The Hidden Cost of Empty Miles in Trucking

Lucas and Luna dig into the growing problem of empty miles in US trucking—when trucks drive without a load. They discuss how the trucking recession has worsened the issue, with data showing utilization rates stuck around 70%. The hosts reference recent import and export numbers from March 2026 and explore why the imbalance between inbound and outbound containers forces carriers to run empty. They also examine how smaller carriers are being squeezed, leading to a wave of bankruptcies, and what shippers can do to reduce waste. A specific case study of a Kansas City trucking cooperative using digital freight matching to cut empty miles from 25% to 12% illustrates the potential for improvement across the industry. #Trucking #EmptyMiles #SupplyChain #Logistics #Freight #Carriers #Shippers #DigitalFreightMatching #UtilizationRates #KansasCityCooperative #TruckingRecession #ContainerImbalance #Imbalance #Exports #Imports #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo