Bulkloads Podcast

Bill Wallis went to work at 13 to help his family. He served in the 101st Airborne, came home, and bought a single gas station in Cuba, Missouri in 1968. Today Wallis Companies runs 67 stores, a 42 truck bulk fleet moving 120 loads a day, and employs around 1,400 people. In this episode, Matt and Alan take us inside the fuel hauling world most truckers never see: the predictive dispatch tech, the...

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qF-YbIEGZJM Rob and Kate have been together since high school. Years ago they took over the family farm and trucking operation, doubled the business, and then watched 2025 turn into the hardest year of their lives. In this episode they get honest about what it actually takes to run a trucking company as a husband and wife team. The 16-hour days through the freigh...

Tom Keller spec'd his first truck at 20 years old to haul watermelons off his family's farm. He'd drive a load to Indianapolis, not like the price, keep driving to Detroit, sell them, and set the cash on the kitchen table — then do it again the next morning. That hustle became Keller Logistics Group: 350 trucks, four divisions, and $200 million in sales out of Defiance, Ohio. In this episode, Jare...

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vMtf0ZtSbbA   Fleet maintenance isn't sexy — but it's one of the highest expenses in trucking, the most controllable, and by far the most ignored. Justin Brevik of Bosch FleetMe returns to the BulkLoads Podcast to break down exactly where fleets bleed money on maintenance and how to fix it, whether you run 3 trucks or 3,000. Host Jared Flinn and Just...

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OUVacbL2k7g   For Matt and Sharon Kill, the goal was never to have the biggest fleet. But it took growing to 21 trucks — and nearly losing what mattered — to figure that out. The family started with nothing: one truck, a borrowed belt trailer, and a 1950s pay loader that lost steering every time you let off the throttle. After Matt got let go from Jo...

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n2-i0RKCoWs Craig Broerman left a corporate mechanical engineering career, sold the money meant for his grandparents' farm, and bought a belt trailer in 2019. Six years later, he and his cousin Alan Lennartz are running 7–10 trucks across the Midwest hauling DDGs, soybean meal, cottonseed, and industrial products — and they did it before either of them turned 32....

Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xnLyii6krVg   What does it take to run a four-generation family business through cotton, cattle, pipeline restoration, AND a 7-truck hopper fleet — all at the same time? This week we sat down with Bob Blackwell and his son-in-law Jared Reaves at Blackwell Trucking in Wayne, Oklahoma. Three generations of Blackwells have worked this land. Bob started chasing pi...

Check this episode out on our YouTube: https://youtu.be/hc33VvhAS_I   In 1950, a teenager who'd dropped out of school to save the family farm bought one truck and started hauling gasoline. Today, Wayne Transports runs 750+ trucks, moves nearly 290,000 loads a year, and posts driver turnover rates a fraction of the industry average. In this episode, we sit down with the next generation of Wayne own...

Watch episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QILNrGk8Sfs He started with one truck at 18 years old — and went bankrupt within a year. Most people would have quit. Kendal Mast didn't. Today, KM Wood Products runs 60+ trucks, hauls some of the heaviest freight in the country, and has quietly become one of the biggest players in AI data center freight — with 65% of their entire fleet dedicated to it. B...

Watch the YouTube Video Here: https://youtu.be/t4i4jJeppwM Julie Andrich didn't grow up planning to run a trucking company. But when her father — a city kid who taught himself farming, failed his way into freight, and built Autumn Transport from a single truck in 1980 — passed away in 2015, Julie stepped into the seat. Now president of a 140-unit bulk carrier out of Woodbury, Minnesota, she shares...

Check out the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ow6f_ZQ813I   Eric Glidewell, owner of JP Transport, sits down to share the real story behind building a 45-truck cement hauling operation from scratch — with no trucking background and no blueprint to follow. In this episode, Eric breaks down: The "$50K per truck" formula he uses to measure profitability How he grew from 2 trucks in 2009 to 45 tr...

Watch the video on our YouTube: https://youtu.be/Iv9GTvypqdc 109,000 new trucking companies entered the market in 12 months.  That's 300 new competitors per day. So the real question isn't "Is trucking competitive?" It's: How do you win anyway? This is the BEST trucking advice we've captured over the past few years — condensed into one powerful 30-minute masterclass for owner-operators and fleet o...

Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn joins Jared for a deep dive into the realities of modern farming, livestock operations, rural policy, and how government programs actually impact producers on the ground. Whether you're a farmer, livestock producer, trucker, ag student, grain hauler, or rural leader , this episode gives you a front-row seat to the conversations shaping agriculture today...

In this episode, Jared Flinn sits down with Ben Huston from the Iowa 80 Group — home of the World's Largest Truck Stop — to talk about the incredible history behind Iowa 80, how the company supports America's truck drivers, and what makes their locations in Walcott, IA, Joplin, MO, and Kenly, NC a home away from home for drivers across the country. Ben shares stories from his journey in the trucki...

The Company Powering Rural America | BulkLoads Podcast What does it take to keep America's farmers, truckers, and rural communities moving? In this episode of the BulkLoads Podcast , Jared Flinn sits down with John Ihler, President & CEO of MFA Oil , to discuss how one of the nation's largest farmer-owned cooperatives powers rural America through fuel, propane, lubricants, solar energy, convenienc...

Think you're saving money with cheap truck tires? Think again. In this episode, we sit down with Matt Gibbs from Ozarko Tire to reveal the real costs of poor tire choices, the truth about retreads, and why tire maintenance can make or break your bottom line. Whether you're an owner-operator, fleet manager, or just someone in the trucking industry, this conversation will change the way you think ab...

Most trucking companies are running unsafe—and they don't even know it. In this episode, Jared Flinn sits down with safety expert Sam Watts to uncover the hidden risks, legal traps, and overlooked safety violations that could destroy your trucking business. 🚨 Sam breaks down: Why FMCSA audits are getting faster and stricter The #1 safety mistake that could spike your insurance premiums How lawsui...

In this episode of the BulkLoads Podcast, guest Nisrine Masri, founder of Movers Dispatch Board, shares her entrepreneurial journey in the moving and storage industry. She dives into the unique challenges of household goods logistics, the evolution of specialized technology for movers, and how her platform fills critical gaps in capacity, labor, and trust—highlighting fascinating industry insights...

In this inspiring episode of the BulkLoads Podcast, host Jared Flinn sits down with Roger Zima, a trucking legend who's driven over 4 million miles without a single accident. Recently named the 2024 Minnesota Driver of the Year by the Minnesota Trucking Association, Roger shares the wisdom, discipline, and heart behind his 40-year career with Foltz Trucking. From early gravel hauls to hauling cano...

In this episode of the BulkLoads Podcast, guest Jace Young shares his compelling journey from growing up on a family feed yard in Western Kansas to founding Legacy Farmer. He discusses the hard lessons learned from his family's farm loss, the emotional and financial struggles of generational operations, and the critical need for financial clarity and open communication in ag businesses. Watch this...

In this episode of the BulkLoads Podcast, guest Austin Hammen of AH Trucking shares the inspiring growth story from a small family operation to a 35-truck fleet. Austin discusses transitioning through dump, livestock, and hopper hauling, the value of in-house maintenance, and lessons in leadership after his father's passing—while offering honest insights on building culture, cost-saving strategies...

In this episode of the BulkLoads Podcast, guest Jared Holmes shares his expertise on livestock trucking operations, detailing the shift to owner-operator models and the challenges of truck insurance. He offers insights into his innovative show cattle business, emphasizing strategic growth and efficiency. Holmes passionately highlights the importance of resilience and adapting within the ever-evolv...

In this episode of the BulkLoads Podcast, Mike Bennett shares his inspiring journey from humble beginnings to success in the trucking industry. He emphasizes hard work, faith, and seizing opportunities. Mike discusses the importance of diversification within trucking businesses, the role of innovation in shop operations, and the unique challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, offering valuable...

In this episode of the BulkLoads Podcast, Rodney Garber discusses his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the rich Garber family history of farming, transportation, and biblical leadership. He shares insights into business challenges, personal growth, and mindset transformation. The conversation explores Rodney's coaching philosophy, emphasizing the importance of activating potential and maintai...

In this episode of the BulkLoads Podcast, Jesse Runions deep dives into the outlook for bulk freight in 2025. Highlighting the economic pressures on consumers post-pandemic, Jesse discusses their ripple effect on the trucking industry, emphasizing the challenges in food production and trucking demands. The conversation also underscores practical tips for trucking businesses to navigate these turbu...