RoutCast

Jake Hirsch & Emily Blair
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

Routcast is a podcast built for FedEx Ground contractors — delivering real-world best practices, industry insights, and straight talk for navigating the contractor ecosystem. Hosted by Jake Hirsch and Emily Blair, two insiders with years of hands-on experience working alongside contractors across the United States, Routcast cuts through the noise to bring you the conversations and strategies that actually move the needle in your operation. "FedEx" and "FedEx Ground" are registered trademarks of Federal Express Corporation. Routcast is not endorsed by, recommended by, or affiliated with Federal Express Corporation or FedEx Ground. Federal Express Corporation has not approved and has no involvement with any content, opinions, or information shared on Routcast.

  1. 5d ago

    We Used AI to Turn Real FedEx Contractor Data into a Business Tool

    What can AI actually do for a FedEx contractor? Not write emails. Not generate generic business advice. Actually help you understand and run your operation better. In this episode of RoutCast, Jake Hirsch and Archie Williams skip the traditional interview and put AI to work. Using Archie’s real FedEx contractor data, they open Claude and build a custom dashboard live—turning information Archie already had into a tool he could actually use to understand his business. 👉 Want to try some of these ideas with your own operation? Jake has already built a collection of FREE tools specifically for FedEx contractors at Routestone Tools. Use the calculators to analyze driver productivity, forecast revenue, evaluate truck replacement decisions, understand profitability and more: https://routestonetools.netlify.app/ The Routestone tools came from the same basic idea behind this episode: FedEx contractors already have a ton of data. The challenge is turning that data into information you can actually use to make better decisions. In this demo, Jake shows Archie how accessible that has become. You don't need to be a programmer or data analyst. With AI tools like Claude, contractors can take their own spreadsheets, reports and operational data and start asking better questions—and even build tools around the way their businesses operate. Jake and Archie also explore where this could go next, including Archie's idea for making fleet maintenance and commonly needed truck parts easier to track and source. The point isn't that every contractor needs Archie's dashboard. It's that you can build something for YOUR business.

  2. Sep 22

    FedEx Was Just the Beginning: From P&D to Crude Oil Trucking | Tristan Booth

    Connect with the hosts: Jake Hirsch: 541-213-1296 Emily Blair: 515-979-4689 Check out Tristan's payroll platform with a contractor AND driver app: https://routepayroll.com/ Tristan Booth was running a FedEx P&D operation in Utah when he bought his first semi truck. Then a second. Then a third. Then a fourth. After selling the FedEx business, Tristan took those trucks in a completely different direction — leasing them into the crude oil industry. Today, he says the profits from his trucking operation are significantly higher than anything he experienced as a FedEx contractor. In this episode of RoutCast, we talk with Tristan about how he got started with semi trucks while still operating FedEx routes, what he learned along the way, how the transition into crude oil hauling worked, and what his business looks like after FedEx. If you're a FedEx Ground contractor thinking about diversification, trucking, additional revenue streams, or eventually building a business outside the FedEx network, Tristan's story offers a real-world look at one path. 2:36 - How Tristan got started in FedEx (and why it was horrible) 6:59 - The business growth and what it took to finally "click" 9:33 - The secret to retention in FedEx 10:51 - How Tristan worked through bad equipment 12:31 - The sale of the FedEx business 13:23 - Adding semi trucks while still running P&D 14:09 - Leasing on to haul crude oil 16:29 - Working a load board and using factoring companies 18:41 - Tristan's recommendation for contractors thinking of putting a semi to work 20:08 - Technology over the years - from delivering with a scanner, to developing his own payroll platform to solve his own biggest issue 24:29 - FedEx vs. Crude Oil margins and revenue 29:16 - Tristan's warning - don't make the same mistake he did!

  3. Sep 8

    Schedule K: What FedEx Contractors Need to Know | Kevin Smithson

    Contact your hosts: Jake 541-213-1296 Emily 515-979-4689 Jake's Routestone tools: https://routestonetools.netlify.app Schedule K is a major topic for FedEx contractors right now. In this episode, Kevin Smithson of Golden Hawk Trucking shares his perspective on Schedule K, the economics of running a FedEx business, labor costs, and finding efficiencies in his operation. We also talk about large packages, leadership, paying employees well, and how there are many paths to becoming a successful FedEx contractor. 2:28 What is Schedule K? 4:05 The 2026 Schedule K, renegotiation, and why you might not sign 9:14 Kevin's Large Package strategy 11:23 FedEx driver to contractor: Kevin's story 13:17 Growth strategies for CSPs 16:19 Hiring and training strategies 18:06: FedEx fleet strategy 20:06 Driver pay and incentives 23:36 How highly paid drivers pay you back in other ways 25:00 The value of having an on-site mechanic 26:56 Why Kevin prefers the low-tech route 28:16 Managing fleet acquisition and maintenance costs 32:42 Family & FedEx 37:28 The value of learning from other & advice for new contractors

  4. Aug 25

    The Secret to Reducing FedEx Stress? Build Businesses Outside of FedEx | Todd Champion

    Contact your hosts: Jake: 541-213-1296 Emily: 515-979-4689 Check out Todd's restaurant - Frontier Food to Go in Wilmington, NC! It was recently named in USA Today as one of the best hot dog spots in America. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/dining/2026/07/15/best-hot-dogs-america/90877641007/ What if your entire financial future didn't depend on FedEx? Todd Champion bought his first FedEx business 11 years ago and has since built an impressive portfolio of businesses across completely different industries. But Todd's story isn't just about building more businesses. It's about diversification—and the freedom that comes with it. In this episode of RoutCast, Todd explains why he believes owning businesses outside of FedEx has actually made running his FedEx operation less stressful. His perspective is simple: if FedEx ever went away, he'd still be OK. 1:42 Todd's path to FedEx ownership 3:14 How working for FedEx directly changed Todd's mindset as an ISP 4:23 Growing from 2 routes to 60 5:37 Becoming a Budget dealer 7:58 Adding a Relay Station and unexpected benefits 10:01 Benefits of owning an oil change business 10:37 Benefits of owning a towing company 11:30 Planning for growth and becoming more efficient 16:36 Managing employees in different industries 17:54 Todd's tech stack 19:01 Maintaining a good safety score as an XL Contractor 20:36 Todd's recommendation - grow in FedEx, or diversify? 22:04 Jumping into the restaurant business 24:52 Using Facebook for hiring 26:26 Providing health benefits 27:23 Hiring great managers 29:29 The entrepreneurial mindset & advice for diversifying

  5. Aug 11

    Why Every FedEx Contractor Needs an Exit Plan (Even If You're Not Selling) | Ken Tedford

    Connect with us: Jake - 541-213-1296 Emily - 515-979-4689 Check out Jake's FREE dashboard tools for contractors: https://routestonetools.netlify.app/ Most FedEx contractors never think about their exit plan—until they need one. By then, it's too late. In this episode, Ken Tedford, who spent over 25 years as a FedEx contractor in Michigan, shares why having an exit plan from day one actually makes you a better operator today. 1:36 Advice for contractors prepping for a sale 5:43 When to tell your staff you're selling 8:43 The ideal scenario as a seller 11:17 When seller financing doesn't work out 14:43 Understanding your buyer's financial situation 16:34 Advice on buying and selling fleets 19:32 Dealing with Taxes 21:18 Asset sale vs. stock sale 22:00 What the heck is All Good Kids Love Milk? 23:55 Cultivating a mindset for change 26:55 How the medals system has changed selling 30:04 Using technology to be a better owner 34:06 Selling pre or post 2.0 35:13 AI Dashboards 37:01 Ken's best advice for contractors

  6. Jul 28

    Inside a FedEx Corporate 2.0 Meeting | Greg Schwendeman's Biggest Takeaways

    Contact Jake: 541-213-1296 Contact Emily: 515-979-4689 Free tools for contractors: https://routestonetools.netlify.app/ What is FedEx saying about the future of 2.0? Greg Schwendeman recently met with FedEx corporate in Pittsburgh and shares his biggest takeaways from those conversations, along with his experience and lessons learned from going 2.0 in his own CSA. 0:43 Introduction to Jake's RouteStone Tools - check them out at https://routestonetools.netlify.app/ 1:30 Introduction to Greg Schwendeman 2:34 2.0 Quarterly Connect meeting & Executive Tour Experience 7:46 Time Commits - Challenges and Solutions 8:46 Driver Pay, Bonuses, and Recruiting 11:53 Offering Employee Benefits as a FedEx Contractor 15:39 AVP's 18:12 How drivers are managing Time Commits 20:16 Bulk routes and IC's 23:00 Pre-2.0 Schedule K Incentive 24:30 Questions from Corporate 26:59 Choosing a Staff Mechanic and Shop 29:23 Leasing vs. Owning Trucks 31:52 Routes for Sales & Final Lessons from Greg

  7. Jul 14

    When Efficiency Fails: How FedEx 2.0 Forced Taylor Maness to Start Over

    Connect with us! Jake Hirsch - 541-213-1296 Emily Blair - 515-979-4689 Taylor Maness: Taylor@linehaulnews.com In this episode, Taylor Maness (owner of Linehaul Summit and Linehaul News) sits down with us to break down the real world operational challenges, financial impacts, and growth strategies modern route owners need to know right now. Taylor shares his honest experience navigating the early efficiency hits during his 2.0 rollout, how empowering managers created explosive operation growth, and what 2.0 and the recent FedEx Freight spin off might mean for the future of Linehaul contractors. Plus, we dive into his Custom Critical operation and why community events like the Linehaul Summit are crucial for long-term success. Enjoyed this episode? Please give us a 5-star rating to help other route owners find the channel! 1:57 Effects of 2.0 Transition 5:03 Renegotiation after 2.0 starts 10:17 How to make bulk routes profitable (urban) 12:01 Driver incentives for 2.0 13:51 Tracking fuel efficiency on P&D 16:12 Using Linehaul lessons in P&D 18:04 Getting buy in from your managers and how to recruit 22:31 Managing efficiency metrics 24:14 Effects of 2.0 and FedEx Freight spin off on Linehaul 27:16 Running Custom Critical 30:36 Linehaul Summit and Linehaul News

  8. Jun 30

    FedEx vs. Amazon: Which Logistics Business is Actually Better? (with Don Carthorn)

    Connect with us! Jake (truck sourcing and financing) - 541-213-1296 Emily (used P&D trucks) - 515-979-4689 Ever wondered what it's really like to run both an Amazon DSP and a FedEx CSP simultaneously? In this episode, we sit down with 40-year logistics veteran Don Carthorn. Don pulls back the curtain on what it takes to operate successfully within both the Amazon and FedEx ecosystems. He shares a deep-dive comparison of the two models, breaking down the unique challenges, investment strategies, and equity-building opportunities each one offers. Beyond the numbers, Don explains his core philosophy of putting "people over packages" and how focusing on driver demographics, fair pay structures, and employment laws ultimately transforms a delivery business into a vehicle for changing employees' lives. Whether you are an existing route owner looking to optimize or an aspiring entrepreneur weighing your options, Don’s decades of experience offer invaluable insights you can't afford to miss. 🕒 Key Moments In This Episode00:00 - Introduction 02:15 - 40 Years in Logistics: How Don arrived at Amazon & FedEx 07:30 - FedEx CSP vs. Amazon DSP: The Core Differences 14:45 - The Truth About Building Equity in Delivery Routes 21:10 - Driver Demographics, Pay Structures, & Employment Laws 28:40 - Putting People Over Packages: Leadership Secrets 35:20 - Technology and Route Optimization Tactics 42:00 - Final Advice for Aspiring Logistics Entrepreneurs

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About

Routcast is a podcast built for FedEx Ground contractors — delivering real-world best practices, industry insights, and straight talk for navigating the contractor ecosystem. Hosted by Jake Hirsch and Emily Blair, two insiders with years of hands-on experience working alongside contractors across the United States, Routcast cuts through the noise to bring you the conversations and strategies that actually move the needle in your operation. "FedEx" and "FedEx Ground" are registered trademarks of Federal Express Corporation. Routcast is not endorsed by, recommended by, or affiliated with Federal Express Corporation or FedEx Ground. Federal Express Corporation has not approved and has no involvement with any content, opinions, or information shared on Routcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Jake Hirsch & Emily Blair
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jake Hirsch & Emily Blair
  • Show Website
    RoutCast

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