Driving Forward Podcast

If your trucking company experienced a cyberattack tomorrow, would your team know what to do? Cybersecurity threats can quickly become operational problems, disrupting freight movement, exposing sensitive information, and putting customer relationships at risk. Nate Johnson is joined by Zach Barnhouse of GLCS and Ben Wilkens, Director of Cybersecurity at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA), to discuss what trucking companies and freight brokerages should be doing to protect their operations. With backgrounds spanning trucking operations, technology, and cybersecurity, Zach and Ben bring industry experience to a conversation focused on practical preparation and response. They'll explore: 🔹 Prevention: Where are trucking companies most vulnerable, and what steps can reduce their exposure? 🔹 Incident Response: What should your team do when a cybersecurity incident occurs? 🔹 Industry-Specific Threats: What risks should carriers and brokers be watching for, from compromised accounts to freight fraud? 🔹 Artificial Intelligence: How is AI changing cybersecurity threats, and what should companies consider as they adopt these tools? Tune in as we discuss how to prepare for cyber threats, respond when something goes wrong, and better protect the systems that keep freight moving.

More technology. More vendors. More promises. But are trucking companies actually getting more value? AI-powered platforms. New automation tools. TMS integrations. Software promising to solve problems you didn't even know you had. For trucking and logistics leaders, the challenge is no longer finding technology. It's figuring out what's worth investing in, what actually works, and what your operation really needs. Nate Johnson is joined by GLCS team members Robert Bain, Carl Williams, and Mike Solarz, all of whom have firsthand experience working in or owning trucking companies and brokerages. With backgrounds spanning transportation operations, business ownership, and technology, the team brings a perspective shaped by both sides of the industry: the people running the operations and the technology meant to support them. Together, they explore: 🔹 Separating AI hype from practical business value 🔹 Evaluating vendors beyond the sales demo 🔹 Understanding integration challenges, data security, and long-term costs 🔹 Recognizing when existing technology or processes may already hold the solution 🔹 Making smarter technology investments without getting caught up in the latest trends Adding another tool to your tech stack doesn't necessarily make your operation more efficient. The real value comes from knowing what problem you're trying to solve and choosing technology that delivers results.

Very few careers follow a straight line. Marina Ivanov’s took her from dentistry to trucking. But the more interesting story may be what she’s learned since getting there. As CEO & Co-Founder of Apex Transit Solutions, Marina has built her career around an industry that ultimately comes down to people: the drivers moving freight, the teams supporting them, the customers depending on them, and the leaders responsible for bringing it all together. This week on Driving Forward, Marina joins Nate Johnson to explore the experiences that have shaped her approach to leadership and some of the challenges she sees facing trucking today. From driver recruiting and retention to workforce development, second-chance hiring, creating career paths within transportation, and advocating for the people behind the industry, there’s plenty of ground to cover.

What if driver health was treated as a safety issue, not just a benefits issue? Trucking invests heavily in safer equipment, better technology, and reducing risk on the road. But the health of the person behind the wheel deserves a place in that conversation, too. Nate Johnson is joined by Jeremy Reymer of Project 61 and Jason Douglass for a conversation about the realities of driver health and what the industry can do to help drivers build healthier lives on and off the road. They discuss Project 61’s whole-driver approach, including nutrition, movement, sleep, mental health, and preventative care, along with the challenges drivers face trying to prioritize each while spending long hours on the road. Listen to real examples of drivers making meaningful changes, the role fleets can play in creating healthier environments, and why better driver health can have implications for safety, retention, healthcare costs, and quality of life. The goal isn’t simply helping drivers stay behind the wheel longer. It’s helping more of them enjoy the life they’re working so hard to build. ▶️ Visit the Driving Forward channel to watch the full episode with Jeremy Reymer, Jason Douglass, and Nate Johnson.

Are truck drivers and owner-operators better off in 2026? And what can trucking companies do to recruit and retain drivers as fuel costs, operating expenses, and driver expectations change?Nate Johnson talks with Alex Mai, better known as ‪@MuthaTrucker‬, about what he’s hearing directly from drivers and how those concerns look from the fleet side of the business.They discuss rising diesel costs, the proposed October 1 trucker shutdown being discussed by some drivers, and the pressures hitting owner-operators and small fleets.The conversation also turns to driver recruiting and retention. Why do drivers leave? Pay matters, but so do communication, respect, home time, dispatch, equipment issues, and confusing pay structures.Nate and Alex discuss:• Rising fuel costs and owner-operator profitability• The October 1 trucker shutdown discussion• Driver recruiting and retention challenges• Why higher pay doesn’t solve every turnover problem• How communication and company culture affect retention• Why recruiting more drivers won’t fix a revolving doorWhether you run a fleet, manage operations, recruit drivers, drive for a carrier, or operate your own truck, this episode looks at trucking from both sides of the windshield.What are you seeing right now? Are fleets doing enough to listen to drivers?Share your perspective in the comments and subscribe to Driving Forward for more conversations about trucking, technology, operations, leadership, and the people behind the industry.Learn more about Driver Open Door here: www.driveropendoor.com

What does trucking look like from the driver’s seat? Over the years, Driving Forward has had the opportunity to hear directly from professional drivers as they've shared their experiences with our host, Nate Johnson. This National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, we’re bringing some of those conversations back together. In this special Driver Edition of Driving Forward, we’ve compiled moments from previous episodes featuring drivers who have shared what life behind the wheel has taught them, the opportunities this profession has created, and the realities that come with a career on the road. Their experiences touch on everything from safety and mentorship to operating costs, time away from family, career growth, and the pride that comes with moving freight. We wanted to bring these perspectives together not only to recognize the professional drivers who keep this industry moving, but also to give those of us working throughout transportation a better understanding and appreciation of the profession. Because decisions made throughout the industry eventually reach the driver’s seat. 🎙️ Join us this week for a special Driver Edition of Driving Forward, featuring highlights from past conversations with Germany Williams (Covenant Trucking), Chris Thomas (Autumn Transport), and Ingrid Brown (Blackjack Express LLC).

What does 22 years in trucking teach you about building a business? Tristan Bordallo has experienced the industry from several sides: entrepreneur, asset-based fleet owner, founder, advisor, investor... He’s also been open about one of the hardest chapters of that journey: shutting down the trucking company he spent eight years building. Each chapter has given him a different perspective on what it takes to build, adapt, and find opportunity in an industry that rarely stands still. Tristan joins Nate Johnson on an upcoming episode of Driving Forward to talk trucking, entrepreneurship, leadership, and the lessons that come from more than two decades of building businesses in and around freight. For transportation leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone thinking about where the industry goes next, this should be a conversation you tune into.

The paperwork says you're compliant, but can your operations prove it?

👉 Who are you trusting to move freight?

👉 How are those partners being vetted?

👉 Can you demonstrate your cybersecurity practices?

👉 Are your compliance programs prepared for greater scrutiny?

Those questions are becoming harder to ignore as regulations change, freight fraud continues to expose weaknesses across the supply chain, and programs like CTPAT and TSA place greater emphasis on how companies manage risk.

Paul Barsamian from Veroot, joins Nate Johnson to discuss what these changes could mean for carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and other companies moving freight across the supply chain.

Because the cost of getting it wrong isn't always a fine.

It can be a shipment held at the border, freight that doesn't arrive when expected, a customer you can no longer serve, or an opportunity that goes to a competitor who was better prepared.

Was your tech stack carefully built, or accumulated?

• A TMS selected years ago.
• Systems that don’t communicate the way they should.
• Spreadsheets filling gaps they were never designed to fill.
• Software still being paid for but barely used.
• And now, an explosion of AI tools promising another layer of efficiency.

The question isn’t simply “What technology should we buy next?” It’s “What problem are we actually trying to solve?” In this episode of Driving Forward, Nate Johnson is joined by Mike Solarz, Michael Demers, and Robert Bain to unpack what they heard directly from trucking and logistics leaders at the GLCS Tech Summit. They dig into why AI adoption may be moving slower than the headlines suggest, the ongoing frustration around TMS integrations, cybersecurity and freight fraud, lessons learned from technology implementations, and why building a practical technology roadmap starts with understanding your processes before adding another tool. For transportation leaders deciding what belongs in their tech stack, what needs to change, and where to invest next, this episode offers insight to the technology conversations happening across trucking today.

You know what your trucks, equipment, and customers are worth. But is the rest of your business ready for someone to look under the hood?Growth, profitability, legal exposure, technology, customer expectations, and changing regulations all compete for attention. The decisions made in one area often create consequences somewhere else in the business.This week on Driving Forward, Nate Johnson sits down with Doug Grawe, Owner & CEO of The Grawe Group and former General Counsel at Dart Transit — one of the nation's largest owner-operator fleets.Doug has spent two decades helping family-owned trucking companies navigate the legal decisions that make or break them, and he's opening up the playbook:🔷 How to get your company ready for a sale (and what kills deals in diligence)🔷How to bring the next generation into the family business without blowing it up🔷What the DOL's latest independent contractor rule changes mean for owner-operator programs🔷The contract clauses carriers should never sign blind🔷Why those dusty bylaws and operating agreements might be the most important papers in your buildingFor transportation owners and executives thinking about growth, transition, risk, or long-term business value, tune in for a look at how the decisions made today can shape what comes next.