The Freight Coach Podcast

Want to know how to buffer your bottom line against crushing diesel costs in today's freight market, and how the nation's top carriers optimize their fuel spend without getting trapped by hidden fees?  This week's last guest, Josh Thomas from Prime Inc., talks about the massive cost savings available through their Prime Advantage Plus fuel card program! We're breaking down how smaller fleets can l...

What if a simple adjustment in how you handle your back-office systems could dramatically transform your cash flow and give you an unfair advantage over the competition?  Lars Ward of Transflo is back to break down how technology is leveling the playing field for smaller brokerages and carriers, why your data is more relevant today during a market shift than ever before, and how automating repeata...

Are you doing enough to protect your trucking business from the massive surge in identity theft and cargo fraud? What happens when carrier vetting software fails to spot a sophisticated scam?  Today's episode with Cam Pechia gets frank about the terrifying reality of identity theft in the trucking industry! We're breaking down a recent real-world scenario where a legitimate carrier's DOT profile w...

Today, I am pivoting away from the usual industry headlines to bring you a straightforward mid-year review packed with critical business lessons and life lessons I have learned along the way! Turning 40 this year was a massive reality check for me, and it hammered home a vital truth: you cannot wait around for the perfect moment to improve your business or your physical health.  Through top-tier c...

In this episode, we're diving into the critical supply chain security issues, including a disturbing trend uncovered by the NMFTA regarding a white-label ELD cheater network, exposing how bad actors exploit shared digital infrastructures to manipulate hours of service and bypass federal safety regulations, and the Highway's new policy requiring ELD hookups for all carriers to combat carrier identi...

Look beyond the daily grind and dive into what truly makes a champion in freight in today's episode with our returning guest, Robert Bain of GLCS! We're stepping away from transportation metrics to deliver an unfiltered breakdown of everything from the dramatic evolution of US men's soccer at the World Cup to the reality of American healthcare, infrastructure, and our unmatched national resilience...

Are your internal silos and sub-par training protocols exposing your brokerage to massive legal liabilities? Derek Zeluff from Envoy Logistics dives into why quality training and brutal, cross-departmental transparency are absolute non-negotiables for a thriving freight operation!  We break down the danger of the "low-cost model," why treating your team as logistics consultants rather than transac...

Today, David Abell of AM Transport Services is back to speak about how true transportation professionals bring actual insight to their customers during times of volatility! We discuss the vital importance of financial stability, expert market knowledge, and proactive communication when navigating market fluctuations.  From mastering your carrier selection strategy to understanding the cyclical nat...

Are foreign dispatchers manipulating your driver logs from halfway across the world, and how are criminal networks shifting their cargo theft tactics?  In this episode, we'll break down two massive legislative and security updates shaking up the transportation industry! Let's dive into the newly introduced GHOSTRUCK Act, a crucial piece of bipartisan legislation aimed at eliminating a dangerous sa...

Want to know how to avoid getting burned by shippers with terrible operations or a track record of late payments? Today, Lance Healy from FreightFacts is back with a game-changing solution: scorecarding shippers! Lance drops some knowledge on how his new venture is bringing much-needed transparency and accountability to the LTL space. We break down the massive gap between the boardroom and the doc...

Start building a sustainable and resilient freight business in this episode with our guest, Steve Gabrick of MVP Logistics! Steve shares the real strategies for choosing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and dominating the mid-market shipper space! We're moving past the social media clickbait and empty spray-and-pray methodologies to discuss how specialization, intentionality, and data analysis ca...

Are you leaning too hard on automation and letting the human connection slip away in your freight business? How can you utilize data to anticipate your customer's next move before they even realize it themselves?  Revenova's CEO, Chris Wyndham, is back to discuss the critical balance between cutting-edge technology and the human element! Chris breaks down the massive success of their recent user c...

Want to learn what it actually takes to scale your transportation business, survive tough freight markets, and manage volatile shipping lanes straight from someone who is in the trenches every single day?  Fabian Aguilar from SPI Logistics joins us to share the real side of the freight and produce shipping industries, his journey from working at a family brokerage to going independent, discussing...

I am joined by Nick Lester, Director of Operations at River City Logistics (RCL), to deliver an industry-wide wake-up call, challenge the race-to-the-bottom quoting wars, and establish a higher baseline for logistics partnerships. Recognized as an award-winning industry powerhouse, River City Logistics has scaled its nationwide footprint by adhering to an uncompromising operational philosophy: ser...

Lynn Gravley, the newly appointed chairman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) and founder of NT Logistics, joins us to break down the real side of the freight industry! Lynn shares his journey from being a broke, freshly minted college graduate to building a thriving managed transportation business. He dives into how managing full networks differs from traditional freight broke...

Today, we're diving straight into how big shifts from carriers like J.B. Hunt are impacting everything from dedicated fleets to risk management strategy and why understanding a carrier's operational shift can insulate your brand! Stop looking at just one data point and learn how to position your company to flourish by tightening up your processes, building strong relationships, and implementing re...

Turn complex data into actionable insights in this episode with Dean Croke from DAT as he hits the road and dive straight into the true state of the freight industry! Dean breaks down the reality of the current produce season, separate fact from fiction regarding market stability, and explore how major events like the World Cup are creating unexpected waves in truckload demand!   About Dean Croke...

In this episode, Dedicated Logistics Partner's CEO Chris Barnard joins us to share what it really takes to navigate today's logistics market, scaling from small delivery routes to robust fleet ownership! Our conversation cuts straight to the core of building long-term partnership networks, achieving carrier density, and mastering the high-growth final mile sector through dedicated, just-in-time in...

What legal ripple effects will the recent Supreme Court ruling create across the logistics industry? Bryan Nelson is back to decode how this landmark decision fundamentally shifts the framework of carrier selection policies and liability for transportation professionals! Bryan breaks down why relying solely on standard operating procedures won't fully insulate your business in court and explains h...

Today, let's talk about how to counter the rapidly evolving cyber threats facing the transportation industry in this episode with Jaime Lightfoot of Lightfoot Labs and Joe Ohr of the NMFTA! They share the new realities of logistical vulnerabilities, moving beyond abstract ransomware fears to reveal how everyday tools like legacy maintenance software and Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are being...

In this episode, we break down the massive wave of M&A activity hitting the industry, featuring our returning guest, Chris Kolquist from Koliway LLC! With tons of headlines about large companies looking to acquire businesses, we dive into what it takes to survive the freight recession and come out on top . We also cover the impact of the recent SCOTUS ruling on carrier decisions, how to transition...

If your brokerage reps are still spending 10 minutes copying data from a shipper email, manually calculating lanes, and guessing on a spot rate, your business model is an operational failure. Today I am sitting down with Ricky Gonzalez, CEO of Tabi Connect, and tech strategist Rush Feldhacker to execute a forensic intervention on the massive technological velocity shift rewriting the rules of logi...

What if you could consolidate all of your fleet analytics, from toll and bypass data to safety signals, into one cohesive dashboard? Quinn Cochrane of Fleetworthy joins us to explain how they are revolutionizing fleet intelligence by consolidating multiple core products into a single, federated data source! He also shares how a unified vehicle management approach eliminates operational roadblocks...

Discover the unfiltered truth about the broker-carrier dynamic and why the future of logistics relies heavily on authentic partnerships in this episode with Dan Lindsey of Broker-Carrier Summit! Dan covers the cyclical nature of the freight market, the ongoing conversations surrounding rates and transparency, the operational impacts of recent FMCSA modernizations, the rise of fraudulent entities,...

How are surging cargo crime syndicates and evolving regulatory battles forcing a massive overhaul in how we secure our freight and vet our drivers? Today's episode tackles the serious security threats currently facing transportation professionals! From a broader industry perspective, the sophisticated rise in digital identity fraud, deceptive pickups, and double brokering is undeniably alarming. T...