The Long Haul

In this solo episode of The Long Haul, Adam tackles one of the freight industry’s most loaded topics — the crackdown on English Language Proficiency and the targeting of non-domicile CDL holders. What starts as a safety policy is revealing deeper issues around bias, access, and who gets to belong in trucking. If you're ready for a raw, honest conversation about what’s really happening, this one's...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Jessica Dotson, Director of Business Development at Multi Service Fuel Card, Vice Chair of the Women in Trucking Foundation Board, and Chair of the BCS Women in Logistics Events Committee. Jessica’s story didn’t start in an office—it started at home, supporting her husband on the road as a trucker’s wife. That experience gave her a firsthand vi...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Tapan Chaudhari, Founder and CEO of Bubba AI, to talk about what happens when artificial intelligence stops being a buzzword and starts booking freight. Tapan isn’t a tech outsider—he’s the founder of TruckX and has spent years building tools for small carriers and owner-operators. Now with Bubba AI, he’s tackling the one thing that eats up mos...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Todd Waldron, Vice President of Carrier Experience at Truckstop and former CEO of Q Carriers, to unpack what the next chapter of load boards really looks like. This isn’t a fluff piece about digital freight. Todd’s sat in the chair, run the trucks, and now helps shape one of the industry’s most-used platforms. The conversation digs into Truckst...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Nick Klingensmith—freight industry veteran, endurance athlete, motivational speaker, and author of Selling, Inspired!—to talk about what it really takes to finish the year strong. If your goals slipped somewhere between rate dips and long weeks on the road, Nick’s bringing the mindset and mental discipline to get you back in gear. From sales st...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Mike Ernst, President of Expedite All and a 25-year freight industry veteran, to talk about one of the most slept-on opportunities in trucking: Small Truckload (STL). From cargo vans to box trucks and straight trucks, STL is on the rise—driven by tight delivery windows, high-value freight, and a shift away from one-size-fits-all shipping. Mike...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam chops it up with Robert McCutcheon, VP of Strategy and Growth at TAFS, to dig into the stuff that keeps small carriers afloat—or breaks them down. We’re talking factoring terms most folks overlook, the real cost of fuel cards, and how to make smarter money moves in a market that’s already tight. Rob brings years of experience across finance, logistics, and tr...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Dale Prax—Marine Corps veteran, 30-year freight insider, and founder of FreightValidate—to expose the freight fraud epidemic that’s hitting small carriers the hardest. From ghost carriers and fake dispatchers to double brokering rings that steal freight and wreck reputations, Dale breaks down exactly how these scams work—and why the FMCSA isn’t...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Clay and Nick from FreshX to talk about one of the biggest shifts happening in the freight market right now—reefer LTL. They break down how food and beverage shippers are rethinking distribution, why reefer LTL is gaining momentum, and how tech is finally making it accessible to small carriers. If you’ve got a reefer unit and you’re tired of ch...

This week on The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Carlos Otero, CEO of efRouting—a platform using real data to help small carriers stop bleeding money on poor load choices. Carlos blends academic freight research with family trucking roots to explain why chasing high-rate loads isn’t always profitable, how routing is costing carriers more than they think, and what a smarter, multi-day planning strat...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Coleman Ruffin—industry vet, team builder, and former CH Robinson broker—to expose what small carriers need to know about how freight really gets moved. Coleman shares the truth about rate negotiations, how brokers decide who gets the good freight, and the quiet reasons carriers get skipped over. This is a raw look inside the brokerage world th...

This week on The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Kara Brown—supply chain marketing powerhouse, author of The Revenue Engine, and CEO of LeadCoverage—to expose why most small carriers are wasting time and money trying to get noticed. Kara breaks down the exact mistakes holding carriers back, the marketing myths that need to die, and the three-step framework she’s used to help logistics companies sca...

This week on The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Rahmel Wattley—founder of Truck N’ Hustle, creator of FreightFest, and one of the most influential voices in trucking media. Rahmel shares how he went from driver recruiting to building a movement, what he’s learned from interviewing hundreds of industry leaders, and how small carriers can tap into the power of storytelling, strategy, and community t...

This week on The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Avante Jackson—better known as CDL Shorty on YouTube—to talk about what’s broken in CDL training and what needs to change. As a CDL instructor and content creator, Shorty gives a raw, behind-the-scenes look at how new drivers are being rushed through the system, the lack of real-world prep, and how better training could improve safety, retention, and...

This week on The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Brian Woodring, owner-operator and outspoken advocate for protecting drivers from load board fraud. Brian shares what fraud really looks like behind the scenes, how to spot the warning signs before you get burned, and why carriers need to be more cautious than ever when booking freight. They dive deep into the good, the bad, and the ugly across diffe...

This week on The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Corisa Carter—co-founder of the Charleston Truck Expo and a true boots-on-the-ground expert in drayage and port operations. Corisa brings real-world insights on how new tariffs are already impacting freight at the ports, what small carriers need to watch out for, and how the drayage world is shifting right now. They dive deep into what’s happening be...

This week on The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Elizabeth Moscoso, founder of Moscoso Express, a growing box truck and full truckload carrier based out of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Elizabeth shares her journey from starting small with box trucks to scaling into the full truckload market, and the lessons she’s learned about surviving and thriving as a small carrier. They talk about the realities...

In this episode of The Long Haul, I’m joined by Garrett Steenblik—founder of Trucker Body Shop and a former driver who turned his own health journey into a full-blown movement. Garrett breaks down how drivers can take control of their health right from the cab of their truck—no gym, no gimmicks. We talk about the realities of being on the road, how to build habits that stick, and practical exercis...

In this episode of The Long Haul, I sit down with Jessica Howington from United Commercial Insurance to break down the truth about trucking insurance—no fluff, just facts. We talk about what small carriers need to understand before signing their next policy, how to keep premiums down at renewal time, and what underwriters are really looking for. Jessica brings years of frontline experience, and th...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam Wingfield sits down with Justin Lu, CEO of Truckpedia, to break down one of the most critical moves for small carriers—getting out of the broker dependency cycle and going directly to shippers for freight. Justin knows this game firsthand. He took his family’s 3-truck operation and scaled it to 50 trucks by putting in the work, cold calling shippers, and secu...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam Wingfield sits down with Tobenna Arodiogbu, CEO and co-founder of CloudTrucks, to break down one of the biggest decisions every owner-operator faces: Should you lease on or stay independent? With years of experience building technology to empower trucking entrepreneurs, Tobenna shares hard-hitting insights into why some owner-operators succeed while others fa...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam Wingfield sits down with Dan Lindsey, Founder of Broker Carrier Summit, to uncover the secrets to building better broker relationships—and why it’s the key to securing consistent, profitable freight for your trucking business. For many carriers, brokers feel like a necessary evil. But the truth is, strong broker relationships can make or break your success. D...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam Wingfield sits down with Tyler Harden, Chief Product Officer at TTN Fleet Solutions, to tackle some of the biggest fleet maintenance headaches facing owner-operators and small carriers. From DPF system failures that can take trucks off the road to towing scams that drain bank accounts overnight, Tyler shares insider knowledge on how to protect your business f...

From NFL Pro Bowler to trucking entrepreneur, Mike Tolbert knows what it means to take on challenges—both on the field and in business. After a nine-year NFL career with the Chargers, Panthers, and Bills—where he earned three Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro honors, and helped lead Carolina to a Super Bowl run—Mike tackled a new industry: trucking. During the pandemic, he launched his own trucking...

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam Wingfield sits down with Vanessa Gant, the Founder and CEO of Provision Accounting Solutions, to break down the financial strategies that every owner-operator and small carrier needs to know. Vanessa, known as “The Money Architect,” has spent over 15 years helping trucking businesses increase profitability, reduce tax liabilities, and stay compliant. From avo...