The Freight Pod

Jonathan Salama, the CEO and co-founder of Transfix, shares insights from his journey in logistics technology. He discusses how the pandemic accelerated the need for automation in freight brokerage and the valuable lessons learned in leadership. Salama also reveals how Transfix pivoted post-SPAC challenges, focusing on innovative pricing automation powered by machine learning. He underscores the importance of building strong teams and adapting to market changes while remaining optimistic about the future of logistics technology.

In this captivating episode, Andrew sits down with Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport, for an insightful and candid conversation about leadership, personal growth, and business. Ryan shares his journey of self-discovery, discussing how he reevaluated his values after a challenging period in China and the profound impact of mentors like Tony Robbins on his life and leadership style.The discussion delves into Flexport's operational processes challenges, including the impact of COVID-19 on their Net Promoter Score and the subsequent reorganization to improve quality and customer satisfaction. Ryan emphasizes the importance of customer obsession, highlighting Flexport's use of AI to analyze both employee and customer feedback to drive improvements. He also discusses the company's unique position in the industry, leveraging custom-built software and a worldwide network to provide innovative solutions in logistics.Throughout the interview, Ryan offers valuable insights on balancing technology and traditional forwarding practices, the importance of attracting top talent, and the potential for AI to revolutionize the logistics industry. He shares personal reflections on leadership, and specific changes he has made to have a positive impact on his health and decision-making. The conversation concludes with a discussion of Flexport's recent acquisition of Convoy and its plans to integrate this technology to expand into new markets and improve efficiency in domestic trucking operations.***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. ***

FreightVana has acquired the brokerage operations of Loadsmith. We are joined this week for a special episode breaking down the making of the merger between these two organizations. FreightVana CEO Shannon Breen and Loadsmith CEO Brett Suma join the show to break down the deal, explaining why Loadsmith is divesting it's brokerage operations and why FreightVana is the perfect complementary partner. With mutual backgrounds at Knight, it was easy for Shannon and Brett to see eye to eye on how a deal like this could come together. Both organizations had a similar approach to brokerage, focusing on power only and leasing their own trailers to build an asset-like network for their shipper customers. These similarities should lead to an efficient integration opportunity.Shannon and Brett explain the due diligence process and integration plans for the organizations, emphasizing the importance of transparency, learning from one another's teams, and making decisions in the best interests of their people and customers to ensure as much continuity as possible throughout the transition.***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. ***

Ryan Joyce, CEO of GenLogs and former undercover CIA officer, shares his journey from national security to freight tech innovator. He discusses how a life-altering experience during 9/11 shaped his empathetic leadership style. Joyce highlights GenLogs’ mission to improve visibility in trucking through real-time roadside sensors, enabling better asset recovery and supply chain efficiency. He emphasizes the importance of vulnerability in leadership, sharing insights from his CIA experiences and the need for responsible growth in the freight sector.

Chadd Olesen, CEO of AVRL, leads an automation tech company specializing in spot freight pricing. He shares the journey of pivoting AVRL to better serve freight brokers by valuing human expertise over purely tech-driven solutions. The discussion delves into the evolving API pricing landscape and the challenges of implementing new technology within the freight sector. Olesen emphasizes the importance of collaboration and mentorship, alongside navigating the complexities of fundraising and maintaining authenticity in professional networks.

Uber Freight announced it's newest capacity-as-a-service offering, Broker Access. The tool is designed to provide capacity for other brokers through the Uber platform. Uber has tens of thousands of carriers within it's network through the development of it's own brokerage and the acquisition of Transplace. My concern with this program is, in my opinion, this is a case of double or co-brokering. Whichever terminology you choose to use, it represents a problem as most shippers would be very opposed to any type of arrangement where one broker is procuring capacity from another broker. During the episode, I break down why I believe what I do about this program, and what I think Uber should focus on moving forward to eventually reach sustainable profitability.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. ***

Kara Smith-Brown joins us on this week's episode to discuss her career in marketing, how her company, LeadCoverage supports the freight industry, and her new book, The Revenue Engine, that comes out November 19th. Together, we explore how aligning sales with marketing can lead to a harmonious and successful business environment. By sharing her journey from the early days at Echo Global Logistics, Kara illustrates the potential of modern marketing tools to create a distinct edge for businesses in a competitive landscape. Her experiences underscore the underestimated power of marketing in shaping a company’s culture and future.Leadership and emotional resilience take center stage as we discuss the importance of maintaining composure under stress, drawing inspiration from leaders like Doug Waggoner and Scott Pruneau. Our conversation spans meditation practices, the evolving nature of leadership styles, and the unique strengths of Type A personalities. We also tackle the challenges women face in male-dominated spaces, advocating for data-backed opinions and a deep understanding of business finance to gain influence. This episode promises an insightful journey through entrepreneurship, leadership, and strategic marketing, with a dash of real-world triumphs and personal anecdotes to inspire and motivate.***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. ***

We are joined this week by entrepreneur and multiple-time founder, Prasad Gollapalli. Prasad got his start in the industry at the old school load board, GetLoaded, which was later acquired by DAT. From there, he began his entrepreneurial journey as he started TruckerTools. After a successful exit, he is now focusing his time and attention on the world of scheduling appointments, and bringing automation and AI to reduce the human touch on this mundane, but important task. His startup, Qued, is receiving a lot of attention in the industry as one of the first players to tackle the appointment scheduling problem.Our conversation weaves in and out of the startups we've been a part of, as we discuss the challenges and opportunities of building businesses in the freight sector. Prasad provides great insight and advice to logistics professionals and future entrepreneurs. ***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. ***

After 6 months of mental back-and-forth, I finally pulled the trigger and recorded a solo episode. No more self-doubt, no more negative self-talk, no more procrastinating. Today's theme is Just Do It. Hope you enjoy. ***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. ***

On this week's episode, Andrew welcomes his older brother Matt Silver to discuss the official launch of his new startup, Cargado - a load board and technology platform focused on simplifying cross-border freight operations between the United States and Mexico. Matt shares his background, starting in the logistics industry at Coyote Logistics, where he helped build out the Mexico division. He left Coyote to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams, founding Forager. Matt's business would eventually be acquired by Arrive, where he stayed on to lead their Mexico division. He recounts his experience from his first startup, including lessons learned, and opens up about some of the specific challenges that can happen if you don't manage your finances effectively. All those lessons and experiences set Matt up well to bring his next business to life.The discussion dives into the complexities of the Mexico freight market - from the intricate web of carriers, customs brokers, and logistics providers involved in a single cross-border shipment, to the lack of technological infrastructure compared to the domestic US market. Matt explains how Cargado is aiming to bring more transparency, efficiency and collaboration to this growing segment of the supply chain.The episode provides valuable insights for freight brokers and carriers looking to expand their cross-border capabilities, as well as the broader opportunities and challenges in the Mexico logistics landscape. Matt's entrepreneurial journey and the vision for Cargado offer an intriguing look at innovation within the freight industry.***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. ***