This week’s guest is Chadd Olesen, CEO of AVRL.  Founded in 2017 as Advanced Voice Research Labs, AVRL brought voice technology to business applications such as predictive maintenance.   They shifted however to dynamic pricing models after meeting with pricing analysts at some larger carriers and brokers.  Today, AVRL automates over 25 million spot transactions monthly and provides pricing engines for two thirds of the top 100 3PLs.  In our conversation, Chadd explains AVRL's approach to dynamic pricing, focusing on understanding client strategy (high volume/low margin or vice-versa) and utilizing custom market definitions rather than solely lane-based or standard zip code data. Olesen emphasizes the importance of analytics and data scientists in successful dynamic pricing, advocating for a human-in-the-loop approach where brokers and analysts collaborate. He also touches on the challenges of change management and the future of AVRL as a strategic partner for increasing yield and identifying market opportunities.

This week’s guest is Matt Menner, Head of Transportation Management Sales at Uber Freight.  In our conversation, we discuss how the managed transportation sector has evolved, notably regarding the adoption of technology like AI and the increased use of spot or dynamic markets.  Matt also talks about the acquisition and integration of Transplace into Uber Freight, highlighting investments in technology and the blending of the cultures and businesses.  Finally, we touch upon the current market volatility and the increasing prominence of supply chain as a field of study.

This week’s guest is Professor Michael Hicks, George & Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ball State University.  Mike brings an economist’s perspective on the recent introduction of tariffs as well their sudden modification or removal in many cases.  Being located in Indiana, Mike is keen on the impact that different policies have on manufacturing and agricultural firms and communities.  In our conversation we discuss the idea and objectives of tariffs in general as well as the specific impacts that the most recent tariffs have caused.  Mike notes that the effects will not be evenly distributed and that, in fact, Red States which have more manufacturing will be negatively impacted more than the Blue State areas which feature more knowledge workers in the services.  

This week’s guest is Kristian ‘KO’ O’Meara, SVP Strategic Initiatives for Jaggaer.  KO has been with Jaggaer for just shy of 25 years filling a number of senior roles.  Currently, he works with the larger enterprise customers for the procurement of direct and indirect materials and services.  In our conversation, we zoom in primarily to freight transportation procurement - mainly TL.  We discuss the challenges of TL transportation procurement to include the breadth, scope, and complexities involved - as well as some of the more creative approaches that Jaggaer uses, such as expressive bidding and incorporating non-financial factors (such as sustainability or incumbency) into the vendor selection process.

This week’s guest is Jason Haith, Vice President Commercial Forwarding US & Mexico, for DP World.  With 20+ years experience in Import/Export operations, Jason is the perfect person to discuss global trade in general and trade with Mexico in particular.  In our conversation, we discuss how trade between the US and Mexico has changed over the years, the impact of recent tariffs being enacted and then almost immediately modified or removed, and how Near or Friend shoring might evolve. 

This week’s guest is Dr. Jason Miller, Professor and Head of the Supply Chain Management Department at Michigan State University's Eli Broad College of Business.  This is Jason’s 4th time on the Freightvine podcast -  we last had him on the podcast about two years ago when we were one year into what is now called the rate trough.  Jason discusses this and how the market was expected to have rebounded by now, but the spate of tariffs has definitely had an impact.   In our conversation we discuss tariffs both conceptually and in practice.  We also look back at the past several truckload business cycles and discuss what the next cycle might look like.  

This week’s guest is Ben Steffes, Vice President, Solutions & Strategy, Managed Transportation, at RXO.  Ben was last on the Freightvine 3 years ago when he had just published a white paper on Logistics KPIs for Coyote.  RXO acquired Coyote in the fall of 2024, so this time we talk about the RXO white paper on Logistics KPIs that Ben recently authored as a follow-up to and expansion of the 2022 study.   In our conversation, we discuss changes in how logistics performance was measured during the pandemic and now post-pandemic, how shippers, carriers, and brokers have aligned on important metrics, and the impact of the increasing use of technology like AI and control towers.  We also touch upon strategies for shippers to become "shippers of choice," and on the evolving role of brokers and the dynamics of consolidation in the logistics industry.  It was a pretty wide ranging conversation covering different aspects of freight transportation. 

This week’s guest is Dr. Josue Velazquez Martinez.  Josue is a Research Scientist at MIT’s Center for Transportation & Logistics and is also the Director of MIT's Sustainable Supply Chain Lab.  In our conversation, we discuss his lab's focus on environmental and social sustainability within supply chains.  Josue describes the lab's work on the sustainability of freight transportation, emphasizing the need for diverse decarbonization strategies and better measurement of scope three emissions. Also, we discuss the annual State of Supply Chain Sustainability report, co-published with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), that tracks trends in corporate sustainability efforts.  

Additionally, Josue introduces the Low Income Firms Transformation (or LIFT) Lab that he also leads.  The LIFT Lab empowers Latin American and Caribbean micro-retailers and micro-restaurants (also known as nanostores) by enhancing their supply chain management skills and developing and deploying AI driven technology to improve their business operations.  The ultimate objective of the LIFT Lab is to alleviate poverty in these regions. 

This week’s guest is Kary Jablonski, VP & GM, Broker Growth & Trucker Tools at DAT Freight & Analytics.  As her title implies, Kary previously led Trucker Tools before its acquisition by DAT at the end of 2024. Our conversation centers on her path to the freight industry, her experiences transforming Trucker Tools into a leading visibility and tracking solution for freight brokerages, and the company's subsequent acquisition by DAT. Kary shares insights on the evolution of Trucker Tools as well as the dynamics of the freight technology market including consolidation and the role of technology like AI.  Finally, the conversation touches on broader industry trends such as the relationship between brokers, carriers, and shippers, and the balance between contract and spot freight.

This week’s guest is Mike Roeth, Executive Director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency or NACFE.  NACFE has been around for over 15 years - originating from a workshop run by the Rocky Mountain Institute in 2009.  Their objective is to drive the development and adoption of efficiency enhancing, environmentally beneficial, and cost-effective technologies, services, and operational practices in the movement of goods across North America.  Mike has been leading NACFE in these efforts pretty much since its inception.  In the conversation, Mike discusses the concept of the “Messy MIddle” - a term that NACFE introduced to the industry.  The Messy Middle is the period between the trucking industry transitioning from a well established and known technology (that would be diesel internal combustion engines) to a future technology (zero emission battery electric vehicles).  Major technology transitions are never simple or clean, and NACFE recognizes this and analyzes how different powertrain technologies (to include Renewable diesel, Biodiesel, Natural Gas, Green Hydrogen, and battery electric) can be employed to bridge this middle ground.   In the podcast, Mike discusses how different trucking operations (payload, duty cycle, required range) are better suited to different powertrain technologies, highlights the challenges and hurdles to the adoption of these powertrain technologies, and outlines the roles that the various stakeholders play.