The Freight Pod

On this episode, recorded live from Manifest: The Future of Supply Chain & Logistics, Andrew interviews nine founders about their budding startups:Ed Burns with TruSygnal, a connection platform for shippers and carriersTom Curee with Qued, automated appointment scheduling through AIOmar Singh with Get Real Rates, an API pricing toolChip Reeves with Enablers, logistics human and AI staffingAlex Bezzubets with myMechanic Inc., a roadside assistance platformShan Wu with Forward Labs, a brokerage sales prospecting toolSadie Frank with N4EA, predictive intelligence tools for climate riskThomas Mella with TrackFlo, a track-and-trace optimization platformAnnalise Sandhu with Chain, AI-powered freight booking and visibilityFollow The Freight Pod and host Andrew Silver on LinkedIn.*** This episode is brought to you by Rapido Solutions Group. I had the pleasure of working with Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza at Coyote, as well as being a client of theirs more recently at MoLo. Their team does a great job supplying nearshore talent to brokers, carriers, and technology providers to handle any role necessary, be it customer or carrier support, back office, or tech services. Visit gorapido.com to learn more. A special thanks to our additional sponsors: Cargado – Cargado is the first platform that connects logistics companies and trucking companies that move freight into and out of Mexico. Visit cargado.com to learn more. Greenscreens.ai – Greenscreens.ai is the AI-powered pricing and market intelligence tool transforming how freight brokers price freight. Visit greenscreens.ai/freightpod today! Metafora – Metafora is a technology consulting firm that has delivered value for over a decade to brokers, shippers, carriers, private equity firms, and freight tech companies. Check them out at metafora.net. ***

Andrew welcomes Jim Berlin, CEO and founder of Logistics Plus, a company he founded in 1996 and has built into a global logistics powerhouse in more than 50 countries, with $600M in revenue, customers like GE and WeWork, and a HQ within Erie, Pennsylvania’s Union Station. But success didn’t come without taking risks — and learning from failures. “I dive in with both feet without checking the depth of the water.” In this episode, Jim and Andrew cover:The journey of how Jim built his company from a small operation supporting GE's transportation into a global logistics powerhouse.His biggest lessons, best leadership advice, and hiring mentality at Logistics Plus, which has more than 1,200 employees.The biggest failure of his career — launching a cargo shipping business on the Great Lakes that nearly sank his entire company.Stories of how simple gestures, out-of-the-box thinking, and creative problem-solving have sustained his career and the growth of Logistics Plus.Follow The Freight Pod and host Andrew Silver on LinkedIn.*** This episode is brought to you by Rapido Solutions Group. I had the pleasure of working with Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza at Coyote, as well as being a client of theirs more recently at MoLo. Their team does a great job supplying nearshore talent to brokers, carriers, and technology providers to handle any role necessary, be it customer or carrier support, back office, or tech services. Visit gorapido.com to learn more. A special thanks to our additional sponsors: Cargado – Cargado is the first platform that connects logistics companies and trucking companies that move freight into and out of Mexico. Visit cargado.com to learn more. Greenscreens.ai – Greenscreens.ai is the AI-powered pricing and market intelligence tool transforming how freight brokers price freight. Visit greenscreens.ai/freightpod today! Metafora – Metafora is a technology consulting firm that has delivered value for over a decade to brokers, shippers, carriers, private equity firms, and freight tech companies. Check them out at metafora.net. ***

Andrew welcomes Grace Maher, COO of OTR Solutions, one of the industry’s top factoring companies. Grace graduated from Georgia Tech with a business degree and an accounting certificate and went on to be an auditor for five years. But she felt she was meant for something else. In 2011, Grace got her first job in freight at Nolan Transportation; a year later, Nolan founder Kevin Nolan was starting OTR Solutions, and Grace found the opportunity she was looking for. In this episode, Andrew and Grace cover:The best parts of her dad that she’s carried into her life and career Grace’s journey into freight and to OTR Solutions, the early days at OTR, and how the company continues to evolve and differentiate itselfFactoring 101: What it is, how it works, and its importance in the industry Grace's personal story of sobriety — how it has influenced her career and where she is todayFollow The Freight Pod and host Andrew Silver on LinkedIn.*** This episode is brought to you by Rapido Solutions Group. I had the pleasure of working with Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza at Coyote, as well as being a client of theirs more recently at MoLo. Their team does a great job supplying nearshore talent to brokers, carriers, and technology providers to handle any role necessary, be it customer or carrier support, back office, or tech services. Visit gorapido.com to learn more. A special thanks to our additional sponsors: Cargado – Cargado is the first platform that connects logistics companies and trucking companies that move freight into and out of Mexico. Visit cargado.com to learn more. Greenscreens.ai – Greenscreens.ai is the AI-powered pricing and market intelligence tool transforming how freight brokers price freight. Visit greenscreens.ai/freightpod today! Metafora – Metafora is a technology consulting firm that has delivered value for over a decade to brokers, shippers, carriers, private equity firms, and freight tech companies. Check them out at metafora.net. ***

In this episode, Andrew welcomes Cole Stevens, chief strategy officer at Stevens Trucking, a family-owned trucking company based in Oklahoma. Cole’s dad, Kenney, founded the business in 1979 with a single hotshot pickup truck in an Oklahoma oil patch. Today, they operate 400 tractors and 1,800 dry van trailers across the U.S. Andrew and Cole cover:The founding story of Stevens Trucking and how the Stevens family uniquely runs the business.All that Cole has learned from his dad about business and leadership, and what Cole believes has led to his dad’s success.How Cole evaluates what new tech to bring into the business, how he thinks about tech for a team of employees ranging in age from 20 to 80, and the three things you have to get right to ensure internal adoption.The current tech landscape for asset-based providers and where Cole sees the greatest opportunity.The challenges of managing drivers and driver turnover and how to get drivers to buy in to delivering exceptional service for Stevens Trucking customers.Follow The Freight Pod and host Andrew Silver on LinkedIn.*** This episode is brought to you by Rapido Solutions Group. I had the pleasure of working with Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza at Coyote, as well as being a client of theirs more recently at MoLo. Their team does a great job supplying nearshore talent to brokers, carriers, and technology providers to handle any role necessary, be it customer or carrier support, back office, or tech services. Visit gorapido.com to learn more. A special thanks to our additional sponsors: Cargado – Cargado is the first platform that connects logistics companies and trucking companies that move freight into and out of Mexico. Visit cargado.com to learn more. Greenscreens.ai – Greenscreens.ai is the AI-powered pricing and market intelligence tool transforming how freight brokers price freight. Visit greenscreens.ai/freightpod today! Metafora – Metafora is a technology consulting firm that has delivered value for over a decade to brokers, shippers, carriers, private equity firms, and freight tech companies. Check them out at metafora.net. ***

David Bell, CEO and founder of CloneOps.ai, shares over 30 years of logistics expertise, having previously built Lean Solutions Group into a massive organization. In this engaging discussion, he reveals the challenges of starting a less-than-truckload brokerage and the importance of technological advancements. David also discusses fostering long-term loyalty within his teams and his vision for CloneOps.ai, aiming for 1 billion talking minutes in three years. He highlights how AI can revolutionize customer engagement and streamline operations in the freight industry.

Dhruv Gupta, CEO and co-founder of Drumkit, an AI-driven workflow solution for logistics, shares insights from his journey studying transportation at Harvard. He candidly discusses his early business failures and the lessons learned. Dhruv emphasizes the importance of confidence in leadership, the intricacies of automating logistics processes, and the balance between technology and personal touch in customer relations. He also addresses the challenges of securing new business and the significance of transparency in building lasting client relationships.

Brad Perling, CEO and co-founder of Bitfreighter, transitioned from aerospace to freight after finding an unexpected opportunity. He discusses the importance of defining when brokerages should build versus buy technology. Brad explores the evolving role of EDI in logistics and the impact of remote company culture on productivity. He shares insights on the challenges of bootstrapping a tech business while innovating solutions and fostering strong teams. The conversation also delves into how personal drive shapes successful entrepreneurship in this dynamic industry.

Jesse Buckingham, CEO and co-founder of Vooma, is a logistics innovator with a background in law, economics, and consulting. He discusses the pivotal role of AI in automating the shipment lifecycle, enhancing brokerage operations, and tackling the challenges of traditional processes. Jesse shares insights on effective team leadership, the future of hiring in an AI-centric world, and the delicate balance of growing a startup while navigating parenthood. His journey reflects a blend of innovation and personal growth in the fast-paced logistics sector.

For the last episode of 2024, we welcome our first driver to the show: Chad Boblett. He created the longstanding Rate Per Mile Masters Facebook group, which, in its 11 years, has grown to be a vibrant community of close to 37,000 owner-ops, carriers, brokers, and agents. In this episode, we go back even further — 13 years — to how Chad got started in trucking, when a severe injury caused him to lose just about everything in his life — including his job and his house. He was living in a motel. But he still had his CDL. So with a $35,000 credit limit and a half a tank of gas, Chad bought his first truck and ran his first load. And that's how his trucking company, Boblett Brothers, was born. In this episode, Chad joined The Freight Pod from his house, on a lake in Lexington, Kentucky, where he talked to Andrew about:Building community in truckingWhat he's seeing in the truck marketHis rules of engagement with brokersThe broker rate transparency debateWhat he thinks about freight AIThe one thing that irks him about digital brokers***Episode brought to you by Rapido Solutions Group. I had the pleasure of working with Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza at Coyote, as well as being a client of theirs more recently at MoLo. Their team does a great job supplying nearshore talent to brokers, carriers, and technology providers to handle any role necessary, be it customer or carrier support, back office, or tech services.***Follow The Freight Pod and host Andrew Silver on LinkedIn.*** This episode is brought to you by Rapido Solutions Group. I had the pleasure of working with Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza at Coyote, as well as being a client of theirs more recently at MoLo. Their team does a great job supplying nearshore talent to brokers, carriers, and technology providers to handle any role necessary, be it customer or carrier support, back office, or tech services. Visit gorapido.com to learn more. A special thanks to our additional sponsors: Cargado – Cargado is the first platform that connects logistics companies and trucking companies that move freight into and out of Mexico. Visit cargado.com to learn more. Greenscreens.ai – Greenscreens.ai is the AI-powered pricing and market intelligence tool transforming how freight brokers price freight. Visit greenscreens.ai/freightpod today! Metafora – Metafora is a technology consulting firm that has delivered value for over a decade to brokers, shippers, carriers, private equity firms, and freight tech companies. Check them out at metafora.net. ***

Kary Jablonski, CEO of Trucker Tools, joins to discuss her company's recent acquisition by DAT. She details the strategic timing of this move and why DAT is the best fit for Trucker Tools' future. The conversation highlights how this acquisition will enhance data integrity and operational efficiency in freight brokering. Kary also shares insights on fostering strong relationships and the power of networking in the industry. Listeners gain a forward-looking perspective on the collaboration's impact on the freight marketplace.