Aaron Graft on freight pricing
From Aaron Graft of Triumph on FreightWaves Today with Craig Fuller · · FreightWaves
“We've created a barrier to entry that probably means the supply side of the equation will not react as quickly as it has in prior cycles, which could lead to a very long and strong cycle of freight pricing moving upwards.”
On , Aaron Graft, Founder, Vice Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer at TRIUMPH FINANCIAL INC, spoke about freight pricing during Aaron Graft of Triumph on FreightWaves Today with Craig Fuller on FreightWaves.
About Aaron Graft
Aaron Graft, founder and CEO of Triumph Financial, appeared on FreightWaves Today in June 2026 and in an April 2026 interview on the Silk Road Nexus podcast. In the FreightWaves appearance, Graft discussed the current freight market, stating that while nominal rates are higher than in 2021, input costs have risen, leaving carriers with thinner margins. He noted that the company's payments network is processing about $50 billion annualized, with an average invoice size of $1,500, compared to $1,126 in 2021. Graft said that the departure of drivers who drove at the cheapest rates has removed a segment of capacity, and he described the current market dynamics as feeling "more structural than cyclical," adding that regulatory barriers may slow the supply side's response, potentially leading to a prolonged period of rising freight prices. In the April interview, Graft explained Triumph Financial's role in the freight ecosystem, describing the company as a bank, fintech, and data network that provides factoring services and a payment platform. He said that 80% of risk in the industry comes from fraud rather than creditworthiness, and that the company's acquisition of Green Screens was intended to provide customers with aggregated, anonymized market intelligence. Graft emphasized the company's goal of enabling confident transactions across the supply chain, from shippers to carriers to fuel stops, and expressed a desire for small carriers to have a sustainable business model.