The Miles and Mentors Trucking Podcast

What simple marketing moves put a brand-new carrier ahead of half the competition? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Webster Jorgensen shares practical, first-week marketing advice for new carriers and small fleets. Drawing on more than a decade leading digital marketing at Shamrock Trading and now running his own agency, Demand Stack, Webster breaks down what really matter...

What separates surviving from thriving as an owner-operator or broker? It's not luck. It's how you show up. In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast , Annique Lesage of Small World Ventures shares how she went from the shipper side of logistics to building her own brokerage—proving that professionalism, mentorship, and mindset matter more than hype. Annique unpacks what brokers oft...

What does it actually take to build a freight business in today's market, and why do so many give up too soon? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Chris Jolly, founder of Freight Coach Logistics and host of The Freight Coach podcast, breaks down what it means to build with intention, survive the downturns, and create value that lasts in this industry. Chris shares how his fat...

What does it really take to build longevity in trucking, and how do you know who's worth listening to? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Chemistry Howard, better known as The Classy Trucker, shares her story of breaking into a male-dominated industry, going owner-op during the toughest years in trucking, and turning lived experience into mentorship. From making her first ri...

What's the real risk behind a bad hire in trucking, and how do you avoid it? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Rob Carpenter of Truck Safe returns with real-world advice for fleet owners navigating the challenges of hiring. From overlooked vetting steps to systems that prevent expensive mistakes, Rob outlines exactly how to build a safer, more reliable team from day one. We...

What does it look like to rise from the dispatch desk to the top floor of global freight strategy? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Wolfgang LaMarca joins us from Hong Kong to share his decades of logistics leadership across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. From his early days in local distribution to advising multibillion-dollar firms and startup founders, Wolfgang has see...

What does it take to start over in a new country and build a successful trucking company from the ground up? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Bek, founder of Bek Logistics and an immigrant from Uzbekistan, shares how he launched and scaled a fleet in the U.S. after starting in agricultural transport overseas. His journey, from exporting produce in Central Asia to running a...

What if CDL training wasn't just about passing a test but preparing drivers for a lifetime on the road? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Ed Kimes, CDL Program Director, and Darrell Spitzer, Dean of Workforce Education at Eastern Wyoming College, share how their college-based CDL program is setting a new standard for entry-level driver training. From mechanical foundations...

What if the biggest competitive edge in freight isn't rates or routes but trust? Too many freight professionals underestimate the power of reputation until it's too late. In a high-stakes industry plagued by fraud and fragmentation, the ones who win are those who build trust first, transactions second. In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Ryan Suydam, agency owner at RKC Logis...

What if the most overlooked corner of the logistics industry held your next big opportunity? While most tech innovation in freight focuses on dry van or flatbed operations, Nisrine Masri saw a different gap. One that's plagued moving and storage for decades: backhauls, fragmented labor sourcing, and outdated tools. With over 20 years in the industry and a passion for solving real problems, she bui...

What if the success of your trucking business had less to do with your equipment and more to do with who's backing you up? For many new carriers, the leap from company driver to business owner comes with a harsh reality: you're on your own, and the learning curve is steep. Cash flow issues, compliance pitfalls, and overextension can end a business before it even gets rolling. But as George McWilli...

What if the biggest barriers to scaling your logistics business aren't external, but the mindset and processes you carry today? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast , we sit down with Kristy Knichel , CEO and Co-Founder of Knichel Logistics , who draws on 28 years of industry experience to share how she built a thriving carrier from the ground up, and how you can avoid the comm...

What if your small fleet could access the same discounts as the big players, without hidden fees or complicated hoops? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Todd Koca, Founder, President, and CEO of CrownSource, shares how he's helping trucking companies of all sizes slash costs and survive today's brutal market. Todd explains how his experience building group purchasing power...

What if surviving in trucking was not just about grit, but about getting smart, staying prepared, and protecting your reputation? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Steve Vest, founder of Nationwide Equipment Transportation, shares lessons from over 20 years in freight. From starting out as an owner-operator to becoming a successful freight broker and social media educator,...

What if growing your trucking company wasn't about overnight success, but building a playbook that stands the test of time? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Anthony Villanueva, a seasoned logistics professional with 18 years in the trenches, shares his story of transitioning from mortgages to mastering freight, along with his lessons in building relationships, staying pers...

What if scaling your fleet meant skipping the load board altogether? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Roy Craigen, founder and president of Transcom Fleet Services, delivers decades of wisdom from the cab to the C-suite. Raised in the industry and seasoned through transforming trucking companies across North America, Roy explains why most startups fail and how to build las...

What if launching your own trucking company led to your next big idea in freight tech? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Alex Snook, CEO of OnSight and co-owner of Presidential Trucking, shares his journey from dispatching loads to building both a carrier and a logistics tech startup. A full truckload theft became the unexpected spark that pushed Alex to create OnSight, a d...

What if the way you scale is the reason your trucking business fails? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Jeremy Wardle, Director of Sales at TAFS, Inc., delivers critical insight on the financial decisions that make or break new carriers. With 17 years in freight factoring and logistics support, Jeremy explains how to survive downturns, manage cash flow, and scale with inten...

What if failure was just your training ground for success in trucking? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Malcolm Smith, founder and CEO of the National Dump Truck Association, breaks down the business side of dump trucking, one of the industry's most misunderstood sectors. A former PE teacher turned trucking mentor, Malcolm shares how a failed 18-wheeler venture led him to...

What if the key to protecting your cargo was preparation—not reaction? In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, freight fraud prevention expert Claudia Catlett returns to share frontline strategies that every carrier should know. As Risk Manager at General Transportation and a key voice in the Freight Fraud Task Force, Claudia brings deep insights into cargo theft, insurance chall...

What happens when life pivots you from construction into logistics? For Rodney Spillman, it meant building a career from the ground up - one conversation at a time. In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, host Alex chats with Rodney Spillman, Driver Recruitment Manager at TransAm Trucking. Rodney shares his journey into the industry, the realities of driver recruitment today, and...

How far can mentorship, grit, and people-first leadership really take you in the logistics industry? Matt West proves it can take you all the way to the top. In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, host Alex talks with Matt West, CEO of Route Consultant, about his journey from entry-level roles to leading one of the most dynamic consultancy firms in the route-based logistics spac...

What does it take to sustain a trucking company for over 80 years — and still remain hands-on in every shift? Jason Reed, President and CEO of Reed's Fuel and Trucking, reveals the power of legacy, logistics precision, and putting people first. In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, host Alex sits down with Jason Reed — fourth-generation trucker and head of Reed's Fuel and Truck...

What does it really take to survive — and thrive — in the logistics industry for over 45 years? How do you turn decades of failure and mentorship into a thriving freight business? Jeff Dickinson lays it all out. In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, host Alex sits down with Jeff Dickinson — founder of RGTX Logistics Solutions, industry veteran, and host of The Storytelling Chro...

Is your trucking business protected from the biggest risks on the road? Are you unknowingly making mistakes that could cost you thousands in claims? Claudia Catlett breaks down the essentials of risk management and insurance in the trucking industry. In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, host Alex sits down with Claudia Catlett of General Transportation to discuss the critical...