Behind The Freight

Truckstop
  • 5.0 (84)
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  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The freight industry is more than rate trends and equipment. It’s about the people and stories behind the loads. Hosted by John Howland and Todd Waldron, Behind the Freight is Truckstop’s podcast for carriers, small fleet managers and freight professionals who want to go beyond headlines and rate chatter. Each episode covers what actually matters: fraud prevention, compliance, day-to-day operations, and what the market is really doing, straight from operators who are out there running freight right now. If you want honest advice, tools that work in the real world, and a community that actually gets what it's like to run freight for a living, you're in the right place.

  1. Why Trucking Is About People, Not Just Freight (And Why That’s More Profitable) with Brent Hutto

    14H AGO

    Why Trucking Is About People, Not Just Freight (And Why That’s More Profitable) with Brent Hutto

    Freight is about people, purpose, and adaptability. In this episode of Behind the Freight, Todd Waldron and John Howland speak with Brent Hutto, a longtime industry leader, about what he’s learned from three decades in trucking. Brent shares how relationships shaped his career, why carriers are the backbone of the industry, and how regulations and not just supply and demand drive market cycles. He also offers practical advice for small carriers navigating uncertainty and explains why purpose keeps people in freight for life.

    30 min
  2. Behind the Freight: The Real Story Behind the Loads

    1D AGO

    Behind the Freight: The Real Story Behind the Loads

    The freight industry runs on miles, money, and hard-earned experience. Hosted by Todd Waldron and John Howland, this podcast brings together freight veterans, owner-operators, fleet leaders, and logistics professionals to talk about what's actually happening in the industry. Each episode covers real stories, market shifts, and the decisions that shape how freight moves. Guests bring decades of on-the-road and business experience, so the conversations stay grounded in what works and what doesn't.

    1 min
  3. Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe How Will Hopkins Turned Beach Chairs and Dispatch Notes into a 40-Person Logistics Company

    05/29/2025

    Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe How Will Hopkins Turned Beach Chairs and Dispatch Notes into a 40-Person Logistics Company

    We’re bringing back a standout episode from Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast featuring Will Hopkins, co-founder of BlackBox Logistics. In this conversation, Will Hopkins shares how a job dispatching trucks gave him the foundation to launch BlackBox Logistics, a full-scale brokerage that started with no backup plan and grew to over 40 employees in just four years. From throwing hay bales on a horse farm to dispatching in a sweltering Alabama room during COVID, Will’s journey is a testament to hustle, resilience, and finding purpose in every odd job along the way. He also opens up about the tough lessons of scaling a company, the importance of partnership, and why dispatching taught him to love the grind. If you missed this the first time, now’s your chance to hear how Will turned an unconventional path into a fast-growing brokerage built on trust, teamwork, and a dispatch mindset.

    39 min
  4. Greatest Hits – Did You Know Kevin Rutherford Nearly Went Bankrupt?

    05/20/2025

    Greatest Hits – Did You Know Kevin Rutherford Nearly Went Bankrupt?

    We’re bringing back one of the most insightful and heartfelt episodes from Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, featuring none other than Kevin Rutherford, Owner and Presenter of Let’s Truck. Kevin’s story isn’t just about surviving business, it’s about transformation. From nearly going bankrupt with 11 trucks and zero accounting system to becoming the trusted voice for thousands of owner-operators across North America, Kevin shares why real advice in trucking is rare, how to tell the difference between hype and help, and why he chose to build a business that teaches others to avoid his mistakes. If you missed this the first time, now’s the time to hear how Kevin turned debt, failure, and hard-earned lessons into a movement.

    46 min
  5. Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe How Toby Young Built Trucking’s Biggest Show From a Family Legacy

    05/13/2025

    Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe How Toby Young Built Trucking’s Biggest Show From a Family Legacy

    We’re bringing back one of the most meaningful episodes from Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, featuring Toby Young, President of Exhibit Management Associates. In this conversation, Toby Young shares what it takes to grow the largest trucking show in America while staying rooted in family, purpose, and hands-on leadership. From stuffing envelopes as a teenager to leading an organization that hosts over 70,000 attendees each year, Toby shares decades of hard-won insight into why trucking is a relationship business, why education, not just entertainment, is the future of industry events, and how legacy and innovation can thrive in a family-run operation. Whether you're an owner-operator or an exhibitor, Toby’s story proves that staying relevant starts with staying connected. If you missed this the first time, now’s your chance to discover how Toby turned one week in March into trucking’s most valuable annual tradition.

    44 min
  6. Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe What Slowing Down Did for Joel Morrow’s Trucking Business

    05/06/2025

    Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe What Slowing Down Did for Joel Morrow’s Trucking Business

    We’re bringing back one of the most talked-about episodes from Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, featuring Joel Morrow, CEO of Alpha Drivers Testing & Consulting. In this conversation, Joel shares what it takes to build a trucking career around efficiency, time value, and operational clarity, and why fuel and speed management are make-or-break levers for today’s fleets and owner-operators. From growing up in a family-run recycling business to leading innovation at Ploger Transportation, Joel shares decades of hard-won insight into why gross doesn’t matter if your net is bleeding, and why the “driver shortage” is a pay structure problem. If you missed this the first time, now’s the time to catch up.

    45 min
  7. Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe What Wearing a Tie Did for Trucker Henry Albert

    04/29/2025

    Greatest Hits – You Won’t Believe What Wearing a Tie Did for Trucker Henry Albert

    We’re bringing back one of the most iconic episodes from Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, featuring Henry Albert, President of Albert Transport. In this conversation, Henry shares how professionalism, process, and persistence helped him build a freight business from the ground up, without ever hauling for anyone else. From cold-calling customers to building 38 direct relationships, to achieving over 10 miles per gallon in fuel efficiency, this episode is a crash course in how to do it differently and do it better. If you missed this conversation the first time, now is the perfect time to tune in.

    36 min
  8. From Hourly Job to CEO: Shelley Simpson’s Trucking Journey

    04/22/2025

    From Hourly Job to CEO: Shelley Simpson’s Trucking Journey

    In this episode of Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, host Brent Hutto is joined by Shelley Simpson, the President and CEO of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc, one of the most influential transportation companies in North America. They discuss Shelley's journey from an hourly customer service rep to a top leadership role at J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., reflecting on the pivotal moments that shaped her career. Shelley discusses the company’s commitment to innovation, the importance of great leadership, and how J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. is leveraging technology to create the most efficient transportation network in North America and supports its 33,500 employees, including its dedicated truck drivers.

    40 min
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5
out of 5
84 Ratings

About

The freight industry is more than rate trends and equipment. It’s about the people and stories behind the loads. Hosted by John Howland and Todd Waldron, Behind the Freight is Truckstop’s podcast for carriers, small fleet managers and freight professionals who want to go beyond headlines and rate chatter. Each episode covers what actually matters: fraud prevention, compliance, day-to-day operations, and what the market is really doing, straight from operators who are out there running freight right now. If you want honest advice, tools that work in the real world, and a community that actually gets what it's like to run freight for a living, you're in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Truckstop
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyrights © 2026 All Rights Reserved by Truckstop
  • Show Website
    Behind The Freight

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