Welcome And Why Data Matters

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome back to That's Delivered. I'm your host, Truk and Ray, and we have another great episode again as part of our episode with DAT series. Today I'm joined by someone who brings special information, boots on the ground perspective on how fleets are actually moving right now. Robert Rouse is our guest. Happy to have him on the show. And before we get into the technology side of things, uh want listeners to understand um possibly what's going on out there uh in the trucking world and help them understand how to look at the data that's available to them a little better. Robert, glad to have you on the show. So happy to have you here. I mean, you guys are doing great things over at DAT. So thank you so much for coming on today. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 0:49

I'm doing great. Thanks for having me. I'm super excited about this opportunity to talk about all the cool stuff we're doing.

SPEAKER_03 0:54

Nice. Yeah. I mean, um, you know, you guys look at a lot of information. Uh, we'll start with uh what originally pulled you into the transportation industry, trying to get your background about uh what you do professionally there.

Robert’s Path From Insurance To DAT

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Yeah, absolutely. I've I've kind of a really interesting, funny story kind of how I got into trucking industry. It's kind of weird. So uh ended up weirdly, started to sell insurance. Uh it was kind of how I started and uh had a couple of companies, uh trucking companies that I had bought a book of business for, um, and you know, had understood how trucking insurance worked um at a pretty deep level, um, did that for a very short period of time because I really hated selling insurance. It's the it's the worst thing to ever do because nobody wants insurance unless something bad happens. But um that that led to the opportunity at DAT, where um essentially what happened was is uh I met somebody locally that was like, hey, we're looking for somebody to to come help and help understand trucking certificates of insurance, what they are, how they work. Um and I said, well, I don't love doing the sales job, so I'll come come join DAT. And it was, you know, one of the entry-level positions at DAT is working with our carrier watch division um and really helping read certificates of insurance and all that. And then essentially from there, I ran our enterprise support department for a number of years where I worked with all the large brokers and helped them understand how to use DAT uh tools and services and then earned my CTB, the certified transportation broker license through that process as well, just because I wanted to understand the industry a little bit better. But through working with our customers, I found kind of a passion for product development, right? Um wanted to really be somebody that was in the driver's seat of helping solve those solutions. Um, one of the things I've throughout my career whole career, I've always gotten bored of jobs, right? I've always got really like this is boring. Like if our we've solved the problem, cool, let's move on. But in product management, the the awesome thing that I get to do on a daily basis is talk to truck drivers and hear exactly what the what they're experiencing, and then have to go through that because like they're telling me this, but really I think this is the problem, and can I go fix that? Um, and so that's really the fun part uh at DAT that I've been I here for uh just over 12 years, and it continues every day. We get to solve new cool problems, which is a lot of fun. Nice.

SPEAKER_03 3:33

I think that's great. I mean, that's huge for um helping your background. I mean, putting that all together. I mean, you got uh it looks like CSM C T B credentials. Uh tell me a little bit about those, uh, so people that not familiar with that.

Credentials That Bridge Tech And Freight

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Yeah, so uh the CSM is a certified Scrum Master, so it's a part of a any tech organization. Um essentially it's project management and really making sure teams work together and understanding how to deliver technology in a fast and efficient way. Um, and so got that certification um really to help understand how to go from you know helping customer support and then moving into a technical space because I'm I don't have a technical background. Um, so you know, I'm somebody that comes from the business world. I come from helping directly with customers. And so then we're moving into a role to work directly with engineers on a daily basis, it's kind of sometimes a culture shock. Engineers talk in a different language, the the way they operate is different. And so I really, you know, I've always leaned into learning to help, you know, understand how to move move there. Um, so that's the CSM part. I also have a CTB, which is from the TIA, um, which is the certified transportation broker. And and that's really, you know, when I was at DAT, I didn't have a like a brokerage background or a carrier background. So I really like understood what care what customers were talking about, but I wasn't always using the right words, right? So I'd go to a brokerage or go to a carrier and talk with them about how they can utilize DAT products to better uh their business. And I'd say it in a way that made sense in my head, but didn't always connect with with the actual people that were were listening. And so what when I went through the CTB process, um, really what that led me to understand is okay, well, what words are brokers or carriers using in these, like like what's a bill of lading? What you know, what is a proof of delivery and all those things. And so um understanding those context information allows me to communicate a lot better with customers now um because I can actually speak their language and understand exactly how um they're talking.

SPEAKER_03 5:46

Nice. All right, man, that does make a big difference. Um so just kind of follow up a little bit uh better uh also about DAT. What's changed most uh in the way loads are booked since you first started to now?

The Evolution Of Load Booking

SPEAKER_02 6:01

Yeah, it's a it's an ever-evolving process, right? Um, you know, when you go way back in time, um, you know, people were doing it when when DAT first started, people were doing it on you know payphones, right? They were in the truck stop calling, they'd get a note card, um, pull it off off a bulletin board in the truck stop call. Um, then it evolved into faxing and satellites and all those kind of things. Um, and so what what I've seen in in the last you know six or seven years is technology has allowed for a lot of companies to really invest in new interesting ways and how they book freight. Um, and so that's really what what has changed is that instead of you know having to make a bunch of communication steps, there there are ways now to book freight much faster. Um, the thing that I think is holding everything back is is just the flow of data, right? So that's something that that we're working hard on DAT is is making sure that the data flows through uh and make sure that the carrier has all the data that they need to make the decision. So big big thing that we did in the last year is we went out and acquired convoy platform because that's a huge piece that Convoy platform has is they have the ability when you're on the Convoy platform and you're a vetted carrier, right? So there's a huge large amount of steps that you have to go through to be a vetted carrier on the convoy platform. But once you're there, there's a lot more information and details about the loads that make you can make very quick decisions and go through a completely automated booking process, which is pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_03 7:38

Nice. So where did that come from? The convoy platform integration. Uh, what made them pick that one?

SPEAKER_02 7:45

I I think you know, as we looked throughout throughout the entire industry, you know, um we looked at, you know, what do we think would be the best to help bolt on to DAT to make us stronger? So um in the last year, we looked, you know, look at trucker tools, right? It's known as an industry leader in in tracking. And so um we wanted to bring them on board. And then um with Convoy, we you know, we're able to go and and and evaluate that, look under the hood and look at the technology that's there. And we're blown away and go, oh yeah, this is this is a no-brainer that, you know, DAT will, you know, that's gonna help make DAT a stronger business in general. Um, but it's also you know really beneficial to our customers. And that's really the important part when we're looking at things like that is understanding how it's going to help us be better and and drive inefficiencies out of the marketplace.

SPEAKER_03 8:38

Well, I mean, I think you guys are doing a great job with that. I mean, um, what are you guys seeing that doesn't work anymore based off your background? Um, you know, I know you you got the credentials, um, you got a lot of exposure, um, even uh culture shocks, uh, you're able to get master that as well. Um uh put it all together, just kind of get to know you and what what really helps keep you grounded. What do you think uh is one thing that doesn't work anymore?

Building Trust Amid Fraud And AI

SPEAKER_02 9:31

In the industry, um, I I think there there's there's a lot of a lot of different pieces that are are somewhat broken, but but you know, ultimately I think what what what is definitely going in the pat in the in the past is just this the like with fraud that's out there, um there's there's this new trusted network. And I think you know that growth has really driven DAT to change and everybody to change. So the the the times where less vetting happen is probably in the past at this point. Um, so I think that's one area that that we've seen. But I think you know, ultimately that's making the industry a lot stronger. I I think all of the vetting is is is actually not a bad thing, right? Um, because it really helps drive home, you need to have great relationships, right? So all of those things are are just making the industry try to be even more connected so that way good players are are really connected together um and and can make sure that that those transactions happen um with trusted partners on both sides.

SPEAKER_03 10:35

That's beautifully said. I couldn't say it better myself. Uh people say, you know, what's why is it so hard to get this load move or what have you, and that trust that's out there that has to be put together. Um, you can't do that overnight. And uh when you're able to see who you're dealing with and you know hear them on a frequent basis, and also saying, like introducing yourself and telling people about yourself, that's something that no one can just duplicate. So yeah, great job.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

Well, and I think the the the other thing just to touch on that brief briefly, because I think there's a there's a really uh interesting conversation that's going on in the industry about well, what is AI gonna do with the trucking industry? How is it going to impact us and how it's gonna change? And one of the things that that you know I've learned and and you know, we're deeply connected with how we could use AI technologies at DAT um to improve the business, right, and improve customers' experience. But I think from a carrier's perspective, you're hearing all these conversations about like, oh, look at these AI dial dialers and all these calls that are being made. But I think that you know, if you if you take a step back and go, hey, what if every business was able to reduce some of the the really uh mundane tasks that they do on a daily basis? Well, what if you took that down by 50%, right? Well, what if you just on the other side use that 50% to then invest in your relationships, right? So so making those phone calls to like, oh hey, Ray, I know it's your birthday. I just want to check and see how you're how you're doing, or hey man, I I heard your kid was doing really awesome. Like, you know, how's that how connecting in those relationships? So so instead of doing mundane tasks, you're re-shifting your focus to build stronger relationships. So I think that's really where we're gonna see the industry change, is that you're you're gonna see like a lot of the tasks that were took up a lot of time, we're we're not really driving the business forward, will go away, and AI will take over a lot of those things or or some sort of um you know helper. And then you'll reinvest time in in in you know areas of creating relationships and and building those things. And I think that's really where I think if we have a crystal ball, which I hope I have that crystal ball right now, I think in the next five years that's where we're gonna be at.

SPEAKER_03 12:53

Nice. I I I can resonate, you know, I can tell that that makes sense, you know, because I when you're when you're saying that makes me think about when um I was able to buy and sell my house. Uh you think, man, all this technology coming out, why do you need a realtor? Um, but they haven't got rid of realtors. And actually that connection that you have with the realtor helps you feel comfortable about the the amount of purchase that you're willing to buy or sell. And it seems like they're able to answer your questions a lot faster and help you feel at ease. Um makes their job better, you know, maybe they can handle more than one client at a time. So I'm even thinking about that. I'm just like, man, that reminds me of my recent deal with selling my house. And then, you know, that's not even as expensive as a lot of these transactions that are going on these low boards. I mean, they're they're they're dealing with millions on these loads uh from these big businesses and stuff. So you want people to feel comfortable, have someone to talk to, and then you want that person that's able to handle those transactions, be able to uh answer those questions, you know, instead of saying, I don't know. So I like that. I like that. Yeah, um, how has uh load booking changed? Um, maybe something you've seen. Let's talk about that. I mean, from your vantage point, how has load booking changed in the last few years? Is it faster, more automated, more competitive, competitive, or is it just more confusing?

SPEAKER_02 14:28

It it it's definitely, I think it is one of those things that it's gotten better, um, but it's still got a long ways to go, right? So, so one of the things that is is really crucial is that you really need to understand what you need to get out of everything to be able to book a load really, really quickly. And I think there are a lot of companies that think like, oh, we can just automate this overnight. It's not that, it's not that simple, right? Like um there, there's freight is complicated, right? There's a that's a the reason why there's a lot of companies that have come and tried uh to really do different things in the industry, but freight's complicated. Unless you have a really deep understanding of how freight moves, it's really hard to deliver that. And I think the convoy platform, um, one of the reasons why we added them to the DAT network is because they had like the the knowledge and the ability to really deliver on how freight moves and how freight flows and what data needs to come along in each step. That would that's huge, right? And and that's something that you know uh you're gonna see some of those influences creep into all of the DAT family of products as well, because that's it's pretty brilliant, the the flow that they have. And you know, ultimately they have a really good success of loads that are posted on the convoy platform, you know, are getting booked um seamlessly without without a lot of interaction. But that's because there's that trust there built in in every step and those relationships come back into play. Because it's like, hey, I know Ray, he's going through the process, I've already worked with Ray 10 times. So I can trust Ray that he, you know, when I get a bid from Ray, I'm going to accept that because he's already gone through the process. We can trust him. We we know exactly what he's gonna deliver for us. And so I think that's really what has changed. Um, and I think that's one of the reasons why you know DAT is grow continuing to grow in those areas.

SPEAKER_03 16:25

Yeah, it's huge. I mean, it can't be underestimated. The when you say you're gonna do something, you gotta be able to deliver to be gotta be able to just do it, you know. Um, they don't want someone that's saying a whole bunch of stuff and then they can't they can't get it done. So you gotta be real careful with uh the AI, uh saying that it can do everything, and then reality is different, and uh people won't won't continue to trust that, you know, they'll have trouble with that, it's gonna cause difficulty. What would you say on that?

SPEAKER_02 16:55

Yeah, I I mean, I mean ultimately that that's the the big thing is that you know, even though there's gonna be AI that's gonna help automating both sides, right? All those mundane tasks, at the end of the day, you still have to have a plan for how you're going to handle it, right? So one of the things that I've talked to carriers for years about is, you know, everybody has a great plan until they're punched in the mouth, right? And so the the carriers that that the brokers and shippers um, you know, really appreciate about carriers is um is like when a carrier is like, hey, even if you're off track, let's say you have a blown tire or something like that, when you call them and say, hey, I understand this was my setback, but here's the plan of action of how I'm going to go go achieve this, right? Having that plan and being able to adapt, those are the carriers that I see are really successful in in this world. Even though there's a lot of AI that's that's like trying to automate those things, it's the carriers that that that are like very forthcoming and like, oh, nope, I understand that this this happened. Here's how I'm gonna go solve that problem for you. And I think that's really where um the carriers, even in the the kind of freight recession that we've had, those are the carriers that are success uh are seeing the most success as the ones that are are able to really adapt um and have a plan for anything that happens for them.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

Yeah. I mean, even something simple like uh phone calls. Um, what if the system goes down? Can you still answer the phone calls? Uh have you seen a shift in relationships towards uh digital booking platforms? Um, what would you say on those?

Hybrid Communication And Digital Platforms

SPEAKER_02 18:27

Um Yeah, I I mean I think everybody there there's the the thing is there's so many digital booking platforms that are out there, right? So I think everybody's still trying, like there's not somebody that's a clear leader. I think Convoy has a really strong presence in that that space as the digital booking or like complete freight automation platform. Um, but but there there's a there's a lot of solutions out there, right? Um, but but I don't think there's been one solution that's like really completely automated everything. Um, and so I think that's really where you know there's some some cool things we're working on at DAT uh with the convoy platform um that will continue to help drive that space forward.

SPEAKER_03 19:07

Nice. Are you seeing a hybrid model merge maybe where um let me see maybe that the shift from the phone calls or the TMS board, um maybe there's gonna be like some hybrid merger that is that's up and coming, maybe?

SPEAKER_02 19:25

Um one of the things that we're saying is communication is happening at lightning speed, um, even faster than it did in the past. And so there are like a bunch of TMSs for carriers that are really cool that um bring in all of your emails. So as soon as somebody emails, it's almost like you're chat botting, even though it's all through email. So there's a lot of cool new technologies that are going to continue to make the space even faster at negotiations and faster at communication. And so I think that's really one area that that voices like just a phone call is not always going to be exactly how it's gonna be, because there's a lot of these technology companies that are building that type of conversational uh pieces into their their business. Um and then even with the voice, a lot of the brokers now have um where it's automated screening. So it's gonna, as soon as you call it, you you put in your MC number and it's going to uh basically say, Oh, nope, can't work with you, or no, we can. Um, and I think some DAT's already added some features to help carriers understand, like, hey, here's the requirements that that broker has. Um yeah, it's keeping it's you know, it's one of those things where it's it's going to be continually, you know, creating that trust platform, I think, is is really where everybody's trying to move to.

SPEAKER_03 21:05

Nice. All right. So tech integration, I mean that's uh that's huge. Uh, do you think we're ever get to a point where we'll be saturated with technology? How do you feel about uh where we're headed with that?

SPEAKER_02 21:20

You know, ultimately, I think if you look at the way the tech industry is changing, it is constantly evolving right now. Like I I'm in the tech space, right? And I'm constantly every morning, you know, spending an hour to two hours just learning about new technology that came out like yesterday, right? So it's like it is it is evolving so fast um that it's it's really just hard to even keep up with with what is going on. But uh, but I I think like in the long term, that is really going to help the industry. I think the the trucking industry for a long time, you know, needed some of some of that that technology. Um and so AI and and all these different tools are gonna help us deliver on a lot of these uh tools that are gonna help with the inefficiencies in the marketplace. Because, you know, ultimately, like I said, and if it had a crystal ball, we go out five years. A lot of those mundane tasks that are like, man, why am I doing this? Like this is this is not helping drive the business forward, right? A lot of that stuff is going to be automated, right? So so that way you can, you know, the the business folks can focus on great, awesome. All those things are taken care of. I need to like check just to make sure and just like do an overview of the AI, make sure it's doing the right things. And that will help refocus on how do I, you know, do. Actual business development. How do I go out and get more customers? And how do how do I, you know, be able to say why why my business is better than everybody else's and drive there? And I think that's really where we're going to see that shift. And I think we're already there in a lot of spaces. Like if you look at a lot of the large players in the marketplace, they're already adopting a lot of those so that they can reshift their work.

SPEAKER_03 23:08

Nice. I think that's going to be great too. Um, I mean, man, you get up every day and you look you watch the news and you're like, man, what did I miss? This is always something happening. So um I can only imagine in the tech world, I mean, like, wow, how do you keep up? And then and then, like you said, you're doing hours of research and trying to consume what the change is and what new things so that you you can stay abreast as to what's going on in the industry. So um, yeah, I think it's gonna be a good thing. Uh, there is a lot of fear monger out there that people are gonna be losing their jobs and nobody's gonna be working. Um uh people keep the the fear monger going and started to you can keep doom scrolling.

SPEAKER_02 23:49

But I mean, if you if you look at every every evolution, right, the that that is that is the constant fear, right? So if you go back back to the industrial revolution, that was the fear, right? Um and so it's just a matter of how do you shift that, right? How like the the jobs that people were doing in the early 1900s, a lot of those jobs are now done by robots, right? So it's like it's not that that people don't have jobs, you just shift them to do other things.

SPEAKER_03 24:23

Yeah, one of the biggest shifts in the industry has been the integration of tech, and like you say, you're doing you guys are doing great things over there with convoy into a a broader freight system. Um, what has worked? Uh, did anything just kind of was there something that possibly was just didn't do so well or maybe surprised you um by that integration or um just some real operational lessons that we can take away?

Carrier Adaptation During Freight Recession

SPEAKER_02 24:48

Yeah, I I think the the the biggest lessons that we can take away from from the last couple of years is is really just a constant change in in the marketplace. Um carriers like carriers are constantly changing how they're doing business. Or like ext, especially with a freight recession, you have to figure out different ways to survive the ups and downs of that. And so I I think what I've seen is is more smaller carriers being open to technology. So if if I go back, you know, five, 10 years ago, right, like most carriers were open to most of the DAT options, but they they were kind of skeptical about some of the things that were coming out, like tracking, right, was a big thing. We're like, I really don't like tracking. But I I think over time, I think that people are being more and more okay with the different technologies. Um, you know, basically, like at DAT, we're even, you know, launching a search widget that people can add directly on their home screen on their phone, right? So that even that is like for some carriers, it's like completely mind-blowing, like, oh, I don't know if I want to want to utilize that new technology. But I think that we're seeing a lot of people just being like, oh man, if I don't change or if I don't continually adapt and find new tools to be better and compete, um, that that that's not great. So so they're looking for new ways to to find those tools to make them a little bit more efficient, a little bit better. Because I think even just small changes um can make a huge impact to their bottom line.

SPEAKER_03 26:19

Absolutely. I mean, man, you're known for keeping things grounded over there. I mean, you think a lot of small carriers, um, they're actually what they're dealing with right now. When you talk to the carriers, what is some of their biggest frustrations? Is it rates, um, the speed of booking, uh, payment terms, or um, what are what are they struggling the most? What would you say?

SPEAKER_02 26:40

It it's it's different for for a bunch of different carriers, but but I think like the the biggest thing is it what I've believe strongly is like most carriers, their biggest thing is they just want to be respected, like outside of technology, right? Like that's some of the stuff that can be solved. But some of the things that I've I've I've seen, you know, uh one of the things I love to do is go on ride alongside drivers and spend a week on the road and and really live the driver lifestyle, right? Um, you know, and and I think from those experiences, it it's most of these drivers are away from their families for weeks and weeks at a time. And when a broker calls them or a broker is trying to, you know, figure out how to get a problem solved, that carrier is going to do go above and beyond and try to get that care that problem solved for that that broker, right? And you know, I think the biggest thing for for everybody to take away is is like it just takes a little bit of respect for those drivers, and that goes a long way. And I think that's really if I had a big magic wand of like, hey, everybody just like respect the drivers, like they are the ones that are are putting in God's work to make sure that your freight's getting delivered. So next time you get on a call and you have a problem, be extra thankful. Just be like, hey man, I really appreciate it. It's not just that they're that you're paying them to do a job, it's also that that they're potentially doing more than you're actually paying them to do. They're they're doing this extra thing for you, and just showing a little bit of respect can go a long ways. And I think that's a huge thing that that I would say is is needed in the industry.

Cost Per Mile And Rate Data

SPEAKER_03 28:11

Nice. Um, so tools, discipline, uh, the competitive edge. If you're advising a small carrier today, or um, you know, what tools are non-negotiable, uh, would they just not give up on rate analytics, lane history, real-time demand indicators, or fuel cost tracking software. Uh, let's talk about that about discipline. What would you say?

SPEAKER_02 28:34

Yeah, I think the the biggest thing is use a operating cost calculator. DAT has one right in the DAT1 mobile app. Um, but I I go talk to carriers all the time, and one of the things I hear all the time, and it still blows me away, is hey, I need to make five to six thousand dollars a week, right? That that's what that's what I need to do. Ultimately, that's great. Like if you're making that thing for for small carriers, is really know your numbers, right? That's really the core piece. Um, because ultimately a couple short haul lanes where you're actually putting less wear tear in your truck, less fuel, um, you know, all that is actually more profitable for you at the end of the day and actually nets more take home than than if you did a 3,000 mile haul from from New York all the way over to California or something like that. So it's really knowing your numbers. What is your cost per mile? Um, and and you know, DAT can help help you with that. Um, it is fairly precise, right? It can really help you as long as you put in all of your costs and put in your information in there. It's really just a tool to help you understand, right? And then, like you said, like there's the rate data that's really important, but rate data can only go as far as how well you can use that data, right? And I think for for most small carriers, they'll look at it and be like, well, yeah, but but but that's not what I what I got last week or or anything like that. The rate data is really supposed to do it to be directional, right? So um all of DAT's rate data is based on actual transactions that we got from brokers, carriers, and shippers in the marketplace, right? So they're sending us actual transactions that happened. And what we're doing is we're aggregating all that information and taking away the top 25% and the bottom 25% as outliers. And so when you see a range on DAT, that's the middle 50% of loads that are moved. And so understanding how to use that data is super crucial, right? Um, so when you see a rate that maybe doesn't align closely with what you ran that that lane for a couple of months ago, or maybe you ran it towards the top end of that, that's definitely possible. Each specific carrier has their own buying power, right? So on average, some carriers are really high towards the top because they're trusted because you know,$1,000 on one load. Well, if you need to reposition to another market, now you know you have some flexibility to do that and and still come up well ahead by the end of the month. And I think using those data pieces are really crucial for small carriers to really operate at peak efficiency.

SPEAKER_03 31:09

That's awesome. I mean, that's something that they need. Um, so just to kind of reiterate that again. So if they uh if they do this and you know they look at those those numbers, it's gonna help them be successful. Uh maybe you could help them. Um, what's that um that you said at the end one more time?

SPEAKER_02 31:25

Oh, uh the so so basically if if they look at their operating costs um and look at the rates and really take both of that information to understand, you know, maybe load the first load makes a thousand dollars more. Well, on on when once I get to wherever they're going, well, now they're up a thousand dollars and they can figure out, okay, I can reposition over to this other market that I'm gonna get paid a lot more so I can take a little bit less. But then they can start to track, like, okay, overall throughout the uh throughout the month, am I above or below my operating cost, right? And how much? And so that's really where I've seen carriers operate at peak efficiency when they start to understand that correlation of here's my operating cost, here's how much I'm making for all these, and start to track that. Some even do it with just a scratch pad next to you know, in their in their dash. So they start writing down, okay, I took this load plus 500, I took this load plus 3,000 or whatever. And they they write that down, and by the end of the month, they can really have a clear picture of our how much they're up or how much they're down or where they need to go. And it just helps them be able to move and operate uh a little bit more efficiently than somebody that doesn't know their numbers as well and and just is trying to go for that five to six thousand dollars per week. Knowing your numbers really is the crucial piece. Like every successful carrier that I've talked to that's really come out of this uh freight recession um in a stronger place, it really understands their numbers and and how to manipulate them.

SPEAKER_03 32:55

Nice. Great advice. Um, I love it. I mean, so in the next five years, what would you say that will brokers and carriers interact differently? For sure.

SPEAKER_02 33:05

Like that that's that that's not even uh like it's a given at this point that that brokers and carriers are going are going to change uh exactly how they operate. Um, with how fast technology is moving, it it's inevitable that it's gonna happen. But I I think what what what what changes is some of the booking process is probably gonna be more automated, right? Where it's like super fast, super quick. But you still want to have like there'll still be those conversations where you're building those relationships. So instead of um at a brokerage, somebody that that is working on booking freight, if they're doing less of that, well then they shift to to start calling carriers to because every broker wants to rebook carriers as much as possible, right? Because it reduces the amount of effort on their side. Right. So uh you know, you can see brokers start to shift that that mentality a little bit and be like, oh, I like working with Ray. I'm gonna call him and just make sure like Ray's thinking about me for when he's looking to book his next load. And so, like, like that's really where I think things will change is that relationships are really gonna be crucial in in that world because if it's just everybody's an AI conversation, that takes a little bit away. But I don't think that's where we're going. I think we're gonna take away just the mundane tasks and focus more on relationships.

SPEAKER_03 34:23

Nice. So I'll to personally close on on a lot of this information that we're putting out here. I mean, this is great. Uh from your perspective, uh, what excites you the most about where freight is headed?

SPEAKER_02 34:36

Yeah, I I mean I'm most excited about the the fact that I think the industry is really starting to hit a turn. I think you know things are starting to change a little bit um with where we're at. I think we went through a really hard couple of years, but I I'm starting to see like that it looks like potentially things are gonna start coming back here in the next year or so. And I think the the biggest thing that I'm excited for is just all the technology. Um DAT is doing a lot of really cool stuff um that we'll be coming out with in the next couple of months. Um, you know, we uh as DAT is growing, like we're we're bringing all these new companies in and all these new people. Um so there's a lot of new cool stuff that is gonna start to happen as as we start to really deliver on some of the promises that we've been making out there in the industry.

SPEAKER_03 35:28

Man, that gets me excited. That's awesome. Instead of the doom, doom and gloom, you got uh a great outlook on the future. And um, I think that's really great. Um, maybe uh is there any concerns that maybe we can knock those out as well? Um, what would you say for um maybe there's something maybe want to draw attention to that can use some improvement?

Data Structure For The AI Future

SPEAKER_02 35:49

I mean, I I think that there's there's definitely a lot of uh a lot of things about data that every company that's out there, even small carriers, here's what is going to be important for you for the the rest of the the going into the AI world. And I and I implore all carriers to even if you're a small carrier, one truck operation all the way to hundreds of trucks operation. Data is going to be the king for the future. And how you store your data and structure your data is super important, right? And so realistically, uh even if you're a small carrier, your data is your data and you need to have it in a stored in a way that allows you to be able to utilize those tools, right? So new AI tools or new things that are coming out is only going to be as good as your data is structured. And so that's definitely something just to think about a little bit as you go through. Um, because ultimately what I've seen um a lot of people struggle with is um, you know, as they're trying to adopt new tools, such as AI tools that DAT is coming out with or other brands, is if the data is not in a really structured format, it's really hard for any AI tool to really go and grab that data and really understand how to how to apply it. So definitely think through that, um, how you can structure your data and store it, because even if you're a one-track operation, your data is still gonna be super valuable to you. There's a lot of insights that you can glean off of, well, what brokers am I making more money with? And what what brokers are are making less money with? And so that way you can focus on your relationships as well. But the only way to get really good data out of that and and use those tools um is gonna be to have your data in a in a way that is um usable by those different tools. If it's just a bunch of random documents everywhere, it's gonna be really hard to get really valuable information out of that.

SPEAKER_03 37:52

Wow, I like that, man. I want to get organized right now. Um, I guess I just got done looking at my taxes. I'm like, man, I want to wish it was AI that could just take care of that for me. Uh on that particular thing uh that you brought up, uh, how would someone get help with that? Maybe they just they're struggling with it, you know. Hey, I need like someone needs their tax guy, maybe someone needs their structure uh data person. How would someone stay organized?

SPEAKER_02 38:21

Yeah, I I think there's a really there's a lot of online resources. Like it's um you can literally go onto Google and and make a search of how how I structure that, structure my data or how I want to save my data to be used by by uh different tools. So there's a lot of um different, pretty cost-effective tools that are out there. Um uh don't want to shout out one specific brand, but there's a ton of them that are out there that will give you just a quick prompt of like, hey, I am in the trucking industry and I want to store my data in a way that is useful. How you know, what what do you suggest? Those types of tools are out there that are pretty easy. Um, you know, you can always reach out to people at DAT um as well. Like, you know, I'm sure a lot of us would be happy to talk to people to our customers about um how we can help you with that as well. Um but yeah, like I think there's some pretty easy tools that are are just online um that you can search uh and it'll give you uh pretty uh basic information about that.

SPEAKER_03 39:21

Nice. So uh get out there on the AI assistant, ask what's what can be done, and then there's all those tools that are available. So just keep typing in the prompt, say, hey, I need more help, and uh get that AI to direct you into places that you can do for free. I know Google Sheets does a lot. I mean, uh there's a lot of people that don't want to pay for high-end service. Um, you know, Google Sheets is is is free um for the most part, as far as I can tell. And and you guys do that. You do a great job when you when people ask you questions, you don't just brush them off. You take the time to make them feel at ease, say, hey, you know, this is where you're at, this is what I would suggest. I'm not telling you what to do, but this is what it what we've seen from our customer base, and you guys do a nice job with that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

Appreciate it. Yeah, I mean it's a it's a principle at DAT that we don't just want to be just your your software platform, we want to help grow with you, right? So as you grow your business, DAT is there throughout the year. We are partners to stand that growth, and that's why we've added companies like Alco and Trevor Tools and Combo and all those, because we want to see that growth with you, and so that way we can help see somebody that starts out as an owner operator all the way until they have their 100-truck fleet someday. Nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:39

I mean, the relationships are are gonna be king. Uh, we keep saying it, keep drilling it in. Hopefully, people are getting it. Um, there is a lot of people just they're getting bombarded by data, and they're bombarded by this, and makes people kind of withdraw, but unfortunately, that's gonna be the thing that may slow them down. Um, so just keep staying at it, get out there, stay positive. There's a lot of great things that can happen when you build these relationships with each other. So um uh don't be afraid. You may find out that uh um people may surprise you still. Yeah, so people have still got a lot of good things to offer nowadays. So um we just gotta keep our heads up. And there's a lot of great things I think we can do with DAT, and you're one of them. Thank you so much for coming on the show. I really appreciate you uh talking about this, keeping us grounded. Uh the technology uh is exciting, it's gonna make things easier. Uh, we just have to embrace it in a way that's gonna be useful for our business and um don't get caught up in the doom, doom and gloom, right? Yeah, so um, but drivers want to know what actually really helps them. And uh, I think you guys do that great job at that DAT. Like I said, you want them to be successful, even if they're small, because you know that that also, well, hey, there's there's a long way to go in trucking, you can keep going. So, yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 41:55

Awesome. Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to talk with us.

Final Takeaways And Review Request

SPEAKER_03 41:59

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So uh we really appreciate you guys having this segment with us uh for April. And if you're enjoying this episode, you like what you see, you like what you hear, please leave a review, stay tuned um to what DAT has to offer. I hear there's a lot of great things coming down the pipe. So, I mean, man, you guys keep it going. You think you got all that you can you can take, but there's more to come. So another episode from uh Truck and Ray, and that's delivered. Stay safe out there.