We open with a market pulse: freight demand is soft but stable, primary tender acceptance remains high, and shippers are using spot opportunistically. The big swing factor ahead? Potential capacity impacts from the new non-domiciled CDL rule now being challenged by industry stakeholders—something Jay Gustafson’s team is watching closely with both shippers and carriers. From there, Jay breaks down why shippers are consolidating carrier networks post-COVID, why annual/biannual RFP cycles are returning, and how Echo’s continuous movement and drop-trailer programs de-risk operations for both drivers and shippers. We close by looking forward: booking automation for the carrier “long tail,” agentic AI in email (the industry’s “universal tech”), and deeper strategic partnerships with mid-sized fleets (≈50–250 trucks). (FreightWaves)

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Market pulse (Q4 2025): Soft/stable demand; high primary acceptance; spot used surgically on low-volume lanes. Supply (driver count) is the lever to watch.
• Regulatory watch: DOT’s non-domiciled CDL rule could trim capacity; lawsuits argue lack of safety evidence. Monitor for ripple effects into 2026.
• Why shippers are consolidating now: Post-boom networks ballooned; with stability, shippers are pruning partners and going deeper with high-service providers.
• Contracting cadence: After a run of quarterly RFPs (2022–2024), many are shifting back to annual/biannual cycles to enable consistent capacity and service.
• Ops evolution: From 2005’s faxed rate sheets and no real-time visibility to today’s app/portal tracking and exception-led management.
• Productivity lift: Top reps doing 100+ loads/day is now possible via automation, sticky relationships, and inbound digital offers.
• Programs that create stability:
  • Continuous Movement: Dedicated-like weekly revenue commitments with per-mile tiers; lowers driver churn and guarantees capacity.
  • Drop Trailers: Flex for warehouse teams, fewer live-load constraints, scalable capacity; Echo is expanding via partners like Wabash TaaS.
• Tech stance: Meet carriers where they are—apps, portals, and email (still the dominant medium). Expect agentic AI to automate email-based offers and booking.
• Carrier segmentation sweet spot: Echo works all sizes, but the 50–250 truck range often yields the best strategic depth and share of capacity.

Guest

Jay Gustafson — EVP of Brokerage Operations
Company: Echo Global Logistics (https://www.echo.com/)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygustafson/
Jay has led Echo’s national brokerage operations since 2021, after joining the company in 2013; his team supports tens of thousands of carrier and shipper relationships across the U.S.

Brought to you by

Vooma — back-office automation for freight brokerages and 3PLs. Book a demo now: https://www.vooma.com/ 

Ryan Schreiber—Chief Growth Officer at Metafora—joins The Freight Show to unpack why most freight-tech projects fail before they start, how to reframe “the problem” as an operational one, and why a broker’s goal should be zero inbound calls. We dig into AI’s real promise (natural-language workflows at 3 a.m.), the orchestration mindset (people × process × tech), and how to redesign the carrier org around strategic sourcing → advanced booking → coverage instead of asking one rep to do it all.

Brought to you by

VOOMA — AI agents that help brokers/carriers win and move more freight. Book a demo: https://www.vooma.com/ 

What you'll learn

• Stop solving the wrong problem: Most “AI failures” are ops failures—misframed problems and incentives, not model quality.
• Zero inbound is the goal: Every inbound call is a lagging indicator that upstream work (quoting/follow-ups/coverage) slipped.
• Natural language as UI: Why chat/voice beats app labyrinths for drivers at 3 a.m.
• Orchestration > automation: Harmonize people, process, and tech so the system can triage work and scale capacity thoughtfully.
• Carrier org of the future: Cohort by strategic sourcing, advanced booking (≈48h), and coverage—and measure for carriers who want your freight, not just those who’ll take it.

Time-stamped highlights

• (00:00) Drivers don’t want a call—they want a fix: NLP and AI as “the 3 a.m. workflow.”
• (07:00) “Zero inbound” as a north star for brokers.
• (10:30) Orchestration defined: aligning process, tech, and UX.
• (14:45) Cloud-computing analogy for staffing & surge demand.
• (22:30) Pilots that flop: answering calls vs eliminating the need for calls.
• (29:45) Capacity Strategy: strategic sourcing → advanced booking → coverage.
• (36:30) “Carriers who want your freight” and how to measure fit.
• (41:45) Micro-decisions: when to post vs. invest in relationship routes.
• (43:30) Ryan’s signature: “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but…”

Links & references

• About Metafora (formerly CarrierDirect): https://metafora.net/ (transportation & logistics consulting + software)
• CarrierDirect → Metafora rebrand background: https://blog.metafora.net/rebrands-metafora-adds-industry-executive (blog + coverage)

Guest
Ryan Schreiber — Chief Growth Officer, Metafora
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-schreiber/

Freight analyst ≠ data analyst. In this deep dive, Chadd Olesen, co-founder & CEO of AVRL, explains why averages lie, how “composition scoring” beats lane-by-lane thinking, and what it really takes to make automated spot bidding profitable at scale. We get tactical on separating cost from margin, building region-first strategies, measuring MAPE, and why speed to quote (sub-second!) wins planners’ attention. We also talk participation rules, when not to bid, and how to use routing-guide gaps to win awards.

Brought to you by

VOOMA — back-office automation for freight brokerages & 3PLs (AI document handling, workflow automation). Learn more: https://www.vooma.com/

What you’ll learn

• Why averages are inflated (incumbents & core lanes) and how to price below “market” without racing to the bottom.
• Region > lane: composition scoring by market area, factoring deadhead, facility effects, and lead time.
• Cost vs. margin separation: modeling projected carrier cost at pick time, then layering margin—no black boxes.
• Automation that actually makes money: who should own it (pricing, not ops), and the cultural buy-in required.
• Speed as strategy: getting under 1s end-to-end to rank first in planners’ queues (Blue Yonder/API timeout realities).
• Participation rules: how 70–80% “respond/decide” mandates change bidding strategy—and when to opt out.
• Turning data into awards: using routing-guide gap analytics to win net-new freight.

Time-stamped highlights

• 00:01:02 — Chadd’s path from speaking at Walmart events to early enterprise 3PL customers; AVRL’s pivot to pricing.
• 00:06:09 — Elizabeth, NJ → Chicago vs. nearby Freehold: why two “identical” rates behave differently.
• 00:11:03 — How AVRL models probability of coverage by region and separates projected cost from margin.
• 00:17:06 — Who should own automated spot bidding (hint: your pricing org), and why MAPE matters.
• 00:20:00 — Market Intelligence Team: rebuilding rating engines, parallelizing data pulls, and getting sub-second.
• 00:24:45 — The real upside: 100% participation, routing-guide visibility, and data-led award wins.
• 00:29:30 — Avoiding nukes: why selective participation beats bidding “everything.”
• 00:33:55 — Benchmarks (DAT/Greenscreens): why people blame the data when they’re using it wrong.

Links & references

• AVRL homepage (company info & “18 companies per year” model). (avrl.io)
• Transport Topics on AI & optimization (AVRL’s monthly transactional volume quote). (TT News)
• Additional long-form interviews featuring Chadd & AVRL’s approach. (The Logistics of Logistics)

Guest

Chadd Olesen — CEO & Co-founder, AVRL (Austin, TX)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadd-olesen/
Company: https://avrl.io/ (AVRL — Automation & pricing tech) (LinkedIn)

Freight fraud is evolving — gone are the days of just stolen cargo. Today’s attacks are digital: email hijacks, phone spoofing, “sold MCs,” and identity theft. In this episode, Michael Caney, Chief Commercial Officer at Highway, unveils how fraud works in 2025 and how his team is building the rails to stop it.

We dig into:

• Why fraud attempts spiked 27% in 2024, led by identity theft and inbox compromise 
• Highway’s new Trusted Freight Exchange (TFX)—a secure, identity-verified platform for brokers and carriers 
• Why rate confirmations in email are too risky, and the importance of real-time identity vetting 
• The tension between openness (marketplaces) and safety — how TFX leans into rules + rails over chaos 
• Culture as your firewall: why saying no and tracking overrides matter more than flashy features

Guest Bio:
Michael Caney is Chief Commercial Officer at Highway, leading efforts in identity-based verification, fraud detection, and building trust infrastructure in freight. He’s a frequent voice on freight tech, cybersecurity, and logistics strategy. See his appearances on FreightCaviar and Talking Transports. 

Why This Episode Matters:
Freight brokers and carriers often ask, “Do I really know who’s hauling my loads?” This episode arms you with facts, frameworks, and next steps to move past hope and toward certainty—before the next load vanishes.

Brought to you by:
This conversation is supported by Vooma, your AI-powered back-office automation for brokerages and 3PLs. Simplify workflows and reduce risk. Learn more at vooma.com.

2016 Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg joins The Freight Show to unpack the mindset, mechanics, and team dynamics behind working with / competing with legends like Lewis Hamilton - and how those lessons now power his work as an entrepreneur and investor. We dig into sports psychology, meditation, micro-improvements, F1 team culture, and the insane logistics of moving a global racing circus every week. Nico also shares how he transitioned from the podium to Rosberg Ventures, what he looks for in founders, and why embracing failure compounds growth.

What you’ll learn

• How tiny habits and “½% gains” decide championships
• Training the mind: meditation, visualization, and handling red-mist moments
• Translating driver feedback into engineering wins (and why setup can swing you 10 grid spots)
• Team culture lessons from Mercedes: incentives, information sharing, and neutralizing turf wars
• The real logistics of F1: planes, pop-up facilities, and 2,000-person teams
• Venture playbook: building access, unique value props, and backing category leaders

Guest

Nico Rosberg (2016 F1 World Champion, Founder @ Rosberg Ventures)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicorosberg/

Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Vooma - the AI orchestration platform that helps brokers & carriers win and move more freight. Learn more: https://www.vooma.com/

Key ideas & quotes

• “As a high-performance athlete, the half a percent makes the difference.”
• “Mostly you already know what you’re doing wrong—it’s cumulative.”
• “Embrace failure. Most failures you can bounce back from—and they’re where you learn.”
• “You can’t win alone. Information sharing beats internal rivalries—every time.”

Chapters

• Rosberg’s path: karting → Williams → Mercedes → World Title
• Performing under extreme pressure & building a mental toolkit
• Engineering collaboration and why setup beats raw pace
• Inside the F1 logistics machine
• From champion to investor: the Rosberg Ventures thesis
• Team performance frameworks founders can copy

In this episode, we sit down with Drew Herpich, a freight industry veteran with nearly two decades of experience scaling brokerages and leading carrier sales teams. Drew brings a wealth of knowledge from the trenches, sharing insights on navigating today's challenging market conditions and what it takes to build successful freight operations.

Key Topics Discussed:

Market Analysis & Forecasting

• Why 2024 spot rate predictions missed the mark (forecast: 13-30% growth, reality: ~0%)
• The flattening of traditional freight cycles and what's driving it
• How real-time data and mini-bids are making shippers more nimble
• The shift from annual RFPs to continuous procurement strategies

Shipper Expectations & Procurement

• The growing influence of procurement teams in freight decisions
• Rising fraud concerns and carrier vetting priorities
• The balance between cost consciousness and service quality
• Why payment terms and pricing have become critical differentiators

Building High-Performing Carrier Sales Teams

• The essential traits that technology can't replace: work ethic and relationship-building
• Why AI agents won't replace human brokers for Fortune 500 accounts
• The evolving motivations of younger sales reps (hint: they're choosing time off over money)
• The importance of understanding truck drivers' experiences and challenges

Scaling a Brokerage

• Financial discipline required to scale from $50M to $1B in revenue
• The critical difference between booking loads and solving problems when things go wrong
• Buy-sell vs. cradle-to-grave models and when each makes sense
• Key metrics beyond margin: understanding cost per load in context

Industry Evolution

• Drew's hands-on approach: visiting truck stops and understanding driver life
• Why relationships and face-to-face interactions remain irreplaceable
• The role of AI and automation in streamlining operations
• Retention strategies and identifying A, B, C, and D players

Notable Quotes:

• "The rockstar is going to be the one that's able to build relationships at the end of the day. An AI agent is never going to be able to get $10 million per day out of a Fortune 500 customer."
• "Booking the load is the easiest part of our industry. The hard part is when you've got two extra pallets on the truck, or the seal's broken, or there's no appointment for four days."
• "If you're doing the easy task or looking for the easiest approach, those are things AI will replace."

Guest: Drew Herpich - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewherpich/

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Vooma, the back office automation platform built for freight brokerages and 3PLs - https://www.vooma.com/

In this episode, Ali Shafi, CEO of SIO Logistics, shares insights on bootstrapping a freight brokerage without outside capital. He emphasizes prioritizing company culture over short-term revenue and discusses how AI is increasing load-to-rep ratios. Ali covers early-stage cash flow management, co-founder dynamics, and the benefits of counter-cyclical hiring. He advocates for evaluating tech investments over a 12-month horizon for proper ROI assessment. Throughout, Ali offers practical advice on building a resilient brokerage in today's evolving freight industry.

Top takeaways

• Bootstrapped & disciplined: Reinvest profits; build runway; avoid FOMO spending.
• Culture > revenue: Hire slow and for fit; “we work for our employees”; unlimited PTO.
• AI is here: Focus people on relationships & exceptions; let software handle repetitive tasks.
• Model shift: Hybrid cradle-to-grave + split supports higher volume/enterprise.
• Scaling math: Targeting 40–50 loads per ops rep/day with today’s tools.
• Counter-cyclical: Be ready to hire into down markets; measure ROI on a 12-month horizon.

Guest & company links

• Ali Shafi (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafiali/
• SIO Logistics (Website): https://sionow.com/

Tools mentioned

• Vooma (AI for brokers): https://www.vooma.com/

Chapter Markers (mm:ss – topic)

• 00:00 – Intro & Ali’s origin story
• 01:00 – From big-box brokerage to founder
• 03:30 – Bootstrapping realities: cash flow, prepaying carriers, factoring credibility
• 06:30 – Partnering with Cody Brown: trust & complementary lanes
• 09:30 – First hires, first office, first $1M in sales
• 12:00 – Culture over short-term revenue; unlimited PTO
• 15:00 – Why no outside capital (freedom & discipline)
• 18:00 – AI to erase “let me check” work; instant status & notifications
• 21:00 – Hybrid cradle-to-grave + split model for enterprise volume
• 24:00 – Load-to-rep targets (path to 40–50/day)
• 27:00 – Greedy when others are fearful: scaling in a down market
• 30:00 – Tech ROI over 12 months; change management that sticks
• 33:00 – Market cycles, mental game, and thick skin
• 36:00 – Biggest surprises & advice to new brokers

Notable Quotes (optional pull-quotes)

• “If you’re saying AI is coming, you’re already behind.”
• “We’ll choose culture over money—every time.”
• “Today is the worst AI will ever be.”

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show and share it with a broker who’s scaling their ops team.

This episode is brought to you by Vooma - https://www.vooma.com/.
Level up your brokerage ops with automated quoting, instant status updates, and AI-assisted workflows. 

In this episode of The Freight Show, Mike and Jesse, co-founders of Vooma, sit down to discuss how a chance introduction between a strategist and a builder evolved into one of logistics’ most exciting automation platforms.

From early experiments—including wild ideas like training crows for last-mile delivery—to killing the wrong projects and zeroing in on freight’s biggest bottleneck, unstructured data, this conversation highlights the relentless problem-solving and intellectual honesty behind Vooma’s rise.

We cover:

• The origin story of Vooma, including how a South African slang word became the company name
• Early pivots, experiments, and lessons from projects that didn’t make it
• Why solving unstructured data entry unlocked massive opportunities for brokers and 3PLs
• The founders’ decision to build an in-person company in San Francisco and the trade-offs involved
• Vooma’s core values: hands-on execution, long-term games with long-term people, intellectual honesty, and “run with the ball” ownership
• How AI co-workers will reshape the freight broker role—removing repetitive tasks so humans can focus on strategy, growth, and customer relationships
• Why building culture, humor, and resilience matters as much as the tech itself

Mike and Jesse also share the books that shaped their thinking—from The Mom Test to Thinking, Fast and Slow—and even tackle the ultimate startup question: Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or a hundred duck-sized horses?

Chapters

• 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
  Setting the stage for how AI and automation are reshaping freight.
• 00:34 – Meet Mike & Jesse
  The chance introduction that led to founding Vooma.
• 02:00 – Early Impressions & Complementary Skills
  Why their different strengths made them better together.
• 04:30 – Crazy Early Experiments
  From training crows to robotic last-mile delivery—what worked, what didn’t.
• 07:00 – Killing the Wrong Projects
  Lessons from pivots and finding the right entry point.
• 08:00 – The Origin of “Vooma”
  How a South African slang word shaped the brand.
• 09:00 – Discovering the Real Bottleneck
  Why unstructured data entry was freight’s hidden pain point.
• 13:00 – The Future of Freight Brokers
  AI co-workers, strategy over grunt work, and what brokerages look like in 5 years.
• 17:00 – Scaling With AI Agents
  Optimizing workflows, market visibility, and clearing inefficiencies.
• 18:30 – Why Build In-Person in San Francisco
  Trade-offs of geography, networks, and startup speed.
• 20:00 – Vooma’s Core Values
  Hands-on execution, long-term games, intellectual honesty, and “run with the ball.”
• 24:50 – Culture & Humor in the Trenches
  Why resilience and laughter matter in startups.
• 25:30 – Deep Dive Interviews
  How Vooma’s unique hiring process uncovers true values and fit.
• 27:30 – Books That Shaped the Founders
  From The Mom Test to Atlas Shrugged to Thinking, Fast and Slow.
• 30:00 – The Final Question
  One horse-sized duck vs. a hundred duck-sized horses—co-founder answers revealed.

Shawn McLeod, President of Axle Logistics, joins us to share how the Knoxville-based 3PL scaled from $17M to over $1B in revenue. We explore Axle’s “build your empire” culture, their six-week LaunchPad training program, and where they automate without losing the human relationships that drive freight. From hiring and retention to thriving in soft markets, Shawn delivers a playbook any brokerage or ops-heavy business can use.

Chapters:
00:00 — The hard lessons of first-time leadership
03:30 — Axle’s trajectory: from ~$17M to $1B+
07:30 — Culture as strategy: “Build your empire” and loud sales floors
12:00 — Avoiding micro-cultures when scaling offices
16:30 — Hiring at pace: signals that actually matter
22:00 — Training at scale: LaunchPad’s six-week ramp
27:30 — Retention: base vs. commission, fairness, and grind
34:00 — Where to automate first (repeat touches, doc QA, quoting)
41:30 — Keeping the human: when relationships beat automation
47:00 — Surviving soft markets: travel > excuses
52:30 — Leadership evolution and feedback loops

Key Takeaways:

• Culture is Axle’s #1 growth strategy — lose that, and you lose everything.
• LaunchPad’s six-week program speeds ramp time and improves throughput.
• Automate repetitive touches (document checks, quoting) but never the relationship.
• In down markets, Axle increases customer travel rather than cutting it.
• Hiring focuses on energy, work history, and coachability — not just interview polish.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Culture is number one in the strategy for growth.”
• “Automate the repetitive; never automate the relationship.”
• “Travel is the last thing you cut in a soft market.”

Links & Resources:

• Shawn McLeod — LinkedIn
• Axle Logistics — Website

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by Vooma — AI that unlocks revenue in your team’s inbox with automated quoting, order entry, tracking, and more. Learn more at Vooma.com.

From dispatch trainee to president, Jordan Reber unpacks how ARL Logistics scaled an agent-powered network by pairing offshore talent, selective automation, and a revamped cradle-to-grave model—without losing the relationship-first DNA. We dig into building hybrid teams in Colombia, “train-the-trainer” systems, cleaning messy TMS data, and ARL’s shift toward a revenue-engine sales structure.

What We Cover

• Career arc: Management trainee → dispatch → brokerage launch → ARL presidency
• Hybrid operating model: Staffing-assisted cradle-to-grave (Colombia ops + US client touch)
• Train-the-trainer: “Four super users” to eliminate perpetual entry-level retraining
• Sales structure 2.0: Splitting hunters (sales) and BDR/CS to speed response & enforce SLAs
• People vs process: EOS/Traction, shadow-work, and deleting steps before automating
• Tech partnerships: Why ARL co-builds with vendors and aims for 80/20, not edge cases
• Automation lens: Start with mundane, API/RPA bridges, humans as exception managers
• Data reality: TM3→TM4 migration, standardizing inputs, and the prize of drayage pricing data
• Risk & resilience: Receivables caution, tariffs, and modal shifts (intermodal ↔ OTR)
• Culture: Small wins daily, continuous training, and giving offshore teams a real voice

Playbook & Tactics

• Sit tech next to the business. Proximity shrinks build cycles and bakes in reality.
• Free reps to sell. Move load-building, T&T, and intake to an ops pod first—then automate.
• Design for exceptions. Automate 6–7 steps in a 10-step flow; humans handle the rest.
• Standardize input fields. Clean data starts at the source; train against exceptions.
• Measure the ROI. Track time saved, licenses retired, and throughput per seat.
• Organize for strengths. Separate “people-first closers” from “process-first executors.”

Notable Quotes

• “If the tech people would just sit next to the business people, you build product fast.”
• “Train four super users and you never have to train entry-level again.”
• “Those are two different roles—very few are great at both.”
• “Our motto is small wins every day.”

Resources Mentioned

• ARL Logistics (brokerage & agent network)
• US1 Industries (parent; proprietary TMS)
• Lean Solutions Group (nearshore ops)
• EOS / Traction (operating system)
• The Revenue Engine by Kara Brown (sales/marketing alignment)

Sponsor

Vooma — Back-office automation for freight brokerages. From AI document handling to ops streamlining, scale without the growing pains.