1177. #TFCP - The Freight Playbook for Lean, Scalable Growth!
Release Date: 04/16/2025
The Freight Coach Podcast
Find out where the human edge and automation matter in freight brokerage in this episode with Alex Schick of Alliance Logistix, sharing how smart freight automation, carrier invoicing automation, and AI in logistics can drive efficiency without sacrificing carrier relationships or customer trust! Alex talk through why automating tedious tasks like carrier invoicing and document collection speeds payment cycles, reduces errors, and boosts carrier satisfaction, while keeping real humans front and center for load booking and relationship management, why AI should act as an assistant (not a...
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Are you confident your compliance program would hold up under an FMCSA audit, and are you scaling your fleet without scaling your safety and risk management? Rob Carpenter from Trucksafe is back to discuss why organized compliance, defensible training, and real accountability are no longer optional in trucking! We explore how poor paperwork and weak policies can turn routine inspections into costly enforcement actions, why nearly 80% of driving skills are learned on the job (and how this creates serious legal exposure), and the growing accountability gap where drivers face severe penalties...
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What happens when sales slip, costs explode, and the market stays tough longer than anyone expected? How do you scale a freight brokerage without burning cash or losing focus? In this episode, our returning guest from Thrivemodal, Kyle Wilson, is back to explain why founders must stay relentlessly focused on business development and how outsourcing operations to the Philippines cuts monthly costs while improving scalability and service quality. Kyle also shares a grounded outlook on the 2026 freight market, infrastructure-driven demand, global workforce integration through cloud...
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Today’s episode with John Pemberton from Pemberton Truck Lines is all about creating staying power in the trucking industry through strong company culture, uncompromising standards, and leadership accountability! Stay tuned as we dive into why building long-term customer relationships beats short-term rate chasing, how fleet standardization and preventive maintenance control costs and reduce breakdowns, and why fuel management, driver training, and outward-facing cameras are no longer optional for safety, liability reduction, and insurance control. John also shares how staying focused on...
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What happens if you don’t verify your SCAC? Is this the beginning of the end for freight fraud in non-Class 8 carriers? Joe Ohr and Holly Taylor are back on the show to discuss the launch of SCAC Verify on February 26, 2026, NMFTA’s new mandatory identity and address verification program designed to close a major security gap impacting sprinters, box trucks, hotshots, and other non-Class 8 carriers! We talk about how the fast 1–3 minute verification process works using government ID, biometric selfie matching, and DMV checks across 42 states, why failure to comply could mean losing your...
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Today, let’s talk straight about why firm quotes matter, how cash flow mismanagement (not lack of freight) kills brokers, and why securing contracts early beats chasing top-line revenue! Listen as I share more about the use of smart freight technology, focusing on automating what already works instead of wasting money on shiny tools, the real power of strong transportation networks when problems arise, and why niche specialization like flatbed and open-deck freight shortens sales cycles fast. Finally, I highlight the rising insurance and regulatory costs and why tight expense audits...
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Are Midwest reefer lanes really more stable than the headlines say, and where are the real profit opportunities hiding right now? In this episode, we break down the following topics: Why long-term freight market stability still exists in key Midwest reefer lanes Why predictable, Monday-through-Thursday lane pricing beats chasing volatile spot spikes and regional freight lanes are outperforming national averages How accepting short-term losses can build long-term carrier and customer trust The new FMCSA broker bond rule requiring a $75,000 bond with a strict seven-day compliance window and its...
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The "Black Box" of freight brokerage is under fire. On this episode of #TheFreightCoach, we break down the explosive petition calling for the FMCSA to suspend TQL's authority over broker transparency waivers. Is the era of contracting out of 49 CFR § 371.3 finally coming to an end? We’re diving deep into the 2026 Regulatory Purge: FMCSA vs. TQL: Why carrier advocacy groups are pushing for a total suspension of authority and what it means for your right to see the records. The ELD Blacklist: The FMCSA isn't slowing down. We discuss the latest hardware revocations and the March 15th deadline...
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Change how you look at unsold inventory in this episode with Amrita Bhasin of Sotira, joining the show to break down how poor inventory forecasting is crushing CPG brands, why nearly a quarter of all retail and e-commerce inventory never sells, and how excess inventory liquidation has become one of the biggest supply chain challenges today! We dive deeper into how Sotira is using AI to power a tech-driven reverse logistics marketplace that connects sellers, buyers, and donation partners while protecting brand equity, enforcing expiration and regional compliance laws, and improving recovery...
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Are you relying on COIs and assuming you’re covered, or could one denied cargo claim put your brokerage at serious risk? Today, William (Billy) Worthington from Falvey Insurance Group explains why certificates of insurance can be misleading, how hidden exclusions and sublimits create massive exposure for freight brokers, and why understanding the actual insurance policy matters! We talk through the complex risk profile brokers carry when managing multiple carriers under one policy, why broker cargo liability insurance and all-risk cargo coverage are no longer optional, and how inflation has...
info_outlineHow can you automate manual tasks and brokerage operations to scale faster as a broker? Listen to Annalise Davis to find out how Chain, an AI-powered freight visibility platform, can enhance collaboration between brokers and carriers, the importance of operational efficiency in the increasingly competitive market, Chain's latest feature that will improve engagement and retention within carrier networks, and the role of AI tools in leveling the playing field for smaller companies!
About Annalise Davis
Annalise Davis is the co-founder and CEO of Chain, an AI-powered visibility platform that helps freight brokers eliminate manual work. Before building tech, she and her husband ran a trucking company, giving her a ground-level view of the challenges brokers and carriers face every day.
Annalise’s path to freight tech is anything but typical: she started in medical school before leaving to pursue a more entrepreneurial path, ultimately building one of the fastest-growing platforms in the industry. Since founding Chain, she’s grown the company to seven figures in ARR and positioned it at the forefront of AI in freight.
Outside of work, she’s usually working out, reading, exploring new cities, or learning Japanese.
Connect with Annalise
- Website: https://www.trychain.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalise-sandhu-60663786/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/chain/
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