Everything is Logistics

Are Bots Booking Freight Yet? Manifest Trend Check with Grace Sharkey

Blythe and Grace Sharkey (Orderful; formerly FreightWaves) break down what everyone’s been talking about coming out of Manifest: agentic AI moving into real workflows, drones/computer vision becoming more practical, freight fraud getting more coordinated, and why “end-to-end visibility” still isn’t end-to-end (spoiler: carrier adoption and execution still run the show).The gist (what we cover):Agentic AI: not just demos—people are pushing it into rate negotiation and booking workflowsThe uncomfortable question: what happens to brokerage models when humans aren’t the bottleneck?Drones + computer vision: still early, but moving from “cool tech” to real use casesFreight fraud: it’s coordinated—and most companies still fail at the basicsVisibility: we keep selling the dream, but execution (and carrier adoption) keeps punching it in the faceQuick time-capsule: what 2016 taught us, what 2026 is repeating, and why insurance keeps winningTimestamps / chapters (approx):00:00 – Intro + Grace joins04:35 – Agentic AI: what’s real vs what’s marketing10:10 – What this changes for brokers and carriers15:25 – Drones + computer vision17:30 – Fraud: why basic controls still matter25:40 – Visibility + ocean integrity31:40 – 2016 vs 2026: the industry memory test39:50 – Wrap-up + Manifest Europe noteWatch this episode on YouTubeFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why. CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve. Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.

We Rebuilt CargoRex for People Who Don’t Know What to Search

CargoRex.io 2.0 is live and this isn’t a paint job. It’s a rebuild around how people actually research logistics tech when they don’t know what to search for yet.In this episode, I break down what changed, why it changed, and how to use CargoRex to move from “I think we have a problem” to “here’s the shortlist and the questions we need to ask.”What’s inside:-- A redesigned site built for faster discovery (not endless scrolling)-- A revamped search model: broad-match exploration + tighter category paths-- 3 live Buying Guides (with more coming): LogTech Implementation, Buying a TMS, and Visibility-- A stronger company listing page: integrations, associations, awards, news, white papers, case studies, and more-- Save-and-export Lists (CSV) so your research isn’t trapped in browser tabs-- Logged-in dashboards that separate your activity from what’s trending site-wide-- New contributor submissions so operators, consultants, and creators can add real-world lessons to the guidesIf you’ve got a logistics-adjacent business, claim your listing (free), fill it out, and make it easier for the right buyers to find you. And if you’re researching tools, use the lead form on listings so companies can see the signal that CargoRex is driving the conversation.Watch this episode on YouTubeFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why. CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve. Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.

Why Logistics Tech Rollouts Fail (and How to Fix Them) | Nate Johnson, GLCS

Everyone loves a shiny demo. Nobody wants to talk about the messy middle: implementation. That’s where budgets blow up, timelines slip, and teams quietly blame the software.Nate Johnson (CEO of GLCS) joins Blythe Milligan to break down what actually makes logistics tech rollouts work.The first question teams skip: “Why are you buying this?”Why “go-live” is not the same thing as successThe hidden costs that show up after the subscription feeWhy training and documentation decide adoptionIntegrations, EDI, and why “it should connect” is usually a lieAI in logistics: what’s real, what’s marketing, and what buyers should demandLinks:Connect with Nate on LinkedIn (and you better tell him Blythe sent you)GLCS WebsiteNate's podcast, Driving ForwardWatch the video version here.Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why. CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve. Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.

Why Most Podcasts Stall: Consistency, Completion Rate, Better Packaging

4.6 million podcasts exist. Only a tiny slice stay active. The difference isn’t gear or luck. It’s whether you respect the listener’s attention (and measure it).In this episode, I’m joined by my husband (and longtime podcaster) Badr Milligan to recap what we learned at Podfest Orlando and how to apply it to your company’s show.Takeaways:Track completion rate (aka average consumption). It tells you what’s working way faster than download counts.Fix your first minute. Say what the listener will get, then get to it.Stop “one recording, everywhere” thinking. Audio and video need different context and editing.Consistency is a moat. Most shows quit. That’s the opportunity.Build diehard fans you can identify and activate, not a random pile of downloads.Fav quote from the episode: “It’s never been easier to make content, but now you have to make the editorial choice of what you’re going to produce, and why?”Links: Badr's podcast, The ShortboxJax Podcasters UnitedPodfest websiteWatch this episode on YouTube Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why. CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve. Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.

Cold Calls, Tight Lanes, and Government Freight with Garrett Bowers

Cold calls. Tight lanes. Government freight.In this episode, I’m talking with Garrett Bowers, owner of Bowers Trucking and an SPI Logistics agency owner, about what it takes to build a steadier carrier business when the market is doing what it always does.We get into why he swears by early-morning prospecting, how he thinks about tighter lanes and saying “no” to the wrong freight, and what changes when you stop treating sales like something you do only when you’re panicking.Then we go into the rabbit hole most carriers ignore: government freight. Garrett breaks down how he found opportunities around Tinker Air Force Base, what the Defense Logistics Agency actually does, and the practical first steps to get started (yes, SAM.gov is involved). Plus, the kind of freight that makes for a great story later, including hauling the Air Force One staircase.What we cover: ▪ Why early cold calls work ▪ How to choose lanes that keep trucks moving ▪ Government freight basics: where to start and what to expect ▪ The operational standard required for military shipmentsWatch this episode on YouTubeFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why. CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve. Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.