The FreightCaviar Podcast

What separates preferred transportation providers from the rest?In this conversation with Kevin Mitchell, Director of Transportation at James Hardie, and Derek Zetlin, Director of Sales at GoodShip, we take an inside look at how leading shippers evaluate providers, balance relationships with performance data, and decide who earns more freight. 

Peter Stefanovich, President of Left Lane Associates, shares what it takes to sell a freight brokerage, from the EBITDA most buyers need to see before they get interested to the multiples owners can realistically expect and the risks that move a valuation up or down. Peter also breaks down how Left Lane has advised on 88 transportation and logistics transactions since 2016 totaling just over $2 billion in enterprise value, how near-zero interest rates fueled the 2021 deal boom and set up the freight recession that followed, what the Montgomery ruling means for brokers and buyers, the landmark deals that shaped freight M&A from UPS buying Coyote to Echo acquiring ITS, and why he sees 2027 and 2028 as strong years to exit.This week's episode is sponsored by Epay Manager, Bitfreighter, Resolve Logistics and TrackFlo.Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at [email protected] 

Dan Manshaem, Co-Founder/CEO of Ally Logistics and Founder of Resolve Logistics, joined Paul-Bernard Jaroslawski and Lev Krasnopolskiy on the FreightCaviar Podcast to discuss how he started a freight brokerage in 2012 with $5K in the bank and grew it to a $300M+ run rate, what he thinks brokerage will look like in 10 to 20 years, his unconventional take on non-competes, and more.

Chris Brewer, Founder & CEO of River City Logistics, joined Paul-Bernard Jaroslawski, Lev Krasnopolskiy, and Reed Loustalot, to discuss how he built a logistics company without outside investment, Chris’ thoughts on AI, and more.

Thomas Mella, Co-Founder at TrackFlo, and Rich Joseph, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder at TrackFlo, joined Paul-Bernard Jaroslawski and Reed Loustalot on the FreightCaviar Podcast to discuss how TrackFlo helped one brokerage cut track-and-trace headcount by more than half while improving service, what acquisitions like Descartes/Tai reveal about the value behind freight-tech M&A, and why distribution matters in an AI-driven software market.This week's episode is sponsored by Epay Manager, FreightFlex, Goodship, and Highway.Interested in sponsoring our podcast? Send us an email at [email protected]:0:00 Intro0:42 Meet Thomas Smella and Rich Joseph1:51 Why Freight Tech Companies Sell for $100M5:59 The $100M Freight Tech Playbook9:05 Why TrackFlo Focuses on One Problem11:56 What TrackFlo Actually Does15:28 How TrackFlo Started16:40 From TrackFlo Customer to Executive18:05 Cutting Track & Trace Staff by 50%+23:09 Bootstrapping a Freight Tech Company25:38 The Anti-SaaS Playbook27:47 Can You Vibe Code a TMS?33:53 The Future of Freight SaaS35:31 Why Expertise Still Matters in the AI Era38:18 How VC Funding Changes the Incentives40:56 The Tradeoffs of Raising Capital45:00 How Far Will AI Really Go in Freight?48:03 Could Freight Brokers Be Displaced?51:39 The LinkedIn Debate57:08 Should a SaaS CEO Build a Personal Brand?1:07:42 Final Thoughts