66% of logistics pros say talent quality — not cost — is the #1 factor in choosing a nearshore partner. Rapido's integration model explains why that's the right question to be asking.
Plus, a carrier pleading guilty to mob money laundering while still FMCSA-active, Iran's first post-ceasefire attack and what it means for diesel surcharges, FedEx Freight's first earnings as a standalone company, and more in today's newsletter.
Freight brokers are measuring their inboxes wrong. Most inbound email is monitoring, not work. And the longtail categories that look like noise are costing real margin. Here's how to audit what's actually in your inbox, and why it matters in 2026's margin-first market.
Adam DeGroot discusses the evolution from farm to tech in produce logistics on the latest FreightCaviar Podcast episode.
Adam DeGroot comes from a long line of produce farmers, but these days, the family spends less time with muddy hands and more time tapping innovative tech solutions for produce logistics.
The FreightCaviar Podcast sat down with Adam to discuss his family's journey from a humble farm stand to helming a dynamic produce brokerage and logistics company with new products in the pipeline.
Here are some key standouts from our talk with Adam.
DeGroot Logistics just celebrated its 10th anniversary. The company operates by handling the transportation aspect of produce logistics, all in-house. They have an edge due to their deep understanding of the intersection between farming and logistics, what can go wrong, and how to solve it.
Separate from DeGroot Logistics, 4D Farm Product Sales operates as a produce broker, sourcing commodities from farms. Cultivating relationships with carriers is key to their operation.
The DeGroot farms mainly deal in potatoes, and it isn't easy. They are "heavy, dirty, and come with many material issues." Here's what the company has to contend with.
DeGroot Logistics has built a new platform called FreightSOS to address frequent issues that arise within the produce industry, especially in the cases of product rejections. It provides carriers with a "routing guide for exceptions."
For example, if a bulk trailer of potatoes is rejected, instead of heading to a landfill, which would cost thousands, the carrier can redirect this produce to nearby livestock farms with the means and motivation to unload these bulk trailers.
To hear more about operating as a produce broker, catch the full interview with Adam on the FreightCaviar Podcast on Spotify or Youtube.
“When I say you’re going to require high levels of authenticity and authentication at the point of entry... that is no longer going to be enough to prevent access. You’re going to need multiple points that all need to match in order to unlock access- that’s where we’re going."
“Hold on, we've got something here where these guys are hungry to grow. We're hungry to grow." So, if we work together, we can help them grow their business."
Thomas Mella breaks down his thoughts on this week's FreightCaviar Podcast.
"We’ve gotten feedback that it saves them days of manual work, and they walk in prepared and being a good partner.”
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