Convoy Radio

Latest Episodes:

A Strategy in the Spot Market with Sammy Lloyd Jul 31, 2019

Show notes

You might know Sammy Lloyd from YouTube. When he's not making educational videos about the industry and his experiences as a driver, he fills the shoes of owner-operator, and we're lucky enough to have him as our guest today.

We're asking the question, "Who holds the spot market?" and Sammy weighs in on the conversation, sharing his strategies in the spot market, how he views the market right now and how things have changed since 2018.

He talks about the freedom that life on the road brings, having his brother as his co-driver and then he gets serious about booking outbound loads, doing research about what the market is doing and how technology has changed the landscape of the industry. Sammy gives us some practical guidelines for a realistic distance you can cover in a day, how you can cut down on expenses to lower your monthly obligations and a whole lot more!

Episode 10: Developing the next generation of truck drivers Jul 15, 2019

Show notes

With over 700,000 accident and ticket-free miles driven, Dave Dein is no stranger to the trucking industry. He first got his start in 1988 hauling tomatoes for Morning Star to pay his way through college.

After eight years teaching elementary school, Dein founded a non-profit truck driving school focused on training individuals recently released from prison on how to drive a truck.

Now, he's using his experience to educate the future generation of truck drivers. In tandem with staff and industry partners, Dein established what he believes to be the first high school CDL trucking course in the country at Patterson High School in Patterson, California.

Students learn how to conduct pre-trip inspections, build trip plans, pull the fifth wheel, shift gears via the truck simulator and much more. Upon completion of the program, students are given the option to obtain free behind-the-wheel training with industry partners. In Episode 10 of Convoy Radio, listen in as hosts Jake and Michael chat with Dein on how he is developing the next wave of truck drivers.

Episode 9: The 2019 State of Freight with transportation veteran Ryan Soskin Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

Ryan Soskin is a freight fanatic. An Economics/Finance major from Miami University (Ohio) and current Senior Manager of Shipper Solutions at Convoy, Soskin has spent the bulk of his career in the transportation industry.

As a result, he's all too familiar with fluctuations in the marketplace. After record expansion of truckload demand in 2017 and 2018, 2019 has seen the freight market slow significantly. Contributing to the softening, record new equipment purchases have inflated supply, further driving down rates, and as a result we've seen several medium and large trucking companies shut down or layoff drivers. Meanwhile, many shippers have opted to bypass their contracts for lower spot market rates.

Tack on uncertainty around U.S.-China trade relations, flooding in the Midwest, and California weather softening the impact of produce season, and there are lots of questions around the state of freight halfway through 2019. Will a budding produce season see a turnaround in demand? Or will the freight blues continue through the summer? Tune into Episode 9 with hosts Jake and Michael as they discuss the current state of the freight market with industry guru Ryan Soskin.

Episode 8: How Stephanie Trejo grew her family business from 2 to 12 trucks Jun 07, 2019

Show notes

Stephanie Trejo was bored. Taking business classes at a Texas community college while holding a job as a lead oil analyst, Stephanie knew she needed a change.

When her father tired of driving trucks, an opportunity opened up for Stephanie to get involved with the family trucking business, Tremmar Freight Services. Fast forward 7 years — with Stephanie at the helm, the company has grown from 2 to 12 trucks.

Listen in as hosts Jake and Mike walk through Stephanie's career path. From buying her first truck at an auction to playing the spot market, one thing is for sure: Stephanie is never bored.

Episode 7: Trucking State of the Union with Will "Lil Dawg" Kling May 22, 2019

Show notes

Before the age of social media, truckers would interact in diners, in drivers' lounges, or over CB radio. But today, social media connects drivers who are thousands of miles apart. For Will "Lil Dawg" Kling, social media — and YouTube in particular — has given him the opportunity to share his trucking knowledge with more than 25,000 subscribers.

In Episode 7, Kling dives into the dynamic relationships between brokers and carriers, how truck drivers can utilize social media to build their brands and his personal journey from the U.S. Navy to the road.

Episode 6: What's the deal with the DRIVE-Safe Act? May 07, 2019

Show notes

In the latest episode of Convoy Radio, we dive into the DRIVE-Safe Act - a bill aiming to lower the interstate commercial truck driving age to 18 nationally - and discuss how it impacts drivers and business owners.

Hosts Jake and Michael meet with Lorin Seeks, Director of Quality and Compliance at Convoy, who brings a comprehensive understanding of the Act and how it impacts those in the industry.

Please note, the opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily shared, supported, or endorsed by Convoy.

Episode 5: Understanding Freight Futures with pricing strategist Michael Carroll Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

In the latest episode of Convoy Radio, Convoy Head of Contract Revenue Michael Carroll takes hosts Jake and Michael through the ins and outs of freight futures. Carroll, who previously traded futures on Wall Street, explains what freight futures are, how they can potentially impact the nearly $800 billion dollar U.S. trucking market, who is buying them and what the future of freight futures might look like.

Episode 4: Proverbs from the road with legendary trucker Steve Crawford Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

Convoy Radio visits with Steve Crawford, lifelong trucker and owner of Steve Crawford Trucking. Crawford, an industry veteran of over 50 years, shares the do's and don'ts of running a trucking business, how he grew his company to more than 40 trucks, and what it was like to ride with his father through the plains of South Dakota at age 14.

Episode 3: Talking Trucking with Convoy CEO Dan Lewis Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

Convoy CEO Dan Lewis joins the show and shares stories of starting Convoy four years ago. From conducting market research at truck stops to visiting warehouses and talking to dock workers, Lewis gives listeners an inside look at what led him to start Convoy. With technology and transparency, Lewis and the Convoy team are seeking to transform the trucking industry.

"Our job here is to address the problems that truck drivers and small trucking companies and dispatchers have and that shippers have and if we do that really well, we'll have a great business," said Lewis.

Episode 2: Travel Time and Parking Problems with Dr. Anne Goodchild Apr 08, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Anne Goodchild, University of Washington Founding Director at the Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center, brings decades of experience leading freight transportation research to the latest episode of Convoy Radio. Alongside hosts Jake and Michael, Dr. Goodchild talks public parking areas for truck drivers, sustainable freight transportation systems and much more.

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