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Less Assumption, More Confirmation

Kaja Kusińska · June 9, 2026 · 4 min read

We sat down with Jordan Graft, Founder & CEO of Highway, to discuss the future of freight fraud, identity verification, insurance, and why the trucking industry is heading toward a world where trust alone won't be enough.

Highway Founder & CEO on The End of Trust-Based Freight

The freight industry is about to look a lot more like modern banking. That’s the bold claim Jordan Graft made at the start of this conversation.

He pointed out how lending has changed over the last several decades and compared it to today’s trucking landscape.

“When you buy a home, very little is relied on what you say. What they’re actually doing with the application is they’re having you answer to see how truthful you’re going to be to the source of the truth you’re comparing it to. That’s the future of where we’re going with trucking.”

The comparison isn't accidental. Freight fraud has exploded because the industry still relies heavily on unsecured communication channels such as phone calls and email.

Insurance Is the Real Regulator

One of the more interesting points Jordan also made was that trucking's primary regulator today isn't the FMCSA — it’s insurance.

“While trucking may no longer be in some ways regulated like it was prior to the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, it’s regulated by insurance. You can not like it, but in the end, insurance companies drive most of the operational control patterns of most industries. They’re competing to win business based on premium rates, and they’re trying to prevent losses. When they see a pattern emerge, you have to implement this control."

A lot of times, implementing that control requires third-party assistance, such as Highway, which helps brokers meet the requirements of insurance companies.

The challenge, however, is that insurance operates on a lag.

But as fraudsters continue to evolve, so will the industry's fraud-prevention requirements, and that's exactly what Highway has done.

Showing Up With a Pickup Number Won't Be Enough

At this year's TIA conference, Highway introduced Know Your Driver™, a new capability that identifies the actual driver on every load for the first time. According to Jordan, Highway has already completed identity verification on more than half a million people throughout the supply chain.

The goal of the tool was simple: know exactly who is picking up the freight.

“When I say you’re going to require high levels of authenticity, and authentication...that is no longer going to be enough to prevent access... you’re going to need multiple points that all need to match, in order to unlock access- that’s where we’re going.”

What you can expect:

‘Brace yourself that rate cons will no longer be attached as emails.'
‘Requiring access to the facility is no longer just going to be showing up with a POD number.'

That means operations will need to be tighter and more prepared to provide updates to changes.

More Security Means More Complexity

But not everyone is thrilled about where things are heading.

Highway has already gotten pushback from their implementations:

“It’s complicated. I know it's hard. Unfortunately, that’s just where it’s going to meet the insurance requirements, to meet the requirements to prevent losses. More authenticity is going to have to come to the surface.”

The reality is that fraud prevention rarely makes workflows simpler, but it helps in the long run.

What Happens When Freight Markets Heat Up?

Does he think the hot market will change the way brokers use Highway?

“As long as human beings are employed, they will absolutely, when times of urgency and ability to make additional profit. That happens in every market where people turn towards risk in moments of a market turn. Yes, it’s gonna happen.”

In freight, as in banking, pressure is where systems show what they’re really made of—and the shift is moving from assumption toward confirmation.

Watch it on YouTube now, listen to the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts soon.

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