Let’s Talk Logistics

SEASON 2 E5 — MICHAEL CANEY Michael Caney, co-founder of Highway, built the identity and compliance infrastructure that the freight industry should have had a decade ago — and grew from zero to 1,200 broker customers in four years because there was simply nothing else. In this episode, he breaks down the three types of freight fraud, how organized crime has turned cargo theft into a scalable opera...

SEASON 2 E4 — DANIELLE SPINELLI Danielle Spinelli spent 8 years as a broker moving high-value freight — copper, electrical, postal — and getting hit by cargo theft enough times to make it her mission. Now Director of Partnerships at Gen Logs, she breaks down how cargo theft has evolved from smash-and-grab to sophisticated load hostages and overseas shipments, why your vetting process might be bloc...

SEASON 2 E3 - Kara Brown  Kara Brown, CEO of Lead Coverage, breaks down why she’s not ready to hand her operating system to Anthropic, how press releases are now feeding LLM search results, and the intent data framework producing 40% call conversion rates for freight brokers. This episode dives into AEO, TAM building, the death of Google Cookies, and why the freight companies that figure out go-to...

Shannon Breen left Knight Swift as SVP of Logistics, built FreightVana into a top-100 brokerage in four years, and has a data model that explains exactly why trucking rates have to go up — regardless of what demand does. This episode breaks down the 22-26% gap between contract rates and the real cost to serve, what the non-domiciled CDL crackdown is actually doing to capacity, and why Shannon beli...

Jeff Dangelo, breaks down how RA is acquiring and scaling brokerages, using AI to automate operations, and turning tech into a real growth lever instead of just another shiny tool. This episode dives into acquisitions, freight tech, AI voice agents, and why the next winners in logistics will be the ones built to move faster with fewer people. Key Chapters: (0:00)  Background and Introduction (02:4...

Tapan Chaudhari, founded Bubba.ai to fix what small carriers struggle with—dispatch. A voice-first AI that books loads, negotiates, and flags the fine print, it keeps one-to-five truck fleets running without offshore help. No fluff—just AI that works while the driver’s still in the seat. Key Chapters: (0:00)  Background and Introduction (01:34) How Bubba.aI Started (03:27) Voice-First Interface an...

Grace Maher, helped turn OTR Solutions from a five-person startup into one of freight’s leading FinTechs—without losing sight of what carriers actually need. Inside: how factoring really works, where fraud is evolving, and why consolidation plays won’t fix broken execution. From instant funding to AI-backed auditing, this is what modern back-office support should look like. No fluff—just real talk...

Ben Tschirgi, spent a decade selling freight before launching Science of Sales to fix what most teams get wrong—cold outreach. Inside: hitting the inbox, writing messages that actually get replies, and out-selling bigger teams without the bloat. No fluff—just tactics that win. Key Chapters: (0:00) Background and Introduction (1:29) Challenges in Cold Email Outreach (03:27) Transition from Sales to...

The NMFC got a major overhaul. 2,000+ codes changed. FAKs might finally die. Gabe sat down with some of the sharpest minds in LTL—Lance Healey, Curtis Garrett, and Scooter Sayers—to break down what this means for shippers, TMS platforms, and the future of freight. FedEx made a bold move. Not every carrier is following. This is where LTL’s headed.   Key Chapters: (0:00) Background and Introduction...

Ben Jackson, built Bungii to deliver big and bulky freight—then COVID wiped out 95% of their revenue overnight. Instead of folding, they cut ad spend, rebuilt the model, and turned it into a B2B delivery machine with 15,000+ drivers and zero churn. This episode covers Final Mile execution, why agent networks are broken, and how to actually scale in this market. No fluff—just one of the best pivots...

Charlie Saffro, never set out to build a top logistics recruiting firm, but CS Recruiting became just that. This episode dives into their rise, why most companies struggle to hire top talent, and how M&A, AI, and inbound strategies are transforming freight. Must-listen for anyone in logistics looking to hire smarter.  Tune in now!   Key Chapters: (0:00) Background and Introduction (0:36) Accid...

  Kara Brown, built the biggest GTM firm in freight—and she did it by staying laser-focused on what actually drives revenue. This episode covers why most brokers get ICP wrong, how to catch the 5% of buyers ready to move, and where inbound signals are hiding in plain sight. If you’re trying to grow in this market, start here.   Key Chapters: (0:00) Background and Introduction (0:43) Expanding Lead...

Clay Curran, co-founder of FreshX, joined the pod to talk about solving one of LTL’s hardest problems: reefer. From last mile pilots to a full-on freight brokerage pivot, he breaks down how they landed on a software solution that actually works—giving brokers instant access to reefer capacity across 80+ carriers. No transaction fees. No messy workarounds. Just real rates and real coverage. Key Cha...

  Garrett Allen, built LoadPartner, the first open-source TMS for freight brokers. We talk about why most platforms slow brokers down, how AI makes it easier to build what you need, and why owning your tech stack changes everything.   Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (1:05) The Concept of Open Source TMS (4:01) AI's Role in Freight Brokerage (11:37) Pricing Models and Industry Chal...

Ken Adamo has been in data long enough to know what’s broken—and who’s just making noise. We got into freight platforms, media takes, and why he’s still the one people call when things go off the rails. No hype. Just the stuff that actually matters.   Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (1:25) Journey into Data Analytics (2:42) Overview of DAT Solutions (3:48) Understanding Freight Ra...

Steve Cox, has seen every side of freight—CH Robinson, Access America, Coyote, and now Steam. We get into what it takes to build a $600M logistics company, how to survive the downcycle, and why the real risk is waiting too long. Worth the listen.   Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (1:45) Chattanooga: The Freight Capital (2:36) Steam Logistics' Growth and Challenges (12:20) Adapting...

Chris Brewer built River City Logistics from the ground up—no VC, no shortcuts, just grit. We get into what it takes to scale a brokerage with assets and warehousing, why he still trains every new hire, and the moment he knew he had to fire a top performer. Freight built for the long haul. Worth the listen.   Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (3:04) Family Life and Balancing Work (5...

Sam Tibbs, built Trochi. AI to change how rate products work for brokers—giving them real control over their data and a piece of the upside. This episode breaks down why the old model fell apart, how better data shifts the market, and why broker ownership could change everything. A sharp look at where freight tech is heading. Worth the listen.   Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (2:...

A new executive order could take truckers off the road if they can't speak English — and it’s already sparking a fight. We break down what’s actually changing, why it matters for road safety, jobs, and immigration, and where the real friction points are. Forget the headlines — here’s what’s really going on behind the scenes. Key Chapters:   (0:00) Introduction and Overview (0:48) Understanding the...

Matt Silver, built Forager, sold it, and is back with Cargado. This one gets into cross-border freight, near shoring, and what it actually takes to build freight tech. Sharp, honest, and worth a listen.   Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (0:49) Matt Silver's Background and Career at Coyote (1:23) Founding Forager and Its Evolution (3:50) Starting Cargado and the Role of Technology...

​ChatGPT is getting a shopping cart. Leaked code points to a possible Shopify integration, letting users browse and buy products directly in the chat. No official confirmation yet, but the implications for e-commerce, logistics, and AI-driven retail are massive. We break down the clues, the stakes, and what it means if your go-to AI assistant starts selling. Key Chapters:   (0:00) Introduction and...

Eric Johnson, from JOC stopped by to talk about freight, media, and what happens when AI starts doing everyone’s job—including journalists. We got into the chaos around tariffs, why broker CEOs stay quiet, and where SaaS in freight tech might be heading. A little spicy, a lot relevant. Worth the listen. Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (1:13) Eric's Background and JOC Overview (5:0...

The 2025 3PL rankings are out, and the picture isn’t exactly pretty. Slower growth, shifting positions, and trade pressure are forcing even the biggest names to rethink their playbook. Key Chapters:   (0:00) Introduction to the Top 3PLs in North America 2025 (0:31) Current Market Overview and Key Players (2:03) New Entrants and Market Dynamics (2:42) Acquisition Activity in 2024 (4:08) Segment Ana...

Jesse Buckingham, helped sell Trucker Tools and ran private equity-backed freight tech—now he’s building AI agents to kill the busywork in brokerage. We get into why scaling with headcount is dead, how mid-size brokers can punch above their weight, and what AI actually means for freight. Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (1:02) Founding and Early Days of Vooma (7:29) Agent AI and It...

Bharath Krishnamoorthy, left law to fix how money moves in freight. We get into why brokers struggle with cash flow, how Denim is leveling the playing field, and why automation—not headcount—is the path to growth. Key Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and Background (0:57) Meeting the Co-Founder and Early Ventures (1:47) Transition to Law and Realization (2:08) Starting the Company and Initial Struggl...