66% of logistics pros say talent quality ā not cost ā 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.
āI used to hate a freight broker. All they're trying to do is take my money. That was the attitudeā¦ until you realize that if there's a load of freight, whether itās intermodal, brokerage, or assets, the load is going to go the way itās supposed to go. You can fight it, but youāll go broke.ā
We sat down with David Parker, the CEO & Founder of Covenant Logistics, who's been in trucking since the age of 15.
From taking care of driver logs to later watching his step-father, Clyde Fuller, run one of the largest trucking companies in America. David's seen it all- deregulation, being broke twice- and coming out on top with Covenant, which he's ran since 1986.
This is a preview of that conversation.
The full interview is available only to FreightCaviar Magazine subscribers in our private Circle community.
Trucking was in Davidās blood. His stepfather (Clyde Fuller) ran Southwest Motor Freight, one of the largest trucking companies in America before deregulationā500 trucks, $63 million in revenue.
By 15, David was already working 40-hour weeks, handling driver logs and learning the business from the ground up.
"At 16, a large company came in and had discussions about buying the company. āWe want you stay, if you do thisā¦ I said, āI just got to be honest with you, my goal is to own my own one day.ā So I had that entrepreneurial spirit, that desire, at 16 years old.ā
In 1986, David, then 28, and his wife Jacqueline started Covenant with just $150,000 and a non-compete agreement, after leaving Southwest Motor Freight, which his father had sold in 1984.
Despite two bankruptcies in the last four decades and the pressure of growing from a handful of trucks to thousands, David never lost sight of his vision.
āI remember my accountant coming to me, in March or April of 1986, and saying āYou know, David, that $150,000 that you got on that non-compete, I'm about out of that money. We may ought to go get some more businessā. So you have the same pressure whether you're running 25 trucks or 2,000 or 5,000 trucks.ā
When asked if he ever questioned whether Chattanooga was home to Covenant, he says there was never a doubt in his mind.
āYouāve heard all kinds of discussions about per-capita, Chicago and Chattanooga, but thereās no doubt that Freight Alley is very important to Chattanooga.ā
David has seen the industry evolve from a negative mindset toward one of collaboration and efficiency:
āI used to hate a freight broker. All they're trying to do is take my money. That was the attitudeā¦ until you realize that if there's a load of freight, whether itās intermodal, brokerage, or assets, the load is going to go the way itās supposed to go. You can fight it, but youāll go broke.ā
From his teen years, logging driver's hours to building a legacy that shaped Chattanoogaās Freight Alley, David Parkerās story is one of grit, resilience, and vision.
The full interview is available to FreightCaviar Magazine subscribers inside our private Circle community.
Catch the preview live on YouTube.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcast within the hour.
Weāre also dropping our original film, FREIGHT ALLEY, featuring the people who built what is now known as Freight Alley.
Coming soon.
Not testing.
Not piloting.
AI that actually works.
Chain does what your tracking reps do today:
It just doesnāt sleep.āØ
It doesnāt churn.
And it doesnāt increase your cost to serve.
CHATTANOOGA, TN. Join FreightCaviar on April 9th at Home Barā 409 Market Street ā for the drop of FreightCaviar Print Issue No. 2: The Freight Alley Edition, 80 pages tracing how one city became the heartbeat of American trucking, brokerage, and freight technology.
The same night, we're premiering our Freight Alley film, where you can hear the story direct from Chattanooga legends like Max Fuller, David Parker, and Ted Alling.
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.
Bad carriers are gaming the weigh station system. Plus, C.H. Robinson's own engineer goes scorched earth on Reddit, the Ghost Truck Act gets roasted, and more in today's newsletter.
Plus, overseas ELD tampering, 100 pallets of stolen womenswear, 20,000 Mexican truckers losing US visas, and more in today's newsletter.
While everyone in trucking is watching rates, capacity, and fraud, a much bigger shift may be happening quietly in the background: the future of rail.
Join over 14K+ subscribers to get the latest freight news and entertainment directly in your inbox for free. Subscribe & be sure to check your inbox to confirm (and your spam folder just in case).
