RoutCast

Explore Jake's free tools for contractors: https://routestonetools.netlify.app/What is the FedEx Contractor Cohort, and how is it helping FedEx Ground contractors across the country?In this episode of RoutCast, we sit down with Blair Yonkoski, a Michigan-based FedEx contractor and member of the FedEx Contractor Cohort, to discuss the value of collaboration among contractors and the challenges of running a successful FedEx P&D operation.Blair shares firsthand lessons from expanding into a new contract area earlier this year, along with practical insights on improving driver safety, managing employees, and understanding the true cost of hiring.Whether you're an experienced FedEx contractor, a new ISP, or considering entering the FedEx Ground P&D business, this conversation offers valuable insights from someone navigating the same challenges.Subscribe to RoutCast for real conversations, practical advice, and insights from the FedEx contractor community.#FedExContractors #FedExGround #FedExCohort #RoutCast #FedExISP

In this episode of RoutCast, we're joined by Christina Cathey. Christina is a BC for a FedEx contractor operating out of Cocoa, Florida, with a CSA in Vero Beach. She share her perspective on operational excellence, the current challenges with staffing and large packages, treating drivers like people instead of resources, and what FedEx could do better to drive success across the contractor network.Christina shares insights from her conversations at the FedEx Forward Summit, explains why contractors need better data to manage large packages, and discusses what it takes to find a Business Contact (BC) who is truly invested in your business. She also makes the case for why a 3-dispatch system could make sense in the FedEx 2.0 network.RoutCast is an independent podcast for FedEx contractors—from those exploring ownership to seasoned ISPs. We talk with real contractors and industry professionals about what's working, what's challenging, and how to run a better business.#FedExContractors #FedEx2Point0 #FedExISP #RoutCast

What can AI actually do for a FedEx contractor?Not write emails. Not generate generic business advice. Actually help you understand and run your operation better.In this episode of RoutCast, Jake Hirsch and Archie Williams skip the traditional interview and put AI to work. Using Archie’s real FedEx contractor data, they open Claude and build a custom dashboard live—turning information Archie already had into a tool he could actually use to understand his business.👉 Want to try some of these ideas with your own operation? Jake has already built a collection of FREE tools specifically for FedEx contractors at Routestone Tools. Use the calculators to analyze driver productivity, forecast revenue, evaluate truck replacement decisions, understand profitability and more: https://routestonetools.netlify.app/The Routestone tools came from the same basic idea behind this episode: FedEx contractors already have a ton of data. The challenge is turning that data into information you can actually use to make better decisions.In this demo, Jake shows Archie how accessible that has become. You don't need to be a programmer or data analyst. With AI tools like Claude, contractors can take their own spreadsheets, reports and operational data and start asking better questions—and even build tools around the way their businesses operate.Jake and Archie also explore where this could go next, including Archie's idea for making fleet maintenance and commonly needed truck parts easier to track and source.The point isn't that every contractor needs Archie's dashboard. It's that you can build something for YOUR business.

Connect with the hosts:Jake Hirsch: 541-213-1296Emily Blair: 515-979-4689Check out Tristan's payroll platform with a contractor AND driver app: https://routepayroll.com/Tristan Booth was running a FedEx P&D operation in Utah when he bought his first semi truck. Then a second. Then a third. Then a fourth.After selling the FedEx business, Tristan took those trucks in a completely different direction — leasing them into the crude oil industry. Today, he says the profits from his trucking operation are significantly higher than anything he experienced as a FedEx contractor.In this episode of RoutCast, we talk with Tristan about how he got started with semi trucks while still operating FedEx routes, what he learned along the way, how the transition into crude oil hauling worked, and what his business looks like after FedEx.If you're a FedEx Ground contractor thinking about diversification, trucking, additional revenue streams, or eventually building a business outside the FedEx network, Tristan's story offers a real-world look at one path.2:36 - How Tristan got started in FedEx (and why it was horrible)6:59 - The business growth and what it took to finally "click"9:33 - The secret to retention in FedEx10:51 - How Tristan worked through bad equipment12:31 - The sale of the FedEx business13:23 - Adding semi trucks while still running P&D14:09 - Leasing on to haul crude oil16:29 - Working a load board and using factoring companies18:41 - Tristan's recommendation for contractors thinking of putting a semi to work20:08 - Technology over the years - from delivering with a scanner, to developing his own payroll platform to solve his own biggest issue24:29 - FedEx vs. Crude Oil margins and revenue29:16 - Tristan's warning - don't make the same mistake he did!

Contact your hosts:Jake 541-213-1296Emily 515-979-4689Jake's Routestone tools: https://routestonetools.netlify.appSchedule K is a major topic for FedEx contractors right now. In this episode, Kevin Smithson of Golden Hawk Trucking shares his perspective on Schedule K, the economics of running a FedEx business, labor costs, and finding efficiencies in his operation.We also talk about large packages, leadership, paying employees well, and how there are many paths to becoming a successful FedEx contractor.2:28 What is Schedule K?4:05 The 2026 Schedule K, renegotiation, and why you might not sign9:14 Kevin's Large Package strategy11:23 FedEx driver to contractor: Kevin's story13:17 Growth strategies for CSPs16:19 Hiring and training strategies18:06: FedEx fleet strategy 20:06 Driver pay and incentives23:36 How highly paid drivers pay you back in other ways25:00 The value of having an on-site mechanic26:56 Why Kevin prefers the low-tech route28:16 Managing fleet acquisition and maintenance costs32:42 Family & FedEx37:28 The value of learning from other & advice for new contractors