SUMMARY:

In this episode of Choppin’ It Up, Will Jenkins sits down with CJ Johnson, founder of BWS Logistics, a 3PL known for handling the tough stuff, like fragile freight, complex consolidation, last-minute loads, with ease.

CJ shares how growing up in Chicago and handing out pizza flyers laid the groundwork for his entrepreneurial grit. From switching majors in college to honing his sales game at Sears, every step helped prepare him to launch BWS after a failed partnership deal.

They dig into how BWS built its reputation on trust, relationships, and proactive communication—and why CJ still believes human connection will always outperform automation in freight.

TAKEAWAYS: 

• The best training ground is real-world sales
• Relationships still win in logistics
• BWS makes the complex simple for shippers
• You only need one door to open to build something big

CHAPTERS: 

• 00:00 – Intro
• 02:06 – Growing Up in Chicago
• 04:00 – Pizza Flyers and Early Hustle
• 06:49 – College Pivot: Biology to Tech
• 11:15 – Sales at Sears: Real-World Education
• 13:42 – Getting into Freight
• 18:05 – When a Deal Fails, a Business Begins
• 20:37 – Building BWS Logistics from the Ground Up
• 23:56 – What Makes BWS Stand Out in 3PL
• 28:02 – Lessons in Leadership and Entrepreneurship
• 35:46 – Freight Market Insights and Advice

EPISODE CREDITS:

Host, Will Jenkins

Creative Director, Erin Sweeney

Edited and mixed by Keenan McCarthy

Music licensed through Envato

LINKS:

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ABOUT THE JOURNEY PODCAST: 

Welcome to The Journey Podcast, where we talk freight, sales, tech, the market and everything in between. Hosted by Will Jenkins, CEO and Founder of Journey, this show pulls from years of building & scaling freight brokerages along with the work our team does with hundreds of clients. We break down how brokers grow, how teams sell, how leaders hire, and what it takes to perform at a high-level in this industry.