Freight People Podcast

Mike Vincent has spent nearly 40 years in freight. Founding team at FreightWaves. Seven years hosting WHAT THE TRUCK?!?. Today he's EVP of Strategic Growth at Spartan Carrier Group and runs its media arm, 146 Media. In this episode: (02:07) Why the driver shortage finally turned real (05:47) What happens when the tractor and trailer become the operating system (10:44) Why grey fleets may replace t...

We're back and we're talking AI in Trucking. Ava Barnes Davis sits down with Kendrick Dawson, VP of Operations at Spartan Carrier Group to hear exactly how Spartan is using AI to automate operations for their 650 truck fleet. He is also the person who actually set up Spartan's AI workflows. In his own words, "Tech is not my first language by any means." Everything he describes in this episode he s...

Take the guesswork out of fighting freight fraud and scaling profitably. CEO Adam Blanchard (Tanager Logistics, Double Diamond Transport) breaks down the exact tech stack, hiring system, and operating rhythms behind his $65M asset-based brokerage. You’ll learn how to protect your company against double brokering and identity spoofing, a secret unlock for building a nearshore team, and align asset...

Before they even found Alvys, Stevens Trucking discovered a tech-driven strategy that changed everything for their drop-and-hook efficiency, and in this episode of Freight People , Cole Stevens breaks it all down. It’s the exact move that helped them reduce idle time, optimize trailer pools, and scale like a tech-first fleet. Host Ava Barnes sits down with Cole Stevens, the Chief Strategy Officer...

From Combat to CEO: The Grit, Faith & Vision Behind Spartan Carrier Group | Freight People Podcast In this episode of the Freight People Podcast, host Ava Barnes sits down with Carlos Llanes Jr., CEO and founder of Spartan Carrier Group —a man whose story will stick with you long after the episode ends. Carlos walks us through his bold journey from musician to Marine to multi-million-dollar lo...

In episode 2 of Freight People Podcast , we’re kicking things off with a bang: What is a TMS, and why should freight people actually care? Host Ava Barnes sits down with two Alvys veterans — Jordan Kidd and Lucas Allasia — who’ve both done it all in trucking: dispatch, recruiting, brokerage, you name it. They’ve lived the chaos and now help carriers run smarter with modern tech. We break down: Wha...

Episode 1 – Building a Cross-Border Powerhouse: The Central Coast Transport Story In this episode, we sit down with the family behind Central Coast Transport — a thriving cross-border refrigerated carrier that’s redefining how fleets operate across the U.S. and Mexico. Join Gustavo, Carmen, Cesar, and Abijail as they share how they scaled their family-run operation, overcame the complexities of cr...