<description>What does jumping off the Stratosphere in Las Vegas have to do with the future of supply chain marketing?

In this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, host Jenni Ruiz sits down with Jennifer Karpus-Romain, Executive Director of the Transportation Marketing &amp; Sales Association (TMSA), for a conversation that blends adrenaline, innovation, and the evolving role of AI in marketing and sales. 

Jennifer shares the story behind a recent charity jump for Move for Hunger, and how that same spirit of bold experimentation is shaping the future of TMSA’s flagship conference, Elevate.

Together, they unpack:

• Why TMSA is launching role-based tracks for sales and marketing professionals
• How a live AI tech showdown will replace the traditional keynote
• The real way AI should support marketing teams (not replace them)
• Why cutting professional development budgets may be supply chain’s biggest mistake
• And how tools like the “Convince Your Boss” toolkit help marketers prove ROI for conferences

Jennifer also shares how she uses AI as a sparring partner rather than a replacement for human creativity and empathy, and why investing in people remains the most important strategy for any organization.

If you work in supply chain sales, marketing, or leadership, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how the industry is evolving and how professionals can evolve with it.

Listen in and learn why the future of supply chain isn’t just about technology. It’s about empowering the people behind it.
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.</description>

What does jumping off the Stratosphere in Las Veg…

What does jumping off the Stratosphere in Las Vegas have to do with the future of supply chain marketing?

In this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, host Jenni Ruiz sits down with Jennifer Karpus-Romain, Executive Director of the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), for a conversation that blends adrenaline, innovation, and the evolving role of AI in marketing and sales. 

Jennifer shares the story behind a recent charity jump for Move for Hunger, and how that same spirit of bold experimentation is shaping the future of TMSA’s flagship conference, Elevate.

Together, they unpack:

• Why TMSA is launching role-based tracks for sales and marketing professionals
• How a live AI tech showdown will replace the traditional keynote
• The real way AI should support marketing teams (not replace them)
• Why cutting professional development budgets may be supply chain’s biggest mistake
• And how tools like the “Convince Your Boss” toolkit help marketers prove ROI for conferences

Jennifer also shares how she uses AI as a sparring partner rather than a replacement for human creativity and empathy, and why investing in people remains the most important strategy for any organization.

If you work in supply chain sales, marketing, or leadership, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how the industry is evolving and how professionals can evolve with it.

Listen in and learn why the future of supply chain isn’t just about technology. It’s about empowering the people behind it.
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.

Supply Chain Decoded | Feat. Jennifer Karpus-Romain, TMSA

<description>It's the week of March 3rd, and host Jenni Ruiz and market expert Justin Maze (NFI Industries) are unpacking a whirlwind seven days: the Supreme Court struck down tariffs only for 10% global tariffs to follow, conflict in the Middle East is sending shockwaves through global supply chains, and diesel prices have now climbed for eight straight weeks.

Back on the domestic side, the U.S. truckload market remains stubbornly tight. Tender rejections are hovering near 13.7%, rates are still up 24% from December 2024, and the relief shippers were counting on this spring? It's not showing up. Justin breaks down what's driving pressure region by region — from a heating-up South and Southeast to a softening Midwest and a surprisingly quiet West Coast.

Plus: What could Delilah's Law mean for capacity if it passes? Are shippers rethinking the annual contract in favor of spot pricing? And can anyone actually forecast what's coming next?

If you're in freight, now is the time to strategize. Tune in, and send your questions to jenni@transfix.io.
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.
</description>

It's the week of March 3rd, and host Jenni Ruiz a…

It's the week of March 3rd, and host Jenni Ruiz and market expert Justin Maze (NFI Industries) are unpacking a whirlwind seven days: the Supreme Court struck down tariffs only for 10% global tariffs to follow, conflict in the Middle East is sending shockwaves through global supply chains, and diesel prices have now climbed for eight straight weeks.

Back on the domestic side, the U.S. truckload market remains stubbornly tight. Tender rejections are hovering near 13.7%, rates are still up 24% from December 2024, and the relief shippers were counting on this spring? It's not showing up. Justin breaks down what's driving pressure region by region — from a heating-up South and Southeast to a softening Midwest and a surprisingly quiet West Coast.

Plus: What could Delilah's Law mean for capacity if it passes? Are shippers rethinking the annual contract in favor of spot pricing? And can anyone actually forecast what's coming next?

If you're in freight, now is the time to strategize. Tune in, and send your questions to jenni@transfix.io.
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.


Transfix Take Podcast | Week of March 3: Rates Hold Strong as Global Uncertainty Mounts

<description>In this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, host Jenni Ruiz sits down with Ari Levy — Chief Meme Officer at Freight Caviar and co-founder of Landing Talent — to talk about how he went from slinging freight at Coyote and Molo to building a recruiting firm from Mexico City and crafting the memes that have 80,000+ followers cackling on LinkedIn.

Ari shares the wild story of how a screenshot of a fired employee's company-wide email landed him his gig at Freight Caviar, why the funniest sponsored memes are the ones that don't try too hard, and the Timothy Chalamet courtside photo that became a freight brokerage classic.

On the recruiting side, Ari breaks down the biggest mistakes freight companies make when hiring (hint: a fat book of business doesn't guarantee success), how AI is reshaping (not replacing) the people side of logistics, and what hiring trends he's watching in 2026 as the market starts to shift.

Plus: the one meme that flopped and still haunts him, why authenticity beats polish every time, and advice for anyone thinking about making their next career move in freight.
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.
</description>

In this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, host Jen…

In this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, host Jenni Ruiz sits down with Ari Levy — Chief Meme Officer at Freight Caviar and co-founder of Landing Talent — to talk about how he went from slinging freight at Coyote and Molo to building a recruiting firm from Mexico City and crafting the memes that have 80,000+ followers cackling on LinkedIn.

Ari shares the wild story of how a screenshot of a fired employee's company-wide email landed him his gig at Freight Caviar, why the funniest sponsored memes are the ones that don't try too hard, and the Timothy Chalamet courtside photo that became a freight brokerage classic.

On the recruiting side, Ari breaks down the biggest mistakes freight companies make when hiring (hint: a fat book of business doesn't guarantee success), how AI is reshaping (not replacing) the people side of logistics, and what hiring trends he's watching in 2026 as the market starts to shift.

Plus: the one meme that flopped and still haunts him, why authenticity beats polish every time, and advice for anyone thinking about making their next career move in freight.
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.


Supply Chain Decoded | Feat. Ari Levy, FreightCaviar

<description>On this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, host Jenni Ruiz sits down with Sharm Chelliah, Enterprise Sales Executive at BitFreighter, to unpack what modern freight sales really looks like when you strip away the buzzwords and keep the parts that actually move the needle: trust, service, and real relationships.

Sharm walks through his “wait…am I moving freight?” journey from enterprise software (MicroStrategy) into logistics (Flexport), then into visibility and domestic freight tech (project44, Greenscreens), and finally to BitFreighter. Along the way, he breaks down why freight is the ultimate “no-BS” industry, how to keep selling after the contract is signed, and why everyone in a company is in sales whether their title admits it or not.

Episode highlights: 

• International vs. domestic freight, explained with a skiing vs. snowboarding analogy you’ll steal immediately

• Sales engineer vs. enterprise sales, and why the “technical win” lives in the middle of the field

• Why service is the real differentiator (and why freight forces you to prove it every day)

• The “4 people need to be pumped” rule to keep momentum through implementation and inevitable org changes

• How to request product enhancements that engineering actually loves: business case + broader impact + a Loom video

• LinkedIn, authenticity, and building a “real-life ChatGPT community” that helps you sanity-check your content

• AI’s impact on outbound: trust is the bottleneck, touches are going up, and in-person community matters again

• What Sharm’s most excited about at BitFreighter: bringing shipper relationships, EDI/API/RPA automation, and quoting into a simpler, lower-cost motion for brokers and 3PLs

Sharm closes with a sharp mindset shift for anyone in sales (or adjacent to it): be a designer, not an artist. In other words, stop creating for yourself and start creating for the person you’re trying to help.
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.
</description>

On this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, host Jen…

On this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, host Jenni Ruiz sits down with Sharm Chelliah, Enterprise Sales Executive at BitFreighter, to unpack what modern freight sales really looks like when you strip away the buzzwords and keep the parts that actually move the needle: trust, service, and real relationships.

Sharm walks through his “wait…am I moving freight?” journey from enterprise software (MicroStrategy) into logistics (Flexport), then into visibility and domestic freight tech (project44, Greenscreens), and finally to BitFreighter. Along the way, he breaks down why freight is the ultimate “no-BS” industry, how to keep selling after the contract is signed, and why everyone in a company is in sales whether their title admits it or not.

Episode highlights: 

• International vs. domestic freight, explained with a skiing vs. snowboarding analogy you’ll steal immediately

• Sales engineer vs. enterprise sales, and why the “technical win” lives in the middle of the field

• Why service is the real differentiator (and why freight forces you to prove it every day)

• The “4 people need to be pumped” rule to keep momentum through implementation and inevitable org changes

• How to request product enhancements that engineering actually loves: business case + broader impact + a Loom video

• LinkedIn, authenticity, and building a “real-life ChatGPT community” that helps you sanity-check your content

• AI’s impact on outbound: trust is the bottleneck, touches are going up, and in-person community matters again

• What Sharm’s most excited about at BitFreighter: bringing shipper relationships, EDI/API/RPA automation, and quoting into a simpler, lower-cost motion for brokers and 3PLs

Sharm closes with a sharp mindset shift for anyone in sales (or adjacent to it): be a designer, not an artist. In other words, stop creating for yourself and start creating for the person you’re trying to help.
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.


Supply Chain Decoded | Feat. Sharm Chelliah, BitFreighter

<description>Tender rejections just jumped, rates are wobbling instead of sliding, and the market is starting to look less like “winter lull” and more like a reset.

On this week’s episode of Transfix Take, host Jenni Ruiz sits down with Justin Maze (NFI Industries) to break down what’s driving the sudden capacity squeeze, what it means for RFP season, and where pricing is likely to land as we head into late February.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why tender rejections climbed to ~14% and what’s behind the tightening (including high-visibility enforcement and safety actions that can take capacity off the road)

• The current national average linehaul sitting around $2.10/mile (lengths of haul 200+ miles), plus the added pressure of rising fuel

• Fresh retail spending signals and what they could mean for inventory strategy and freight demand

• A weather watch shift to the West Coast, as California storms bring flooding, mudslides, and pass closures risk

• Regional rate moves and where volatility is cooling vs. lingering

Plus: we “dust off the crystal ball” to talk where tender rejections may head next week as negotiations and new rates get set for the 2026 baseline.

Subscribe for weekly market updates, and if you’re in the thick of RFPs right now, this one’s your mid-Feb pulse check. 
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.
</description>

Tender rejections just jumped, rates are wobbling…

Tender rejections just jumped, rates are wobbling instead of sliding, and the market is starting to look less like “winter lull” and more like a reset.

On this week’s episode of Transfix Take, host Jenni Ruiz sits down with Justin Maze (NFI Industries) to break down what’s driving the sudden capacity squeeze, what it means for RFP season, and where pricing is likely to land as we head into late February.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why tender rejections climbed to ~14% and what’s behind the tightening (including high-visibility enforcement and safety actions that can take capacity off the road)

• The current national average linehaul sitting around $2.10/mile (lengths of haul 200+ miles), plus the added pressure of rising fuel

• Fresh retail spending signals and what they could mean for inventory strategy and freight demand

• A weather watch shift to the West Coast, as California storms bring flooding, mudslides, and pass closures risk

• Regional rate moves and where volatility is cooling vs. lingering

Plus: we “dust off the crystal ball” to talk where tender rejections may head next week as negotiations and new rates get set for the 2026 baseline.

Subscribe for weekly market updates, and if you’re in the thick of RFPs right now, this one’s your mid-Feb pulse check. 
--
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.


Transfix Take Podcast | Week of Feb 17: Tender Rejections On the Rise, So What Now?

Welcome to the Transfix Take On, a show for the logistics and supply chain world where we switch gears into the hot topics of trucking. For more information, visit: www.transfix.io

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