Good afternoon, class. My name is Professor Leffler, and this is my colleague, Professor Schreiber . Today we're going to be discussing how everything moves. Today, we study logistics. Welcome to Supply Chain 101. This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics . Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 12 min
It's episode 100 for the Armchair Attorney® Podcast so we're going big! In this installment we sit down with JJ Schickel , founding partner of EVE Partners . Together with his team, JJ has led more than 150 transactions exceeding $11 billion in value, solidifying his reputation as a leader in transportation-focused investments. At Omni Logistics, JJ led company growth from 200 employees to nearly 5,000, with a customer base expanding from 300 to over 7,000 across 25+ countries. This growth culmi...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 100
About two decades ago, I walked the same halls as my next guest, James Sidou , VP & General Counsel at Saddle Creek Logistics . See, Jim & I both attended Michigan State University College of Law . Go Green! In law school, it's about survival. The first year scares you to death, the second year works you to death, & the third year bores you to death. Or so I've heard. Fast forward to 2025 & I find myself next to Jim at the Motor Carrier Insurance Education Foundation (MCIEF) wher...
May 23, 2025•56 min•Ep. 99
Oh this is a good one! I had the great privilege to sit down with the team at Freight 360 . We dig deep on some of the biggest legal issues facing the supply chain. Broker Liability? We cover it! Nuclear Verdicts? We cover it! Broker Transparency? We cover it! English proficiency? We cover it! You will not want to miss this one, my friends! This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics . Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you'...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 98
It's a simulcast! In our 97th episode, I join my good friend Brandon Wiseman as well as Rob Carpenter , Brian Runnels , & Jack Van Steenburg to discuss President Trump's Executive Order on English Proficiency for CDL holders . Get ready! This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics . Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in f...
May 02, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 97
I am excited to welcome Ryan Joyce , CEO & Co-Founder of GenLogs to dig deep in freight intelligence as well as his time with the CIA. In this conversation, we talk about our families as well as the events that led to Ryan serving his country. Finally we look at the technology that is powering GenLogs battle against fraud & theft in the trucking industry. This is a conversation that you will enjoy! To see more of GenLogs, check this out . This program is brought to you by DAT Freight &am...
Apr 24, 2025•53 min•Ep. 96
We are so back! Total Quality Logistics (TQL), the nation’s second-largest freight broker, is under fire in a new federal lawsuit filed on Feb. 25 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia . Pink Cheetah Express LLC, a small Kissimmee, Florida-based motor carrier, alleges that TQL has flouted a 2023 Department of Transportation order mandating compliance with federal broker transparency rules. The suit, which seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, reignites a long-simmering debat...
Apr 11, 2025•46 min•Ep. 95
If you're following the tariff discussion, you better understand IEEPA. This post aims to make sense of IEEPA, which is a US federal law enacted in October of 1977, & signed by President Jimmy Carter in December of 1977. It grants the President broad authority to regulate international commerce & economic transactions during a declared national emergency. Let me be clear, this is not intended as a pro or anti Trump post. This is simply how I answer a question I have been getting a lot la...
Apr 09, 2025•27 min•Ep. 94
MyCarrier began a fight with project44 that they could never win. In a closely watched dispute over API services in the logistics industry, the Delaware Court of Chancery has found that MyCarrier likely did breach its contract with project44 both by "building behind" project44 as well as transitioning to an alternative provider, SMC3 . Despite the likely breach, the Court determined that project44 failed to show irreparable harm, a key requirement for injunctive relief & denied project44 ’s ...
Mar 06, 2025•22 min•Ep. 93
In this edition, we welcome back friend of the show, Amanda Schuier , Strategic Maintenance Director at Jetco Delivery & TMC General Chairman 2024 - 2025 to chat about the upcoming Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations Annual Meeting. We talk maintenance, we take safety, & we talk what's next! This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics . Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're ...
Mar 03, 2025•18 min•Ep. 92
In this installment, we have a Valentine's Day Special with the one & only Kary Jablonski ! Now I've been a fan of Kary for a while & am excited to sit down with her this week. With the Trucker Tools & DAT Freight & Analytics combo, we have a lot to discuss! This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics . Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building ...
Feb 19, 2025•52 min•Ep. 91
In this installment we talk about the Freight Essentials v. GlobalTranz & Worldwide Express , a lawsuit filed by Dylan Admire of Freight Essentials containing some pretty wild allegations. Disclaimer: This is just the Complaint & the Defendants have not filed their Answers yet. Everything in the Complaint will remain allegations unless & until we have a finding of fact by the fact-finder. In this case, a jury. Disclaimer over. Let's get into it. GlobalTranz is accused of misrepresent...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 90
Over the last few years we've seen an explosion of freight-related creators building incredible audiences. And that appetite isn't going anywhere. In our latest episode, we welcome Andrew Silver , Host of The Freight Pod & the Former CEO of MoLo Solutions . This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics . Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trus...
Jan 28, 2025•56 min•Ep. 89
In this installment, I sit down with Tristan Bordallo , CEO & Founder of Iamfr8 , a California-based trucking company, as well as the Founder of Fr8topia , a California-based freight brokerage. We often hear the phrase "walk a mile in someone else's shoes," but how about driving 500 miles in someone else's twin screws? As a broker, it can be hard to appreciate just how challenging it is as a trucker to safely deliver freight on-time & undamaged. Well, Tristan took the plunge to start his...
Dec 30, 2024•52 min•Ep. 88
In this installment, we welcome back friend of the show Tyler Robertson , CEO of Diesel Laptops , the leading heavy duty diagnostics & repair company in the US. In the heavy duty space, it's all about the right part at the right time for the right price. No one does it better than the team at Diesel Laptops. From fault code to part identification & everything in-between, Tyler & his team are reshaping the heavy duty service industry. This program is brought to you by DAT Freight &...
Dec 23, 2024•48 min•Ep. 87
In this installment, we welcome back friend of the show, Shannon Breen , of FreightVana fame to give us a rundown of the latest news coming out of his organization. Last week, it was announced that FreightVana would acquire the brokerage of Loadsmith . We talk freight. We talk trailers. And we talk 2025. Get ready! This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics . Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking...
Dec 11, 2024•34 min•Ep. 86
Once again we welcome back friend of the show, Brandon Wiseman , to do a deep dive on the latest regulations from the FMCSA. From clearinghouse to broker transparency, seed regulators to autonomous trucks, this is the information that sets the stage for 2025. This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics . Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most truste...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 85
Freight visibility platform, FourKites, Inc., did not see this one coming . A couple months ago, I covered the most important corporate defamation case in the US: project44 v FourKites, Inc. Back in March, we had a ruling. In the end, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that, “… a corporation has a distinct reputation from that of its management- level employees and an interest in protecting that reputation among its employees and the public at large.” Today we have a settlement. TLDR: project44 wo...
Dec 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 84
I love trailers. You love trailers. We all love trailers! And this episode, I am joined by Craig Barth , Chief Financial Officer of Premier Trailer Leasing , one of the largest & most agile trailer leasing companies in the United States. With over 60,000 trailers in their fleet, you know we are going to talk trailers. Rent vs buy? Full service vs net leasing? Refrigeration vs dry van? If you love trailers, and I know you do, check out our full conversation! This program is brought to you by ...
Nov 25, 2024•28 min•Ep. 83
The Metamorphosis (1915) by Franz Kafka is a surreal novella that follows the story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect. As Gregor grapples with his new horrifying form, he is shunned by his family and isolated in his room. The narrative explores themes of alienation, identity, and the dehumanizing effects of modern life, as Gregor's metamorphosis serves as a metaphor for his declining sense of self-worth and his family's...
Nov 11, 2024•52 min
In this installment of Fleeting Conversations, we welcome back friends of the show, Ken Adamo , Chief of Analytics at DAT Freight & Analytics , as well as Jason Miller , Interim Chairperson for the Department of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business and the Eli Broad Endowed Professor of Supply Chain Management. Have we entered a new freight cycle? What will Americans find in their stockings this year? We ask some of the brightest minds in freig...
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 81
Over the past decade, Alex Mai has transformed the media landscape with unparalleled content geared towards truckers & transportation enthusiasts. As the Founder & CEO of Mutha Trucker News , Alex has built one of the most recognized brands in the business. And with over 586,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, there is not doubt why. Suffice it to say, I need to talk with this mutha trucker! What do we make of the driver shortage or lack there of? A new study commissioned by the Fede...
Nov 01, 2024•57 min•Ep. 80
Without a doubt the Forward Air & Omni merger was the most interesting merger I have followed. Here's the TL;DR: Publicly-traded trucking company tries to acquire PE-backed freight forwarder. Deal is structured to circumvent a shareholder vote of the public trucking company. Deal is announced & shareholders of public trucking company sue to enjoin, demanding a vote. Injunction gets removed because the deal was [checks notes] structured to circumvent that same vote. Public company faces b...
Oct 21, 2024•18 min•Ep. 79
The International Longshoremen's Association & United States Maritime Alliance announced they reached a tentative deal Thursday night. The tentative agreement is for a wage increase of around 62% over six years & extend the master contract until January 15, 2025. The parties will continue to negotiate the outstanding issues. The outstanding issues you may ask? Autotomation. And to dig into this more, we welcome Captain John Konrad to help explain what this means for global supply chains...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 78
You have 103 days to get your affairs in order. 103 Days. The International Longshoremen's Association & United States Maritime Alliance announced they reached a tentative deal Thursday night. The tentative agreement is for a wage increase of around 62% over six years & extend the master contract until January 15, 2025. The parties will continue to negotiate the outstanding issues. We've been here before. April 26, 1956 began the era of containerization. Back then, longshoremen hand-loa...
Oct 04, 2024•4 min•Ep. 77
In our latest installment of Fleeting Conversations, we welcome Salvatore Mercogliano, PhD to the program. The topic, the next supply chain crisis. The United States Maritime Alliance & the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) are at an impasse over wages & automation. Set to expire on September 30, 2024, the current labor contract covers 45,000 dockworkers. With a coast-wide strike across 36 U.S. ports appearing increasingly likely & the Biden administration signaling it w...
Sep 27, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 76
Safely delivering freight on time & undamaged is difficult even under the best of circumstances. And while professional driving is among the most common jobs in the US, it remains among the most dangerous. But it's getting harder. Much harder. Everyday we see news of nuclear verdicts. These verdicts are among the largest concerns for truckers & motor carriers. They impact everyone: from shippers to brokers to motor carriers to consumers. While not a legal term, nuclear verdicts generally...
Sep 16, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 75
In our latest installment of Fleeting Conversations , we are joined by Charlie Saffro , Founder & CEO of CS Recruiting , the leading supply chain & logistics recruiting company in the US. Through her leadership, Charlie & her team have built one of the most important Woman-Owned search firms that specializes in the Logistics, Transportation, and Supply Chain industry. We discuss Charlie's recent TedX talk & what is going on in the current labor market. This program is brought to ...
Sep 03, 2024•58 min•Ep. 74
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American writer, poet, and literary critic, whose macabre and gothic tales left an indelible mark on American literature. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Poe faced a tumultuous early life marked by the death of his parents and a strained relationship with his foster family. Despite these challenges, he pursued a career in writing, quickly gaining a reputation for his dark and imaginative works. Poe's mastery of the short story is evident in classics such as "The...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 73
In Episode 72 of Fleeting Conversations, we welcome Sam Martinez , VP of Modern 4PL Strategy at Redwood Logics , Transport Topics' 45th largest logistics company . With 15 years of supply chain experience, Sam is a passionate advocate for leveraging technology to automate & eliminate supply chain bottlenecks through increased data visibility & an open ecosystem approach to integration. Redwood Logistics is a multimodal freight brokerage & logistics provider with services including tr...
Aug 19, 2024•55 min•Ep. 72
