Turning Chaos into Clarity:Drayage Innovation with Tyler Sellers

On this episode of Kev Talks: Real World Global Logistics, co-hosts Kevin Parkerson and Kevin Higgins sit down with Tyler Sellers, founder and CEO of Qualle and DrayRates.ai, to talk about real-world inefficiencies in drayage—and how smart tech and bold execution are finally solving them.

From his early days as an actor (including a cameo with Kevin Costner in McFarland, USA) to leading two of the most forward-thinking logistics platforms in North America, Tyler shares what it takes to turn friction into opportunity in one of the supply chain’s messiest sectors.

 Qualle: A Smarter Way to Reuse Containers

Street turns—reusing an import container for an export load, save time, money, and miles. But they’ve historically been too manual, too messy, and too rare.

Qualle solves that. Launched in 2022, the platform:

1. Connects truckers, carriers, exporters, and importers in one ecosystem

2. Automates container reuse approvals via API with ocean carriers like Maersk and COSCO

3. Helps reduce congestion, improve margins, and streamline asset management

4. Now partners with over 2,000 carriers and integrates with major TMS, YMS, and WMS systems

“The process is complex, but we’re making it simpler, one integration at a time.” - Tyler Sellers

 DrayRates.ai: Real-Time Pricing for an Unpredictable Market

In 2025, Tyler launched DrayRates.ai, a dynamic pricing tool that replaces guesswork with AI-driven clarity.

DrayRates:

1. Delivers instant spot and contract quotes

2. Helps brokers avoid rate farming and preserve trucker goodwill

3. Tracks rate volatility by stitching together live data from ports, terminals, vessel schedules, and more

4. Allows users to see why a rate is changing—not just that it is

“We want to build a real spot market for drayage—something the industry’s never had.” - Tyler Sellers

 Why Drayage is Broken and Worth Fixing

Drayage is full of problems most shippers avoid thinking about:

1. Terminal congestion

2. Chassis pool mismatches

3. Manual quotes that waste time and strain relationships

4. Outdated, static pricing in a volatile market

Tyler breaks down how these inefficiencies hurt productivity and why his platforms are built to address them at scale, with real results.

“If GPA’s turn times go from 41 minutes to 62, your rate should reflect that. We’re giving people the data to justify it.” - Tyler Sellers

 Startup Wisdom from the Trenches

Tyler doesn’t sugarcoat the startup life:

1. Hardest lesson? Patience. Logistics and enterprise software don’t move fast.

2. Most useful mindset? Ride the highs and lows—don’t get stuck in either.

3. Best advice? Just send it. Don’t wait for perfect. Launch, learn, iterate.

“Every failure is a rocket launch. Fire it, learn something, adjust. Just like Elon.” - Tyler Sellers

 The Future: Tech That Plays Nice

Tyler sees an opportunity to open up a historically siloed drayage tech environment. His goal? Make DrayRates accessible anywhere:

1. Inside your TMS? ✅

2. Embedded in your CRM? ✅

3. On your quoting tools or website? ✅

Unlike the truckload space, where tech integrations are common, drayage platforms tend to operate in isolation. Tyler wants to change that.

“We’re ready to partner. Wherever you need DrayRates to live-we’ll meet you there.” - Tyler Sellers

 Connect with Tyler Sellers

Want to learn more about smart drayage solutions?

1. 🌐 Street turns & container reuse: Qualle.co

2. 🌐 Real-time drayage pricing: DrayRates.ai

3. 💬 LinkedIn: DM Tyler- he’s online “30 hours a day” and will respond

 

 Essential listening for:

BCOs, brokers, truckers, freight forwarders, and anyone ready to modernize the most complex and overlooked part of the intermodal supply chain