Trucking for Millennials

In this episode Aaron and Michael connect with Samantha Jones, the Vice President of Revenue for RocketShipping! She has just over 4 years of experience in logistics, but as you will understand quickly in this conversation, she's more than qualified to share some valuable wisdom about LTL and logistics in general! You'll hear about how she got into supply chain, her career trajectory, the difference between LTL and FTL, what makes a brokerage differentiated, how to grow as a leader, and much, much more!

In this episode we dive into what it means to drive a truck with a champion mindset! As a 2 time Grand Champion of the National Truck Driving Championships, you could say Roland Bolduc is essentially the Patrick Mahomes of truck driving. With over 2.5 million safe miles and decades behind the wheel, Roland puts his skills to the test every year at the National Truck Driving Championships so we decided to speak with him to learn all about it. In this episode you'll learn what the NTDC is all about, how Roland Bolduc practices and trains, and how applicable the ultimate test of truck driving profeciency applies to his daily work delivering freight for FedEx. You'll also hear how to get involved, as it is coming up very soon! Check out the 2023 State Truck Driving Championship Schedule here!

Brett Ekart is a guy who was raised in a family business that started in 1972. His parents took over in 1997, and in 2015 Brett became the third generation taking advantage of the opportunities to continue building the business. In addition to several scrap yards, Brett is running 40+ trucks. In this episode you'll get an inside look into How Brett spends his time as a leader of multiple companies Empowering his employees Working with family and friends Working through failures Favorite books Playing offense Making good people decisions Overcoming the adversity throughout the journey and much more! If you'd like join us on the show to discuss dispatching, email us at [email protected] or hit us up on Instagram @pdqamerica or LinkedIn!

In this episode we have an excellent conversation with General Transportation Manager of Walmart, Jenny Lovering! We learned a ton about what thinking goes on behind the scenes at one of the largest companies and shippers in the country! Jenny is responsible for over 150 drivers in Walmart's fleet of 13,000! In this conversation you'll hear how she got into Walmart, why she decided to stay and commit to moving up the ranks and taking advantage of the many opportunities they provide for those looking to take their career to the next level. We also talk about INNOVATION - as it regularly comes up as a top of mind initiative for the folks at Walmart. You'll also hear about an Innovative new program Walmart is expanding, their Associate to Driver program! And that just scratches the surface of this excellent chat. Enjoy!

You'll find out very quickly why Gretchen Long has over 80,000 followers on TikTok in this episode! In this conversation Gretchen details the story of how she was introduced to dispatching at her old job leading a sales team by a truck driver. That was the spark of inspiration for her to learn everything she could about truck dispatching and a conviction to be the best dispatcher she could be. Since then she's helped drivers stay profitable and others start their career in dispatching, and we learn a ton of tips and tricks that set the PROFESSIONAL dispatchers apart from the Wannabe's. Be sure to give her a follow @longmoneytrucking!

What's the FMCSA doing about double brokering? What about "broker transparency"? What is the Transportation Intermediaries Association and what do they do anyway? These questions and much more will be answered in this episode with Anne Reinke, President and CEO of the TIA. In this episode you'll hear a bit of Anne's career experience leading up to taking the lead position at the TIA and her ongoing efforts to rebrand and provide a refreshed purpose to the TIA before diving deep on the subjects that effect drivers and brokers every day like double brokering, the relationship between brokers and drivers, the FMCSA's responsibility, and much more!

We've got a 3 Pick 1 Drop for you this week! In this episode you'll hear some recordings from the archive of when Aaron and Nolan went down to TruckNHustle Fright Fest in Houston TX last November! You'll also hear a conversation between Aaron and one of PDQ America's Logistics Coordinators, Kevin Leath! This episode covers Hot Shot Trucking, Entrepreneurship, transitioning from the medical field to a freight brokerage, FreightFest takeaways, trucking risk management, and much more! 1) Brittany Stuart 2) Kevin Leath 3) Ladda Hawkins Subscribe to the PDQ America YouTube Page here.

The Freight Coach is BACK on Trucking For Millennials to give us the freight motivation like only he can. Chris is an industry veteran with his own podcast who's showing up daily on LinkedIn and with his clients to help them grow as logistics professionals. In this episode, Michael, Aaron, and Chris discuss the start of the new year, what's new with Chris and Freight Coach Logistics, and his unfiltered thoughts on the FMCSA!

This is another PDQ America team special! In this episode Aaron and Nolan Grush discuss how they are individually working to make 2023 the best year ever! They discuss their own philosophy and approach for building relationships with customers and carriers, the importance of owning your expertise and approaching your role as a professional. You'll also hear what carriers should do at this time of the year from a brokers perspective, and how carriers can work with freight brokers better through relationship building and communication.

In this episode you'll hear Aaron and Michael discuss 2022, 2023, and a few articles! First they have a long overdue conversation about the FMCSA guidance to dispatchers regarding when they would be considered operating as a broker. Then they discuss Elon Musks's Tesla Semi and Truck Driver's reaction to it (it isn't great) Before discussing a recent survey that covered public's perception of safe driving for big rigs over the road, and whether or not knowing a truck has more safety systems inside it make young people more likely to drive them.

This conversation is full personal branding goodness and freight sales mental fortitude! Gunner Miller is the Vice President of Sales at Twelve Point Logistics, podcaster on CWG Podcast, and pro wrestler. You'll hear his story abou thow his pro wrestling career and logistics career started at the same time, how to balance and decide between careers, what it means to go "all-in", and he even drops some gems about selling freight. Connect with him on LinkedIn, where he'll be posting every day for 2023 and be sure to subscribe to his YouTube.

We had a lot of fun getting to know Paul Gibson, co-host of Sense Per Mile podcast, co-founder of Bright Lights Media, former trucking industry driver recruiter and all around cool dude. We also had a short debate about Texas vs Kansas City KS BBQ. In this episode you'll hear Paul's take on driver recruitment, a candid conversation about driver well being as well as his recent "HOS Experiment" which had him stay in a small storage closet at CDL Life HQ for 48 hours to see what it would be like for an office employee to work the same hours as a truck driver. This started an excellent conversation about driver compensation and the importance of media, millennials, and the trucking industry working together to make the industry better. Enjoy this conversation, connect with Paul, and keep up with the great work he's up to!

This episode is honest, transparent and filled with insight! That should be expected when you're speaking with Melanie Patterson of Team Integrity Knowledge Center. You'll hear Melanie discuss the highs and lows of entrepreneurship as she's worked to make an impact in the trucking industry while making pivots along the way. This conversation also showcases the risk and rewards in the industry and how think and operate like a business owner that is not only working in the business, but on the business. If you're building a business and are looking for insights regarding leveraging your strengths, transitioning from one industry to the trucking industry, networking, and government contracting...you should not miss this episode!

Are you curious about cannabis transport? We were! That's why it was great to get a message from Kyle of Top Shelf Transport on Instagram. He's got many years of experience in the cannabis market and has recently leveraged that experience AND his experience owning and selling a moving company to start transporting cannabis across California where he's based. Michael and I had fun getting to learn from Kyle about this growing industry and what his plans are for the future.

We start this episode expressing our thankfulness for the industry, our peers, our guests, listeners, and of course, the truck drivers that keep things running! That's before we have a super fun interview with co-founder and head of growth at CarrierSource.io, Clara Flaherty. CarrierSource is a growing platform that is focused on providing carriers a place where they can build trust and be given the kudos they deserve by brokers and shippers alike. If you haven't checked it out yet, definitely do so!

What are you thankful for? Tell us! www.pdqamerica.com/thanks This episode is an oversized load of practical wisdom that will help you no matter what role you have in the industry. Dean Croke is the Principal Data Analyst for one of the largest load boards in the U.S., DAT.com. He's got an incredible mind for data analysis but he also has experience as a truck driver and owner/operator from his time in Australia before coming to the states. You'll be amazed by his depth of knowledge regarding sleep, and how this subject is largely overlooked by our industry when it is so important to over the road safety. As Dean says, "You can be 100% compliant with Hours of Service and completely asleep at the wheel at the same time". In this conversation you'll learn about optimizing your sleep and your business for the road ahead as Dean has several insights about DAT rate data and what he thinks we're facing over the next 3 to 6 months. We also play Load it or Leave it!

This episode is a superload! You'll hear Michael and Aaron discuss the rumors of a fuel shortage before diving into the Top 10 Industry Issues from ATRI. THEN, you'll hear 3 separate micro interviews taken from the floor of TruckNHustle FreightFest 2022! You'll hear from former guests Mark Manera, Mysherri Rhodes, as well as hot shot owner operator, Craig Pierce of Pierce and Daughters Hotshot Trucking!

In this episode we discuss 2 articles and speak with DJ Flores, National Sales Director for Unishippers. First we discuss a looming freight recession Then we talk about the recent lawsuit TQL has entered that has garnered non-stop discussion about non-competes. Then we chat with DJ Flores about his career, his experience with non-competes, leadership, building relationships, and much more!

In this episode you'll hear from host of the Transportation and Logistics Club and founder of Atlanta Dispatch Jorie Myers. In this coversation you'll hear how Jorie started in the logistics industry after spending time overseas working on military bases before diving into the details of dispatching and the regulations (or lack thereof) on the dispatching side of the industry.

Nolan Grush, CTB is the Carrier Relationship Manager at PDQ America. It's his second time on the podcast and in this episode we discuss a range of topics including Freight Caviar's recent "on the street" interviews with truck drivers who have choice comments about freight brokers ATRI's report about truck crashes Elon Must updates Tesla Semi delivery to Pepsi Fun facts about Nolan Football predictions continue and more! Connect with Nolan on Linkedin here!

In this episode you'll hear Aaron and Michael celebrate ANOTHER Cowboys win before discussing two articles: Truck brake light exemption denied despite industry support and Canada ending cross border vax requirements. Then they welcome David Heller, Vice President of Government Affairs at Truckload Carriers Association and dive into David's role and the role of the TCA in advocating for their memebers and the industry as a whole to representatives in the halls of Congress.

This episode is full of excellent insight and actionable advice for anyone in trucking...ESPECIALLY if you're a mechanic, technician, service advisor, or have the ambition to be any of the three. That's because we're sitting down with Landon Urban, General Manager of All Star Truck in Houston TX. And in this episode, we discuss everything from becoming a sought after employee, leading a team, earning trust with truck drivers, what truck drivers should watch out for when getting repairs away from home, parts shortage, and everything inbetween. We also discuss Hurricane Ian as well as what the FMCSA and DOT have been up to regarding Truck Parking. Enjoy!

In this episode you'll hear Michael and Aaron discuss BrokerCarrier.com with the Founder and CEO, Kyle Provost! Before diving into the details, you'll hear about Kyle's background in software development and how he got into freight, the relationship he has with Chris #TheFreightCoach Jolly, and his journey through entrepreneurship. Kyle provides SEVERAL gems any entrepreneur can take and run with. Then you'll hear about BrokerCarrier software and the problems it solves, and how impactful it can be to your carrier reutilization and expansion of your carrier network. Check out BrokerCarrier.com and connect with Kyle on LinkedIn!

We kick this episode off with a quick celebration of the Cowboys win against the Bengals (even though we recorded before the game...) *fingers crossed* before discussing the Rail Strike and the tentative deal that's been reached. Then we have a great discussion with LaShanta and LaTeasha, the compliance queens behind LLG Transportation Consultants. In this conversation you'll hear how and why they started their business, their family roots in the industry, the steps they've taken to learn and grow their authority in their space and help their clients start in the trucking industry the right way! Check them out on their website.

Happy Truck Driver Appreciation Week to all the Truck Drivers out there! This week is all about the drivers who keep our goods moving, our shelves stocked, and who take the risks, make the investments and sacrifices to provide our world with everything you see around you. We kick off this episode discussing truck driver appreciation week before jumping into an awesome conversation with Michael Nelms of Keep Trucking Transportation. He's a savvy serial entrepreneur who knows how to train and coach dispatchers for success. Check him out on Instagram and his website!

In this episode Aaron and Michael discuss a recent article from FreightWaves that asserts that "Shippers Revenge" is coming for truckload carriers. What are your thoughts on the recent shifts in the freight market? The guys also discuss Aaron's experience at the recent TruckNHustle Reset Event in Houston TX in the last week.

Adeina Mars is a Business Development Specialist for Atlas Logistics that is approaching 5 years of experience in the logistics industry. In this episode you'll hear how she got recruited into the industry, and how her reflections on her experience as she learned the ins and outs of freight brokering. Then we discuss what she does at her current role at Atlas Logistics, which is a unique aspect of our industry that helps agents understand the many resources Atlas has available. Adiena also shares her personal philosophy on work and life and how she practices it through her day to day work.

We're back! And today we have a special guest from our own office, Sophia Gonzalez! Sophia joined our team this year and we decided to have her share some tips on how to know you're working with a double broker and what to do to ensure the person you're sending a rate confirmation to is the one that's ACTUALLY moving the freight. This conversation is inspired by a recent article form Overdrive Online. We also talk to Michael about his recent trip to Europe! Be sure to fill out our listener survey here!

Can you believe there's been 3 years of Trucking for Millennials?? We're so grateful for every single listener! We'd love to hear your feedback about the show so we can make it even better for this next season. Please complete this survey, as your feedback will help us know exactly what's important to you as we continue the show for the next year. In this episode you'll hear some clips of some of our guests from the last season, including Brandon Johnson, Shelby from Happiness by the Mile, Mark Manera, Tyler Birkhofer, Will and Abbi of @semi_nomads and Adam Wingfield!

Kristy Knichel is the President & Owner of Knichel Logistics Knichel Logistics is a very family-oriented business that focuses on Intermodal, LTL, and over the road transportation services. In this episode you'll hear Kristy candidly and transparently speak about the challenges that she's faced in her experience working in the family business she's worked in for the majority of her professional career. She talks about the highs and lows and the personal and professional struggles and victories she's experienced and lessons she's learned as she's grown as a leader and scaled the brokerage to be one of the top intermodal service providers in the country. If you're in a family business or are simply looking for guidance for how to lead, this conversation will leave you with plenty of insight and inspiration! Be sure to connect with Kristy on LinkedIn and check out Knichel Logistics online!

If you're in sales or marketing for a freight brokerage this is definitely one you should check out! Lina Acosta is the Chief Marketing Officer for GLT Logistics and also serves as a Chairperson and Member of the Board of Directors for the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association. In this episode, you'll hear Lina share some excellent insight as a C-Suite executive on her approach to building a marketing department, outsourcing, her top marketing methods, and how the TMSA has impacted her career thus far.

Tandem has created an innovative way for conventional trucks to harness the power of battery power that's as easy as hooking up to an additional axle. In this conversation you'll hear from Matthew and Paul Sabatini. These brothers are taking a paper napkin idea into real life with working prototypes of their first product, the Centaur. The Tandem Centaur enables instant hybridization of class 8 trucks, immediately reducing emissions and fuel consumption on diesel fleets on the road now by up to 95% within minutes of connecting. Hear their story about how they plan to revolutionize the industry and check them out online! www.drivetandem.com

Almost 2 years ago to the day we first connected with Rahmel Wattley, Founder/Host of the Truck N' Hustle podcast and it's been amazing to watch him grow it into one of the most powerful communities in the trucking industry today. In this episode, Rahmel provides a masterclass of knowledge from his experience building the Truck N' Hustle into a media brand. If you're interested in learning more about social media, the trucking community, building an audience, and what's next with Truck N' Hustle, be sure to listen to this episode!

In this episode Aaron and Michael start with some breaking news happening in the logistics industry, the biggest headline being that the Supreme Court will not hear trucking's AB5 case, making it law for California carriers Then they dive into a conversation with Kevin Sterling, Senior Market Strategist for XPO Logistics where they learn more about Kevin's role at the publically traded company and ask him about what he believes are the best strategies for small and mid-size carriers and brokers in today's logistics market. Kevin provides a wealth of insight on the market, so be sure to check it out! Also, if you're a California trucking carrier or freight brokerage, we'd love to hear from you about the recent AB5 decision. Send us a message on Instagram @pdqamerica or an email to [email protected].

This week is all about Freedom! Released the week of American Independence Day, we're chatting with Andrew Lawton to learn everything that happened with The Freedom Convoy across the border in Canada. Andrew is a journalist for True North, a broadcaster with his own podcast, The Andrew Lawton Show, and has recently released his first book titled The Freedom Convoy - The Inside Story of Three Weeks that Shocked the World. In this episode you'll hear how Andrew got involved, what he learned from being on the front lines, how the Canadian public reacted and much more! Be sure to check out his book for all the details!

Did you know there's an AirBNB or Turo for commercial vehicles and equipment? We didn't! Until we had this conversation with John Matheus and Romas Hicks of Coop.com Coop is a Ryder company and is providing an innovative way for trucking companies or any commercial equipment owner to leverage their assets when and if they are sitting idle. In this conversation you'll learn how Coop came to be, the advantages Coop has because they are a Ryder company, stories about investors using the platform to have a rental business on the side, how trucking companies can keep a truck making money while recruiting a driver, the particulars with insurance and maintenance and much more! Check out Coop.com and be sure to connect with John and Romas on LinkedIn.

This episode comes from the trenches of freight brokerage. Every day, freight brokers send and receive hundreds of emails each week from customers and carriers. In this episode we have a story of a freight broker, "T" was attempting to help a shipper sending their daily RFQ's to their list of brokers that their rates weren't keeping up with the current market. So we called him! You'll him retell his experience and explain his perspective as Aaron and Michael share theirs as we all navigate the competitive freight broker market and work to find quality loads for quality carriers.

In this episode Michael and Aaron discuss a few stand out news articles from around the industry: Record Diesel Price https://www.freightwaves.com/news/latest-doe-eia-weekly-diesel-price-is-a-record-high Amazon exec departs to become Flexport CEO https://www.freightwaves.com/news/clark-to-become-flexports-ceo-in-september Uber Freight + Waymo Via https://www.freightwaves.com/news/uber-freight-and-waymo-via-envision-autonomous-trucking-for-all and more! Then Aaron has a conversation with Jennifer Smith of JIT truck parts to discuss June being National Safety Month and a few parts that can help truck drivers be more safety over the road. Here are a few links to products referenced in the conversation: HD Lighting: https://www.jittruckparts.com/electrical/lights-misc-electrical/headlights. Recommended brands: Match Made, Truck Lite, Grote. CB Radios: https://www.jittruckparts.com/electrical/instrumts-radio/radios-speaker. Recommended brand: Pana-Pacific. ADAS technologies – Recommended brand: WABCO: https://www.jittruckparts.com/wabco-brand Mirrors: https://www.jittruckparts.com/cab-chassis/mirrors. Recommended brand: Velvac Cameras: https://www.jittruckparts.com/electrical/lights-misc-electrical/misc-electrical. Recommended brand: Velvac Enjoy!

We met Robert Brown, Chief Strategy Officer of Spartan Radar at the recent AUVSI conference where Michael was a panelist about automated vehicles in the commercial space. In this episode you'll hear us discuss many facets of the automated trucking world, and how Spartan Radar and radar technologies fit within it. If you're interested in learning more about how Radar, Lidar, and other sensor systems work to become a "co-pilot" in service to the driver, this is it! Robert also breaks down the levels of automation (Levels 1-5), we talk about Tesla, the overlap with EV's and AV's, when to expect this technology to hit mass scale, the current number of automated trucks on the road, and much more!

In this episode you'll hear from Guillermo Garcia, founder and CEO of SmartHop, a technology platform that equips carriers with everything they need to run a trucking business. You'll hear how Guillermo started his logistics career in Venezuela and eventually came to the United States to start a trucking business. He's now helping small carriers with dispatching, insurance, leasing, fuel, and payments. Be sure to check out how SmartHop can help you via their website, and let us know what you think of this episode!

In this episode we talk about the problems that impact logistics and other industries with a man focused on solving them, Matthew Leffler. We discuss his point of view on non competes, technology, processes, people and how he approaches solving problems for small and large businesses with his role in his family business and law degree.

In this episode you'll hear our conversation with Mike Burney and David Olson, co founders of Riggy's, the first national network of branded truck parking! Trucks have already started parking at the 3 locations in the Houston area and Mike and Dave have big plans to expand Riggy's across the U.S. so that truck drivers have more places to park that are safe, convenient, and affordable. In this episode you'll hear discussions about the problem of truck parking, why a national network of truck parking hasn't been done at this scale before, what you can expect when you decide to park at a Riggy's, the future of the Riggy's brand, and their close connection with the trucking industry that helps them know what truck driver's needs are. Be sure to check out their website and book a space with them next time you're delivering in the Houston area!

FreightWaves and other media outlets are speculating that there's a "trucking bloodbath" on the way due to the sharp decline in dry van spot rates and rise in fuel prices. In this episode, we discuss how Tyler started as an owner operator shipping dry van freight in February and how he's navigating the current trucking market. We also discuss moving from being a police officer to starting a career in trucking, working with brokers and running off the loadboards, his tech stack, building a family business and much more!

In this episode Rachel Premack joins us on the show to discuss the potential for a Trucking Bloodbath 2.0! We also discuss insurance costs, driver pay, today's freight market for dry van vs flatbed, Elon buying Twitter, and more! Sign up for Rachel's newsletter, MODES! https://www.freightwaves.com/modes Enjoy!

This week Michael's out and Nolan Grush is IN! Nolan Grush is the Carrier Relations Manager for PDQ America, so it was great to "talk shop" after a long week moving loads. In this conversation you'll hear how Nolan got into freight and logistics, what he does for PDQ, what frustrated him about today, what makes a great dispatcher and great freight brokerage and much more. Enjoy!

Trey Griggs w/ BETA Consulting Group returns the show shortly after stepping off stage at the recent TIA Capital Ideas Conference in San Diego CA! We also speak with him about the future of work with topics including: Work from Home Leading your team with accountability Setting standards and upholding them Starting a business and moving strategically Empathy and happiness in the work place Takeaways from TIA Capital Ideas Conference and much more!

In this episode you'll hear our converstion with Bharath Krishnamoorthy aka "B" of Axle Payments. This is an excellent episode of your a freight broker looking to scale your business faster as Axle helps freight brokers gain access to capital for quick payments to carriers and automates back office functions so you spend more time selling freight than managing the paperwork. This is also a great episode for anyone starting up a business, especially one that is tech focused. B knows what it's like to start a new business with friends, learn a new industry fast, and raise money from investors - all topics we cover in this conversation, plus much more! Enjoy!

This episode will make you think BIG. Aaron Moneypenny is "The Trucking Guy" who shares his insight on the trucking industry via his YouTube and Instagram and consults owner-operators and new entrepreneurs on the best practices of running a trucking business. In this episode we talk with Aaron about fuel prices and how to navigate the changing market, attending the 10X Growth Conference and the value of networking, and his book! Enjoy!

This conversation is a long time coming! Co Founder and Carrier Experience Officer Grant Goodale speaks with us from a corner booth at the Mid America Trucking Show after a trip with 3 different truck drivers who use the app every day. We also discuss Convoy's freight network, it's steady growth as a leader in the freight-tech space, how they're collaborating with freight brokers in a new way, and much much more! We know you'll get a lot of value out of this conversation with one of the brightest minds in the business!

Joining Armstrong in 2014, Scott Watanabe serves as Director of Training and Agent Development for Armstrong Transport Group. Also known as "The Freight Sensei," Scott oversees new hire training, agent mentoring, and continuing education through professional development. He is skilled in negotiation, operations management, and customer and carrier sales. In this episode we discuss how he trains and coaches his team, how fuel price negotiations work on the brokerage side, the traits successful freight brokers have, and much more!