Driving Forward Podcast

Join Nate Johnson along with Dale Prax and Danielle Spinelli as they cover the very real (and very messy) world of cybercrime, cargo theft, and freight fraud — how it all connects, and the big question everyone’s wondering: Are we actually getting better at stopping it? In this episode:• Why fraud and cargo theft are bigger than just lost dollars• How fake carriers, identity fraud, and double brokering really happen• What the data ...

Manifest has quickly become a place where business gets done in the supply chain, not just ideas and not just panels. In this conversation, Nate Johnson and Robert Bain are joined by Katie Date, Senior Vice President of Industry Relations & Strategic Initiatives at Manifest, to break down what’s driving that momentum.Katie pulls back the curtain on how Manifest has evolved into a true end-to-end supply chain event, bringing tog...

Trucking doesn’t just move freight. It changes lives.But only when someone is given a real chance to get behind the wheel. In this live episode of Driving Forward, host Nate Johnson is joined by leaders from the South Dallas Driving Academy, Chris Petersen, CTP and Von Minor, along with professional truck driver Germany Williams. Germany grew up in South Dallas, where the world often felt small and opportunities were limited. A sin...

Real conversations don’t wait for perfect timing. They happen wherever truckers are. This special New Year's Day episode of Driving Forward is a collection of real conversations, captured where trucking actually happens. From the Mid-America Trucking Show… to the Trucker’s Jamboree at the I-80 Truck Stop… to a driver sitting in his truck at a manufacturer’s warehouse in Chicago waiting to deliver a load. These moments weren’t ...

This episode originally aired earlier this year, and we’re bringing it back on December 25 because the message still matters. Julie Andrich, CEO of Autumn Transport, didn’t step into leadership by title — she earned it. Starting as a dispatch assistant, she worked her way through nearly every role in the company before leading a 100% owner-operator fleet built on trust, accountability, and real relationships. Nate Johnson sat down ...

2025 was a year that shook the industry: freight recession pressures, fleet shutdowns, bankruptcies, M&A waves, tougher FMCSA scrutiny, a spike in freight fraud, and tech reshaping every corner of operations. In this rapid-fire roundtable, host Nate Johnson teams up with GLCS leaders Susan Mayo, Michael Demers, Robert Bain, and Ed Streeter to break down the stories that defined the year… and the signals pointing to what’s comin...

The average life expectancy of a truck driver is just 61 years.That’s not a number.That’s a warning.Maybe you’ve heard this statistic. Maybe you haven’t.But the real question is, what are you doing to change it?Jeremy Reymer and Dr. Mark Manera are working to change it through Project 61 — a movement and non-profit dedicated to giving drivers longer, healthier lives by reshaping how the industry approaches wellness, lifestyle, and ...

In this episode of Driving Forward, I sit down with my friend Charley Dehoney to talk about what it really looks like to build in this industry when the stakes are personal. We get into buying and scaling a legacy brokerage, feeling the pressure of payroll, and carrying the weight of knowing other people’s families are tied to your decisions. We talk about growing up in logistics, trying to be a present husband and dad while still ...

In this episode of Driving Forward, Chris DeMillo of Leonard’s Express and host Nate Johnson, fresh off their panel at the Trimble Insight User Conference in New Orleans, break down one of the toughest challenges in transportation technology: getting executive buy-in.Nate and Chris revisit their session, “Selling the Vision: Communicating Tech ROI to Win Executive Buy-In,” and expand on how transportation leaders can move beyond fe...

Trucking stands at a crossroads with shifting markets, tightening regulations, and new technology redefining how freight moves. ATRI’s newly released Top 10 Industry Issues for 2025 lays out the biggest challenges facing trucking leaders, and this episode of Driving Forward tackles them head on. Host Nate Johnson sits down with three powerhouse voices from the field, Pamela Polyak Polyak (Owner, Polyak Trucking, Logistics & Con...

This week on Driving Forward, we’re honoring our nation’s heroes ahead of Veterans Day with Wreaths Across America - a year-round mission to Remember. Honor. Teach.Guests: • Courtney George, WAA Director of Transportation & Industry Relations • Graig Morin, WAA Board Member & President of Brown Dog Carriers & LogisticsTopics include: 🔷 The upcoming Dec 13th Wreaths Across America Day and its nationwide impact 🔷 How to...

Every logistics team trains. The best ones turn that training into results.

This Halloween, join Nate Johnson, CEO of GLCS, for a special Friday episode of Driving Forward featuring Dr. Gina Anderson, CEO of Luma Brighter Learning, a 3-time Inc. 5000 honoree and leading expert in learning science for the supply chain.

Together, they dig into how real learning happens and why it’s the backbone of today’s most successful logist...

Freight fraud is evolving fast and so are the ways to stop it.Join host Nate Johnson for a live Driving Forward panel with:

• Dale Prax : Founder, FreightValidate
• Steve Vest: Owner, Nationwide Equipment Transportation Inc.
• Pop-in: Special Guests

• The newest freight-fraud patterns & data
• Practical advice to prevent cargo theft at the dock, on the road, and in your back office
• How to harden your operation against cargo theft ...

We’re back for Take 2! Last time, the conversation was too good to let internet issues get in the way so we’re bringing back Melanie Patterson, Founder & Managing Director of Integrity Global Logistics and Team Integrity Knowledge Center, for a fresh round on Driving Forward.Melanie has built her business by winning and delivering on government contracts and teaching others how to do the same. Government contracts can be a powe...

Kristy Knichel, second-generation CEO of Knichel Logistics, Inc., returns to Driving Forward for a timely conversation with host Nate Johnson on the challenges and opportunities shaping freight today.They’ll cover:

🔷 Freight fraud: Red flags and how brokers & carriers can protect themselves.🔷 Recession lessons: how Knichel Logistics is navigating the downcycle and how a focus on fundamentals is helping them thrive.🔷 Tech bets...

• Proposed Hours of Service (HOS) changes and what they could mean for drivers
• The push for more transparency across brokers, carriers, and shippers
• Market challenges and ho...

We made it to 100! 🚛🎙️On September 18th, join us for a special episode of Driving Forward as we celebrate this milestone. Nate Johnson and Robert Bain will be co-hosting, and a few of our past guests will be stopping by to join the conversation.We’ll be talking about:🔷 What’s on everyone’s mind in freight today🔷 Stories and moments from the first 100 episodes🔷 Some laughs, a few surprises, and a look back at favorite memoriesA...

Trucking is never steady. Markets rise and fall, freight rates shift, and regulations change. For small and mid-sized fleets, the challenge is building a business that can grow while staying steady through the volatility.Nate Johnson talks with Perry Olson, CEO/Owner of Fortune Transportation, about how a family-owned fleet scaled “one truck and a dream” while keeping its drivers, customers, and culture strong.They’ll discuss:🔷 Sm...

As AI takes a bigger role in freight, how do brokers and carriers keep trust front and center? Todd Waldron, VP of Carrier Experience at Truckstop, joins Driving Forward host Nate Johnson into a candid look into where technology helps and where relationships still win. With nearly 20 years in trucking, including leading Q Carriers as CEO, Todd now guides carrier strategy and innovation at Truckstop. Together they cover ✅ AI in Frei...