight in the summer, those “savings” evaporate instantly.
Why You Need to Listen
This episode isn’t just about numbers; it’s about the Rules of Engagement. If you want to understand why your routing guide is failing, how Mother’s Day floral surges affect your capacity, and why small fleets react faster to market shifts, you can’t afford to miss this one.
The tools you use can either be a bottleneck or a catalyst for growth. For many companies, “off-the-shelf” software is the starting point, but as the industry evolves, those standard solutions often fall short of meeting the modern customer’s needs.
In our latest What Others Won’t video, Andy Schenck, Spot’s Co-founder, shares the origin story of Red Technologies and how a bold decision in 2014 changed the trajectory of the business.
Moving Beyond Off-the-Shelf
When the journey began in 2009, the industry was a different landscape; older technologies like fax machines were still in normal use. While Spot had basic software that worked initially, it lacked the flexibility required to customize solutions for a growing list of diverse clients.
By 2014, it became clear that to do things differently, we had to build something ourselves. This led to a multi-year development process focused on creating a comprehensive system to manage the entire lifecycle of a shipment: from customer orders and carrier dispatching to complex accounting functions.
Why We Call It “Red”
Naming a piece of proprietary technology is a major milestone, but for us, the name “Red” wasn’t chosen by a marketing firm. It was a personal tribute. Andy’s business parter and Spot’s Co-founder, Andrew Elsener, suggested naming the software after Andy’s mother. Her nickname was Red. It’s a name that carries a sense of legacy and heart, reflecting the personal commitment poured into the platform.
The Power of Real-World Development
One of the greatest advantages of building proprietary tech in-house is the proximity between the people writing the code and the people moving the freight.
With Red Technologies, developers don’t work in a vacuum. They sit right alongside the operations teams, seeing the real-world impact of every line of code. This collaboration allows us to act fast when issues arise and ensures that every update serves a functional purpose for the end-user.
If you thought the logistics market was finally settling into a predictable “new normal,” the last four weeks have served as a massive reality check. From regulatory shifts to fuel volatility, the industry is currently navigating a stretch that some experts are calling more tumultuous than in the early days of the pandemic.
In our latest podcast episode, Andrew Elsener, Co-founder of Spot, sat down with two of Spot’s Senior National Account Directors, Theo Mascari and Alex Buening to break down the rapid shifts in the March marketplace. Here are the key takeaways for shippers and carriers trying to weather the storm.
The Non-Domiciled CDL Regulation Factor
One of the most significant—and perhaps underestimated—drivers of this current capacity crunch is the enforcement of non-domiciled CDL regulations.
The biggest near-term shift in the freight market is a forced reduction in driver supply. Under the FMCSA’s Final Rule on non-domiciled CDLs, the current population of roughly 200,000 holders is expected to shrink sharply over time, with only about 6,000 new non-domiciled CDLs issued annually going forward. FMCSA estimates 194,000 current holders will lose renewal eligibility, while broader estimates put total market removals between 214,000 and 437,000 drivers.
“We’re seeing carriers getting notices via email saying they are either immediately shut down or ineligible for renewal,” Mascari noted. “These drivers typically handled the ‘less attractive’ freight—long-haul, multi-stop, and Midwest-to-Northeast lanes. As they leave, that freight is flooding the spot market.”
The “All-In” Fuel Crisis
Carriers are facing that tightening backdrop while also absorbing rapidly rising fuel costs. Diesel has climbed to about $5.37 per gallon, nearly $1 per gallon higher than before the recent oil shock, and some fleets report fuel costs rising 25% since late February.
For carriers, that translates into meaningful budget pressure:
- Monthly fuel spend rising from roughly $12K–$13K to about $15K
- An annual impact of roughly $100,000
- Fuel surcharge increases of about 10% in some cases
Even with surcharge adjustments, carriers are struggling to fully offset the increase, which is tightening margins and putting pressure on freight pricing. Fuel remains especially volatile because oil market disruptions can still push carrier costs higher quickly, even with strategic reserve releases of 172M barrels in the U.S. and 400M barrels globally.
Regional Hotspots: California in the Crosshairs
- While the Midwest and Northeast were recently hampered by weather, California is the new center of the capacity struggle.
- The transition from Yuma to Salinas produce seasons, coupled with the highest diesel spikes in the country and new EPA regulations (specifically the EPA 2027 standards), has created a “perfect storm.” Carriers are “pre-loading” or buying Class 8 trucks now to get ahead of the 2027 maintenance and cost increases, but this isn’t necessarily adding new capacity to the road—it’s just replenishing old iron before it gets too expensive.
Market Update.
At Spot, we understand the vital role that up-to-date information plays in navigating the dynamic logistics market. Each month, we bring you a comprehensive logistics market update. We dive into the latest trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the logistics sector. Join us as we empower you with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions in this fast-paced industry. Market Update.
Canadian Tariffs Surge: A Hidden Shock
While China has dominated the headlines, Canadian imports are bearing the brunt of new tariffs under the current administration:
•Average monthly tariffs in 2024: $34M
•March & April 2025 tariffs: $660M and $675M, a 19.5x increase
•June is expected to surge again due to 50% tariffs on steel/metal
Top affected categories
•Unwrought aluminum: $123.7M
•Auto parts: $67.5M
•Finished vehicles: $52.2M
Operating Costs: Inflation Without Pricing Power
- Stagflation Strains Margins: Carriers face the worst of both worlds, flat volumes and rates paired with rising costs. This stagflationary environment has forced many into cost-deferral decisions that may backfire long term (e.g., delayed maintenance, equipment replacement).
- Insurance a Top Pressure Point: Premiums are skyrocketing due to increased litigation and nuclear verdicts (claims >$10M). Carriers are also contending with cargo theft risks, including sophisticated scams like identity manipulation and double brokering.
Supply & Capacity: A Market in Contraction
- Carrier Exits Hit New High: In April 2025, 7,474 trucking companies exited the market, a 12-month peak and a 26% increase from March. Weekly revocation rates remain elevated, with more than 1,500 carriers losing authority each week.
- New Entrants Defy the Trend: Despite exits, new carrier authorities rose 48% month over month in April. Seasonal optimism and the lure of an eventual rate rebound keep new players entering the market, though many may be underestimating the financial headwinds.
Market Update.
How Spot & Red Technologies Build Practical, Real-World AI Solutions That Actually Work
Artificial intelligence isn’t new to logistics, but honest conversations about what actually works are. For years, Spot’s wholly-owned subsidiary and technology arm, Red Technologies, has been building and deploying AI in ways that reflect the real-world pace, pressure, and complexity of freight. The work wasn’t linear; it was iterative and deeply collaborative.
What follows is a behind-the-scenes look at how the engineers, data scientists, and operations teams of Red Technologies have adopted AI by doing what logistics has always required: solving the problem directly in front of them, learning from the people closest to the work, and scaling only when the results earn it.
This whitepaper blends two perspectives rarely found in a single narrative:
- The data side: where AI is fueled, shaped, and validated
- The development side: where ideas become actual systems inside Spot’s platform
Together, the two perspectives reveal how the Red Technologies team approaches AI with clarity, humility, and a firm focus on operational value.
Read and download the latest white paper here
In the logistics industry, we are used to high-stakes deadlines and urgent requests. It could be a production line shut down or a retail shelf that needs restocking. But one Tuesday night, Brian Jobe, a Senior National Account Director at Spot, received a call from a longtime customer that changed his perspective on what “urgent” really means.
The Request: Two Cases, One Huge Problem
The call came in late. Jobe’s customer, a baby formula manufacturer, needed a shipment moved from Indianapolis to Kentucky immediately.
At first glance, it didn’t sound like much—just two small cases. But the backstory was more serious. A mother in Kentucky was down to her last scoops of specialized formula for her son. Because of his severe dietary restrictions, this wasn’t something she could just pick up at a local grocery store. Her original shipment had been delayed for days, and she was in a state of pure panic.
The situation had escalated all the way to the manufacturer’s CEO. That’s when they called us.
Going the Extra Mile (Literally)
Jobe knew we couldn’t just treat this like any other load.
- The Search: Jobe immediately tapped into Spot’s carrier network and found a trusted partner an hour away who was willing to push his limits to make the pickup before the facility closed.
- The Communication: As the driver headed south, Jobe got on the phone with the mother of the infant in need of the formula. He could hear the panic in her voice. He gave her his personal cell number and promised her, “We’ve got you. I will stay awake until this is at your door.”
- The Delivery: Throughout the night, Jobe traded updates. At 4:00 A.M., the driver arrived at a quiet residential neighborhood. To ensure the exhausted mother could get as much sleep as possible, the driver quietly tucked the formula into a safe spot, snapped a photo, and moved on.
Why We Do What We Do
The next morning, Jobe’s phone was full of text messages, and he received phone calls from his customer. The mother even called him, calling the team “lifesavers.” His customer reached out to say that this was exactly why they trusted Spot—they knew that when things got dire, Jobe’s team and Spot wouldn’t just provide a truck; we would provide a solution.
In logistics, we often get caught up in the numbers, the ETAs, and the bottom line. But that night, it wasn’t about a “shipment.” It was about an infant who needed to eat and a mother who needed peace of mind.
At Spot, we understand that behind every pallet—or in this case, every small box—there is a person counting on us.
In the dynamic world of logistics, understanding market shifts and their implications on supply and demand is crucial. In this episode of More Than a Broker, Spot Cofounder Andrew Elsner engages with our Senior National Account Directors, Alex Buening and Theo Mascari, to explore how external factors are reshaping the logistics landscape.
The podcast also addresses the implications of regulatory changes, particularly the English Language Proficiency (ELP) guidelines and the non-domicile driver rule. These regulations have impacted driver availability and capacity, prompting shippers to reassess their strategies. The team discusses how these changes have led to changes in the spot market, affecting the overall supply and demand dynamics.
As the episode concludes, the experts reflect on how the logistics landscape is evolving. They agree that the focus on strategic partnerships with carriers is critical, as companies aim to streamline operations and reduce the number of vendors. The discussion underscores the importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing environment, with technology and regulatory factors playing key roles in shaping the future of logistics.
In summary, the logistics industry is currently navigating a complex landscape influenced by a variety of factors. From market shifts and capacity challenges to regulatory impacts and the need for strategic partnerships, it is clear that staying informed and adaptable is essential for success. As we move forward, embracing technology and fostering strong relationships within the supply chain will be vital in overcoming the challenges ahead.
Logistics Lessons in this Episode:
- Rapid Lane Shifts: Customers are demanding extreme flexibility and quickly reassigning lanes due to volatile market conditions.
- Technology as Table Stakes: Advanced reporting and technology are now mandatory requirements for securing business partnerships.
- Mini Bid Necessity: Mini bids are increasingly used to swiftly cover needs and mitigate risks following carrier failures.
- Strategic Partner Consolidation: Shippers are narrowing their focus to fewer, more reliable supply chain partners.
- Capacity Constraints: Regulatory changes are consistently impacting driver availability and tightening market capacity.
- Structural Market Reset: The logistics industry is experiencing a fundamental structural reset, not just a cyclical recession.
- Volatile Spot Rates: Supply constraints can cause freight rates to surge even amidst broader economic slumps.
- Evolving Broker Value: The role of the logistics broker is rapidly transforming to meet complex, evolving market demands.
- Pricing Optimization: Shippers are actively utilizing variable pricing models to achieve maximum cost efficiency.
- Tightening Market Forecast: Future projections anticipate a tighter market environment and potential rate increases.
At Spot, we understand the vital role that up-to-date information plays in navigating the dynamic logistics market. Each month, we bring you a comprehensive logistics market update. We dive into the latest trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the logistics sector. Join us as we empower you with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions in this fast-paced industry. Market Update.
Demand Level & Outlook
Retail & Manufacturing Impacts
Importers cite persistent geopolitical and regulatory volatility, leading to:
- Cautious inventory positions
- Delayed orders
- Tariff-related cost uncertainty
Manufacturers tied to Chinese imports are particularly strained, with shipments to the U.S. falling over 25% YoY.
Holiday Season 2025 Outlook
Retailers remain well-stocked, preventing shortages, but that is a sign of reduced ordering, not healthy demand and port trackers anticipate the slowest December since March 2023.
Supply, Capacity, and Carrier Operating Costs
Massive Productivity Losses Shrink Effective Capacity
Lost driver time is effectively lost supply:
- 135.9 million hours lost annually due to detention.
- 1.2 billion hours lost annually due to congestion.
These productivity losses convert directly into higher operating costs and reduce the effective capacity available in the network.
Tariffs Are Increasing Equipment Costs
New heavy-duty truck tariffs took effect in November. Although less severe than expected, these new policies will increase tractor and parts costs, incentivize reshoring U.S. production, and delay OEM capacity expansions.
Spot & Contract Market Trends
Contract Rates: Stable but Unsustainably Low
Contract rates have been essentially flat since mid-2024, rising only 1% over the last 15 months. Despite this stability, they now sit just 16% above 2019 levels, even though carrier operating costs have increased roughly 33% in that same period.
This creates a widening and unsustainable gap between revenue and expenses for carriers.
Market Update.
In this episode of More Than a Broker, three members of Spot’s Red Technologies team sat down to discuss the integration of AI in logistics, focusing on its definitions, importance, and the journey of implementation at Spot.
Director of Red Technologies Ben Garvin led a conversation with Alex Johnson, Director of Development Operations, and Tyler Hampton, Director of Data Science and Engineering, that focused on the significance of intelligent automation, the workforce skills gap, and the evolving nature of jobs driven by AI. They share insights on successful case studies, common pitfalls in AI adoption, and the future roadmap for AI innovations at Spot, highlighting the collaborative culture that drives their technological advancements.
About Red Technologies
Red Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Spot, was founded by Andy Schenck and Andrew Elsener in 2019. Through their experience in the 3PL space and building a network of close relationships with carriers and shippers, Andy and Andrew realized that having the right technology in place would increase efficiency and streamline communication for their customers and their customers’ operations. Rather than implementing an out-of-the-box solution, they developed proprietary software, MySpot, a transportation management system (TMS) that provides complete visibility into customers’ supply chain operations.
Reasons to Listen
- AI is about building systems that can understand and act on information.
- Intelligent automation is crucial for enhancing business processes.
- AI will not replace jobs but will change how they are performed.
- Developers must maintain a holistic understanding of their work despite AI tools.
- A single source of truth for data is essential for effective AI implementation.
- Focusing on one problem at a time leads to better AI solutions.
- AI can significantly improve customer service and operational efficiency.
- Collaboration between tech and business teams is vital for successful AI projects.
- The future of AI at Spot includes innovations in customer support and pricing models.
- Continuous feedback from users is essential for refining AI tools.
Spot, a leading logistics solutions provider, is proud to be named a 2025 Top Company for Women to Work in Transportation by Redefining the Road, the official magazine for the Women in Trucking Association (WIT).
Redefining the Road magazine highlights the 2025 Top Companies list in Edition 3, published on Oct. 29. This recognition program, developed in 2018, supports part of WIT’s mission: promoting the accomplishments of companies focused on the employment of women in the trucking industry, according to Jennifer Hedrick, CAE, president and CEO of WIT.  Â
“Spot is to be commended for earning recognition as a 2025 Top Company for Women to Work in Transportation by Redefining the Road, the official magazine for the Women in Trucking Association,” said Brian Everett, Group Publisher and Editorial Director. “Organizations recognized on this impressive list have proven they are supportive of gender diversity by accommodating family and work balance; offering competitive compensation, benefits, and professional growth; and providing career advancement opportunities. Spot is commended for earning this award.”
Nominations for the accolade were received by Redefining the Road and reviewed based on several characteristics that distinguish the companies recognized on this list, including corporate cultures that champion the employment and advancement of women in trucking; competitive compensation and benefits; flexible hours and work requirements; professional development opportunities; and career advancement opportunities.
If the company’s nomination is accepted, the marketplace then votes to determine whether the nominated company is worthy of this recognition. The voting portion of this nomination carries significant weight in determining whether the company is chosen as a winner. More than 21,000 transportation professionals participated in the industry vote during June.
You can view the full list at womenintrucking.org.