Driving Forward Podcast

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...

What does it take to run a truck that averages 10 MPG when most hit 6.5? Jamie Hagen, owner of Hell Bent Xpress, joins Nate on Driving Forward to share how he built a South Dakota fleet known for its all-Mack lineup, impressive fuel efficiency, and driver-first culture. Jamie’s trucking story started early riding with his dad at 3, getting his CDL at 18, and buying his first truck at 21. Today, he runs a growing fleet that’s “hellb...

The freight market is full of challenges right now—but with the right marketing strategy, carriers, brokers, and freight tech companies can steady the ride and set themselves apart.In this episode of Driving Forward, host Nate Johnson sits down with Whitney Cowell and Jennie Malafarina of Virago Marketing to talk about how smarter marketing can fuel growth, even in a tough season for trucking and logistics.Together, they dig into:

When the freight slows and the pressure mounts, how do you keep moving forward?In this episode of Driving Forward, host Nate Johnson sits down with Nick Klingensmith - four-time cancer survivor, Type 1 diabetic, recovering alcoholic, and former logistics executive with 20+ years leading high-performing sales teams in transportation and supply chain.Nick’s story is one of grit, ownership, and refusing to live as a victim. From survi...

“This industry is in my blood.” That’s how Steve Vest, owner of Nationwide Equipment Transportation (@ntwdequiptrans), describes his journey in freight. Raised by truck drivers and introduced to the business side of logistics in college, Steve has spent his career learning the industry from the inside out.Today, he’s not just running a successful brokerage, he’s leading the charge for more transparency in a system plagued by double...

In a market this brutal, survival isn’t guaranteed. But the smartest fleets are already planning for the rebound.At the MTA Annual Conference, we heard firsthand how carriers are adapting, investing, and leading through uncertainty and we’re breaking it all down in this episode.In this episode, Nate Johnson is joined by GLCS’ Susan Mayo and Pete Mata for a boots-on-the-ground recap of the MTA Annual Conference in Alexandria, MN.🎙️...

When the freight market won’t let up, you listen to the folks who’ve lived it. Nate Johnson sits down with Kyle Kottke, General Manager and third-generation co-owner of Kottke Trucking, for a real, unscripted conversation between two industry veterans who’ve seen it all.Kyle stepped into leadership at just 18 and has spent decades helping steer his family’s nearly 90-year-old company through shifting markets, economic pressure, and...

On this July 17 episode of Driving Forward, Nate Johnson sits down with one of LTL’s original tech pioneers: Lance Healy, Co-Founder & CEO of Freight Facts and the mind behind some of the most transformative innovations in freight.From launching Banyan Technology in the early 2000s (pioneering API connections to LTL carriers) to holding a U.S. patent on LTL dynamic pricing, Lance has spent his career pushing the industry forwar...

Join Nate Johnson and Robert Bain (aka the strongest man in logistics) for a special Driving Forward broadcast straight from the heart of the Truckers Jamboree at Iowa 80 in Walcott, IA.This isn’t your average podcast, we’re going live from the FR8MVMT booth, surrounded by chrome, diesel, and some of the hardest-working people in America.Tune in as we talk:

• What makes the Truckers Jamboree a must-see

• The sights, sounds, ...

Rates aren’t going up. Costs are. That means your tech strategy can’t wait.In this episode of Driving Forward, Nate Johnson, Robert Bain, Jennie Malafarina (Virago Marketing), and Lexi Farris (Upwell) break down how freight leaders are responding and why those who delay tech adoption are falling behind.We cover:👉 Culture change vs. tech adoption👉 How to do more with less (without burning out your team)👉 AI hype vs. real ROI👉 Wh...

She’s back! With a new role and the same bold energy. June 19th, we’re joined on Driving Forward by Grace Sharkey, now stepping into her new role as Sr Manager of Communications & PR at Orderful. From journalism to SiriusXM to shaking up supply chain tech, Grace talks career pivots, storytelling in freight, and what’s next for one of logistics' most recognizable voices. And yes, Nate Johnson is back in the host seat after a...

In this follow-up episode with James "Artie" Crawford and Benjamin Wilkens of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA), we continue the conversation with a sharper focus on real-world responses and actionable strategies that are shaping the industry's defense. After uncovering the scope of the threat in Part 1 (Billions lost to fraud, identity theft, and hijacked freight), we’re back for a deeper l...

Cargo theft and cybersecurity breaches are no longer isolated incidents—they’re a growing epidemic in freight.Join us LIVE for a high-stakes episode of Driving Forward with guest experts James "Artie" Crawford and Benjamin Wilkens from the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA).Hosted by GLCS's Robert Bain (Strongest Man in Logistics), this episode pulls back the curtain on the evolving threats facin...

GLCS’ Robert Bain, aka The Strongest Man in Logistics, grabs the mic for this week’s Driving Forward while Nate Johnson takes a short break. Joining him is Jennifer Karpus-Romain, Executive Director of the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), the only nonprofit dedicated to helping sales and marketing pros in transportation thrive. TMSA isn’t just active, it’s historic: celebrating 100 years in 2024, it’s one of...

Sharm Chelliah, Sales Director at Greenscreens.ai, is flipping the script and stepping into the interviewer’s chair—putting Nate Johnson, host of Driving Forward, on the receiving end of the questions. With 15+ years in tech, data, and logistics, Sharm brings a unique lens shaped by roles at MicroStrategy, Flexport, and Project44. He’s helped giants like Coca-Cola and Home Depot make smarter decisions with data—and worked hands-on ...

Pamela Polyak was born into trucking. But she didn’t inherit her leadership. She earned it. In this raw, revealing episode of Driving Forward, we sit down with the third-generation CEO of Polyak Trucking to unpack what it really takes to lead in one of the toughest industries on the planet. From growing up in the family business to building her own freight empire, Pamela shares the moments that defined her, from earning respect in ...

Julie Andrich didn’t set out to become a CEO but nearly three decades after starting as a dispatch assistant at her family’s trucking company, she’s leading Autumn Transport with grit, grace, and a deep commitment to the values that built it.Join us LIVE on Driving Forward as host Nate Johnson talks with Julie to talk about growing a freight business through integrity, service, leadership, and family—and what it really looks like w...