How Laconic Tech Uses AI Agents to Automate Load Boards and Back-Office Work with Ken McLoud

Hope Zvara On Rebuilding Driver Health One Percent At A Time

Your body takes every mile personally, and trucking has a way of collecting payments in lower back pain, stiff hips, poor sleep, and a mind that never truly powers down. In this episode of That’s Delivered, Trucking Ray sits down with Hope Zvara [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-zvara-77572935?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios], CEO of  Mother Trucker Yoga [https://www.mothertruckeryoga.com/], to talk about what really happens to driver health over time — and why most “perfect” fitness plans fail the moment real life hits. Hope shares how yoga helped her through depression, anxiety, and addiction recovery, then explains how those same mind-body tools can help drivers manage stress, isolation, fatigue, and habit change on the road. The conversation dives into inflammation, circulation, recovery, and why sleep is one of the most overlooked nutrients affecting weight, blood pressure, cortisol, energy, and mood. We also get practical about hydration, food choices, digestive problems drivers rarely talk about, and how small daily habits compound over time. Plus, Hope demonstrates three simple movements drivers can do in under five minutes: pelvic tilts in the driver’s seat, calf pumps outside the truck, and a gentle cobra stretch in the sleeper berth. If you’ve been feeling worn down physically or mentally by the lifestyle, this episode is a reminder that rebuilding your health doesn’t happen overnight — it happens one percent at a time. 👇 Key Takeaways ✅ Small daily habits matter more than extreme fitness plans ✅ Sleep directly impacts stress, weight, blood pressure, and recovery ✅ Sitting for long hours affects circulation, inflammation, and digestion ✅ Simple mobility exercises can reduce stiffness and improve movement fast ✅ Drivers need realistic wellness routines that fit trucking life ✅ Mental health and physical health are deeply connected ✅ Consistency beats perfection when building healthier habits ✅ Fleets see better driver outcomes when wellness programs are practical and achievable Subscribe for more real conversations from the trucking industry, share this episode with a driver who needs it, and leave a review with the one small change you’re committing to this week. Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Click here to join the conversation! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/fan_mail/new] 🔗https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered [https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/support] Need help finding the perfect truck seat? Let us find one for you! Call 269-692-5770, email: sales@seat-specialists.com [sales@seat-specialists.com] ,or fill out form [https://www.seat-specialists.com/categories/ask-seat-specialists.html] and use code TR104U. Get your Trucking Ray merch to show that you roll with Trucking Ray and That’s Delivered Podcast!  click: here [https://truckingray.com]

Freight Fraud, Fake Carriers & Broken Trust: Angela Froning on What Trucking Gets Wrong

Freight has always been messy, but the last few years added a whole new level of chaos: freight fraud, double brokering, chameleon carriers, fake insurance, and a growing lack of trust across the industry. On this episode of That’s Delivered, Angela Froning joins Trucking Ray for one of the most honest conversations yet about what’s really happening behind the scenes in trucking and freight brokerage. Having worked the carrier side, dispatch, and brokerage, Angela breaks down the misconceptions that keep relationships broken and why so many people are exhausted from operating in survival mode. One of the biggest myths? Brokers don’t “set the rates.” Angela explains how the freight market, shipper pressure, timing, leverage, and capacity all influence pricing — and why emotional reactions often distract from what actually moves freight successfully. The conversation then shifts into freight fraud prevention, insurance verification, leadership, and relationship building in an industry where one bad load can permanently damage trust. Angela also shares takeaways from MATS Louisville, including the growing collaboration between trucking professionals, FMCSA staff, and DOT representatives working to educate the industry on fraud prevention and operational risk. 👇 Key Takeaways: ✅ Why brokers do NOT control freight rates the way many believe ✅ How freight fraud and double brokering are changing trucking relationships ✅ What “chameleon carriers” are and why they’re difficult to catch ✅ Why a certificate of insurance alone can still leave you exposed ✅ How live insurance verification can prevent massive claims and liability ✅ The leadership habits that protect long-term relationships in logistics ✅ Why trust and transparency matter more than ever in freight ✅ Angela’s biggest takeaways from MATS Louisville and the energy around trucking right now If you got value from this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a driver, dispatcher, carrier, or broker trying to navigate today’s freight market. Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Click here to join the conversation! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/fan_mail/new] 🔗https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered [https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/support] Need help finding the perfect truck seat? Let us find one for you! Call 269-692-5770, email: sales@seat-specialists.com [sales@seat-specialists.com] ,or fill out form [https://www.seat-specialists.com/categories/ask-seat-specialists.html] and use code TR104U. Get your Trucking Ray merch to show that you roll with Trucking Ray and That’s Delivered Podcast!  click: here [https://truckingray.com]

Candy Ripley-Reeve on Why a Properly Fitted Seat Isn’t Just Comfort—It’s Career Longevity

If your back tightens up every time the road gets rough, your truck seat might be doing more damage than you realize. In this episode of That’s Delivered, your boy Trucking Ray sits down with Candy Ripley-Reeve [https://www.linkedin.com/in/candy-ripley-reeve-a8888127/] from Seat Specialists [https://www.seat-specialists.com/pages/social.html] to break down the real connection between seat comfort and driver health—covering fatigue, posture, circulation, and long-term spine impact. Candy gets into what it actually means to fit a seat to the driver—not just swap one out—and why that difference shows up in how you feel at the end of a 10–14 hour day. From body type and hip width to suspension systems and seat height, we cover the details that most drivers overlook until it’s too late. We also talk about the biggest mistake drivers make when upgrading—going cheap instead of going right—and how to spot when your current setup is working against you. Plus, we dig into smart upgrade options, customization, and how Seat Specialists helps drivers stay comfortable and rolling without unnecessary downtime. If you care about your body, your longevity, and making your truck actually work for you, this one’s a must-listen. Key Takeaways 👇   ✅ A properly fitted seat can reduce fatigue, improve posture, and protect long-term spine health  ✅ Body type, hip width, and seat style (mid-back vs tall-back) all impact comfort and support  ✅ Suspension systems play a major role in how road vibration affects your body  ✅ The biggest mistake drivers make is choosing price over proper support  ✅ Clear signs your seat isn’t working include constant soreness, poor posture, and increased fatigue  ✅ Smart upgrades like shocks, cushions, and adapters can improve your current setup without a full replacement  ✅ Fast shipping and in-stock inventory help minimize downtime when upgrading  ✅ Custom options like materials, stitching, and embroidery let you tailor comfort and style  ✅ Additional cab upgrades (mattresses, wheel covers, floor mats) can improve overall driving experience  ✅ Affiliate opportunities allow drivers and creators to share discounts and earn referral benefits Hit play, subscribe, and share this with a driver who’s feeling it in their back—you might help them stay on the road longer. Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Click here to join the conversation! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/fan_mail/new] 🔗https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered [https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/support] Need help finding the perfect truck seat? Let us find one for you! Call 269-692-5770, email: sales@seat-specialists.com [sales@seat-specialists.com] ,or fill out form [https://www.seat-specialists.com/categories/ask-seat-specialists.html] and use code TR104U. Get your Trucking Ray merch to show that you roll with Trucking Ray and That’s Delivered Podcast!  click: here [https://truckingray.com]

AI Doesn’t Replace People—It Fails Without Them | Evan J. Schwartz on What Actually Works

AI is everywhere in trucking right now—but most operations are stuck between hype and hesitation. In this episode of That’s Delivered, Trucking Ray sits down with Evan J. Schwartz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-schwartz-live/], Chief Innovation Officer at AMCS Group [https://www.amcsgroup.com/], to break down what actually works when you bring AI into real-world logistics—where margins are tight, uptime is critical, and mistakes don’t stay on paper… they hit the street. This conversation goes beyond buzzwords. We connect AI to real operations—fleet optimization, predictive maintenance, route planning, and the day-to-day reality of drivers and dispatch teams. Evan explains why most “AI hallucinations” aren’t random—they come from unclear instructions, missing context, and poor data. The real game-changer? Not just better models—but better communication, better inputs, and someone accountable for making AI work inside your business. We also get real about change management. Leading with “cut headcount” is one of the fastest ways to kill adoption. Instead, the smartest companies are using AI to remove repetitive admin work—freeing up people to focus on relationships, service, and decision-making where it actually matters. Drawing from years of ERP and digital transformation experience, Evan lays out a practical roadmap: avoid hidden spreadsheets, define outcomes that pay for the project, pace the rollout, and never outsource your thinking to a vendor. If you’re serious about using AI to strengthen your operation—not replace it—this episode is a must-listen. 👇 Key Takeaways  ✅ AI fails when tasks are vague—clear instructions and context are everything  ✅ “AI hallucinations” are often a data and communication problem, not a model problem  ✅ The most important role isn’t the tool—it’s the AI steward guiding it ✅ Leading with job cuts will destroy trust and slow adoption ✅ Start with automating low-value admin work, not high-stakes decisions ✅ Define a few outcomes that pay for the project before scaling ✅ Hidden spreadsheets and undocumented processes will break your AI rollout ✅ Pace the change—teams need time to absorb new systems ✅ AI should enhance human judgment, not replace it ✅ The companies that win will balance speed, data, and trust Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Click here to join the conversation! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/fan_mail/new] 🔗https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered [https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/support] Need help finding the perfect truck seat? Let us find one for you! Call 269-692-5770, email: sales@seat-specialists.com [sales@seat-specialists.com] ,or fill out form [https://www.seat-specialists.com/categories/ask-seat-specialists.html] and use code TR104U. Get your Trucking Ray merch to show that you roll with Trucking Ray and That’s Delivered Podcast!  click: here [https://truckingray.com]

How Laconic Tech Uses AI Agents to Automate Load Boards and Back-Office Work with Ken McLoud

You can feel the pressure in trucking right now—tight margins, constant market shifts, and more work piling onto the same people. So instead of chasing hype, we sat down with Ken McLoud [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-mcloud/]from Laconic Tech [https://laconictech.com/]for a real conversation about what AI actually looks like in logistics today. Ken is an engineer turned founder building AI tools for “dirt under your fingernails” businesses—freight brokerages, carriers, manufacturing, and heavy equipment—and he brings a practical, no-BS approach to automation. We start with a real-world use case that just makes sense: an AI agent that monitors load boards, factors in truck availability and fuel costs, applies your definition of a “good load,” and places bids fast enough to actually win. From there, we expand into a simple but powerful mindset shift—stop asking “Where can we use AI?” and start asking “What’s the bottleneck?” Once you identify the constraint, you map the workflow, build it into an SOP, and automate the repetitive pieces—keeping your people focused on what matters most: relationships, problem-solving, and service. We also get real about the downsides. AI between you and your customer can hurt trust if used wrong. And it’s not free—API costs stack up quickly when systems run nonstop. Ken breaks down how to stay flexible, avoid vendor lock-in, and build smarter by mixing models like Lego blocks—using cheaper tools where possible and stronger ones where needed. If you’re serious about applying AI in trucking, freight brokerage, and operations without getting lost in the buzzwords, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways👇 ✅ Start with the bottleneck, not the technology—solve real constraints first  ✅ AI agents can monitor load boards, evaluate data, and place competitive bids in real time  ✅ Turn workflows into SOPs before automating—clarity comes before efficiency  ✅ Keep humans focused on relationships, exceptions, and service recovery  ✅ Be careful putting AI between you and customers—it can hurt trust if overused  ✅ AI isn’t cheap—token-based pricing can add up fast if not managed  ✅ Avoid vendor lock-in by treating AI models like Lego blocks—mix and match tools  ✅ Use lower-cost models as filters before escalating to more powerful (and expensive) ones Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Click here to join the conversation! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/fan_mail/new] 🔗https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered [https://www.treeringdigital.com/delivered] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317422/support] Need help finding the perfect truck seat? Let us find one for you! Call 269-692-5770, email: sales@seat-specialists.com [sales@seat-specialists.com] ,or fill out form [https://www.seat-specialists.com/categories/ask-seat-specialists.html] and use code TR104U. Get your Trucking Ray merch to show that you roll with Trucking Ray and That’s Delivered Podcast!  click: here [https://truckingray.com]