(Werner Enterprises)Key Takeaways: Werner CEO Derek Leathers said July 28 that federal enforcement and legal pressures are accelerating carrier exits, benefiting compliant large carriers like Werner. Werner said tighter CDL and English-proficiency enforcement, ELD provider exits and the Montgomery ruling are reducing capacity and supporting higher freight rates. Werner Enterprises CEO Derek Leathers expressed cautious optimism July 28 that the ongoing federal crackdown on capacity plays into the strengths of his company. Leathers also pointed to a mass exodus of electronic logging device providers, which he believes has accelerated capacity attrition by squeezing out additional “shadow capacity.” Combined with continued carrier attrition, higher tender rejection rates and seasonal freight demand, he expects freight rates to continue rising through the remainder of 2026.