The FreightCaviar Podcast

Mark A. Hill, CEO of PCS Software, a Houston-based TMS for trucking carriers, shares what dispatchers should do now to prepare for 2027, and what carriers and freight brokers are up against: freight fraud, a down market that battered fleets with low rates, tariffs and war, and diesel he expects to stay above $5 through 2027. Mark also explains why trucking's fragmentation is a feature rather t...

Michael Cherney, Co-Founder and CEO of Cooler Logistics, shares how his team grew a food and beverage focused brokerage to a $25 million run rate in three years without posting loads on load boards, how a network built on repeat carriers has kept them free of stolen freight, and why relationships with carriers and shippers still matter more than any tech stack. Michael also breaks down his path fr...

Gabrielius Stonys, Co-Founder of Spotter Labs, shares how he turned an AI dispatching startup into a 650-truck operation while carrier profitability collapsed 80%, and why he believes scaling down is guaranteed death in trucking. Gabriel also breaks down arriving in Chicago at 12 barely speaking English, meeting his co-founder as a random teammate in Dota 2, raising a $2.5M pre-seed round in 2020,...

What separates preferred transportation providers from the rest? In this conversation with Kevin Mitchell, Director of Transportation at James Hardie, and Derek Zetlin, Director of Sales at GoodShip, we take an inside look at how leading shippers evaluate providers, balance relationships with performance data, and decide who earns more freight. 

Peter Stefanovich, President of Left Lane Associates, shares what it takes to sell a freight brokerage, from the EBITDA most buyers need to see before they get interested to the multiples owners can realistically expect and the risks that move a valuation up or down. Peter also breaks down how Left Lane has advised on 88 transportation and logistics transactions since 2016 totaling just over $2 bi...

Dan Manshaem, Co-Founder/CEO of Ally Logistics and Founder of Resolve Logistics, joined Paul-Bernard Jaroslawski and Lev Krasnopolskiy on the FreightCaviar Podcast to discuss how he started a freight brokerage in 2012 with $5K in the bank and grew it to a $300M+ run rate, what he thinks brokerage will look like in 10 to 20 years, his unconventional take on non-competes, and more.

Chris Brewer, Founder & CEO of River City Logistics, joined Paul-Bernard Jaroslawski, Lev Krasnopolskiy, and Reed Loustalot, to discuss how he built a logistics company without outside investment, Chris’ thoughts on AI, and more.

Thomas Mella, Co-Founder at TrackFlo, and Rich Joseph, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder at TrackFlo, joined Paul-Bernard Jaroslawski and Reed Loustalot on the FreightCaviar Podcast to discuss how TrackFlo helped one brokerage cut track-and-trace headcount by more than half while improving service, what acquisitions like Descartes/Tai reveal about the value behind freight-tech M&A, and w...

Michael Grace, Chief Compliance Officer at FreightFlex, explains how freight fraud evolved from double brokering into organized cargo theft, why so much freight theft is preventable, and how carrier vetting has changed over the past decade. He also shares why freight brokers are facing greater compliance and liability risks, how stricter carrier selection standards are changing the market, and why...

Andrew Leto, Founder of Emerge, GlobalTranz, and Felix AI, explains why bringing AI to carriers could be one of the biggest opportunities in trucking and logistics, and why digitizing the carrier side of freight could reshape how the entire market operates. Andrew also breaks down how AI agents could help carriers access more loads, negotiate better rates, and improve yield, why so much of truckin...

What does it take to make brokerage growth look easy? Join Epay Manager for a discussion on how freight brokerages are using automation to handle more volume without building a bigger back-office team. We will share real client growth stories, including how River City Logistics increased load volume by approximately 70% without adding back-office headcount. Then, we are settling the freight indust...

Freight brokerage founder John Ferguson breaks down how Pivot Supply Chain Solutions grew to $50M, why cold calling and customer service still win in logistics, and where AI fits into the future of freight brokerage. John also opens up about how freight brokering changed his life, from spending time in foster care and struggling as a young adult to building a career, a family, and his own company....

Lev Krasnopolskiy, Co-Founder of Everest Transportation Systems and Founder of Alpha Staffing and Recruiting, shares how he went from immigrating to the U.S. from Moscow at five years old to building a career in freight, co-founding Everest, and using offshore talent in Ukraine to help the brokerage compete and scale. Lev also breaks down how chess shaped his approach to sales and negotiation, how...

Ted Alling, Managing Partner at Dynamo Ventures, and Co-Founder of Access America, joined Reed Loustalot on the FreightCaviar Podcast to discuss how he helped build a freight brokerage from a startup into a $500 million business without outside capital, the early days of Access America and the culture that fueled its growth, and how Dynamo is backing the next generation of freight founders. Ted al...

Tim Higham, Founder of AscendTMS, shares his journey from building a fintech company, to launching a freight brokerage, to creating a cloud-based TMS platform, and more. This week's episode is sponsored by Epay Manager, Highway, Chain, and Resolve Logistics. Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at ⁠pbj@freightcaviar.com⁠ .

Serge Raducan, the Founder & CEO at Kovin Group, breaks down the rise of Moldova’s dispatch workforce, the challenges of managing U.S. freight abroad, and more. This week's episode is sponsored by: Epay Manager, Chain, Bitfreighter, and Freight Flex. Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at pbj@freightcaviar.com .

Yuri from Easy Truck Shop traveled state-by-state to build software around the hidden bottleneck of trucking: managing repairs, parts, and shop data. This week's episode is sponsored by  Epay Manager, Resolve Logistics, Bitfreighter, and TrackFlo. Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at pbj@freightcaviar.com .

Mario Torres, Terminal Manager at Erives Enterprises, explains why cross-border freight remains a steady bet despite tariffs, diesel volatility, and capacity swings, and more. This week's episode is sponsored by  Epay Manager, Goodship,FreightFlex and TrackFlo. Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at pbj@freightcaviar.com .

Salvador Munoz is the CEO and Owner of Best Express Inc., a trucking company based in El Paso. He breaks down the mechanics of the Juárez freight economy, from maquiladoras and tariffs to driver shortages and rising operating costs. This week's episode is sponsored by  Epay Manager, Goodship, Chain, and Highway. Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at pbj@freightcaviar.com.

Lynn Gravley, Founder of NTG and TIA's incoming Chairman, on why brokers who cut shipments instead of chasing them win the freight game, and more. This week's episode is sponsored by  Epay Manager, Highway, Goodship, Bitfreighter Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at pbj@freightcaviar.com.

Jayne Bart-Plange is a transportation attorney. This pre-ruling conversation explores why brokers became litigation targets, where liability begins, and why enforcement gaps leave the industry exposed. This week's episode is sponsored by  Epay Manager, FreightFlex Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at pbj@freightcaviar.com .

Rob Liss is Vice President at MAKA Logistics, one of the largest independent agencies in Armstrong Transport Group. He explains why a proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger could shift freight from trucks to rail and reshape competition across North America, and more. This week's episode is sponsored by  Epay Manager, Augment Technologies Inc, Goodship. Interested in sponsoring our pod...

Kevin Coomes, Chief Revenue Officer at Chain and George Schergen, Chief Client Officer (CCO) at Dynamic Logistix, explain how Kansas City evolved from a railroad crossroads into one of freight’s most important warehouse and logistics hubs. They also break down why AI won’t replace freight operators, and which companies are best positioned to benefit from the next wave of automation. This week's ep...

Jordan Graft is the Founder & CEO of Highway. He explains why the PDF rate confirmation in your inbox is on its way out and why the high-trust days of brokerage are over. This week's episode is sponsored by Rapido and Chain. Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at pbj@freightcaviar.com.

Reed Rivers is the President & CEO of Freight Flex, a freight brokerage and logistics provider helping freight agents grow. He shares his take on why email needs to die in freight, VC money inflows, and non-competes.    This week's episode is sponsored by  Epay Manager, Goodship, Augument Technologies Inc. Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at pbj@freightcaviar.com.