The Logistics of Logistics More VUCA Ahead with Oren Zaslansky
Oren Zaslansky and Joe Lynch discuss more VUCA ahead. Oren is the Founder and CEO of Flock Freight, a Certified B Corporation that's been reinventing freight shipping since 2015.
About Oren ZaslanskyRaised by parents who worked for a van line and later started their own freight forwarders, Oren has deep-seated roots in logistics and entrepreneurship. At 21, he founded a 125-truck fleet that provided white-glove freight service throughout the U.S. and Canada. His subsequent venture, SolSource Logistics, continues to operate today, with Oren serving as chairman. SolSource Logistics opened Oren's eyes to how wasteful traditional freight shipping is. He became determined to find a new approach by building a technology-driven solution. Flock Freight (formerly AuptiX) opened its doors in 2015, driven by Oren's vision of using technology to combine multiple shipments into one multi-stop shared truckload. Under Oren's leadership, Flock Freight continu es to rapidly grow while creating a new standard of service for shippers, increasing revenue for carriers, and eliminating the impact of carbon emissions through the patented shared truckload solution, FlockDirect™.
About Flock FreightFlock Freight is a Certified B Corporation that's been reinventing freight shipping since 2015. Flock Freight leverages its advanced, first-to-market algorithms that pool shipments and fill trucks at scale to create a new standard of service for shippers and increase revenue for carriers. Flock Freight's shared truckload solution eliminates the need for terminals and is the only carbon-neutral shipping option with all emissions accounted for through carbon offsets supporting freight-related efficiency projects. Flock Freight is headquartered in Encinitas, CA with an additional office in Chicago, IL.
Key Takeaways: More VUCA Ahead- Oren Zaslansky is the Founder and CEO of Flock Freight, where he and his team are driving industry change and powering shared truckload service with top-tier talent and advanced algorithms.
- In the podcast interview, Oren and Joe discuss more VUCA ahead. VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.
- The more VUCA ahead refers to continued supply chain disruptions caused by:
- Diesel fuel shortages
- Potential railroad strike
- Potential strike or labor slowdown for West coast ports
- Holiday season
- Uncertain economic conditions - recession
- Issues with China supply chain
- Ukraine/Russia supply chain problem (grain, fuel, etc..)
- Flock Freight provides an alternative to less-than-truckload shipping, which has traditionally been expensive, slow, and more likely to damage freight compared to truckload shipping.
- Shippers and 3PLs have always converted some number of LTL shipments to multi-stop or shared truckload shipments, but the approach was scattershot, and process was very manual. As investments in freight tech grew, the number of multi-stop shipments increased, however there were no purpose-built tech or companies dedicated to multi-stop truckload shipments until Flock Freight.
- For Shippers: Flock Freight moves shipper freight via shared truckload, combining it with other freight into one multi-stop truckload. Flock Freight gives midsize freight shippers an efficient, cost-effective way to move their goods.
- For Carriers: Flock Freight helps carriers maximize their revenue by booking high-paying shared truckloads online in seconds. Carriers earn higher profits for the same amount of work by combining multiple shipments moving in the same direction to minimize half-empty trucks and deadhead miles. Most trucks are moving with trailers that are only partially full – Flock Freight can help them earn more revenue by filling up their truck with good paying freight.
- For the Environment: Flock Freight shipments move via shared truckload, skipping the inefficient LTL hub and spoke system and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40%. Flock takes the remaining 60% and offset it by supporting projects with Carbonfund.org, making Flock Freight the only carbon neutral shipping option available to shippers at no extra cost.
- Flock Freight is a B Corp, which means they meet the highest standards of verified levels of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.