To discuss recent changes and the evolution of the industry, in addition to celebrating 17 years in business, Spot co-founders, Andrew Elsener and Andy Schenck, brought together a handful of the company’s most tenured employees for an off-site roundtable at one of their favorite Indianapolis restaurants, Harry & Izzy’s.
With over 130 years of collective logistics experience sitting around the table, the group reminisced about the days of handwritten rate confirmations, manual check calls, and cold McDonald’s meals, and traced the pivotal moments that transformed Spot into one of the nation’s largest logistics providers.
The conversation had a single throughline, whether talking about technology, office space, or new challenges; Spot would not be where it is without its people.
The freight market continues to send mixed signals. AI and data center construction are driving demand while manufacturing remains in expansion territory. At the same time, carrier capacity continues to contract, operating costs are rising, and diesel has reached a record high.
Spot rates have eased from recent highs, but remain well above last year. Here’s a look at the forces shaping the market, and what to watch next.
Cold calling in a hyper-competitive market isn’t about running through a rigid script—it’s about pattern interrupts, building rapport, and mastering sales conversations under pressure.
In a recent podcast episode, Andrew Elsener, Co-Founder of Spot, sat down with Dr. Stefanie Boyer, a Professor at Bryant University and Co-Founder of RNMKRS, to unpack modern sales strategies and AI-driven training.
The freight market is sending a clear signal: shippers are paying more to move less, while available capacity continues to contract. Manufacturing demand remains uneven, intermodal is taking share from long-haul truckload, and rising operating costs are putting additional pressure on carriers.
At the same time, regulatory enforcement is removing capacity from the market, while diesel prices have moved back above $5 per gallon.
Here’s what matters now.
In the latest episode of More Than a Broker, Spot Co-Founder, Andrew Elsener, sits down with two of Spot’s industry veterans and Senior National Account Directors, Theo Mascari and Alex Buening, to break down today’s unpredictable freight environment.
Market Update.
In logistics, data is abundant but converting it into actionable foresight is where the real challenge lies. In this episode of More Than a Broker, Spot Co-Founder, Andrew Elsner, spoke with Jonathan Starks, CEO of FTR Transportation Intelligence, to make sense of current market cycles, regulatory headwinds, and what lies ahead for freight capacity.
Here are the key takeaways from their conversation.
The freight market continues its shift toward carrier favorability as shrinking capacity (not surging freight volumes) drives tighter conditions across North America. AI infrastructure investments are fueling growth in specialized freight, while higher operating costs and fewer available trucks are pushing spot rates to their highest levels in years.
Here’s what shippers should be watching heading into the second half of 2026.
For decades, the logistics industry operated on a relatively straightforward legal assumption: if a freight broker checked that a motor carrier was authorized to haul by the federal government, they had done their due diligence.
But following the Supreme Court’s Montgomery decision, that “Wild West” era of simple rate confirmations and hands-off onboarding is over.
In a recent episode of the More Than a Broker podcast, Spot Co-Founder, Andrew Elsener, sat down with transportation attorney, Nathaniel Saylor, to discuss the Montgomery decision, and how to survive the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” of modern negligent selection lawsuits.
Market Update.
The freight market is becoming increasingly bifurcated. Consumer demand is showing signs of fatigue under the weight of persistent inflation and high borrowing costs, while industrial freight tied to AI infrastructure, power generation, and semiconductor investment continues to accelerate. Meanwhile, regulatory enforcement, rising operating costs, and tightening capacity are pushing pricing power back toward carriers.
Here’s what matters now.
There are many issues impacting the trucking landscape that it’s hard to keep up.
In a recent episode of the More Than a Broker podcast, host Andrew Elsener sat down with Jason Miller, a leading supply chain professor and logistics economist to discuss those issues.
What ensued wasn’t just a standard market update; it was a masterclass in the invisible mechanics fracturing today’s supply chains.
If you haven’t listened to the full episode, here is a high-level look at who Jason Miller is, and the critical market realities you are likely misjudging right now, and why listening to the full discussion is non-negotiable for anyone defending a transportation budget to the C-suite.
Market Update.