Katie Date from Manifest joins the ThinkFreight Podcast to break down what to expect at Manifest 2026 in Las Vegas. We cover what’s new this year at the Venetian, including expanded expo space, more activations, and a dedicated Cold Chain Pavilion with curated sessions and featured companies. Katie also shares how Manifest is shaping its agenda around what’s happening in the industry right now, where AI is showing up in meaningful ways, and how attendees can get the most value by using ...
Jan 16
37 min
Tyler Harper thought he was signing up for a “big box brokerage” job after ASU. Instead, freight turned into a decade-long obsession, a crash course in carrier sales, and eventually the push that forced him and his co-founders to start Pinnacle Logistics Group, debt-free, on short notice, and with a single book of business. In this episode, Tyler breaks down the origin story behind Pinnacle, including the moment that changed everything, why the team intentionally leans into “ugly freight” lik...
Dec 15, 2025
1 hr 7 min
What if you knew a shipper was actively searching for capacity before they ever reached out? In this episode, I’m joined by Kevin Hill, longtime freight media voice and now part of the team at CarrierSource, to talk about one of the most powerful tools in freight prospecting today: shipper intent data. We break down how CarrierSource tracks shipper behavior across thousands of lane and equipment type searches, how sales teams are using that intel to target better, and why this kind of visibil...
Oct 15, 2025
39 min
Rich Krul didn’t plan on ending up in logistics. He didn’t plan on launching his own brokerage. And he definitely didn’t plan on starting a company right before a freight recession. But that’s how the best stories start. In this episode, I sit down with Rich Krul, co-founder and CEO of Hoplite Logistics, to unpack his freight journey — from growing up in Michigan and chasing sales leads in LA, to leading 250+ reps at Coyote, launching a carrier sales rebuild at Traffic Tech, and eventually st...
Oct 3, 2025
1 hr
Everyone in freight is racing to slap “AI” on their product, brokers, carriers, TMSs, even startups that launched six weeks ago. But are any of these tools actually helping you operate better? In this episode of ThinkFreight, I sit down with Jamyang "Jam" Tenzin from Rose Rocket to cut through the noise and talk about what AI in freight is really doing, and not doing. We unpack the reality that most AI in logistics is still in the proof-of-concept phase, flashy demos and generic agents that...
Sep 30, 2025
49 min
What happens when your first brokerage hits $10M… and then collapses? In this raw and real conversation, Tyson Lawrence, founder of Diablo Freight Ventures, walks us through his 20+ year freight journey — from CH Robinson hustle to drayage grit in East Oakland, and through the gut-wrenching experience of losing his first company and going through personal bankruptcy after a fallout with his largest customer. But instead of quitting, Tyson doubled down — building a second brokerage, this time ...
Sep 22, 2025
1 hr 7 min
Most truckers didn’t sign up for this job to spend hours haggling with brokers or chasing paperwork. They want to drive, make money, and get home, without the constant back-office grind. That’s where Hey Bubba AI comes in. It’s a multilingual voice assistant that books loads, negotiates rates, and handles the admin work so drivers can focus on what they actually enjoy: driving and earning. On this episode of ThinkFreight, I sat down with Tapan Chaudhari, the founder of Bubba AI, to dig into h...
Jul 23, 2025
43 min
A couple weeks ago, we sat down in Cincinnati with Chris White from First Star Logistics for a fun and insightful episode. Chris walks us through his journey from being recruited out of a bar by TQL to now leading brokerage sales and training at First Star. We dive into what makes First Star’s W2-to-agent model unique, how they train new brokers fast, and why Cincinnati is one of the most overlooked freight hubs in the country. Chris also shares advice for brokers navigating today’s to...
Jun 6, 2025
39 min
In this episode, Thomas Werdine sits down with Keith Farnsworth to dive into CrossCountry Freight Solutions’ growth journey and tech innovations, the current landscape of the LTL market, and how tariffs are shaping industry dynamics. They explore the importance of strong leadership and team development in overcoming challenges, discuss how technology is transforming sales processes, and share Keith’s personal take on where the freight industry is heading next. ---------------------------- ⚫️ ...
May 9, 2025
31 min
In this episode, Thomas Werdine sits down with Trey Griggs to discuss the upcoming Broker Carrier Summit in Indianapolis and why it's such a crucial event for the freight industry. They dive deep into the importance of bringing brokers and carriers together to foster stronger relationships, better collaboration, and a more effective supply chain. Trey shares insights on how the summit’s interactive sessions and community-building approach create valuable business opportunities and help ...
Apr 24, 2025
39 min
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