SPI Logistics CFO James Lemon joins to cut through the noise on agent and brokerage finances in a tough market. We cover the real signals your brokerage is in trouble, what healthy margins look like now, how to set up your money from day one as an agent, and where AI is actually paying off (hint: 42% of SPI invoices now auto-approve without a human).

You’ll learn:
— The first red flag: carriers calling about late pay—what it really means for your book of business
— How slipping “days to pay” crushes carrier trust on DAT/Truckstop and pushes you back to the spot market
— Today’s margin reality (8–30%), why 15–18% is harder, and what to target
— W2 vs. agent life: taxes, cash-flow risk, and the simple system to avoid the “surprise” tax bill
— The overlooked first-year expenses (and the bare-minimum tech setup that won’t choke under load)
— Why a 30–60 day cash cushion matters when customers and vendor onboarding drag
— AI that’s worth it: document imaging, scheduling, and keeping a human in the loop
— What shippers now expect: real-time visibility, API/EDI ties, and proof you’re fighting fraud
— Conferences and ROI: how one five-minute tool can pay for the trip
— 2026 outlook: why disruption favors prepared agents who keep relationships tight and processes sharp

Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.

CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.

Digital Dispatch manages and maximizes your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.

In a special episode of Freight Friends, Grace and Blythe dress up in style to discuss the Halloween supply chain, conference ROI, and logistics podcasts along with diving deep into the rare earth mineral supply chain that impacts everyone, including Le Creuset cookware.

Links from the show:

• Grace’s work at Orderful
• Cargorex’s creators category link
• Blythe’s Podcasters Guide
• Ship Happens Le Creuset Story

Watch the live version of this episode: https://youtube.com/live/5ATXb50-FcA

Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.

-----------------------------------------

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.

CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.

Digital Dispatch manages and maximizes your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.

In sports merch, the clock is the boss. Fanatics SVP of Operations Wayne “Skip” Lee walks through a hot-market playbook where championship buzz turns into next-morning deliveries

We hear about sunrise delivery in the winning city and why the first 72 hours/7 days decide the season’s biggest sales. Skip breaks down how they stage inventory, make halftime calls on what to print and where to ship, and use AI to set size curves, place inventory, and block bad customizations before they hit a press.

• Watch the livestream of this episode on YouTube

Takeaways:

• Why “speed is the product” is an operating metric, not a motto
• The hot-market window: 72 hours → 7 days that drive outsized revenue
• How sunrise delivery works and when it’s worth the cost
• Network design that beats distance (local presses, nearshore partners)
• Halftime adjustments as real-time ops: re-printing, re-routing, redeploying
• Where AI actually helps: size curves, placement, and QC before print
• The fate of “loser merch” and lessons for responsible excess inventory

Links mentioned:

• The Logistics of the NFL
• Championship/Loser Merchandise

Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.

-----------------------------------------

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.

CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.

Digital Dispatch manages and maximizes your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.