
Everything is Logistics
A podcast for the thinkers in freight. Everything is Logistics is hosted by Blythe Brumleve and we're telling the stories behind how your favorite stuff (and people!) get from point A to B.
Industry topics include freight, logistics, transportation, maritime, warehousing, intermodal, and trucking along with the intersection of technology and marketing within the industry.
126k downloads and rated as a top 5% podcast out of all industries and growing. Follow along to stay curious and become a better thinker in freight.
Everything is Logistics
What It Takes to Build a Driver-First Freight Business
The logistics industry can often feel like a numbers game, but Linda Carrion is here to remind us it’s always been about the people, especially the drivers.
In this episode, Linda shares how she went from medical assistant to CEO of two freight companies, why her approach to leadership is grounded in empathy, and how local networks like the Propeller Club are changing the business landscape in Jacksonville.
Whether you’re building a freight business or just trying to hold on during a tough market, Linda’s story offers real talk and practical advice.
Key takeaways:
- The agent model gave Linda the safety net to grow her business without sacrificing independence.
- Building trust and transparency with drivers leads to better retention and long-term reliability.
- Intermodal operations are anything but cookie-cutter and require constant problem-solving.
- Local organizations like the Propeller Club play a critical role in fostering freight community connections.
LINKS:
- Linda's LinkedIn
- Carry-on Transportation Solutions Website
- JAXPORT Website
- TALON Jax Website
- Propeller Club - Port of Jacksonville Website
Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.
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The drivers have always been an important part for me. I feel like it's one of the most unappreciated positions that there is. They're the backbone of our industry. You know, we can have as much freight as we want, as many containers coming in, as many loads as we want, but we don't. We don't have those drivers to go and grab them and move them. We're toast.
Blythe Brumleve:Welcome into another episode of everything is logistics, a podcast for the thinkers in freight. I'm your host, Blythe Milligan. We were proudly presented by SPI logistics, and we've got another great episode for y'all today we have Linda Carrion. She is the CEO of Carry-on Transportation Solutions and also Orion Intermodal Services. And we're going to be talking about taking that entrepreneurial leap into logistics. We're also going to be talking about working as a woman in a male dominated industry. And then finally, we are going to be talking about the power of local networking, and how a lot of y'all, including myself, have been sleeping on that power of local networking. So Linda, welcome to the show.
Linda Carrion:Thanks, Blythe for having me here today. I've been so excited to join your podcast. We've known each other for a while, and I've seen the podcast that you have done throughout these past couple of years, and it's been amazing the people that you have had on so to be one of your guests is such a privilege.
Blythe Brumleve:The pleasure is all mine, because you're out here in the trenches, you're building up an amazing company here locally in Jacksonville that services companies all really, all around the United States, maybe globally as well, considering your affiliations with the port. So it was about damn time that I had you on the show. So what one thing that I wanted to just kind of set the stage for is that for a lot of folks that come into this industry, you kind of come into it by accident, or you come into it by going to, you know, four years of schooling and then entering into a job, and you find out everything you learned at school doesn't actually apply until you actually get start working in that role. But you came from the medical field, right? And then you had a temp, the temp job as a receptionist at a logistics company. Is that
Linda Carrion:right? That's right. That's right. So, or you're you come from the family, either the dads were truck drivers, or they owned a company, trucking company, and that's how they got into it. I always tell everybody I have never, I never looked at the logistics industry like, oh my god, that's so sexy. That's what I want to do. Never. But I was a medical assistant. I actually managed three offices in Miami for a gastroenterologist. So it was really, really great. It was great pay, great job. But I was a single mom at the time, and had to move back home just to have that familiarity, because I was I had my daughter's dad over there, but he was not present. So to move back and have that resources available to me, the familiarity of at least I know where I'm going where I am. The stability brought me back to Jacksonville, and yeah, I got a temp job as a as a receptionist at a third party logistics company owned by Paul Robbins. Actually rest in peace. He's actually, we lost him earlier this year. Yeah, he's such a trailblazer in the industry. It was a huge loss one of my first mentors, his wife, Julie Robbins. What an amazing, amazing woman. I mean, talk about strength. I think she was one of the first women in the industry that showed me what you can do if you are honest, stick to your word and take care of your customers. And I think that her drive and her the way that she just trailblazed through anything like there was nobody could tell her anything. And it was just amazing. The knowledge and and the confidence that she carried herself with, it was very, very admirable. And she took me under her wing, you know, I, I was there just answering phones. You know, one of her first lessons to me that I'll never forget, is, you know, when you answer the phone, you answer with a smile. She's like, I don't care if you're in the worst mood. I don't care if it's raining outside. It's always a great day at Caribbean shipping. It's Always Sunny. It's beautiful here. So when you answer the phone, you answer with a smile. And it's so true, like, if you think about it, when you talk to someone, you already know their attitude through that phone, through the voice, the tone that they give you, you already know if it's going to be a good conversation or this is just not going to go very well. So I noticed that a lot, and she would literally stand by my desk and watch me while the phone rang, so I could pick it up, and I'll have a smile on my face when I picked it up. But she was an amazing, amazing mentor. I was able to learn so much from her and so many other women in the industry that have paved the way for for me and myself. You know, it has always been a male dominated field. It's still very male dominated, but there have been women before me that have brought me to a place where I am today. You. Know, and it's truly a blessing and amazing.
Blythe Brumleve:And being a receptionist, because I started off at a three PL as a receptionist, then I moved into the executive assistant role, but those roles like you are the front line of the business. You hear everything, you work with everyone, and I think that experience really helps whenever you do take the entrepreneurial leap, because you're kind of used to managing it all already, and then you get flipped into the entrepreneurial, you know, CEO role, and you gotta manage everything all over again, just with, you know, sometimes higher stakes, and you're the one responsible for, you know, the the money that's coming in and the money that's going out. I'm curious, whenever you were in that role, was there a moment that you said to yourself, Okay, this, this is the industry
Linda Carrion:for me. Yes, it was extremely fast paced, and the day went by so quick, like, before you knew it, it was already five o'clock, and I still had, like, 10 bookings to finish. And I'm like, Oh my God, there's not enough time, you know. So I think, and then every day is different, you know, every day you're facing different, even till today, I've been in the industry 17 years, and something happens, or I'm like, Oh, my God, have 30 minutes to solve this problem, or the port's closing, that's it. I'm done. Now. I have to pay$300 because we made a mistake, you know. So it's constant, constantly moving. It's there's never a dull moment. I've worked in every I've been lucky enough to work in every different position, I would say, in the industry, which has brought me to where I am today. And thankfully, I've been three years strong in the company because of that background. You know, I started from the bottom, as a receptionist learning how to that customer interaction, like you said, that face, how you being that first person they talk to is so important, such a representation of the business, to the operation side, to the warehousing side, to managing the people that work in the warehouses, to the trucks, you know, to everything where it kind of segues itself into one another. And you have, I at least have a broader picture of what it is that the customer needs, because I'm not just thinking, Okay, I have to take that for me to be and that's it. I'm done. But once I take it to B, do you need help getting it to C or to D? You know, like, how can I help? How can I you use me as a resource and also honoring the people that have come past before me, you know, I don't. I didn't come into the industry to say, you know, I'm going to take everybody's business and I'm going to be like this big thing. I feel like people that have good partners should stay with their partners. And I tell them all the time, you know, stay with your partners. If they've been good partners to you, they're doing, keeping you at ease. Keep them, you know, come to me, if, God forbid, something happens, their truck breaks down, I can help you. I'll be, I'll be a resource, you know, but not trying to put other people down or trying to push people away. It's always about lifting people up, you know, we can all do this. There's more than that. There's so much cargo coming into this place. You know, so much cargo, so supporting the smaller businesses, pushing other smaller businesses, keeping that network, like you said, within the city and here, you know, my, most of my, a lot of my customers aren't here, but some are. And I try to emphasize the fact that I am here. I want to help bring this revenue into Jacksonville, keep people coming to Jacksonville, and keep growing it
Blythe Brumleve:from there. I love that. I feel like that's such a mic drop moment. We were only getting started, though, because you're when I first met you, I think you were working in the safety department, and that the safety department was always the most challenging when I worked in house at a three PL with because you you their company lives or dies by the safety department. If you can't get drivers, you know, trained up and qualified and retain them and, you know, keep them happy over a long period of time, then your company is, is kind of toast. And we're, I think we're seeing that, you know, in the market today, where retention is so challenging and recruiting is so challenging, but that I maybe was like the first part of maybe your career, whenever you are focusing on the, you know, the driver side of things. Is that a safe assumption, or has the driver really always been, you know, kind of important to you and the companies you worked at and now the company that you own,
Linda Carrion:drivers have always been an important part for me. I feel like it's one of the most unappreciated positions that there is. There's they're the backbone of our industry. You know, we can have as much freight as we want, as many containers coming in, as many loads as we want, but we don't. We don't have those drivers to go and grab them and move them. We're toast, you know, but they are, and they're out there. They're in the heat here in Florida, sometimes without air conditioning, sitting in those ports for four to six to eight hours just to get one container like it's just amazing how involved they are and how underappreciated they are. And I saw it as as I went through from company to company. You know, there were companies that they actually cared for, the drivers that I learned from, and there are companies that they just use them as a number. I was just like, Fine, excuse me, leave. We'll find another one. We have 50. You know, 50 in the in in the waiting list. It's alright. And that always resonated with me also. You know, there's a lot of Hispanics that are in the industry that drive and the communication part was a big part of it, too. You know, they would get in trouble because they wouldn't understand certain things or certain words that just it doesn't relate, you know. And when you're working in the warehouse and you have the warehouse guys shouting at you and your dispatcher shouting at you and you don't know which one to go. It's very frustrating for them. So I think that that was the part that kind of hit home, mostly is the drivers. My drivers have been with me. Majority of them have been with me since day one. Oh, wow, and for the past three years. And, you know, we're like family. I treat them like family. They have a say and what we have going on, you know, there have full transparency on what I have going on here in the business, whether it's good or whether it's bad. You know, bad news happen, like it's just the industry, you know, like when the tariffs happen, this completely changed my business, completely, you know, so going through through those sides and being able to communicate with the drivers and them feeling like they're part of something instead of just being sent and not even worried about and disregarded. I think that was the biggest, biggest part
Blythe Brumleve:for me. And do you think that that, I guess mindset across the industry has kind of shifted dramatically over the last couple of years, or is it just kind of being sped up now, where there's maybe, like a large, almost disrespect towards the driver?
Linda Carrion:I think it's a little bit in both sides. I think that the manufacturing side, the part that doesn't deal with the transportation side, doesn't see the damage that it causes the drivers. You know, for example, right now we have such we're in a recession like we have. So everything is so expensive, food is so expensive, yet our rates are to the floor. You know, these guys are hardly making any any money. Since the tariff thing happened, our business here in Jacksonville has slowed down for a lot of us, and the driver isn't being taken into consideration. They still have to run that truck. They if that truck breaks down, they're in for 1000s of dollars. It's not a quick fix. It's not a quick bolt, you know, like, it's super expensive. And I don't think that people are aware when they're making decisions of what's going on in the industry and how things are moving, how it affects them and their livelihood, and us as owners of also businesses that provide for them, the work for them, but also at the same time, we are also shifting into a new generation. So you know, before, when it was paper logs. You had a lot of people that were not go to school, and they would just, you know, come to work. So they were treated, not right? Because they're like, Well, what else are you gonna do? But now you have E logs. Now you have to know technology. Now you have to kind of be more aware, right? So the people that are coming into our industry are more educated. Education has grown a lot from back in the days, and I think that now companies are understanding they have to do more for the driver. In order to keep the driver around, you have to do more for the driver. You have to appreciate the driver. You have to take care of the driver. If not, it's going to be a revolving door the whole time. And there's only so much so long you can last that way. You know, like, you can last that way. You sure can. You can make some money and you can, you can make a business out of it. But there's only so many drivers that you can filter through that company, and there's only so many accounts that you can fail so many times before people are just like, You know what? You're just not reliable. And I think that that's a big part. Like, when you see companies that don't have longevity in their drivers. I think it's a telltale sign, because if you're taking care of your drivers, your drivers will take care of you. What?
Blythe Brumleve:What does, I guess, the present day driver care about the most. I mean, obviously pay is one of them. And you know, we were all kind of sitting around waiting for those rates to go back up, except for shippers. Shippers are enjoying their their time right now, but their come up, it's will probably come later on this year, hopefully, as you know, soon not come up. And I guess I should say, I probably should say that a little
Linda Carrion:bit more politically correct the market. When the
Blythe Brumleve:market flips, and, you know, rates are more in the favor of it just become more fair for for the drivers, in particular, what, I guess, matters to drivers and keeps them, as you know, retained to a company, so your company doesn't have to worry about going out and recruiting new drivers. What? What keeps your drivers working with you? I
Linda Carrion:think communication and honesty, like I said, you know, we go through good highs and we. Go through lows. But I'm constantly communicating with them. I'm letting them know what the market looks like, what other thing, you know, what other companies look like? They see it at the port. When they're at the port. We communicate constantly, you know? I don't, I don't go into the port. So I'll ask them, like, Hey, how's the port looking? Are there a lot of trucks that are like, Oh, no, Linda, there's like, two trucks in front of me and two trucks behind me. I'm like, Yes, I'm not the only one. Okay, I can breathe, you know, because you get kind of anxiety, like, is it that my, you know, my work is not coming, but it's just that it's just so slow. And then you have the point, the times when it's so busy, and so everybody's going to the port, so you have 1000s of trucks trying to get into the port. Now you're stuck there for hours. So it's, it's just the balance is just so off, you know, and in such a predictable market that we used to
Blythe Brumleve:be, yeah, it's one of the, especially from a business standpoint, I think it's been one of the most challenging markets that I've ever witnessed. And so if anybody is still, you know, in business, you know, it's, you must be doing something right, because it is incredibly challenging. At the moment, I want to dig into, you know, a little bit more details about what Carry-on does, what Orion does. I admittedly don't know much about intermodal. I mean, obviously I know you know the basics of, you know intermodal, but I would love to know, like, what the nuances are within your company. Of you know, because you started Carry-on transportation. But then you also have Orion, why the need for for two separate companies in that regard?
Linda Carrion:So I'm an agent for the Evans network of companies, the Evans network of companies and agent based companies. So Orion belongs to them. So what they provide me is they provide me the motor carrier authority to be able to run the trucks, as well as the back office support. Technology wise, they provide the safety department side so E logs, ELDs, everything, onboarding, anything that helps me to be able to run my business. So I run my business solo, and I would have not be able to do that solo without Evans, you know. And I actually worked for corporate for Evans. So when I was a field safety manager, I was a field safety manager for Sun tech, and then Evans bought the sun the asset side of Sun tech, so I became an Evans employee, ah, and then I was promoted to Southeast Regional Director of Sales and Agent relations, and so I was able to travel through the southeast and see different agents and kind of see what it was all about. And the thought of having my own company came years prior to that, but I don't know what came into me at that point. I think my the drivers that are currently with me would call me every once in a while and be like, so when are you opening something like, we're ready to work for you, you know, like they work for me before years, like I would help them. So they're like, you know, when are you doing this? When are we going to work for you again? And that just kept ringing in my head, and something pushed me. And I talked, I have a lot of mentors and friends in the industry that have been just so amazing. And I sat and talked to a few of them, you know. And it's funny, because a lot of them are like, well, Linda, you know, when you when you go and you want to do stuff like that, you want to do it slow, you know? You want to make sure that you're set up before you pick that jump. It's a big jump, you know. And I listen to everything everybody had to say. But then I have a big ethics background to me, and I just didn't want to sneak around or do things that were not right. So I to the the CEO Bo Bates from Evans. I had a conversation with him, and I was like, Listen, this is what my dream is. I would love to go and on my own and do my own thing, but if you feel like I'm my value is better served here for you, for now, that's fine. I'll stay. But I just wanted to have a conversation with me, with you. And he supported me all the way. He supported me all the way. And he was like, you know, as long as the person that you're working for at the moment, just Andy Pyatt, which I absolutely love, amazing, one of my best bosses yet, and he completely supported me also, you know, so having that support and that belief system, I just jumped in cold feet, middle of the ocean. Nobody around to take me out of it in a lifeguard just straight jump in feet first. And I am so happy I did.
Blythe Brumleve:Yeah, I, you know, shout out to the men who kind of maybe will push us out of our comfort zones because I had a very similar experience. I can't believe I've never actually talked about this personally, but I before I launched my business, my former mentor a shout out. I'll steal. Love you. He is over at Scott's logistics group, I believe, now, which I need to call him, but that's another that's another note, but he was the one who said it's time for me to push you out of the nest. It's time for you to do your own thing, because I know that you want to be here and you're not going to you're not going to be able to grow within this company. And so I think it's really important, you know, for I mean, obviously female mentors are insanely important, and you can relate to them on a totally different level than men. But when the men are supporting the women in this industry too, I think it just, it goes just an extra mile because they, I don't know, it's just something about them, like wanting to push us out of our comfort zone, 100%
Linda Carrion:this way it it's so encouraging. You know, it really is. Now, you said Al Steele, was he? Is he? Is he with the pilots? Is he captain?
Blythe Brumleve:No, no. He different. Al Steele. So he was with a company called elites transportation elites, and he was also with a company called VEC Sure. They sold off to Nyk logistics, and then he started elites. Elites was open for about five years, and then, unfortunately, it was devastating for everybody whenever it closed down. But there, I don't think that there is a transportation company in Jacksonville that doesn't have some employees that have worked for Al. So there's he is his footprint, I think, in this industry, just is almost like a silent footprint, because even, like, one of his top sales guys went on to found Armstrong Transportation Group, and now they're a billion dollar entity, and it's just, it's amazing the the people that were at that company. But unfortunately, you know, I guess lots of people maybe can relate to a company closing, unfortunately, can relate to that
Linda Carrion:man. I'm telling you, things can happen so quickly, and they can turn so quickly too, especially in this industry, right? And so when you and that's one of the things too, with being with Evans, is that's kind of that safety net too, because great point on motor carrier authority and your own insurance. And one accident can shut you down, one to, you know, one fatality, you're done. You're absolutely done. I don't think people understand how crucial that is in this business.
Blythe Brumleve:The agent model is, I wish I knew about it when I was working in house, because that that feels like something that would be right up my alley. Because you do have, you know, that kind of the safety net of launching your own business, but you still have the freedom to kind of figure it out yourself, but you still have the added bonus of, like, mentors that can help you along the way,
Linda Carrion:just one phone call away. I mean, it's, it's amazing. It really is, as opposed to doing it. I mean, still, I still do it myself, right? Because the operations still have to be done. You know, you're on your your own marketing team. You're on your own receipt, accounts receivables and making sure you're getting paid. And they have, they help with that too, but you know, we're responsible for that as well. And payroll, you know, making sure our drivers are getting paid, the settlements, onboarding, we still have to do all the stuff, but I couldn't imagine doing without him.
Blythe Brumleve:Yeah, so, so for Orion, you know, with being, you know, the intermodal side, what is one thing that you wish that more people understood about the intermodal slash drayage side of freight, that
Linda Carrion:it's not a cookie cutter thing. You know, I think that every day is like I said, it's different. We have a military operation here in JaxPort as well. And sometimes, because of the military operations, the gates will stop for them, or there will be delays in the gates to be able to go in and out, and which causes delays. So I could have an 11 o'clock appointment, and people are like, Oh, it's fine. It's right there. It's 10 miles. But my driver's been there since 630 in the morning and probably will not get out till like, three in the afternoon. They're not making that 11 o'clock and, you know, it kind of gets they get frustrated as a customer. So I explain it though I'm like, This is how it is. I show e logs. You know, I'm very educational when it comes to that, because there's a lot of people that won't educate the customer. Educate the customer. You're just like, it is what it is. They have more, you know, I have to move on. Let's go. You know, when can you get it or not? That's it, you know. Like, this is very straightforward. This is not, we're not beating around the bush, you know, we're not making you happy or comfortable. This is, we gotta move. We gotta go. But I like to educate my customers and like, Listen, this is what's going on. Or if the port's telling us, like, hey, there's a delay, I'm like, Hey, FYI, shipments are going to be delayed today. Or even the drivers, you know, like, I'll let the drivers know, because some of them won't even know until they get there and they're like, Oh my God, what's going on? Wow. Doing an air modal, you know, in the rails, the rails are way, much quicker. So then we do the port stuff. So whenever the port is extremely congested, if I have something in the rail, we'll wait to do the port stuff and go do the rail stuff, because we're going to be stuck there anyway all day. And that'll at least help us, you know. And that's where the logistics side comes in, where you have to move things around last minute. What's going to work? What's not going to work? How are we pivoting from what we originally had planned? Because now we just got thrown something else our way.
Blythe Brumleve:And so for your company, you you really work like you're not just, you know, I don't want to say just a local company, because Jacksonville is very much like a logistics powerhouse, you know, across the nation. But. You were working with, you know, some major, major jacksport. And then you also have all of these different affiliations locally here. There's the talent group, which is almost like a coalition of the different local associations. And then you also are pivotal in the leadership within the Jacksonville propeller club. Can you tell us a little bit about what the propeller club is and how it you know, maybe got started here locally, and why, I guess, the importance of those, those local groups that might that maybe some people might overlook
Linda Carrion:absolutely so the propeller club is an international club. It was established in 1927 and, no, I lie. 1930 if I'm not mistaken, I may be wrong. No, somewhere around there, yeah, seven in New York, it was established as an actual club. It started like as a group of men just meeting together and, you know, discussing business, and actually became a transportation club. So in 2027 we will have the 100th year anniversary in New York for the New York, the International Club. That was the first founding club. Jacksonville was founded in November of 1930 so maybe November 17, if I'm not mistaken, of 1930 so we'll be 95 years this November. And it also started. It was just men. If you go down the president list, you'll see when the women started. It wasn't that long ago, taking leadership so that we've been around for quite a while. We are a non profit, all ran by volunteers. There's one position that we hold that was a temporary position, which we're turning it into a full time position now, because we there's so much demand, and there's but it's a concentrated in the maritime industry, and pushing the maritime industry as well as our logistics partners, because we all work together. You know, you have the Coast Guard out there guarding our shorelines. You have the pilots, you have CBP, you have so many different entities that are here to guard us, to keep us safe and to get our cargo in here, the captains that are bringing it in, in the vessels, and guiding the vessels, you know the shore, the Longshoremen. We have a shortage of longshoremen here since World War Two, and it's still going on. So we try to push that as much as we can, we have an endowment currently with UNF and we are, I'm going to be signing an endowment in the next month with Kaiser University, which is amazing. We're so excited that we're moving forward in that in that direction, and we also support AMI kids here in Jacksonville. So nurturing our future our students is very important to us. They are the future of the companies here. We want to keep them here. We want to keep them in Jacksonville. We want to show them that they can do it here. They can work for international companies and still stay here and do wonderful things. You know, I mean, Jack sport alone, the team in JaxPort, is amazing. I've been working with them for years. And just being able to have that community, the logistics community, as much as it's huge, it's very small, as you know, Blythe
Blythe Brumleve:Word travels, it's
Linda Carrion:very small. So it's it's really good to be a part of it, and the people that will be there to help you grow, to help push you forward, is integral. JaxPort is one of our main supporters for the propeller club, as well as other big companies here in town, and nurturing the future, I think, is something that we all have in common and that we give most of our time to, and it's what we need. I mean, if I look back when I started, there was nobody to tell me, Hey, you should look into transportation. Or this may be something that works for you, you know. And I tell even the students I'm like, even if you're because we do also the business side, comes to some of the meetings for the clubs, because to the student clubs, and we tell them, like, even if you do marketing, there's marketing and logistics. We need it. Logistics, we need it. There's sales, there's everything that you could possibly do another location. In other places, you could do it here too. You know, it's just not as attractive. It's not a marketed industry. Nobody really puts it out. There's no ads, really, for it. If you think about it, you know, really, you kind of
Blythe Brumleve:just fall into it. I mean, the unless you, you know, to your point earlier, and if you have family that is involved, I mean, my I was working as a waitress, and my cousin was like, You need to get a real job. And had like, 24 or 25 she's like, come be this assistant at this company I work for. And that's how she got me in. But you're so right. There's no you don't even really think about these things. I mean, I can't, growing up in Jackson. I can't tell you how many times I drove past jacksport, you know, maybe you're going to the zoo or the airport, and you drive over that bridge and you're like, oh, there's some cranes. Like, oh, that's the port. Like, you don't really think twice about it until, you know, I
Linda Carrion:think what a power it is, right? Infrastructure that it provides to Jacksonville is just. Amazing. And I think, I think you're absolutely right, just not having that knowledge. I mean, look at us as a propeller club. We've been around for 95 years, and 95% of Jacksonville doesn't know
Blythe Brumleve:who we are. I'm ashamed to admit that it wasn't until I met you that I knew what the prop Club was. I'd heard of, you know, the local transportation club of Jacksonville, but I didn't know. Frankly, working at an asset based trucking company, I didn't know much about intermodal. I didn't know much about maritime. So it's so important for groups like this to exist, to be able to educate not just the folks outside of the industry, but inside the industry too. Because I think we're so used to working in silos, where we need to it benefits everyone to share that information. So kudos to you, especially from your leadership positions with working with the prop club, because this is you're you're coming up on what your third year as president?
Linda Carrion:Yes, yes. So next week we'll be doing, usually, we'll do a change of command, but since I'm keeping the command, we've changed it to crew change. Because there's some people that are coming off the board, but there's new people coming on the board as well, so that we're super excited about. But I am staying with the presidency just to help kind of establish it a little bit more. Doing the volunteer work is extremely hard, you know, I think being a family member, not even just a parent, you know, like just a person and having a full time job and in, especially in these industries, right? Because a lot of the people that are in this industry is not eight to five. We are not bankers hours, you know, there's people, especially that are working with people overseas, that are up at one two in the morning, because they have to talk to China, you know, or they have to talk to somebody in in Asia, and they have to get up earlier, or whatever the case is, so it's not a it's or you have a truck delivering to a Walmart and you need a lumper and somebody there's a driver waiting for you. So you don't have set times and schedules to be able to, to set a time apart, to volunteer too, you know, like you have your full time job, you have all of these things going on. You have your family. Some people have kids, you know, so having so many responsibilities, and then to take a volunteer position that is important, you know, very important to have to have to even set that time apart. And that dedication is a lot. So I do give my hats off to the people that do volunteer, because it is a huge commitment, and it also takes away time from themselves and their family, you know. And keeping a club open for 95 years and being able to take it this far takes a lot of work, takes a lot of people giving up their times with their families, and a lot of dedication and a lot of people putting service before themselves, you know. And sometimes it's not going to happen, you know. There's going to be times we've had people that have not been able to continue on because they had a job change and now their responsibilities are different, or their position changes in their in their company, and now they have all these things to do, and they have to, unfortunately, take a step back because they're so overwhelmed, you know, but yet they still show up. And I that's like, I think that's one of the biggest thing that that really took me. We had one, one of our board members, you know, she couldn't do it because she had so many responsibilities, but she stayed as a board member, even though she couldn't go to a higher position, she stayed as a board member. She still shows up. She supports fully, you know. And I think that that's a challenge, especially for somebody when you're like, Okay, this is what I'm going to do. This is what I'm proposing myself to do. And then something comes in completely takes it away. And instead of just giving up on it, she was just kind of like, okay, not right now, because this is priority, but I'm still here, and that meant so much, you know, and just people showing up means so much. People call me, you know, from the board, like being part of that community, also, you know, being a business owner and working on my by myself all the time, I have my drivers that I talk to, but mostly by myself, being able to have them and, like, check in, like, Hey, is everything good? What do you need? How can I help and be part of that community that you formed? Is truly amazing. It really is.
Blythe Brumleve:Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head, because there's so much time, especially as a business owner, there's so many times when you are doing it all alone that when you go to an in person event, that's when you feel almost like more at home, like you can breathe a little because you can connect with other people that are going through the same things, that understand the industry that you're in and the lingo that you're talking and you know, most people don't know all of the chaos that's going on in freight and logistics. But when you go to to these events, you know, you're you're with your people, and that has, like, such a value that I don't think is it can't be measured in any kind of, like, bank statement, but I am curious, like, relative to that question, you know. So what kind of, I guess, networking opportunities, connections you've made with local groups that help you run your business?
Linda Carrion:Well, I could tell you a testimonial right now. So I've had, I actually had one of the guys that is coming up. He's going to be my vice president of programs, Tanner, he was helping me find a location, because my lease was up in the other place that I was at, and it was in a great place, you know, it was mostly a dirt lot. The guys hated it, and they still stood with me, though they they hated it. They're like us out of here, you know, we can't even wash the trucks because it looks dirty again as soon as we drive in. So we looked for another location, and I almost signed a contract that would have not been a good decision, like whatsoever. But then I stayed back, and I was like, Listen, I don't know. Something's telling me just not to do it right now. Let me just wait a little bit longer and we'll see. And then sure enough, a few weeks later, he calls me. He's like, Linda, I think I have a place for you. I was like, Get out of here. He's like, Yeah, I think I do give me, like, two more days. I was like, okay, cool. So, so he actually, through the networking events, met the the CEO of flexcold. He's just a huge warehousing facility here in Jacksonville, and they had a phase one where they had their offices while they built the warehousing side. And then when the fate, they also built the phase two, which was a bigger side of offices for to be accommodated of the big warehouse. So he was touring the place, and she told him how Phase One was basically empty because, you know, they they're all in phase two, and they didn't know what they were going to do with the spot. And he's like, Oh, I know exactly what you can do with the spot. You know, Linda's president of the propeller club, and she's looking and through that connection. Now, I'm here. They gave me a great deal. My trucks are here in a paved lot, secured, fenced around lot, and they are so happy. And we're, like, really close to the port, which makes it so much easier to be able to turn our freight. And we partnered with Flex code as far as their transloading services. So we help each other out. And I think that that's that was a huge part of it. And a lot of other people that are in the propeller club can have testimonies, testimonials like this, you know, I think you get a certain kind of credibility when you've been around the industry and you've networked, and people could say, Yeah, I believe in in her. You know, same thing with equipment, you know, you have to be business, has to be in business probably two years before anybody will think about leasing anything to you. And because of the relationships I had, I was able to get lease on equipment months in before, when I when I first started, which was such a benefit. You know, the guy's like, oh, yeah, I know. I've seen you online all the time, like, yeah, that's me.
Blythe Brumleve:Well, I think you're hinting at something that is, it's trust is built like brick by brick. And I think that with all of the experience that you've been talking about, you know, working in house, and then starting your own company, and then moving to, you know, grow and expand and take care of your drivers, where your drivers are following you, no matter if you're in a dirt lot or you, you you get the you get the come up, and you get to go to a, you know, a nicer facility. And I think that that means a lot to folks, when you can grow together, and especially from, like, the local networking side of things, which I admittedly have just dropped the ball on because I really got this show started, or I got started podcasting, you know, in during COVID. And so during that time, it was just kind of like, What the hell do we do? We can't go anywhere. We can't talk to anybody in person. But now it's evolved into, you know, something that I, gosh, I just really like admire from afar, because it's not just this group that you're a part of with, with the prop club, you're, you're also, there's another group in town called talent, and that is a, like a coalition of different transportation clubs. Is that, like a first of its kind? Is the first that I've heard of them?
Linda Carrion:Yeah, so it is the first of its kind, because usually everybody stays within their club. People are trying to grab members. You know, we're all trying to survive, but between Jeff price and Ike Sherlock, years ago, I was very excited to be part of that everybody knows Ike Sherlock, we were able to sign the agreement between all the clubs to come together and kind of form a partnership. And we meet once a quarter. We discuss locations of different events. We give each other ideas. We give to let each other know when we're doing events, the dates. So then, that way, we're kind of not on top of each other. Sometimes you can't help it. It just the way that it happens. But most of the time, that's what we're looking at. That's what talent has been able to. Help us with is kind of coordinate events. Give not only the clubs the opportunity to have their days and their events, but also our members, you know, because we do have members that flux through different clubs, which is great. I think each club has something different to give, and their communities are just amazing. The leaders are just out of this world, you know, like, you meet some really, really impressive people out here. I was also part of B I was, I had the privilege of being part of women's mentoring Monday for the Jacksonville Business Journal. And this is, this my second year that I get to do that. And I absolutely love it. And I tell them all the time, I'm like, This is amazing that you're here today. I'm like, you know, there's so many people out there that look for these celebrities and want to talk to these celebrities, and all the way, what I would give to talk to them and get five minutes with Jay Z and I'm like, you know, how many producers you have here in Jacksonville? How many, like rock stars are here that can you can sit down with and get a good conversation where it doesn't have to wait, you know, go out there talk to people. You have so many people here that have so much knowledge to share. A lot of them are kind enough to even mentor a lot of people, you know, and anybody coming up in any kind of business always just go talk to them. They're human too. It started at one point also, you know, like it's okay, I know it's scary. It was scary for me. The first time that I shifted from operations to business development, sales was so scary. It was the most scariest thing I did in my life. I was used to giving orders, just barking orders around, telling people what to do. People come to me needing stuff. So it'd be me, you know, like, so it wasn't me going out and asking, you know, like, and asking for business and trying to make a relationship like I was always sought out after when I was in operations. So flipping to that side and having the boss that I had that was just like, you know, you should do sales. You know you're really good. You already know your stuff there. There's no better sales person than an operations person, because they've been there, they've done that. They know and most people that you're going to go to sell, they're going to smell it if you are bullshitting my language, or they're going to know it. I was like, I was so scared. And I was like, okay, so what do I do? And he was like, well, go, go drive around, talk to people. Oh, my God, what? I must admit, I cried a couple times in a couple parking lots before going in. And then, you know, just had to shake it off and be like, Okay, it's going to be fine. The worst thing they could say is, no, that's it. And like being my own, I think that's when I started becoming my own therapist, and kind of walking myself through things, even, you know, emotionally, and telling myself it's okay just do it. And that's how I started learning. I mean, networking for me was the scariest thing in the world. I would walk into rooms and just like be paralyzed because I would not know who to talk to. I didn't, I didn't feel like I was good enough to be in the rooms. I felt like I had imposter syndrome all the way. I was like, Oh my God, they're going to probably ask me something so smart, and I'm going to be here like, I don't know, you know, but it was never anything like that. It was always so great. There's things that happen, you know, embarrassing moments that happen when those things come about too. I went to a Jacksonville Business Journal, my first Jacksonville Business Journal event, and my boss told me that morning, there's an event today. You just need to go. I was like, okay, that's fine. Luckily, I'm dressed, you know, great. So I go to the event. I'm wearing this beautiful highlighter pink shirt, and these pants that have pink lines on gray pants, pink lines. I my pink hot pink shoes because I thought it was the cutest thing, you know, and then I go up the stairs in the Omni Hotel, and it's a sea of black. It was a black tie, but it was a black tie event, and I was too far up. Like, you know when you pick your head up and everybody, like, just this that all at you because they see this big highlighter coming up. And I just, like, froze for a second, and I was like, Well, you gotta keep walking, Lindsey. Now you're awkward just standing there. So I just walked myself in, and I was just so scared. And it was one of the most awkward moments, but I turned it in my favor, you know, anybody that I talked to, and you're like, Oh my God, my boss, you know, I told them the story. My boss sent me here. Look at me. And they're like, Oh no, it's fine. You're fine, you know. And help me be, you know, feel more comfortable. And then my after calls, you know, when I called people afterwards or send them an email, I'm like, oh, you know, I'm that girl in the bright pink shirt. That was me. I know you, I know you saw me. I know you remember me, and they did it, just turned it to my side. But those things happen, I mean, and they're scary, and it's a lot of experiences like that, that kind of, I think, push people away to like, I'm never doing that. I. And I'm never going in there again. But I mean, once, once it happens to you, you're like, Okay, well, what else can happen to me? You know?
Blythe Brumleve:Well, I think you're talking about a very, like, interesting step as a business owner, because it's one thing to, you know, kind of sit behind the scenes and, like, do your thing and run your business, and that's, that's all great and good, but when you're being pushed out of your comfort zone a little bit into situations that you've never really been in before. The only way to get comfortable is to do it and keep doing it. But you're you're right, like any conference you go to, like, it's just a sea of, like, black and blue blazers, so that moment of you wearing that bright pink outfit and then standing out, I'm sure that that was the spotlight that was, you know, justifiably deserved, and it was your moment that you stepped into and were able to seize, where a lot of people maybe would have gone back down those stairs and never came
Linda Carrion:back. Yeah, no, absolutely, absolutely. It's definitely a pivotal moment. I always tell everybody that moment, because it is. It's very I think anybody can relate to that position, right? Being in that position, being in that room, and being stared at and not wearing the right thing. I think everybody can relate to that and just that emotional shock that it causes you the embarrassment, right? Because you're embarrassed, you're like, oh my god, literally, I just walk into but being able to get over that and then just find different ways to make it, push it, put it in your favor, you know? And I think that's where a lot of the positivity comes in for oneself. When you talk positively to yourself and try to see the positive side to things, you can shift the mentality to something positive, right? If I was to attack myself and be like, God, you're so stupid, or blah, blah to myself, that would have shrunk me down. That would have made me feel little, and that would have made me leave, you know. So I think that being able to talk to yourself, counseling yourself like I said, you know, I became my counselor, like I was my my cheerleader. You know, you can do this, like it's okay. And I think that helped me through a lot too. One of my favorite books is The Four Agreements. You know, so being impeccable with your word is one of the agreements, and that's not just with your word going out, but your internal word as well. What you're saying to yourself that doesn't come out of your mouth is extremely important. So I think shifting to that mindset of supporting yourself, you know, like, don't wait for other people to support you. Don't Don't wait for other people to be there for you. Don't wait for the opportunities to come to you be the opportunity, you know, give yourself that chance, support yourself, push yourself, encourage yourself, be your biggest cheerleader.
Blythe Brumleve:Love that, and especially from that, that mindset of because there's so much negativity that's involved within the industry right now, especially, you know, everybody knows that that rates are in the tank, and you know, we're hoping for that, you know, light at the end of the tunnel. But I'm curious, what are, what are maybe some of those lights for you right now? Where are you seeing, like little pockets of opportunity?
Linda Carrion:Most of my business, I was moving a lot of the Asia freight, and when the tariffs happened, a lot of that shifted. 80% of my business went away. Very impactful for me. But thankfully, other opportunities came. So here we in Jacksonville, we have the Jones Act. We have a lot of Puerto Rico business that goes in and out of these ports constantly. So I kind of shifted my way into working that business more and created a wonderful partnership as well, where it's been fruitful. It has helped me move forward, pivot my mindset of what I wanted to do to what I'm doing now, but it's been, it's been great, and just different opportunities, although some of the customers leave, you know, you have more customers like I've said. So it's just an opportunity to find something that will fit, be fitting for us, which we did, thankfully, you know, and just keep providing the service, you know, I think what I tell my drivers, as long as we do what we are supposed to do, and I, you know, they do what they're supposed to do, and I do what I'm supposed to do, we're just going to keep going. Our customers are very loyal to us as well, which is something that I'm very thankful to, you know, we provide them the service that they're in our industry, like, getting communication is really hard. I mean, most of these companies, you're talking about 50 100, 200 trucks, it's really tough to have that personal white glove service, that white glove I'm a small fleet, so I can do that. I can, I have the ability to do that. And I want that to be the culture of my business. You know, like the constant communication, you don't have to worry about the freight. You can just carry on about your life, because I got it, you know, like, if you soon as you tell me, Hey, these ship, these containers, are in the water. I got it. You don't have to worry about them. I'm tracing them. I'm looking for them. I'm seeing when they're available. I'm reaching out to you to see when you want them delivered. You know, you're not worried about, oh, my God, there's a last three day tomorrow. Is the last three day. Today is the last three day. Nobody knew about it. Nobody said anything. And fires happen, right? So to be able to provide that calmness and that that ease for my customer, that they don't have to worry about it, they have 1000 other things that they have to worry about it, that transportation shouldn't be one of them. So that's where I come in, and and I love to, I love to be able to provide that service. You know, when my customers call me and they have a fire and they need something like right now, they know they can call me and nine times out of 10, Imma, get it done. If I can't get it done, it's because I absolutely could not, but I will try my best, whether it's me or finding somebody to help. It'll, it'll, I'll try to make it happen no matter what.
Blythe Brumleve:Yeah, absolutely. I mean that that's really like words to live by. And you're obviously a testament to this, because you have this same trust and communication, not only with your customers, but with your drivers as well. And that networking of not only local opportunities, but you know, national and global opportunities, has really served you well in your business, to be able to survive and hopefully thrive, even despite, you know, all of the challenges that are going on. Couple last questions here, if somebody, or maybe even a woman, is interested in getting into this industry and starting their own path, what advice would you give them to get started?
Linda Carrion:I would say to put the emotions to the side. This is not an emotional business. You cannot lead by emotions. And that's when it becomes very difficult. You know, this is a very cut and dry A to B. This thing needs to move, and that's it. You know, if your driver's sick and he's out, that's fine, somebody else needs to do it. We need to find somebody else. We need to fix it. You know, it, you know. So in any asset, I think of the logistics industry is the emotions. You just have to put them to the side and understand that this is business. You know. This is not an emotional business. We do not get emotional over things. You know, unfortunately, if you, if you look at the disaster that happened 10 years ago, 10 years actually, this October, the sinking of El Faro. It's going to be their 10 year anniversary this October, the ship. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I used to work inside of the port at a warehouse, and I walked in and everybody's just a total wreck, and they're in their desks and they're working, you know? And I'm like, what's going on? Like, what happened? And they're like, oh my god, you didn't hear and then they tell me about the sinking of Alfaro and what was going on, and everybody's in tears, you know, and it's such an emotional moment, but the freight still has to go out, you know. And you're still having to sit there, and you're still having to process orders, and you still have to go and get these guys moving, you know. So it's so unfortunate, but it has to keep going, you know, like we don't have the the shelves need to be stocked. People are waiting for their freight. You know, we removed FEMA loads also back then. So you're having to have that pressure on you that these are people that need these things. So the emotional part can, can't play, make a play on it. You always have to be very cold headed, making sure that you're your objectives are being met, your what you tell your customers is actually being done, you know, and keeping that trust customers. In order for customers to trust you. They you have, they have your word, you know. And it's crazy, because now you have contracts and all that, but your word matters so much still, you know. And just to give somebody a word like, I got you, I'll take care of you, that means a lot to somebody. And if you don't, and like, you know, things happen. And I have full transparency with my customers, like, hey, this happened, even if we messed up. I'm like, it happened. This is how we can something I always told my my people, that worked for me, is, don't come to me with a problem, come to me with a solution, the problem and the solution, even if it's not the right solution, I need you to at least think about what you would think it would be your solution, and we can discuss it from there, and I'll help you to find a solution, or we can find that solution together, you know. So I think being transparent, having that communication, and letting them know what's going on so they're not also caught in the crossfires of other communication is a big part of it, and it's a big part of retention and keeping our customers happy and safe and knowing that they're free to safe. I mean, you're talking about a lot of money out there that we're moving. So I can completely understand their concern and why it's so vital. You know, you have cut offs at places that the freight needs to get to. So it's, it's it's a lot, it's a lot. I don't think people understand the amount of money that that this industry moves,
Blythe Brumleve:yeah. I mean, it's like the the saying goes, if you bought it, a truck, brought it, and so with with you and your history, and you know your your passion and dedication to communication, to building trust, and then also just problem solving. And I say just problem solving, but that's it. Tired of the logistics. Process is solving problems and getting that, finding a way to get that stuff from point A to B and to your point earlier. You know, growing out of, how do I get, you know, what, what do you need help with, from B to C? I love that line. Yes, this has been an incredible conversation, especially as you know, female business owner, just a business owner in general. You know that, obviously the market is not tough, but there are opportunities and there are resources and people that you can lean on during challenging times. So for folks who are interested in working with you, following more of your work, where can they get in touch with you? Where can they connect with
Linda Carrion:you? They can connect with me on LinkedIn, pretty active on there. Also come out to one of our happy hour events, where we'll be having a happy hour in August. We have a few throughout the year where it's just camaraderie. People come out. You know, we have a good time conversations. If you're interested in the industry, this is the time to come out and have those conversations. What do we do? You know, like, how does it run? I think it's this industry is not there's not many people out there educated on it, on the things that they can do and that can be done, and the jobs that are out there. Some people haven't even been able to go into the port, you know, and you need credentials and all of that for it. But I think that even having that visibility of we take students out there. We have a big sea Day each year, and we take the students out to the ports and JaxPort partners with us, and they get to see the big cranes, and they get to see the big security areas where they're monitoring every single spec of that port, you know, and to be able to see different aspects of the industry that you wouldn't be able to get to see and providing that education is really important for me, just to be able to flourish what we have. You know, we have a really great future coming up for us in jag sport, all the investments that have been made to improve the infrastructure have been amazing, and they're only going to get better. We have more cranes coming in. We have the lines that are going to be picked up that's going to allow more heavier ships to come into the into our airports, which is just going to be more fruitful for us locally, in the community and nationwide, really. So I'm excited to see the things that are to come. I invite anyone to come out, come to one of our happy hours, come to our events and see what we're about, and see what the industry is about, and you may find something that you absolutely fall in love with, like me and Blythe by mistake.
Blythe Brumleve:Well, I love it. I love your passion, especially for the local groups. It's really inspiring to me, and it's going to get me out of my house and get me to some of these local events that I have been missing the boat on, for lack of a better phrase, but Linda, thank you so much. This has been an incredible conversation. Can't wait for other folks to hear about it, because I think you really laid out a clear path to not only starting a business, but thriving in it, and having a passion for your local community and being able to shine a spotlight on all of those things at the same time. So you're very clearly doing a lot of things right, and so hopefully, you know, a lot of other businesses can can follow your lead. So thank you again for coming on. You
Linda Carrion:so much. Thank you for having me. Blythe, it's been amazing. Look forward to seeing all the great things you continue to do. Thank you. Thank you.
Blythe Brumleve:It's like the check is in the mail. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of everything is logistics, where we talk all things supply chain for the thinkers in freight, if you like this episode, there's plenty more where that came from. Be sure to follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a conversation. The show is also available in video format over on YouTube, just by searching everything is logistics. And if you're working in freight logistics or supply chain marketing, check out my company, digital dispatch. We help you build smarter websites and marketing systems that actually drive results, not just vanity metrics. Additionally, if you're trying to find the right freight tech tools or partners without getting buried in buzzwords head on over to cargorex.io where we're building the largest database of logistics services and solutions. All the links you need are in the show notes. I'll catch you in the Next episode and go jags.