At Spot, we understand the vital role that up-to-date information plays in navigating the dynamic logistics market. Each month, we bring you a comprehensive logistics market update. We dive into the latest trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the logistics sector. Join us as we empower you with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions in this fast-paced industry.

In this episode of More Than a Broker, Spot Cofounder Andrew Elsner engages with our Senior National Account Directors, Alex Buening and Theo Mascari, to explore how external factors are reshaping the logistics landscape.

Download Spot's November 2025 Market Update report: https://spotinc.com/news/logistics-market-update-november-2025/

Logistics Lessons in this Episode:

• Rapid Lane Shifts: Customers are demanding extreme flexibility and quickly reassigning lanes due to volatile market conditions.
• Technology as Table Stakes: Advanced reporting and technology are now mandatory requirements for securing business partnerships.
• Mini Bid Necessity: Mini bids are increasingly used to swiftly cover needs and mitigate risks following carrier failures.
• Strategic Partner Consolidation: Shippers are narrowing their focus to fewer, more reliable supply chain partners.
• Capacity Constraints: Regulatory changes are consistently impacting driver availability and tightening market capacity.
• Structural Market Reset: The logistics industry is experiencing a fundamental structural reset, not just a cyclical recession.
• Volatile Spot Rates: Supply constraints can cause freight rates to surge even amidst broader economic slumps.
• Evolving Broker Value: The role of the logistics broker is rapidly transforming to meet complex, evolving market demands.
• Pricing Optimization: Shippers are actively utilizing variable pricing models to achieve maximum cost efficiency.
• Tightening Market Forecast: Future projections anticipate a tighter market environment and potential rate increases.

In this episode of More Than a Broker, three members of Spot’s Red Technologies team sat down to discuss the integration of AI in logistics, focusing on its definitions, importance, and the journey of implementation at Spot.

Director of Red Technologies Ben Garvin led a conversation with Alex Johnson, Director of Development Operations, and Tyler Hampton, Director of Data Science and Engineering, that focused on the significance of intelligent automation, the workforce skills gap, and the evolving nature of jobs driven by AI. They share insights on successful case studies, common pitfalls in AI adoption, and the future roadmap for AI innovations at Spot, highlighting the collaborative culture that drives their technological advancements.

About Red Technologies

Red Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Spot, was founded by Andy Schenck and Andrew Elsener in 2019. Through their experience in the 3PL space and building a network of close relationships with carriers and shippers, Andy and Andrew realized that having the right technology in place would increase efficiency and streamline communication for their customers and their customers’ operations. Rather than implementing an out-of-the-box solution, they developed proprietary software, MySpot, a transportation management system (TMS) that provides complete visibility into customers’ supply chain operations.

Reasons to Listen

· Go beyond the hype and learn how AI is genuinely engineered to understand and act on complex business information.

· Discover why intelligent automation is the critical engine for optimizing your business processes right now.

· Understand how AI will redefine jobs—and the essential skills developers need to maintain mastery in an automated world.

· Hear why establishing a single source of data truth is the absolute prerequisite for any effective AI deployment.

· Learn the proven strategy of focusing on high-value problems one at a time to guarantee superior AI solutions that boost customer service and efficiency.

· Get the critical insights on why deep collaboration between technical and business teams is non-negotiable for successful AI adoption.

· Get an exclusive look at how AI will transform Spot's customer support and pricing models—and what that means for you.

Welcome back to More Than a Broker.

In this episode of 'More Than a Broker', Spot Co-Founder Andrew Elsener is joined by Dr. Zac Rogers, PhD., Associate Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University, for a discussion on the evolution of supply chain education, the significance of the Logistics Managed Index (LMI), and the impact of economic indicators on transportation and logistics.

The conversation examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains, the implications of tariffs on the market, and the ever-changing dynamics of retail peak seasons.

The pair also touches on the future of reshoring and nearshoring, the importance of data and analytics in logistics, and concludes with insights on the logistics industry's future.

About Dr. Zac Rogers
Dr. Zac Rogers is an Associate Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University. His primary research interests include the financial impact of supply chain sustainability, emerging logistics technologies, supply chain cybersecurity, and various other emerging issues in purchasing and logistics.

Dr. Rogers’ work has appeared in multiple academic journals, corporate white papers, trade publications, and conference proceedings. He is also a frequent speaker at both academic and practitioner-oriented conferences. Dr. Rogers earned his B.S. and M.B.A. degrees at the University of Nevada, Reno, and his PhD in supply chain management from Arizona State University. Before returning to academia, Dr. Rogers worked as a purchasing agent for a large hotel and resort, and as an operations manager for Quidsi, a subsidiary of Amazon.

Reasons to Listen

· Supply chain education is still a relatively new field.

· The Logistics Managed Index (LMI) predicts economic activity through transportation metrics.

· COVID-19 caused unprecedented changes in supply chain dynamics.

· Tariffs have a significant impact on supply chain costs and strategies.

· Retailers are experiencing a bifurcated peak season due to inventory management.

· Reshoring and nearshoring are becoming more prevalent in supply chain strategies.

· Data and analytics are crucial for optimizing logistics operations.

· The logistics industry is evolving rapidly, requiring constant adaptation.

· Understanding economic indicators can help predict market trends.

· Collaboration and innovation are key to navigating supply chain challenges.