If you've ever wondered how someone goes from brokering freight to leading tech innovation at one of the industry's biggest platforms, this episode will change how you think about career growth in transportation.
Todd Waldron didn't just work in logistics—he mastered every level of it.
From the high-energy cubicles at CH Robinson, to opening JB Hunt's Minnesota brokerage branch, to transforming a 40-year-old trucking company, to now shaping carrier experience at TruckStop—Todd's 17-year journey proves that great leaders are built through relentless learning and adaptation.
"How do I move from operations to leadership?"
"Can I build tech without being a tech person?"
"How do I create culture when everyone's remote?"
"What does real leadership actually look like?"
"How do I prioritize when everything feels urgent?"This conversation will give you the blueprint.
Todd shares honest insights about:
Why "motion creates emotion" and how to create energy in any team
How trust is built or destroyed in every single interaction
The difference between managing people and leading them
Why asking questions beats making assumptions every time
What it really takes to transform a decades-old company culture
Why the energy at CH Robinson shaped Todd's entire leadership philosophy
The sales manager conversation that forever changed how Todd prioritizes time
What Todd learned opening JB Hunt's Minnesota brokerage branch from scratch
Inside look at building JB Hunt 360 marketplace and the tech lessons learned
How Todd transformed Q Carriers' culture in a 40-year-old trucking company
The moment Todd realized great culture starts with how leaders actually listen
What carriers really want from load boards (it's not what brokers think)
Why TruckStop built a Carrier Advisory Board and how it changes product development
The fraud problem hitting the industry and how technology is solving it
Where AI actually helps carriers vs. where it creates more problems
How authority age filters help new carriers cut through the noise
Why "boost loads" might finally solve the duplicate load nightmare
Todd's time management system that reduced chaos and increased productivity
The leadership frameworks from "Good to Great" and "Five Dysfunctions" that actually work in freightWhether you're in brokerage, running trucks, building tech, leading a team, or just trying to level up your career, this episode is packed with hard-earned wisdom.
⭐ LOVE THE JOURNEY PODCAST? Help us grow! ⭐
→ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
→ Subscribe so you never miss an episode
→ Share this episode with someone in freight or logistics
Your support helps others in the industry find these conversations!
0:00 Introduction: Meet Todd Waldron
1:32 Career Journey: From CH Robinson to VP at TruckStop
3:21 Early Brokerage Lessons: Energy, Prioritization & Sales
5:58 Leadership Philosophy: Trust in Every Interaction
12:35 JB Hunt Experience: Building Tech & Opening Minnesota Branch
17:43 Leading Q Carriers: Cultural Transformation of a 40-Year Company
22:08 The Culture Shift: Employee Engagement & Retention
23:32 TruckStop Innovation: Building Products Carriers Want
25:38 Understanding Carrier Needs: The Advisory Board Approach
28:37 Tech Integration Lessons: What Worked at JB Hunt
30:27 Market Insights: Cycles, Trends & What's Coming Next
34:04 Technology Adoption: Getting Carriers to Actually Use It
37:51 What's Next at TruckStop: Authority Filters, Deduplication & AI
39:42 Book Recommendations: Leadership & Time ManagementGood to Great by Jim Collins
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0066620996
Do More Better by Tim Chalies
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1950523774
Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756
https://www.jbhunt.com/360/
CONNECT WITH TODD WALDRON:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-w-21897b19/
Website: https://truckstop.com
Instagram: @journeydelivers
Twitter/X: @journeydelivers
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/d9QupIc
🎧 Spotify: https://buff.ly/rm6ZRT0
🎥 YouTube: https://buff.ly/Vf0w739
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.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Host, Will Jenkins
Creative Director, Erin Sweeney
Edited and mixed by Keenan McCarthy
Music licensed through Envato
LINKS:
Be sure to follow and tag @JourneyDelivers on
- LinkedIn
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Facebook
- TikTok
- YouTube
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.