Ding dong, the Badger’s dead — WHAT THE TRUCK?!? (with video)

Nikola's relationship with GM is no more, and Cyber Monday brings in the cash.

How a new deal with General Motors will affect electric truck maker Nikola, plus an update on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales


https://vimeo.com/485647351
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Headlines

General Motors has decided not to take an equity stake in Nikola Corp., ending plans for production of Nikola’s Badger electric pickup truck. Nikola would have paid GM $700 million to produce the truck and plans to refund all order deposits.

Anatoly Kirik has been charged with lying to government officials about his company’s ownership to cover his poor safety record; investigators say he pretended to head Dallas Logistics to hide the poor rating of his other firm, Orange Transportation. 

Small business truckers are owed money after Jamco Services LLC in West Texas filed for bankruptcy. 

Black Friday sales broke records, with consumers spending $9 billion, according to Forbes, and sales are expected to keep climbing with Cyber Monday deals. 

Machine learning is helping move freight

With technology being a driving force in logistics, companies like Convoy are using machine learning to build digital freight networks. 

Ryan Gavin, chief marketing officer and head of marketplace growth, talks about how machine learning can “root out core inefficiencies” in freight businesses, reduce costs for shippers and carriers, and build stronger networks between businesses.   

Celebrating the “Haulidays” with Pilot Flying J

The gifting season is here and Pilot Flying J wants to get people involved in some awesome giveaways!

Senior Manager of General Merchandise Jason Wakely joins Dooner and The Dude to tell you to head to Pilot Flying J social media to enter to win everything from gas cards and merchandise to electronics for your truck. 

Plant-based burgers at Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.

John Brewer, director of distribution and logistics at CKE Restaurants, spotlights the beyond meat revolution sweeping fast-food restaurants.

He says despite the difficult year brought on by the pandemic, all CKE Restaurants have done well in the plant-based meat world.

FleetOps also capitalizes on tech for business

The technology of logistics drives FleetOps CEO Chris Atkinson, with FleetOps being a leading company for instantly matching freight from brokers to carriers with capacity. 

Atkinson says even though the company is Canada-based, its focus is on the United States and it has seen continued growth even through border restrictions and remote working.
You can find more WHAT THE TRUCK?!? recaps and recaps for all our shows here.

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Kaylee Nix

Kaylee Nix is a meteorologist and reporter for FreightWaves. She joined the company in November of 2020 after spending two years as a broadcast meteorologist for a local television channel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Kaylee graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2018 and immediately made the Tennessee Valley her home. Kaylee creates written summaries of FreightWaves live podcasts and cultivates the social media for FreightWaves TV.