476: Customized Logistics Solutions to Keep You Moving, with Evans Transportation

John Conrad of Evans Transportation talks about tariffs, navigating challenges, the importance of partnerships; technology; & their customer-centric approach. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.10] John's reflections from the show floor at Home Delivery World. [02.56] An introduction to John, his 20-year career history, and his role as Chief Revenue Officer at Evans Transportation. "We've experienced some pretty athletic growth over the last five years… I'm responsible for our team finding and keeping revenue, it's a big job. And when your President and CEO wants to double in the next five years, it's a really big job!" [04.08] Evan's roots as one of the country's first 100 freight brokers 40 years ago, their evolution, and how they helped pioneer the transportation management system. "There's about 30,000 registered 3PL's and maybe about 30,000 that aren't, working out of their basement or garage. There's no shortage of competition in this space! So it makes it really hard to differentiate." [06.43] An overview of where Evans is now, and how they help their customers. "We continue to be an organization that's focused on our customer… We're a people and technology company, that happens to be in the logistics space." [08.17] The ideal client for Evans Transportation. "From an industry and vertical perspective, we don't have an ideal client. Our ideal client is someone that understands the beauty of working with a partner… And they have to value technology." [09.47] Why Evans is committed to embracing a customer-centric approach, and an inside look at their recent customer advisory panel, the common challenges it exposed, and the surprising answer to the question: 'What's one activity in your organization that you'd like to see never happen again?' [13.04] Some of the biggest opportunities that were revealed at Evans' customer advisory panel, how the technology applications of their Execution Engine helps clients pursue those opportunities, and the importance of collaboration in overcoming shared challenges. [15.24] How tariffs are impacting Evans' clients, and how they're helping them respond. "With the current reprieve, there's a mad dash to make things happen while they can. But we're also seeing a significant amount of hesitation to a commitment on what people are going to do moving forward. There's so much uncertainty… So we're trying to be a problem-solver." [17.58] The ever-evolving world of parcel, and how high customer expectations and carrier changes are creating big challenges for shippers. "From an end customer perspective, your expectations are changing… And the carrier landscape has also evolved… So, from a shipper perspective, they've got to maintain speed, be agile, and they've also got to be sustainable. Not just environmentally, but from a cost perspective." [22.30] The growing problem of cargo theft, and how Evans is helping clients ensure their goods are safe and accounted for while in transit. [25.36] A case study exploring how Evans helped a client struggling with damage on LTL shipments to leverage technology and data and build a solution that reduced handling and dropped their freight claim percentage significantly, whilst also maintaining speed and reducing cost. [29.31] The most significant impending transformation John anticipates for the supply chain and logistics industries, and how Evans is preparing for it.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   Head over to Evans Transportation's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Evans and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or X (Twitter), or you can connect with John on LinkedIn.