In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Aleks Bates, co-founder of Carrier Defender and key figure at PGT Northside, joins Jon and Justin for a raw, unfiltered conversation about life in trucking from the ground up. Born in Toronto, Aleks took a trip to Serbia, saw a different way of living on day two, quit his job, and never looked back. He built dispatch offices overseas, spent years on the carrier side learning the business inside and out, and eventually crossed over into brokerage, joining the flatbed-heavy PGT Northside operation that moves roughly 1,200 loads a day.

Aleks breaks down what makes flatbed trucking a different animal entirely, from the physical demands on drivers to the seasonal swings and the specialized knowledge required for permitting and load securement. He shares a firsthand story of a driver who wanted to watch a YouTube video before strapping down a load, and the conversation gets serious fast about the real consequences of overconfidence and under-regulation in open deck freight.

The episode goes deep on Carrier Defender, the company Aleks co-founded with Michigan attorney Dan Arteve to protect carriers from false and emotionally-driven reporting on platforms like Freight Guard. He explains how a single bad report from a broker can cripple a 90-truck operation over one driver's mistake, and why he believes brokerages need more accountability in who gets to post public complaints. The discussion also covers the Supreme Court ruling holding freight brokers liable for negligent carrier hiring, the growing sophistication of freight fraud, and why the industry's biggest problem is that nobody works together or shares data across platforms.

Aleks also pulls back the curtain on how he built a 13,000-follower LinkedIn following starting with Friday afternoon memes about brokers, and how his media presence through Asset Based and Ilumino Lense grew from a simple desire to give carriers a voice in a brokerage-dominated conversation.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:18 From Toronto to Serbia

3:23 Work Culture: North America vs. Serbia

5:09 AI, Efficiency & Remote Work

6:19 Aleks' Trucking Career Path

7:41 Building a LinkedIn Following

9:01 PGT Northside & Flatbed Operations

10:27 What Makes Flatbed Trucking Different

11:11 Broker Training & Permit Knowledge Gaps

13:51 Driver Recruiting for Flatbed

16:07 Carrier Defender Explained

19:17 Freight Fraud & Industry Accountability

20:18 Advanced Scams & Shipper Verification

22:42 Supreme Court Ruling on Broker Liability

26:20 Why the Industry Won't Work Together

29:54 Closing Plugs & Sponsor Shoutouts

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#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #aleksbates #carrierdefender #pgttrucking #flatbedtrucking #freightfraud #truckingpodcast #owneroperator #freightbroker #truckinglife #cdldrivers #supplychain #logistics #truckdriver #freightindustry #truckingnews #carrierrights

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Tracy Davis, president of ACME Transportation and ACME Logistics, joins Jon and Justin for a wide-ranging conversation about a career that spans Amtrak, railroad ownership, and two decades running one of Chicago's most established intermodal trucking operations. Tracy traces his path from a radio career gone sideways to driving a delivery truck, then leveraging grad school at the University of Maryland into a job at Amtrak's Union Station offices, eventually helping form Iowa Pacific Holdings before landing in the intermodal trucking world.

Tracy pulls back the curtain on what it actually looked like when he bought ACME Transportation in 2007: five tractors, a dozen trailers, one computer, no running water in the warehouse, and a pegboard on the wall serving as the TMS system. He walks through how he built operational structure on spreadsheets and Google Sheets while keeping costs lean through two major freight downturns, and why he believes AI is on the verge of making most TMS platforms obsolete for small and mid-sized carriers.

The conversation covers the Supreme Court's 9-0 broker liability ruling and what it means for shippers, brokers, and small carriers who simply cannot absorb a multimillion-dollar verdict. Tracy also digs into the chassis shortage problem, how Chicago's intermodal complexity is unlike anywhere else in the country, and why he believes the U.S. should look at Europe's grounded container model. He makes a compelling case for intermodal as the most efficient use of both rail and road, even as he acknowledges the railroads' tendency to struggle with surge capacity.

To close out, Tracy shares advice for younger professionals entering the industry: try every mode, lean into technology integration, and get off LinkedIn long enough to actually meet people. He also highlights the Traffic Club of Chicago's scholarship program, available at traffic-club.org, and opens the door to anyone looking to move intermodal freight in the Chicago region or join the ACME team as a local driver who is home every night.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:24 How Tracy Got Into Transportation

2:40 Amtrak Running Freight on Passenger Trains

3:20 Forming Iowa Pacific Holdings

5:18 Rail vs. Trucking: Different Worlds?

5:47 Tracy's Broad Industry View

7:16 ACME Transportation's 75-Year Story

9:38 TMS Systems and Technology Decisions

13:49 AI and the Future of TMS

18:07 ACME's Fleet and Brokerage Operations

20:09 Supreme Court Broker Liability Ruling

24:20 Rail and Intermodal's Future Role

27:40 Chassis Shortage and Intermodal Challenges

32:01 Advice for Young Logistics Professionals

34:07 Networking and the Traffic Club of Chicago

36:48 Scholarships, ACME Services, and Hiring

38:47 Sponsor Mentions and Outro

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Website: https://acmetran.com

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#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #intermodal #truckingpodcast #freightindustry #raillogistics #supplychain #acmetransportation #truckingnews #owneroperator #brokerliability #freightmarket #truckinglife #logistics #cdldrivers #truckingindustry #chicagotrucking #tracydavis

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Francisco Lopez Roualdes, Co-founder and CEO of Double Nickel, joins Jon and Justin to break down what is actually broken in truck driver recruiting and how his Brooklyn-based startup is building something better.

Francisco comes from an unlikely background for trucking: 8 years at Boston Consulting Group, a lending director role at Klip in Latin America, and an MBA from Columbia Business School. But after watching labor imbalances deepen across the economy during COVID, he and co-founder Elif Kenli walked away from consulting and pointed their full attention at one of the most overlooked corners of logistics: the ATS. Today, Double Nickel serves fleets like Maverick Transportation, Nussbaum, Custom Transport, Universe Carrier, and Panhandle Express, all with a team of roughly 10 people.

The conversation digs into the data behind Double Nickel's AI virtual recruiter, including why 50 to 60 percent of driver applicants come in overnight or on weekends when no one is available to call, and how that speed-to-lead gap is killing conversion. Francisco also walks through what switching from TenStreet actually looks like, why two-thirds of annual driver turnover happens in the first 90 days, and how freeing recruiters from admin busy work can directly improve retention.

They also get into the bigger picture: autonomous trucks, AI replacing recruiters, driver verification and compliance, and what the next 12 months look like for Double Nickel as they target larger fleets and build toward conditional job offers generated in seconds. If you run a fleet or manage recruiting, this one is packed with real insight.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:04 Industry Hook: Driver Shortage Stats

2:40 Welcoming Francisco Lopez Roualdes

3:05 ReadyApp Sponsor Read

3:46 Francisco's Background and Path to Trucking

7:13 What's Broken in Driver Recruiting

9:59 The AI Virtual Recruiter Explained

15:20 Recruiting, Retention, and Justin's 15 Years

17:25 How Double Nickel Helps Retention

21:03 Competing Against TenStreet

25:51 Switching From TenStreet: The Process

29:13 Driver Verification and Compliance Tech

32:15 ReadyApp and the Driver Passport Vision

37:59 Autonomous Trucks and the Future of Recruiting

43:08 The Origin of the Double Nickel Name

44:06 Will AI Replace Recruiters?

48:52 Seed Raise and What's Next for Double Nickel

50:43 Where to Find Double Nickel

51:39 Sponsor Shoutouts and Closing

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Website: https://www.getdoublenickel.com

email: [email protected]

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#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #trucking #truckingpodcast #truckdrivers #driverrecruiting #doublenickel #airecruiting #truckingtech #fleetmanagement #owneroperator #cdldrivers #logisticstechnology #truckingbusiness #freightindustry #driverretention #autonomoustrucks #supplychain

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Tom McLeod, founder, president, and CEO of McLeod Software, joins Jon and Justin for a wide-ranging conversation about 40 years of building the technology infrastructure that powers over 1,200 trucking and freight brokerage companies across North America. Tom traces the company's origins back to 1985, when deregulation opened the floodgates for new carriers and almost nobody was building software to help them run. With a background in classical piano and sales, he made a calculated bet on an industry big enough to sustain a growing company but niche enough to stay off the radar of IBM and Microsoft.

Tom walks through how the industry has evolved from 80-megabyte hard drives and isolated green-screen terminals to fully integrated TMS platforms with 150 integration partners handling everything from order entry and freight billing to driver payroll, fuel tax, and real-time GPS visibility. He explains why integration is not optional anymore, why technology for technology's sake often creates more manual work than it eliminates, and why the companies that invest in the right tools tend to be better-managed companies across the board.

The conversation dives into the recent Supreme Court ruling removing federal liability shields for freight brokers, and what it means for carrier vetting and driver verification going forward. Tom sees it as a net positive for the industry, arguing that overcapacity driven by underqualified drivers has suppressed rates for years and that raising the bar on safety standards benefits carriers, brokers, and shippers alike. He also shares what McLeod is doing with AI right now, from automating load entry and rate quoting to accelerating internal development cycles.

On autonomous trucks, Tom offers a grounded take: it is coming, but slower than anyone predicted, and the disruption it creates will open new opportunities for carriers who are prepared. He predicts that by 2035, between 10 and 15 percent of miles traveled could be autonomous, and believes the transition will ultimately give drivers better lives with more regional routes and more time at home. His closing message is simple: disruption creates opportunity, and the carriers who lean into new technology will be the ones still standing.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:30 Starting McLeod Software in 1985

3:13 What Early Trucking Software Looked Like

4:44 Green Screens and Early Computers

6:34 How Tom Got Into Software

8:18 Supreme Court Ruling on Broker Liability

11:21 How the Ruling Shapes Software Development

13:49 How Technology Changed Trucking Operations

15:57 Driver Verification and ReadyApp

18:26 The Importance of Integration Partners

21:20 Longest-Running McLeod Customers

22:54 AI at McLeod Software

25:31 Autonomous Trucks and the Future

30:02 What Autonomy Means for Drivers

32:18 What Still Motivates Tom After 40 Years

33:04 Why Smaller Carriers Should Consider McLeod

35:34 What McLeod Is Building Next

36:50 Sponsor Messages and Outro

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#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #mcleodsoftware #truckingtech #tms #freighttechnology #truckingpodcast #autonomoustrucks #ailogistics #freightbroker #owneroperator #truckinglife #supplychain #logistics #cdldriver #truckdriver #freightindustry #truckingindustry

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Glenn Moore, founder of VantEdge, joins Justin and co-host Shamaira to break down the real inefficiencies hiding inside commodity logistics and what technology can do to fix them. Glenn spent over 15 years at Plains All American and Plains Midstream Canada watching how oil and gas companies won and lost money not on the trading floor, but in logistics. That experience became the foundation for VantEdge and its flagship product, Terminal Boss, a platform originally acquired from Schneider Electric that now sits at the center of how commodity facilities track every drop of product moving in and out.

Glenn walks through the specific, often-overlooked problems that compound into massive losses: rail cars shipped at less than optimal capacity, trucks sitting idle waiting to load, and scheduling systems that simply do not exist in industries that schedule everything else. He explains how Terminal Boss serves around 400 facilities, integrates with on-site metering equipment, and now includes a truck scheduling layer that reduces wait times and helps operators get more out of an aging driver workforce.

The conversation also covers VantEdge's compliance product, Conformee, which uses AI to monitor regulatory changes across Canadian provinces and U.S. states, automatically flagging what changed, when it changed, and how long a company has to get back into compliance. Glenn makes the case that for oil and gas operators facing constant regulatory pressure, this kind of audit-ready documentation is less a nice-to-have and more an insurance policy for leadership.

Glenn closes with an honest look at entrepreneurship: the original version of VantEdge failed, and he had to restart from scratch in early 2020. He shares what he learned, why he believed the opportunity was still real, and how the company has grown to around $5 million in revenue while targeting 60 to 80 percent growth this year. For anyone running or building a business in commodities, logistics, or energy compliance, this episode covers the operational details that rarely make it into industry conversations.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:41 Glenn's Background at Plains All American

2:09 Founding VantEdge and Terminal Boss

5:12 Technology Gaps in Trucking and Oil & Gas

5:59 Rail Car Efficiency and Truck Scheduling

8:18 How VantEdge Solves Facility Inefficiencies

11:26 AI and OTR Freight Scheduling Problems

13:48 Driver Accountability and Dangerous Goods

17:41 Conformee: Compliance Software Explained

21:44 Driver Verification in Oil and Gas

26:31 ReadyApp and Verified Driver Profiles

28:26 Driver Compliance Inside Terminal Boss

29:39 Vision: Growth, U.S. Expansion and New Industries

32:36 Failing First and Rebuilding VantEdge

37:25 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Glenn

39:08 Sponsor Shoutouts and Outro

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Website: https://www.vantedge.com

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#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #trucking #logistics #oilandgas #commoditylogistics #compliancesoftware #freighttech #supplychain #truckingpodcast #vantedge #terminalboss #owneroperator #truckdriver #entrepreneurship #logisticstech #freightindustry #cdldriver

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Justin Martin, founder of Shady Freight, joins Jon and Justin for a wide-open conversation about the fraud, dysfunction, and systemic failures hiding inside the trucking and freight industry. Justin started at Schneider National in 2007, drove DOD contractor freight for Green Valley Transportation, hauled mail for Pat Solomon and Sons and later TenRoads, and eventually landed at FreightWaves before launching Shady Freight as an independent investigative platform.

Justin breaks down exactly how the trucking industry arrived at its current crisis: decades of deregulation, a manufactured driver shortage narrative, and zero barriers to entry for motor carrier ownership. He explains how chameleon carriers operate, why foreign-owned shell companies are flooding the market with manipulable ELDs, and how the FMCSA has denied every single one of the 400-plus new ELD provider applications filed since January. He also reveals what Shady Freight uncovered about military contract freight being illegally brokered out to carriers owned by individuals living overseas.

The conversation also covers autonomous trucks and why the business case keeps collapsing, the role insurance companies play in shutting down bad actors, and why buying and selling MC numbers on Facebook has become an underground black market. Justin and the hosts discuss the urgent need for real-time driver verification technology, tools like GenLogs and Search Carriers, and why brokers can no longer hide behind "we just contract the carrier" as a liability shield.

Justin is currently pursuing expert witness certification through the Transportation Safety Management Institute. Lawyers and legal teams handling carrier audits or freight-related cases can reach him on X at @SuperTrucker.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:54 What Is Shady Freight?

1:08 Justin's Background in Trucking

4:46 How Shady Freight Was Born

7:38 The Florida Wreck & Public Awareness

9:00 Deregulation & the Fake Driver Shortage

10:28 Broker Risk & Chameleon Carriers

12:59 FMCSA Leadership Revolving Door

14:02 Autonomous Trucks & AI Reality Check

16:05 Cargo Theft & Unmanned Trucks

18:30 Foreign Ownership & Zero Barriers to Entry

22:50 Verification, Identity & MODIS

24:45 Blockchain, Transparency & the Future

27:47 Broker Liability & Driver Accountability

30:04 ELD Fraud & 400 Denied Applications

33:37 DOD Freight Fraud Exposed

36:14 Military Base Access & Unverified Drivers

39:31 GenLogs & Law Enforcement Tools

42:34 What's Next for Shady Freight

43:18 Sponsor Thanks & Outro

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Website: https://shadyfreight.com

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#truckertalkradio #trucking #freightfraud #shadyfreight #truckingpodcast #supplychain #chameleoncarriers #truckingsafety #fmcsa #owneroperator #eldmandate #freightindustry #truckdrivers #logistics #behindthewheelhouse #driververification #militaryfreight #cargoprotection

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Dani Howells, known across the industry as the Permit Girl, joins Justin to break down what it really takes to move oversized and superloads legally and safely across North America. With nearly 11 years of permitting experience and a trucking family background that stretches back to her father's days as a Continental Trucker hauling across Europe for Inner City GB, Dani brings a depth of real-world knowledge that goes far beyond paperwork.

Dani walks through the full scope of what she handles: regular permits, overweight and oversize, superloads, mega moves, utility approvals, trooper requests, pilot cars, bucket trucks, route surveys, and traffic management plans. She explains why permitting is far more art than science, with 85 to 90 percent of decisions coming down to interpretation, and why the same move can sail through one week and get rejected the next depending on who picks up the phone at the permit office.

The conversation digs into the accountability gap that puts drivers on the hook when permit errors occur, why Dani always pads dimensions and insists on written communication for every job, and how wrong measurements, undressed machinery, and last-minute county rejections can unravel a perfectly planned route in an instant. She also speaks candidly about the broader safety and verification problems creeping into the Canadian trucking industry, and why she refuses to work with companies that cut corners on licensing or driver qualifications.

For drivers, dispatchers, brokers, and carriers working in heavy haul, this episode is a straightforward look at what permitting actually involves and why getting it right from the start saves everyone time, money, and serious headaches down the road.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:46 Dani's Background in Trucking

1:14 Growing Up Around Trucking

3:57 Getting Into Permitting

4:22 What Swamping Is

6:03 Canada vs. US Permitting

10:11 The Gray Area Problem

15:06 What Dani Permits

18:21 Cutting Out Middlemen on Superloads

23:15 Advice for Drivers on Permits

24:25 Padding Dimensions and Paper Trails

27:00 When to Upgrade Your Permit Class

31:40 Read Your Permit

33:03 Driver Verification and Industry Problems

34:21 What Info Permits Actually Need

39:30 Accountability and Protecting Yourself

41:37 Driver Passports and Bad Actors

43:32 Shell Companies and Federal Regulation

47:29 How to Find Dani and What She Offers

48:29 Sponsor Shoutouts and Closing

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#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #trucking #oversizedload #heavyhaul #superload #truckingpermits #permitgirl #owneroperator #truckdriver #truckinglife #freightindustry #truckingsafety #logistics #cdldriver #truckingpodcast #oversizeloads #keepontruckin

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Scott Conklin, Driver Operations and Safety Manager at Dedicated Systems Incorporated, joins Jon and Justin for a conversation about what it actually means to fight for drivers inside a system that often works against them. Scott grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, served in the Air Force, and found his way into trucking through Schneider National, where he cut his teeth on dispatch, recruiting, and managing the Georgia Pacific account before eventually moving into safety and operations at Dedicated Systems in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Scott walks through the proposal he wrote calling for a fundamental overhaul of how CSA scores work, one that would create individual driver-level scoring, separate equipment failures from driver fault, and apply a decay factor to warnings over time. The concept aligns closely with what Jon and Justin are building at Ready App, including a driver "baseball card" score that rewards safe operators and gives carriers a cleaner picture of their roster when negotiating with insurance companies. Scott also shares that his proposal reached FMCSA leadership directly and sparked real conversations at the federal level.

The conversation also dives into the realities of specialized and oversized hauling at Dedicated Systems, including million-dollar equipment moves, steel beams from 9/11, and Daytona 500 signage. Scott breaks down what it takes for a van driver to cross over into flatbed work, why load securement is the most undertrained skill in the industry, and why roughly 75% of drivers who try flatbedding turn back once they feel the physical demands.

Scott also opens up about his decade of work with HOOAH Wisconsin, a 501(c) organization focused on veteran mental health, community building, and practical wellness programs, including therapy access, financial education, and the Warrior Wellness Program. He stepped away from the organization in December after ten years of service.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:41 Scott's Background and Career Path

4:37 The CSA Score Problem

6:01 Separating Driver vs. Carrier Fault

7:41 The Baseball Card Driver Score Concept

10:25 Balancing Safety, Compliance, and Profit

12:28 Roadside Inspections: What Drivers Should Do

14:28 Recovering From CSA Damage

19:24 The Warning vs. Ticket Problem

23:01 Specialized and Oversized Hauling

25:07 How Drivers Break Into Flatbed and Specialized

28:18 Training Program at Dedicated Systems

30:07 Every Driver Matters

31:10 HOOAH Wisconsin Veterans Program

33:23 Where to Find Scott and Dedicated Systems

34:16 Sponsor Mentions and Outro

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-conklin-33308661/

email: [email protected]

Website: https://dedsys.com

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#truckertalkradio #behindthewheelhouse #trucking #truckingpodcast #csascore #truckingsafety #driveradvocacy #flatbedtrucking #specializedhaul #owneroperator #truckdriver #freightindustry #veteransupport #readyapp #dedicatedsystems #logistics #cdldriver #scottconklin

In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Stacey Grove, president of Workhorse Logistics, joins Justin to share how a microbiology degree, a chance meeting at a gym, and a leap of faith abroad led him to build a thriving freight brokerage from scratch.

Stacey breaks down why he deliberately carved out a niche in import-export container freight, the segment most brokers avoid because of its complexity, and how leaning into that underserved market helped him survive COVID, outlast the dry van boom-and-bust cycle, and build a loyal customer base that keeps sending him business five years in. He also walks through the hard lessons: stolen loads, billing mistakes with NVOCCs, and why doing a little extra work on the front end saves you from chasing disaster on the back end.

The conversation gets into the fraud problem hitting trucking from every angle like chameleon carriers, fake rate cons, low-quality overseas dispatchers undercutting owner-operators, and why Stacey believes the barrier to entry for bad actors is dangerously low. He makes a strong case for better vetting habits, building relationships with trusted carriers first, and treating owner-operators like the business owners they actually are.

They close out looking at the future: AI, automation, shorter freight legs, and the shift away from the classic over-the-road model. Stacey's take is optimistic, the drivers who increase their value and adapt will thrive, and the opportunity in specialized, relationship-driven logistics has never been bigger.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:11 Stacey's Background & Florida Roots

2:49 From Verizon to Trucking

4:30 Moving Abroad & Launching Workhorse Logistics

6:52 The Florida Freight Market

7:46 Why Import-Export Container Freight

11:52 Word of Mouth Over Cold Calls

13:56 Growing the Business

15:42 Billing, Collections & Taking Ownership

17:12 Broker Transparency & Going the Extra Mile

20:16 Fraud in Trucking

23:50 Vetting Carriers & Spotting Scammers

26:56 Low Barrier to Entry & Bad Actors

27:13 Owner-Operators as Business Owners

30:58 The Future of Logistics & Automation

36:34 The Changing American Trucker

36:51 How to Reach Stacey

38:37 Sponsor Mentions & Outro

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-grove-50960065/

Website: https://work-horse-logistics.com

email: [email protected]

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Donate at: https://greycross.org

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In this episode of Behind the Wheelhouse on Trucker Talk Radio, Rick LaGore, co-founder and CEO of InTek Intermodal Logistics, joins Jon and Justin to break down the freight market in a way most people in the industry have never heard before. Rick came into logistics through General Motors and corporate finance, not through traditional brokerage or sales, and that background shapes everything about how he reads the market, talks to shippers, and runs his company.

Rick explains the concept he calls the supply-driven freight cycle: unlike every previous cycle he has seen in 37 years, rates are climbing not because demand is surging, but because the FMCSA is aggressively pulling bad actors, fraudulent CDLs, and self-certified ELDs out of the market. That capacity reduction is already pushing rates up 25 to 40 percent, and Rick warns that when real demand finally arrives, the market will be significantly less elastic than anything the industry has experienced before.

The conversation dives deep into intermodal: why it is misunderstood, what kills most intermodal programs before they ever get going, and how Rick's team uses intermodal spot rates tracked since 2010 to confirm or deny truckload market turns. He explains the 8-to-12-week lag between truckload signals and intermodal confirmation, and shares that as of mid-April 2026, that confirmation has arrived and rates continue to climb.

They also cover cargo theft and freight fraud, the challenge of bringing new owner-operators into a market that shuts them out for their first year, the role AI is already playing in back-office operations, and what autonomous trucks might actually look like in practice, including why Rick sees the dray market as a natural early fit. Rick also plugs his company's educational blog and the Intermodal Podcast for shippers looking to understand the mode before committing to it.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:49 Rick's Background and Career Path

3:40 Finance Mindset in Freight

5:14 Stress: Finance vs. Freight

6:47 Work-Life Balance with 5 Kids

8:51 How InTek Got Into Intermodal

13:04 Why Intermodal Programs Fail

15:31 Managing Containers and Accessorial Costs

18:01 The Supply-Driven Freight Cycle

20:48 Truckload Signals, Intermodal Confirms

24:22 COVID Freight Boom and the Wall

26:35 Cargo Theft and Freight Fraud

30:26 Driver Verification and Accountability

34:14 New Owner-Operators and Education Gap

37:35 The Next 5 to 10 Years in Trucking

42:07 Autonomous Trucks and the Dray Market

44:39 Rick's Plug and Closing

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Website: https://intechlogistics.com

Podcast: The Intermodal Podcast

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