Private Fleet Net Zero: The Deadhead is Dead with Russ Jones
The Logistics of Logistics Podcast
Release Date: 10/02/2025
The Logistics of Logistics Podcast
In “Home Delivery World: The Future of Fulfillment”, and , General Manager of Home Delivery World, discuss he critical strategies and emerging technologies redefining the high-stakes journey from the warehouse to the consumer's front door. About John Beasley , General Manager of Home Delivery World, has been part of the HDW team since 2021. With over 8 years in the events world, his goal is to bring innovation to the event and foster a community where attendees can make meaningful connections and drive their businesses forward. His background in sales, business development, partnerships...
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In “Vanity Metrics Don’t Move Freight: Building Real Pipeline in Freight-Tech”, and , Fractional CMO and Founder of FreightTech (marketing), discuss how marketing must shift from a tactical cost center to a strategic operating system that drives real revenue. About Jim Waters is a Boston-based B2B marketing executive with a proven track record of building robust sales pipelines. His passion lies in driving meaningful conversations, understanding customer pain points, and creating compelling content that generates active pipeline velocity. A results-driven innovator, Jim was an early...
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In “Beyond the Rate: Why Accuracy, Transparency and Context Matter”, and , President, Intelligence, at Triumph, discuss how accuracy, transparency, and network connectivity are the new drivers for precision and confidence in the logistics industry. About Dawn Favier serves as President, Intelligence, at Triumph following the acquisition of Greenscreens.ai in May 2025. She brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in transportation management and logistics technology. Prior to joining Triumph, Ms. Salvucci-Favier served as Chief Executive...
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In “Building the Connected Transportation Ecosystem: A Conversation with Trimble's Michael Kornhauser”, and , Vice President of Trimble, discuss how integrated data and precision mapping create a more secure, efficient, and connected transportation ecosystem. About Michael Kornhauser is sector vice president of Trimble, leading Transportation & Logistics in North America. With more than 20 years in various leadership roles, Michael has proven to be an astute and dynamic leader with deep industry understanding and passion for delivering superior customer value. Kornhauser, along with...
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In “The Optym Advantage: Smarter Routing, Planning, and Decision Making”, and , Deputy CEO of Optym, discuss how applied AI and optimization maximize fleet utilization and driver profitability. About Shaman Ahuja is currently serving as the Deputy CEO of Optym, a company specializing in prepackaged software solutions. With a robust background in technology and product management, he has held various leadership positions within Optym, showcasing his ability to drive innovation and efficiency. He began his professional journey as an intern and has progressively climbed the ranks,...
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In “Smart Routes, Safer Stops: How Mapping Tech is Transforming Trucking”, and , VP, Product and Engineering at Trimble, discuss how integrated mapping technology optimizes routes, ensures driver safety, and drives profitability through a connected data ecosystem. Rishi Mehra As VP, Product and Engineering, is primarily responsible for overseeing the company’s technology, products and engineering in North America. Mehra has been with Trimble since 2014, and previously served as a senior product manager and director of web products for ALK Technologies (now a part of the Trimble...
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In “Fleet Profitability Unleashed: The Optimal Dynamics Advantage”, and , Senior Vice President, Head of Sales at Optimal Dynamics, discuss how decades of academic research and advanced decision intelligence are being used to automate complex logistics and maximize carrier profitability. Zach Schuchart is the Senior Vice President, Head of Sales at Optimal Dynamics. He has over 20 years of experience in the North American and European transportation industries, including roles at UPS, CHAINalytics, and XPO, he brings deep expertise and leadership to the Optimal Dynamics team. As Head of...
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In “The Fulfillment Playbook: ShipStation's Strategy for Building an Unbreakable Shipping Network”, and , Chief Strategy Officer at Auctane, discuss how to turn complex global logistics into a seamless competitive advantage. About Josh Steinitz serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Auctane, a leading global company empowering businesses with intelligent mailing and shipping solutions through trusted products like ShipStation, Stamps.com, Metapack, and Packlink. In his role, Steinitz leads corporate development, strategic partnerships, carrier relationships and strategy, and cross-border...
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In “The Road Ahead: What Trimble Innovations Mean for Transportation”, and , Chief Product and Technology Officer at Trimble, discuss Trimble's open, scalable platform that connects every aspect of the supply chain—from trucks and drivers to the back office—by serving as a reliable "system of record" that integrates practical AI innovation to help fleets maximize performance, visibility, and safety. About Jonah McIntire is Chief Product and Technology Officer at Trimble. He joined Transporeon in June 2021 and quickly led a succession of larger product organisations...
info_outlineIn “Private Fleet Net Zero: The Deadhead is Dead”, Joe Lynch and Russell Jones, CEO & Co-founder of Private Fleet Net Zero, discuss how PFNZ is using AI to eliminate the deadhead of private fleets, turning empty miles into profitable, superior capacity while simultaneously driving significant progress toward net zero.
About Russ Jones
Russell Jones co-founded Private Fleet Net Zero to help the 45% of trucks that are in Private Fleets with usually empty backhauls find loads from $50B+ of 3PL freight spend, leveraging his leadership of Cargo Chief, which enables 1,200+ 3PL buyers with $8B+ of spend to buy transportation capacity more profitably. Previously, Mr. Jones co-founded and led two cloud-based physical security firms. He was also the founding CEO of Clearvox Communications, which pioneered the market for cellular phone headsets, which he sold to Plantronics. Beforehand at Adaptec, Mr. Jones doubled a $50M channel products business to $100M. Mr. Jones has been awarded 10 patents, and holds a BSBA with highest honors from Boston University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
About Private Fleet Net Zero
Private Fleet Net Zero, PFNZ, is uniquely aggregating 10,000s of trucks with 1,000s of lanes of underutilized, underpriced, theft-free and superior private and dedicated fleet trucking capacity and matching via multi patent-pending technologies and artificial intelligence to $10Bs of freight spend registered on our cloud-based platform, while generating a compelling client ROI. Our network is quickly and efficiently growing both fleets and 3PLs on PFNZ, which is on a path to save 30M+ tree equivalents.
Key Takeaways: Private Fleet Net Zero: The Deadhead
- In “Private Fleet Net Zero: The Deadhead is Dead”, Joe Lynch and Russell Jones, CEO & Co-founder of Private Fleet Net Zero, discuss how PFNZ is using AI to eliminate the deadhead of private fleets, turning empty miles into profitable, superior capacity while simultaneously driving significant progress toward net zero.
- The Death of the Deadhead: The core problem PFNZ addresses is the massive inefficiency of empty backhauls ("deadhead"), which characterizes nearly 45% of the total US trucking capacity operated by private fleets. The episode explains how eliminating this waste is the key to both operational profit and environmental sustainability.
- The $10B Capacity Solution: PFNZ is uniquely aggregating tens of thousands of private fleet trucks, transforming previously unused lanes into a powerful network. This new capacity is highly desirable to buyers, described by PFNZ as "underpriced, theft-free, and superior."
- AI-Driven Efficiency: Russ Jones details how multi-patent-pending technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are essential to the solution. The AI efficiently matches this newly aggregated capacity with the $10Bs of freight spend from 3PLs registered on their platform.
- The Sustainability ROI: The episode connects logistics efficiency directly to environmental impact. By eliminating empty miles, PFNZ is on a path to save the equivalent of 30 million+ trees, demonstrating that net-zero goals can be achieved through fundamental changes in transportation economics.
- Unlocking New Profit Centers: For private fleet operators, the partnership generates a "compelling client ROI" by turning what was a sunk-cost (the empty backhaul) into a profitable revenue-generating leg, fundamentally changing the economics of fleet ownership.
- A Proven Disruptor at the Helm: Russ Jones brings a deep history of tech entrepreneurship and market disruption, having pioneered the cellular headset market (Clearvox/Plantronics) and successfully built cloud-based physical security firms. His decade of experience leading Cargo Chief provides the foundation for integrating private fleet capacity with the existing 3PL freight market.
- Leveraging Existing Market Structures: The platform’s success is built on Jones's knowledge of the brokerage world, leveraging his previous experience at Cargo Chief, which currently enables over 1,200 3PL buyers with more than $8 billion in annual spend, ensuring rapid adoption and integration.
Learn More About Private Fleet Net Zero: The Deadhead
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