Speaker 1: 0:06

An episode of that's Delivered, the podcast where we highlight all things trucking and incredible people that are shaping the industry. I'm your host, Trucking Ray, and today we have a great conversation lined up. Joining me today is Jared Flynn, the co-founder of Bulk Loads, the host of Bulk Loads podcast as well. Jared has played a huge role in the bulk freight sector, connecting carriers, shippers and brokers through Bulk Loads, making it easier to do business. Not only does he have the industry inside and out, but he also has built a strong trucking community, so we're going to talk about his journey, the bulk freight industry and some of the great stories on the road and, of course, his podcast. Welcome to the show, Jared. How are you doing today?

Speaker 2: 0:56

Great Thanks for having me, ray, appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 0:58

Yeah, man, I know you put on a great show and I'm so glad you're able to come on this one here to lighten things up for the audience here, to give them something different. So I know you bring a lot to the industry. So tell us a little about yourself. What got you interested in trucking and the podcast? How'd you get this all going for yourself?

Speaker 2: 1:17

Yeah, well, I'll just kind of share my story. I think most people love to hear stories more than preaching and everything else. But my story grew up in a small farming community in Eastern Missouri and I grew up on a 240-acre farm. So I grew up around machinery, tractors, heavy-duty equipment since I was a kid so I knew how to operate that and just like any I think probably any small kid not just farm kid, but just man love big rigs and machinery and tractors and all that. So I always had a fascination for that and really an appreciation for truckers.

Speaker 2: 1:51

My journey was I went to, went to school in University of Missouri and then after that went to go work in the grain industry and I was I was in a farming background, didn't dabble in grain until I started working with this company but really realized how central trucking was but more importantly, really how fragmented trucking was. So I guess you know, before even working with this company, I you know, yeah, I'd see the big name companies going down the road the Swifts, the Snyders, jb Hunts and all that. But it wasn't until I really started working with this company realized that, like those big companies are just a small percentage of the overall truckers on the road and the overall poor hire truckers, that the majority of the trucking industry is made up of the five or less trucking operations you know what we call the owner operators. And that's where I just really started diving deeper in to realize how much or how essential these guys were, but even the needs that these companies had. So that's really kind of what led my journey to really kind of start bulk loads and kind of the series of companies that we've had since then and I can dive into each one of those. But yeah, that's where I just really saw that you know I was working with this company A lot of people they at that time in the early 2000s, the company I was working for, you know, when I was working with this company, a lot of people they at that time, in the early 2000s, the company I was working for, you know trucking was just a commodity.

Speaker 2: 3:13

It's like, hey, find me a truck here, find me this. And like it wasn't about building relationships and really getting to know these companies and people you're doing business with. I just got to think, man, this is, these are companies that we rely on so heavily. Why not foster better relationships with them, find out the needs, lift them up and have a business partner for life?

Speaker 1: 3:31

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the relationships we can build in this industry is monumental. I mean it's going to not only just be good for you as an individual, but also for so many others as well. Now, just kind of touch bases on maybe there's a first experience in the trucking industry that you remember. What was it like? Do you have a moment that you can reflect back on?

Speaker 2: 3:52

Yeah well, so my first time so I actually I saw have a Class A CDL. I drove, I got my Class A during college, my summer jobs. I worked for a construction company that we had to move heavy machinery, so backhoes and dozers and stuff like that.

Speaker 2: 4:08

So I got my Class A CEL and actually my first experience after I got my Class A, the boss of the company told me he was like I need to go pick up this backhoe and it was 100 miles away. I'm like, okay, you'll be getting the truck. And it was a little low boy, flatbed, and I remember that day driving by myself, uh, I mean it was all I mean across the state of missouri, uh, to pick that up, so that was my very first real I guess real life reflection of trucking, actually going up there, going through the scale houses, witnessing all that and just really understanding, like the ins and outs of trucking and you know your audience

Speaker 2: 4:46

are made of truckers. So I'm just saying this, but like it's a lot more complicated than what the media and people think it is, it's not just driving up and down the highway but the pre-trip, making sure your load's fastened, you know your gauges, your surroundings I mean you just go through the list. But that was my first taste of it. But I say, when I worked at this grain company, bartlett Grain, that was my first glimpse of really the operational piece as far as making money. The company I worked with it was a construction company that we were moving equipment for. That Working with a grain company was when I really realized what it really takes to run a truck the cost involved, the rates, figuring out the rates, what these guys have to have per mile, the deadhead, you know the, you know the evil word backhaul. I mean just all those things that really go into trucking.

Speaker 2: 5:36

Um, and that's where I just I honestly, yeah, I just found I fell in love with it. I felt like nobody liked it. It wasn't. People didn't think it was sexy. So I was like man, I'm gonna make it sexy by by really taking it and showcasing it a lot more than what it is. So, and I think over the last 15 years. Obviously freight tech has gotten very involved, so trucking has become larger on the spotlight, I think just with more freight tech.

Speaker 1: 5:58

But for a long time, man, you mentioned you're in trucking and it was almost kind of an evil word, you know, hey, yeah, so that's uh, yeah, that's definitely a good journey and I think, man, that really helped shape and mold you into who you are today. I mean, those are some good experiences that you can reflect back on. Thanks for sharing that. Man so for you, spent years in the industry. What is something about trucking that you didn't fully understand when you started, but now it just seems obvious? I know there's some areas that maybe get better over time. What would you say?

Speaker 2: 6:34

Oh man, where do I start? On that? I think one of the things I guess I didn't realize until even I would say even over the last five or six years I've been in trucking the companies that I see that are very successful in trucking are the companies that know how to weather the storms, but honestly, it's the companies that I think that diversify themselves. I think if you put all your eggs in one basket, man, you can be set up for disaster and that's in any business. But the companies that I've really, you know, over the last 15 years I've been super blessed. You know our bulk loads platform, our marketplace. We now serve over 7000 companies across, you know, across the country. So you get to see these similarities of what makes a successful company and what doesn't. So I'll just say what's been eye-opening to me, and I'll go back to this, is how the companies are super successful. They're very diverse.

Speaker 2: 7:35

I have the same this year, or I guess I coined it last year, but I was, like you know, thinking outside the box. I have this coin, thinking outside the bulk, like what else can you be doing besides just bulk hauling? And the company that I see not all of them, but the ones I see are successful. They have other parts of the business that when the bulk's down they can help support it. You know, for example, some of these companies, they own truck and trailer washouts so they can wash trailers and other trailers, not just their own. They have, you know, commodity trading businesses where they actually can buy and sell some of the commodities that they're hauling, like the rocks and stones and aggregates, some of them grain commodities. Some of these other companies they have a brokerage.

Speaker 2: 8:14

Obviously that's bolted on where they can actually, you know, broker those. So I can go down the list, but that's where I've really seen seen and to be successful in the trucking industry not all trucking, but the guys that I see, the companies that stand the test of time.

Speaker 2: 8:30

They're the ones that keep thinking creatively, keep thinking how else they can diversify to weather the storms and make them or make themselves successful. And I think, selfishly, it's kind of. What we've done is at bulk loads. You know, we started out as a load board, helping just help truckers find loads, but today 2025, we now run six different business units. We're not just doing load board, but we also do factoring. We also do insurance. We're also doing compliance and permitting. We have a TMS software. We're looking to get into financing truck and trailer.

Speaker 2: 9:03

So, again, I don't say this because it's like it's this isn't about. You know, what else can we do to make money? It's like, hey, what else can we do to serve this industry and really diversify? You know, we know that all of these are pain points that a lot of our small businesses have. So why not figure out how to help them at those pain points? I really have this thought If you know how to serve someone and serve them well and solve their pain, the rewards will come later. You know we always have this like serve first, the financial gain or gains will come later.

Speaker 1: 9:33

Man, I like that Perfect, perfectly said, you know, because that's what the business is. It's not just for what can I get out of it, but also what can you do for other people, and that way they see that you're in it for the long haul. I mean just just saying that in itself is a means a lot. I mean you can do a lot of things but yet end up doing a lot of harm. So when you put forth that good service goes a long ways, man, you know, you know that firsthand. So, uh, man, so, thinking that you're looking at the industry and all those lessons you've learned throughout your career, have there been any mentors or people that have helped influence you along the way, along your journey?

Speaker 2: 10:14

Yeah, there's been several and I've mentioned these pretty recently. But I'll start back at the beginning and I'll kind of briefly touch on these. But you know, I I never acknowledged until later on in life but how much of my dad was a mentor of mine. You know, growing up on the farm. A lot of kids don't get to witness this. But man, I got to work right beside my dad on the farm so I got to see his behavior, how he worked, his hard work ethic.

Speaker 2: 10:42

We worked out at a sawmill so I mean it was running, you know, rolling logs and making pallets and railroad ties. But I got to see how he worked and how he conducted business with employees, the people we hired, how he conducted business with the customers. And I look back and it's like you know, a lot of kids today really don't get a taste of that from their father. Seeing that so huge role model in my dad always had a sense of humor from their father. Seeing that so huge role model. Mind, my dad always had a sense of humor with work. We knew that farm work was gut-wrenchingly hard and tough, but he always wasn't. He always made it fun and in weird ways. Um, so it was always. I think today I've become I like to think a little bit of a comedian.

Speaker 2: 11:20

My wife doesn't think so, but but yeah, my dad was one of the first big mentors of mine In school I had. I was an FFA. I had an ag teacher that was a big mentor of mine. He's the one that really gave me the push to further my education, which I want to be here today, and so a lot of credit to him to really leaving small town America and going to get my college degree.

Speaker 2: 11:47

And last I'll probably camp out on this more my father-in-law was a tremendous businessman and when I married my wife and got to know him really well, he actually was in retail business. He worked for Walmart for years and he was in the corporate office. So he worked right underneath probably one of the best businessmen of all time, sam Walton. So he got to see, you know how Sam Walton conducted business and gain that wisdom. And just after I married my wife and started bulk loads, he was the guy there every day instilling that business wisdom to me you know, at the time, you know, he, he and he was very proactive, like we talk every day.

Speaker 2: 12:26

But he was always asking me you know, how are you? You know how you're serving your clients, what's the value of a membership? What do you know lifelong value of a customer? But he kept telling me all these really samism stuff that he'd got. And again you're listening like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was years ago, it doesn't apply. Well, my father, he passed away a couple of years ago. I'm I keep thinking about this. All this wisdom that he passed on. He was spot on. I mean these things that he kept telling me over and over and over drilling in my head. I look back now and I'm like, golly, that dude was right about all of these.

Speaker 2: 12:56

So a lot of I owe a lot of credit to him, to where I am today with the business. He just gave me, I guess, the faith to know that I had what it took to succeed in business. I guess for you know, for lack of a better term, I'm pretty self-conscious when it comes to things. I, you know, I just second guess myself and have self-doubts. I think he was the one that just really instilled me and I think you know you can do this just like everybody else out there. You're just going to have the right coaching and have the right tools and perseverance and you can go through the list. So yeah, I'll say he was by far one of my biggest mentors to where I am today Nice.

Speaker 1: 13:38

I mean man, those, those business wisdom, two guys that meant a lot to you and they, they cared about you as an individual Dads. I mean that's amazing. You know the industry needs that. Customer service, too, is so important. People think it's undervalued, it's not really necessary. You go into some places and it's like, wow, what's going on here? Does anybody want to be here? So, man, seeing that come through in you, I mean that's that's going to be great for your job, for your career, for your family, for the whole, the whole circle, people that are around you supporting you.

Speaker 2: 14:20

So I champion you, Keep going, Keep doing it. I'll also say I think it's you mentioned it today we can be caught up in the freight or, excuse me, in the tech world with AI and automation and everything, but I think the companies that still conduct good, old-fashioned customer service, the ones that you can still pick up the phone and talk to, the ones that respond, the ones that go above and beyond, those are the companies that are going to stick out. You don't have to have the best product out there, the best service out there, but if people know I mean again, they pick up the phone and talk to you or they know that you have the best interest, I think, man by far, you will stand this test of time.

Speaker 1: 15:02

You will stand this test of time.

Speaker 2: 15:04

I think it's overlooked. Too many people think that you got to have whatever the greatest, latest, shiniest, futuristic, you know, ease app, blah, blah, blah and again. All that stuff is good and all those can help support it. But, dude, people have to know your heart and people have to know where you stand, what your goal really is, and people can see through if they're getting taken advantage of, if you're using them just as a transaction or if you're really genuinely helping them because you have the best interest.

Speaker 1: 15:31

Yeah, if you're not doing that today, you can learn it and pick it up and, uh, make those changes so and keep spreading that good message.

Speaker 2: 15:40

That's great um yeah thing, ray and I don't mean to keep cutting you off, nice, I was just this last week. I think it's easier than what people think it is. They're always thinking, well, how can I do this? It really starts with small gestures. Man, you're at the truck stop, open the door for someone. Dude again. I know everybody's on a budget and you've got to watch Dude, buy the dude. Whoever's behind you in line, just buy whatever they got.

Speaker 2: 16:08

It's just those small things that build up and you don't realize those little seeds. You plant the impact, the positive impact that you will have on others out there. But again, I think we overlook and we think, well, I've got to have some big presentation or I've got to create this strategy. It's like no dude, it's like, well, I got to have some big presentation or I got to create this strategy. It's like no dude, it's just those simple little things, just like dude, what are you going to do today to help somebody out? You know out there, wherever you are in the world, whether you're out there in the truck, whether you're in an office, you know whether you're at home. There's just little things you can do, those simple acts of kindness that I guarantee will pay dividends in the future.

Speaker 1: 16:44

Yeah, that's a lot of reason why I started the podcast. You know, you, you, you can help so many people. You know, just small acts of kindness and being genuine, not being fake, just being being true to who you are. So, man, I like that man. Keep going. Yeah, that's awesome. So I went over to the story of bulk loads. Um, and there's so much to go there. I mean, you got to create that thing and you got to market it. You know, like marketing, letting people know that it's out there, some people just don't even know it's there. I mean, that's, that's a huge part too. So what, uh, what led you to create bulk loads?

Speaker 2: 17:23

yeah, so, as I said, I was working for the screen company bartlett grain started there in 2005 and in 2008, this little device that we all carry in our pockets, called the smartphone came out. The iphone came out 2008 and again it wasn't like snap your fingers and all these apps came out, but you could just start to see that the Internet and smartphones were going to revolutionize a lot of processes, and it was early on that we saw that. Hey, we know that apps and text messaging and all that can play a critical role in helping truckers find loads, and that's really where the brainchild of the Bull Clubs was, and I have another co-founder, matt, for me that helped. But yeah, we started it in 2011 to just to be a marketplace where truckers could find loads or whatever, and find loads. Or you can get on one marketplace and kind of pick and choose and, as you keep going, you can create a marketplace where you can kind of set your parameters, set your load alerts, where you're looking for, and really let the work come to you.

Speaker 2: 18:37

I've always just thought, man, how can you keep automating these processes where truckers don't have to spend endless hours making phone calls searching where these loads can come to them and that's really what started Bulk Loads. From the very beginning, myself and Matt 2011, started in my basement. Matt was kind of the creator, the visual architect of it. I brought kind of the knowledge and industry to it and, yeah, that's really really kind of how it pioneered.

Speaker 1: 18:59

Yeah, that's awesome, awesome, great work. What was the earlier process like for building bulk loads? You know what was some of the biggest struggles that you had, or challenges you had to do to get it off the ground competitors, ours in the space, and some that were even in the space longer than us.

Speaker 2: 19:22

So one of our biggest challenges was really getting out there in front of people and having a platform, another platform for them to use. The problem I had was oh, at that time, you know, we're in a kind of niche industry. Well, a lot of people didn't want to change. There was no need for them to switch over to us and use others. So for us it was really for me from the sales and marketing side, it was getting on the phone calling trucking companies every day, calling shipping companies, calling brokerages.

Speaker 2: 19:52

Back in the day, linkedin, from a shipping standpoint, was probably my best resource and it's used a lot more today. But that's where I really got on and started Googling who's the shipping manager, googling you know who's the shipping manager at this company or who's the logistics guy at this company, and reaching out and being like, hey, can we help you with your loads? And you know the freight industry, it's never equal. You know it's either too many loads, not enough trucks, too many trucks, not enough loads. So it's always you're just trying to figure out where the market is and then who to target.

Speaker 2: 20:21

So you, you know, if you're in a market where trucks are really tight, you want to go after and start targeting the shippers because the shippers they're having trouble finding trucks. So that's, I just knew at those times to be sending messages, calling the shippers but say there was, you know, not enough loads, a lot of trucks out there. Well then you're calling more trucks out there because you know that those guys look at the load. So really it was just this. You know we call it kind of chicken, the egg back and forth kind of stacked until we got, you know, the marketplace established and it took a good three to four years before we really kind of noticed that we had traction going.

Speaker 2: 20:55

You know, people were posting loads organically, trucks were getting on there organically and but yeah, I would say the challenge was really just having people.

Speaker 2: 21:03

I said, you know, I said earlier people that would say the challenge was really just having people. I said, you know, I said earlier people that would get on there and really believed in the product that you were creating. And uh, I had plenty of people, you know. I would say, you know, Tim knows to everyone. Yes, Maybe even more than that, but it was just continuing to, uh, to keep pushing people until they found value in it Nice.

Speaker 1: 21:25

So you're grinding it, man, all those phone calls and all those connections, that was a lot of work. Yeah, well, over the day, like I said, I was down and we had a room in the basement, it was a bedroom.

Speaker 2: 21:38

I turned into my office and I remember just going down there, shutting the door, locking it at usually seven in the morning and just cranking up phone calls till four, 35 in the afternoon and yeah, I'd get up and go to lunch and do that. But I just, I knew that, hey, like, for me it was kind of like burning the boats, like I had no backstop, I wasn't working anywhere else, like I was all in on this and if I was going to make this work, I had to trust in the Lord and just keep going and like, for there was times I just, you know, I was like, if this isn't your will, then this isn't going to happen. And man, it was probably one of the scariest times in my life because I was married, my daughter she was two years old at that time and but really just having, I don't know what it was, but just faith that, hey, this could possibly work, this could know what it was, but just faith that, hey, this could possibly work, this could work.

Speaker 2: 22:26

And it was even I mean from when we started I mean it was probably eight months before we even had $1 coming in but just having the persistence to know that hopefully this works, hopefully this works. You know I'm praying this is going to happen. So that's really my journey. That it was uh, yeah I think, most businesses you talk to.

Speaker 2: 22:46

It's never an easy path. There's always that make or break. And I tell a lot of young entrepreneurs today, but even business owners, I was like man, I just if if something's coming too easy, man, watch out because something is going to happen. Or, like I said, you to have just those defining moments, cause if you don't, then man, I don't know. I don't know if it's going to work. You know, I think some people again, if a business just happens to be so easy.

Speaker 2: 23:13

Then there's there's going to be something that's going to blow up. I just know it is because, dude, if everybody could do it, everybody would be doing like you gotta have, I guess I don't know how to say it, but just the guts to keep pushing and grinding.

Speaker 1: 23:28

Relentless. You got to be fortitude. You can't stop, man. What's some of the big success stories that you could talk about, man? I mean, let's talk about the ups, man. You know, that's those victories, right? Those moments you want to celebrate. What's some of those?

Speaker 2: 23:45

Yeah, I say this is all genuine, Like the victories I celebrate was when I see our customers are winning. You know, when we get to go see companies that start off with one truck 10 years ago and you go visit that company today, they got 60 trucks, that's a success story, you know, and that's where and again, we like to say that we help play a small role in that you know whether it was helping that company find loads, whether it was insuring that company, whether it was helping that company get positive cashflow through our factoring business.

Speaker 2: 24:19

So those are the successes that I've seen, you know, I think over the years too, for us just being able to build a series of these companies around bulk loads. We now employ, I think, over 70 employees full time. So that's another success that we have, that we get to and we consider it a big responsibility, that, hey, we know that we're responsible for helping 70 employees feed their families, feed their children, support their families. So those are big roles. So, yeah, I look at the success at that, looking at, you know, our employee excuse me that our employees that are out there, that the jobs that we got to create through the freight industry, but then all those customers out there that we get to serve.

Speaker 2: 25:02

You know it warms my heart anytime I see someone you know with success. I'll say equally, though, you know, as we record this recording, you know we know the freight market's been pretty challenging, and I say equally there's been companies that I know, that I've known, that have been in business for years, that have gone out of business, and I honestly say it's just equally painful to see that it breaks my heart when you see a company that, for whatever reason, went out because of the current marketplace.

Speaker 1: 25:34

Yeah, it's definitely been a long road. We hope that it's going to get better. We keep our heads up right and we keep going. I mean, as an employee, you get used to receiving, but as an employer, a provider, you get used to giving, and if you can't give man, it gets to be, hard. You know you get to give to all these people something that wasn't there before and you get to help those families of all those employees that you're helping.

Speaker 2: 26:02

So man, it's a lot of joy that comes from that.

Speaker 1: 26:05

So, yeah, keep going, man, don't stop. Man, you know, if it's something, if it's not this it'd be probably something else I was sure you'd be just as successful with. So, yeah, that's awesome. I mean, think about your podcast, bulk Loads Podcast. I mean, what are some of the things that's doing? Let's talk about that. Um, not only did you have bulk loads, but you also have bulk loads podcasts. What made you decide to start this?

Speaker 2: 26:29

podcast. Yeah, so we started the bookless podcast back in 2018. I always joke to say that we were one of the first podcasts where everybody had a podcast. But, um, one thing I realized back in well, 2018 and earlier, when podcasts were starting to get pretty popular, was one thing our customers talking about owner-operators, small businesses had more time to do than anything is listen, especially listening to the cab of the truck. So why not be a resource to them that we can give them good quality, clean content that they can consume while they're on the road every week? So that was really the start of it, and again, having to give them good content but also give them updates on what we're doing. Maybe it's new features that we got a new business unit that we're doing, so it's been another resource that we can reach out to them and let them know what's going on.

Speaker 1: 27:20

So yeah, it's been a blessing.

Speaker 2: 27:22

I never in my wildest dreams would ever thought I'd be a podcaster or speaker whatsoever. It took a lot of a lot of prayer, but also a lot of practice. A lot of people don't know I was not a public speaker growing up, even in college and even in my first business, working in a grain company, I just feared having to talk in front of people and I went and had coaching lessons done. I did the Toastmasters, which is an organization to help you on your speaking and communications. But I just knew that if I was going to hopefully be successful one day, you have to clearly communicate with other people and not necessarily even clearly, but effectively communicate with people.

Speaker 2: 28:02

So I knew that this was going to be a big part of how I could have an impact on the industry and around the world. So I podcast was another one that I just knew that was a stepping stone that God was leading me to help speak to people and feed them that. So, yeah, today, our podcast we release every week. You can find us on YouTube or anywhere that you're listening to podcasts Just search Bulk Loads Podcast. And yeah, we do everything bulk freight trucking, which a lot of it's anything trucking. It's some of the same principles. There's some that may relate strictly to bulk, but yeah, we have a lot of different guests on there that we talk anything business-related, industry-related. One thing too we really encourage the listeners to check out our YouTube channel, bulk Loads.

Speaker 2: 28:48

We do a lot of we call it featured videos. So we go out and do recordings of trucking companies in our industry. So you know, last year we did a recording out in or a video out in Idaho, this company they run 70 trucks, they do potato harvesting. We did another video up in Pennsylvania, a company that they're in the wine industry. They do a lot of grape hauling. So those videos, really check it out. It's very much kind of a kind of a documentary type feel, but if you go to the Bull Clothes channel and subscribe, you'll see those videos on there. Really check them out. It's one thing that I never thought I'd be going out and doing these kind of interviews on site, but it's been just another blessing to travel the country, visit these people face to face, shake their hand, have them open their doors up, show us their business, their family, their house and yeah, it's been super, super exciting.

Speaker 2: 29:45

Yeah, what a great feeling to be able to do that, and it's good for the heart.

Speaker 1: 29:48

I mean be able to go out and see all these people working hard to help the industry as a whole, and also because when you do the podcast, you're not just doing like a five minute clip or so. What's nice is that you get to know the individual on a deeper level. It a more of a conversation, like you know, like we're having here, you know. So, um, not too many people get that you know and that exposure, um, so I feel like it's a good way to give a gift, um what someone else hard work is. They've been doing this for a while Now. They get to put it on display and showcase it right, you know, yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:38

Our society, whether people like it or not. But you know, I heard this stat the other day that 82% of all content consumed online is video. 82% of everybody that's getting online and consuming anything. Whether it's messaging anything online, it's going to be motion video. Well, if that's the trend, then we have to figure out, as marketers, podcasters, how do we cater to those trends. So again, not saying that audio is dead and you can't do this and that, but if you want to get in front of people and impact people, you've got to be following where people are consuming that content. So that's led us to really you know another part of why we're doing these on site video videos and visits and stuff like that because we know that we can impact and hit the people that we want to hit through those videos.

Speaker 1: 31:19

Perfect. Keep up the great work, man. You know. So what did you expect to be this popular when you first got started? You know what was your favorite episode or anything like that you can reflect on.

Speaker 2: 31:30

Oh man, that's going to require some thoughts, some that I've done. You know it's always just those little unexpected. You know whether somebody says something or a blooper. So you know there's been some where I can remember where you know there's just been something that's gotten in the way of kids coming in the room or you know just you know some kind of noise or something like that. But I don't think, on that one Ray, that anyone's. The ones that I probably enjoy the most are really where where it's business owners just kind of sharing their story. I think those are, and those are the ones probably that resound more because people don't want to hear someone. Again, I said earlier in the show you know somebody sitting there just preaching on why they should do this or that. People want to hear how they did that or what their journey's been, and people want to be able to listen and relate to that. So those are the episodes that I probably really enjoyed Nice.

Speaker 1: 32:34

Yeah, I like those as well. It's almost like when we got a taste of bloopers when movies would come out. We'd be like man, I didn't know they had that happen. They took that out of the movie and they gave it to us as a little end gift at the end of the movie. Like man, I like that. So like podcasting. It's almost like a continuous window into something that you probably would never see before. So, and if there's bloopers that go with it too and you get some laughs, I mean that's great.

Speaker 2: 33:00

I mean, that's great.

Speaker 1: 33:01

Why do people like?

Speaker 2: 33:02

podcasts Because they know that it's real and raw and it's not edited and it's authentic. So there's a reason why the podcast space is blown up because, as I think, consumers out there and people, people are tired of, I would just say, some of the established type ways that they consumed information and they want they want to listen to people that are just like them, that relate like them, and I think that's why, again, I love these podcasts, especially on YouTube, but really blown up because people say that, hey, this person is just like me out there.

Speaker 1: 33:37

You know, and you could just type in their name and you get the rundown of you know it's not like you got to listen to it for a long time and find that little piece within a news clip. You get that whole section set aside just for you know. Type in bulk loads. There it is. You know it's so easy that that content. So, man, also, I wanted to ask you know if you had any, some of your guests, different parts of the industry, who's been the most entertaining? Maybe? Uh, I opened it up for making look up and type that in one of your interviews. Or your guests, uh, what's been the one one of your favorites?

Speaker 2: 34:19

there was a professor that wrote a book on trucking. It was about kind of deregulation and how it ruined the industry and it was a professor, it was somewhere up north and I remember him. I had him on the podcast and him talking about the industry, but it was just his mannerisms and again, the way he acted it was just. It was kind of. It was very entertaining. I felt like it was almost like a movie the way he was talking throughout the episode and I have to think that would have been oh man, it would have been during COVID when that one was cause it was all video. But yeah, that one it was just it was. I remember that one out of the most because he was very um, I guess just too.

Speaker 2: 35:06

He really broke down trucking from the very beginning, talking about like the first trucking was horses and carriages moving, you know, products and lumber, and then how that evolved into the first trucks and then next and next and the icCC. So there's just a lot about there's. So many people don't realize how trucking you know it doesn't go. I mean, yeah, it goes back over a hundred years, but you really break it down to where we are today. It's really fascinating actually.

Speaker 1: 35:37

Yeah, I think. I think it is a huge part of our life that we probably didn't think much about, but then when you do see it, you see how big it is. I mean that's amazing, awesome, you got that. You ever think you have trouble getting guests or interviews or topics to talk about, cause it gets a little challenging over the span of time that you've been doing podcasts.

Speaker 2: 35:58

Yeah, we've released one every week and there's some times that you know we have to kind of start brainstorming and guess and sometimes you know we've had, sometimes we've had eight recordings ahead of time and just seems like it just naturally comes. The guests stack in. I think for us, we're just for us as we continue to go down the podcasting role.

Speaker 2: 36:20

It's again looking at, I hate to say, trends, but what people are wanting and giving them more of that and we do realize as much as I love in-studio podcasts, we either got to get more guests in the studio for us, I think, to have a bigger impact or go out and visit those guests at wherever they are too. So I think that's for us, if you just look at the numbers and metrics, the guests you can have in your studio and again, usually you know fairly well-known guests, whether it's a large truck owner or some name that people are familiar with, or out there at their facilities. So that's kind of our challenge is how do we do that? And again, for me it's like I travel quite a bit, but you know you get to that level. You know you got to start stepping up. How many days are you going to be away from the office or away from the family? And it's just kind of doing that balancing act.

Speaker 2: 37:14

I mean, as we're recording this, we're looking at, you know, actually tomorrow driving an hour south to do a podcast actually at a facility, uh, one of our customers, and. But again, we're just trying to work and we're always kind of testing the waters, what see, what works, what doesn't work, kind of throwing this out there to this work. We need to do more than that. I think that's what makes this kind of fun too. Like what shows do you see that get a lot of views versus ones that get?

Speaker 1: 37:39

barely any. So, right, it's like sometimes it doesn't make any sense. Um, one idea that I always thought about is and I give it away too, because I think there's so much that can go around you can share this, I mean everybody. You know, it's not like you gotta hoard your ideas, you can share them. The podcast industry we can help each other out. But I was thinking I mean like a mobile, like a trailer that's attached to a truck and you just drive around and go to different countries. I mean like a mobile like a trailer that's attached to a truck and you just drive around and go to different countries. I mean countries, uh, cities, and yeah, you, those local businesses and, you know, champion them. I mean that's uh. I mean, man, that'd be a mobile podcast, that'd be amazing. I mean, like you say you're flying, I just got back from florida to florida truck show. So I mean a lot of interesting people and a lot of people that have invented things to make the industry better that just haven't got out there and haven't got traction yet.

Speaker 2: 38:31

Yeah, I think you're on to something right, man. It's a mobile podcast studio. That's pretty cool.

Speaker 1: 38:39

You go to these truck shows and you can walk right into the trailer and they have everything on display. They got the couch in there. I'm like, hey, all you need is just a nice sounding board and everything. It's like, wow, I like it, yeah, somebody will do it, so, yeah. So any advice you would give someone who wants to start their own trucking podcast or just a podcast in general. That's one thing I like to do is promote podcasting because of hey, we can do it. You know freedom of speech we have right now, and they say that even though there's so many people that have a podcast, not all are active. So it's always a growing industry.

Speaker 2: 39:20

What would you say to those that want to get started, maybe a little hesitant? Number one the advice that I got when I started is the same advice that I'll give to others out there that want to start. If you think about starting a podcast, you have to be consistent and if you're going to roll one out, you know, once a week or every other week, make sure that you hit that schedule every time and that you stay with it. And there's going to be times where you don't you know, don't have any content or you know, know you still got another job that you're doing or other stuff that's paying the bills. You don't want to, but you have to stay consistent on rolling out. Believe it or not, a lot of your guests, they get accustomed or used to when your podcasts roll out. So you know. If you roll one out on Tuesday, on Tuesday, one week and then you wait a couple of weeks and then a Friday, another week. Like I said, your customers don't know when to expect that. If you think most of your podcasts you consume or at least I consume I know exactly when those things release out. I know when some come out on every Sunday or on Monday morning or whatever. So just be consistent on that.

Speaker 2: 40:22

I think even today, most of your equipment is much more affordable than was even probably 70 years ago when I got into it. You can go on Amazon and buy I think all that. But do invest in good equipment. Read the reviews, make sure, because nothing's worse when somebody's watching or listening to a podcast or show and the quality is not there, and so I think that's something too. For a couple hundred dollars more or what it whatnot, uh, you can have a very high quality sound podcast, I think. Last but not least, like, if you have a podcast idea, you know, run it by, but make sure you find something that's going to separate your podcast, different than others. Like we knew that we were going to do a trucking podcast, but even as I speak today, I don't think any other podcast does one on both, you know, both loads, which is our industry. So try to find that podcast. It's a little bit different, a little, you know, tailored, a little bit different than others.

Speaker 2: 41:21

I've been shocked too, ray, like some of the podcasts I've listened to or some of the feedback we've got over the years on podcasts. We always used to keep our podcast. I always, for some reason always thought 30 minutes. I guess some of the podcasts I've listened to or shows were always kind of in a 30 minute segment, so I thought we did.

Speaker 2: 41:37

To my surprise, more of our guests said that they wanted longer podcasts. I was like really they actually wanted it to go longer and me personally I like shorter podcasts. I like the ones that I can consume on my way to work or within a drive somewhere. I don't want something where I got to kind of take bite sizes, but figure out what your audience wants, test your audience and see what they do. Obviously, there's different places you can post podcasts. Youtube, obviously, is growing more and more. I think, if you're going to be doing a podcast, I think video I wouldn't say it's a must, but highly recommended People now are used to watching the host and guests on the show, so I really encourage you to make sure that you use high-quality video and make that.

Speaker 2: 42:24

But yeah, I know down the list. But yeah, I think, just be consistent more than anything. If you're going to do it, you know, have a goal that I'm going to do this, you know, at least for a year or whatever it is. You know, make a pretty long term goal and hit that one, just to make sure. But don't, don't start it. And then you record some weeks and someone you know make sure you're consistent your guests will know that.

Speaker 1: 42:47

Yeah, I love it. Keep it up, bro, man. How did you get started with the background there? Man, that's a good job yeah.

Speaker 2: 42:58

Well, we have some guys in our office, some of our sales guys, our marketing guy some guys in our office, some of our sales guys, our marketing guy. They were actually in Idaho two years ago and they visited one of our customers, which we went back and I did a video with them. But they had the back skin of a bulk trailer like this in their office, like you walk in turn to the right, it's right. There all lit up and we were looking at there like man, what a great idea for a backdrop. So we contacted there's five or six kind of hopper trucking or hopper trailer manufacturers out there. So reach out to all of them. This one was made by Cornhusker which great company. They just they offered to make this for us and shipped it down. So yeah, we just thought again, we're all about experimenting and I think for us it's like what can we do to keep building up the show? What's going to catch people's attention? What's going to separate our show? Make it a little bit different.

Speaker 1: 43:54

So yeah, we thought this was a we have a saying here, dude, is this a 2X move or 10X move?

Speaker 2: 44:00

If it's 2X, that's really not going to make a difference, but if this is a 10 X move, this is a game changer. That's what we want to go for so a lot of times when we're looking at making decisions and ideas like, hey, is that a two X move or 10 X? If it's two X, let's not make waste your time.

Speaker 1: 44:15

If it's a 10 X move. Let's go for it. Time is important. Uh, how you spend is that's uh, that shows the value of what. What it is you know? 10x man, all right, I like it. So, stories from the road um, have you seen, uh, since you've been out in the industry? Um, what's the best story that you want to share that maybe held uh, while you're out there? Maybe there's a moment that really stuck with you, whether it was a crazy haul or unexpected encounter, maybe just a great experience probably the most unexpected one and one of the hardest ones.

Speaker 2: 44:52

When I was working for the grain company back in the 2000s, I was on the phone with a trucker and we were, and he was going down the road and all of a sudden he's like, oh my gosh, I just saw a motorcycle let's get run over by a semi. And I was like, what the heck, are you serious? And he's like, oh my gosh, I'm I got to get off the phone. I was like, yeah, by all means, I was on the phone and it wasn't his truck, I, but I don't know if it was the one in front of him or somewhere, but he witnessed a motorcyclist getting run over by a semi-truck. And that one just always stood out to me like, oh my gosh, because again, you think when you're in this industry, how many people and back then you know how many hundreds of guys I was talking to every single day. Most of those- guys.

Speaker 1: 45:39

They're driving down the road.

Speaker 2: 45:40

I mean they're all legal, got a headset on or whatever and talking to them, and that was just one that stood out where I remember that I mean why I was on the phone that happening. So that one just yeah, I always kind of I still, you know, I wasn't able to, I wasn't there, couldn't imagine, but like it's still, like I just had visuals in my mind of what that would have been like.

Speaker 2: 46:04

So that's probably probably the worst one that I've kind of witnessed on there. But again, over the years and doing what you're dealing with thousands of, not millions of tonnages of grain commodities, like I said, we've had to deal with trucks that, have you know, went off the road, rollover accidents and all that, and those just are always tough stories. I tell you again, you know it pains me, man, when I hear you know of a trucking accident, for a number of reasons, because just, I know the financial burden, I mean I know the accidents and lives that can be lost and and all of that. But also on the trucker side, some of these where, man, that can be something that knocks them out of business, truck goes down for a while.

Speaker 2: 46:50

And those are the ones that I just and I know it's just tough ones that when you hear out there in the industry, especially right now times are challenging and when a guy, when a truck, goes down, especially a small operator, that guy he's down, so he's not revenue's not coming in the door, plus he's got bills on that thing. And that's why I'm just like some of these guys when this happens, like how long it's going to take them to catch up before I mean before they've caught up or back to where they're running in the positive being down. So those are, those are ones that just are challenging and I really do. I mean it's it's always our role to try to figure out how we can help those guys and and limit um those losses, those mistakes, those financial burdens, um through the process.

Speaker 1: 47:40

Yeah, definitely, yeah, I don't know. I've talked with some drivers and wrong way drivers, uh, man, it's, it's a lot of things that uh make you say, wow, how do they do it every day, you know, um, so, and I drive myself at night, you know that's, uh, that's, my main way of driving is at night. So, yeah, you just never know what you're going to see it when you go out there on that road, man, so, yeah, yeah, bad one. The motorcycles are always a bad one. If you see those and you see, you know, the sheet being put on them and it's just, uh, it's just not good, yeah. So, needless to say, I don't have a motorcycle. I always want one, though.

Speaker 2: 48:23

I'll say one too. I guess I was shocked when we got into, when we started, our insurance agency, part of the business and again your quote and business and all that. I guess I was surprised the amount of companies, especially they've been in business for, let's just say, 15, 20 years. I was surprised the amount of companies um that experienced fatalities. You know where a truck was involved in fatality. Um, I didn't realize there was as many as I thought there was and I don't know what the stat is on or how many that was, but I was just shocked of how many of these companies um that at some point during their business that, whether a driver or whatever, was involved in fatality. Maybe, maybe, not necessarily their fault, but just where something happened, where a car pulled out or whatever, and again, you know 80,000 pound, you know going down the highway, you know a lot can happen and those are tough ones. But yeah, it was just yeah it's. It's crazy how much, how much I heard of that. That I didn't think was really out there.

Speaker 1: 49:30

Numbers are staggering, wow. So the future of bulk loads and the industry looking ahead what are some of the biggest goals for bulk loads that you see in the future and the freight markets, to say, probably involving the next 10, 15 years?

Speaker 2: 49:47

and the freight market, so to say, probably involving the next 10, 15 years. Yeah, so I think, for our goal is to continue to press on and keep finding these other value ads that we can do in the market, whatever these other pain points guys are dealing with. I think I said earlier on, we're looking how do we help even do truck finance or equipment financing, maybe leasing involved? Again, right now we're already handling, you know, we're finding the loads, we're handling the insurance, we're handling the factoring, so we're helping cash flows. So we just see this as kind of another part where we can help these guys get financed and get their equipment on time. So that's another big one. So that's another big one.

Speaker 2: 50:23

I think too, you know how do we keep looking at technology and bringing that into our series of companies? I think intelligence is a big one. I'm not necessarily talking about AI, but like how do we help these companies really understand their numbers and prevent guys from going out of business? So you know, there are ways that we can really help create platforms and technology where guys can punch in numbers, and I know there's Excel spreadsheets and other formulas out there. But how do we get these guys better benchmarking so they know exactly where they are. So they're not three months down the road out of business not realizing that it's coming down the pipe. You know that's what we're looking at too, like data. Now you know data is always crucial, but how do you help these guys with the data you got to give them good metrics and business making decisions so they know exactly where they're at?

Speaker 1: 51:18

I love it. You know you think about when you first get married. You got good intentions and all that. You're so excited. And the same way with having a business. You get out, you got your business plan and you have all these ideas and things you want to accomplish and all these hurdles start coming at you and so trying to keep them going, uh, supporting them in the way that you can I man, that's that's great. Um, we need more people that champion, uh, those business owners and keep them going, because the failures that happen from them is catastrophic. I mean the kids that are involved, families, spouses that they sometimes they dedicate their life to supporting roles. I mean there's so many people that are affected by these people that are in business and trying their best to stay afloat. So, yeah, big ups to you guys for doing that and thinking about that. That's that's huge. So, yeah, big ups to you guys for doing that and thinking about that. That's that's huge.

Speaker 2: 52:07

So keep going, yeah.

Speaker 2: 52:08

Well, one thing I'll say too, like everything I've said, like none of this would happen without our amazing team of people. I'm an idea guy, I love new ideas and creating and but we have an amazing team of employees some of the other partners in this organization that's allowed us to move forward. So I love seeing the move. I'm so thankful, but, yeah, we've owed a lot to our partners and employees that have been with us through the way and they see our vision and the goal that we're doing and again, I, would just say right here Volklos, you know we hope nobody's here for a J-O-B and we want people here to make a difference, have fun.

Speaker 2: 52:50

We know it's going to be hard work, but really make an impact in this industry and I think if that's our focus again, our customers will be served to the best of our ability.

Speaker 1: 53:01

You think about the footprint that you're able to leave behind. So not just trying to get paid, but you're also making a difference each and every day. So, yeah, very good, technology is huge. You go to some of these truck shows and it gets exciting and see all the new things. But do you think it ever will be a point where we may need to put the brakes on technology or some of the things that we're doing? It could possibly jeopardize the future of a lot of human equity. What do you think?

Speaker 2: 53:32

Yeah, oh yeah, absolutely. I think too, again, we're a technology business, but I think, at the end of the day, how do we make sure that we're still a business where it's people serving people at the end of the day? A couple of things you mentioned a podcast. We're talking about other podcasts a business where it's people serving people at the end of the day. You know a couple things. You mentioned a pod here.

Speaker 2: 53:47

When we're talking about other podcasts, I had a guest on one time this is just one of many examples, but we were talking about elds and this company. They help prevent like cyber attacks or malware on these elds and but basically what this guy was saying is like hey, you know, some of these elds, they can get hacked into and shut the truck down going down the road, you know. So I think that might be a case where you know we got to be careful with technology. You know, if we're allowing so much to be involved the computers and all that to where you know an 80,000 pound vehicle going down the road where some kind of hacker can go in and shut that truck down right on the freeway. That can be pretty dangerous and detrimental. So that's one small example of many.

Speaker 2: 54:32

But yeah, I think we have to be careful with how we use technology and use it the right way. And again, I think time will tell. It's just like everything else, like this whole AI revolution, ai revolution what's really going to transpire through that. But I say this too, as much as people want to critique and criticize technology, man, it's really helped advance us so much more than we can think For a lot of us not all, but there's a lot of things we can do that we never were able to do. For example, some of these guys now or women, you can now video time, facetime, your spouse, kids, where you couldn't, you know, years ago. Um, so again, you're not physically present, I know that, but like that's a big perk, I think the technology is allowed where you can be anywhere in the country and still talk to your kids in the morning. They can, you know, sit down and literally have breakfast with them across the country, so it goes back and forth.

Speaker 1: 55:34

Yeah, yeah, we can't be afraid of it, but, yeah, we have to respect it. And, like I said, hey, matt, I wouldn't be able to have this podcast with you right now. So, I mean, technology has come a long way, so I appreciate it. I'm thankful.

Speaker 2: 55:43

I mean, technology has come a long way.

Speaker 1: 55:44

so I appreciate it, I'm thankful. So, yeah, we just want to be respectful and we want to make sure that we're there for each other. Keep building each other up, elevating each other. I think it's going to be the big difference. So, partnerships and developments at bulk loads that are particularly exciting. Anyone stands out for you? Any upcoming features or events in the future?

Speaker 2: 56:08

yeah, like I said.

Speaker 2: 56:08

So, speaking of events, we started our own conference three years ago, um so this april april 16th through the 18th we're going to have our third annual bulk freight conference. Uh, it'll be held right here we're in springfield. Uh, this year it's going to be held just south here in Branson, missouri. It'll be three days. Awesome event. It's a bulk freight conference. Anybody can attend, so you don't have to be in bulk to attend this. But we'll have shipping companies, brokerage companies, thousands of carriers there, a lot of different vendors and, again, this is a show that we put our I mean hearts and soul into. You know, over the last few years, we went and looked at other conferences and other truck shows a lot of great ones out there. We've been to Matt's, i-80, jamboree's, different ones like that. All are awesome, all serve a special purpose. This year, though, we went all in on our own conference. We said, hey, you know we go to these other conferences and meet people. Why not invest more in our own and bring people in and really give them, you know, an exceptional experience, give them the Ritz Carlton here in Branson? So that's really what we're doing. We're super excited about it.

Speaker 2: 57:21

Last year we had our first year at 200. Last year we had 500. This year we're projecting over a thousand people in attendance. We're super excited. Some of these people that went last year said by far the best event trucking event they've ever been to in their whole career and it just kind of shows how much we really put into this. It's not just bringing people together, feeding them and on their way, but we think you know all the way through, from the beginning to the end, every hour, what we're going to be doing, how we're going to be impacting the speakers, that we're going to have all the foods covered in this event. We have entertainers coming, different musicians, a comedian, so awesome event, if you're listening to this and have any interest.

Speaker 2: 58:02

You can go to bulkfreightconferencecom. If you click on that link you'll see the list of events. We still have tickets available. I think they're all available till, I think, middle of March. And uh, yeah, we'd love to have you come. I tell you it was all time. Do you need to come partially? Reach out to us, we'd love to see you there. Sweet man, that's awesome man.

Speaker 1: 58:29

Putting your heart and soul in that and getting to share it with people hosting it. That's a great event, man. Congratulations for getting that started and keeping it going, man, thanks you guys. Your journey looks good, bro. Keep up the great work. Bulk Loads is, uh, I think, here to stay, so, um, and I just hope that we all can share in the success of it together as a team in the industry and, like I said, help elevate each other. So, um, maybe a call to action? Um, how would people get in touch with you or reach out to find more about that event or to learn more about bulk loads? You want to share that with the listeners, please, yeah absolutely.

Speaker 2: 59:09

I am a super networker. For me personally, I'm on all social media, but linkedin is probably where I hang out more and communicate more. But if you go to linkedin and type jared flynn, you'll find me on there. Welcome anyone to connect with me on there. If you are out there and have interest in bulk commodity hauling maybe there's different stages of life, maybe you're a company driver looking to get into the industry we can help you. We have a full turnkey solution, from getting your authority all the way to helping you find loads, insurance all the way through. If you're out there doing bulk commodities and have heard of us, man, we would love to talk to you. Go to bulkloadscom. You can sign up on our marketplace. We do some free demos and walkthroughs. So if you get in there, put your email address in there. We can reach out to you and give you a test drive of what we do.

Speaker 1: 1:00:01

But yeah, we welcome all man.

Speaker 2: 1:00:02

We love to connect with people out there. We know that the industry is challenging right now. We're doing everything we can in our end to help people succeed. If you are struggling out there finding freight, especially man, reach out to us. We want to be able to help you out there. I think there's little tricks out there that some other load boards probably don't do. That we do that. We can still get you connected. Um, so yeah, we'd love. We'd love to connect with your audience as much as we can.

Speaker 2: 1:00:28

So ray, I just want to personally thank you for taking your time to have us on there. Man, we appreciate this. I wholeheartedly believe what you do like. There's so much room out there in the podcast space that there's it's not a it's not a who's got a bigger piece of the pie.

Speaker 2: 1:00:42

I mean everybody can enjoy all these shows. Just like I said earlier, a lot of listeners, I'm sure this. I mean there's so much time people spend on the road, why not have good content that we can give to them and that they can value from? So, man, thank you for having me on and doing what you did.

Speaker 1: 1:01:00

My pleasure, my honor and, like I said, more positive things. We can get lost in the negativity and before you know it, man, it's like that affects your decisions and everything. So thanks for putting out all the things you guys do, man, Thank you. So keep up that great work. You've been doing it for a long time and I hope to see it keep continuing and then we can, you know, rub shoulder to shoulder here in the industry. Like you said, there's plenty of room, plenty to go around so we all can eat. There's plenty of room, plenty to go around so we all can eat. So yeah, for our listeners out there, if you enjoyed the conversation, make sure you check out Boat Loads Podcasting as well. We'll put the link out there for trucking insights and industry discussions. So if you're looking to get into boat freight, Boat Loads is definitely a platform worth checking into. So that's it for today's episode. If you haven't already subscribed to that's Delivered. Please leave a review, subscribe and until next time we'll keep those wheels turning and stay safe out there on the road.