Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast

Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe How Will Hopkins Turned Beach Chairs and Dispatch Notes into a 40-Person Logistics Company


Listen Later

What happens when a kid who never followed the rules finds a path in logistics and turns it into a thriving business?
In this Greatest Hits episode of Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, host Brent Hutto is joined by Will Hopkins, co-founder of BlackBox Logistics. Will shares how he went from working odd jobs like horse farming and beach chair operations to discovering dispatching during COVID, eventually co-founding BlackBox Logistics. Together, they explore the real struggles of building a business without a safety net, the lessons of dispatching in the pandemic, and the mindset shift from surviving to leading in freight. This episode captures the spirit of betting on yourself, building with partners you trust, and staying committed to growth no matter how tough it gets.
What You’ll Learn:

  • How Will’s early odd jobs prepared him for dispatching and brokerage
  • Why dispatching gave him a unique advantage in the freight industry
  • How to build a strong team and work through disagreements
  • The mindset shift from side hustle to serious business
  • How No Backup Plan Can Fuel Your Drive
  • What it takes to grow a brokerage in a competitive market
  • How to turn even the worst jobs into learning experiences

Will is the Founder of BlackBox Logistics, a 3PL specializing in Intermodal and Truckload freight transportation. He is also co-host of 2 Dawgs, 1 Pod, alongside co-host Matt Dahl, a brand new podcast in the transportation and logistics space. Will also co-owns BlackBox Properties, and is Founder and Managing Partner at Compass Dispatching Services.

Episode Highlights:[10:02 - 15:07] When he was 18, Will entered the logistics industry with a position at Ascent Global. Three months into the position, he moved in with two colleagues and they kept discussing starting their own company. Within a year, they went for it, founding a third-party dispatching company, Compass Dispatching Services, so as to comply with their non-compete agreements. The dispatching business involved working with owner-operators and factoring companies, providing three valuable industry experiences, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As their non-compete agreements came to an end, Will focused on the dispatching while his partners began building the brokerage, scaling back the former as the latter grew. Roughly nine months ago, they transitioned fully to the brokerage, BlackBox, which has now grown to over 40 employees. 
[15:43 - 20:02] When he first started his business, Will was ignorant about essential business operations like HR, payroll, and taxes. He quickly learned that these often unappealing administrative tasks are necessary for a well-functioning business. However, having partners to share the responsibilities was a valuable asset. Each of the three co-founders had unique skills that were complementary to one another, meaning they could holistically cover all areas of the business. Of course, they had internal disagreements, but they still managed to put on a united front, avoiding deadlock in decision-making with a majority rules mentality. They had no backup plan, but they were confident in their abilities and business plan, which both proved successful. 
[25:16 - 29:09 Two main variables affect the difficulty of dispatcher and broker roles. For dispatchers, drivers can be difficult to work with. For brokers, customers can have complex requirements. Will enjoyed dispatching due to the closer relationships he was able to build with drivers and the insights gained from this, which helped in the brokerage. Further, he found that dispatching is far more predictable, allowing for better scheduling, especially when compared to the dynamic nature of brokerage. He found it fulfilling to help owner-operators and small trucking fleets, knowing he had a direct impact on their success.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Freight Nation: A Trucking PodcastBy Truckstop

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

83 ratings


More shows like Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast

View all
The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan

The Joe Rogan Experience

225,496 Listeners

TalkCDL Trucking Podcast by TalkCDL  Trucking Podcast

TalkCDL Trucking Podcast

156 Listeners

Jocko Podcast by Jocko DEFCOR Network

Jocko Podcast

30,745 Listeners

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von by Theo Von

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

27,050 Listeners

Land Line Now by Land Line Now News Team

Land Line Now

44 Listeners

The Game with Alex Hormozi by Alex Hormozi

The Game with Alex Hormozi

4,373 Listeners

The Real Deal Truth About Trucking by The Real Deal Truth About Trucking

The Real Deal Truth About Trucking

33 Listeners

Trucking for Millennials by PDQ America

Trucking for Millennials

98 Listeners

Shawn Ryan Show by Shawn Ryan

Shawn Ryan Show

42,468 Listeners

The Oakley Podcast by Oakley Trucking

The Oakley Podcast

70 Listeners

The Freight Coach Podcast by Chris Jolly

The Freight Coach Podcast

72 Listeners

Trucking Business & Beyond by Kevin Rutherford

Trucking Business & Beyond

34 Listeners

Trucking Technology & Efficiency by Kevin Rutherford

Trucking Technology & Efficiency

3 Listeners

The Tucker Carlson Show by Tucker Carlson Network

The Tucker Carlson Show

15,399 Listeners

This Week In Trucking by Bobtail

This Week In Trucking

2 Listeners