Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesTransportation

Building a Resilient LTL Sector: Trust and Relationships are at the Core

Personal connections in the Less Than Truckload (LTL) industry play a crucial role in long-term logistics success, surpassing even technological advancements. Industry veterans discuss the importance of relationships over technology in the LTL sector during a podcast episode hosted by Jacob Eischen.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Transportation teams put it to work with Partner & Channel Enablement.

By Transportation · Curtis GarrettFreight PlusJacob EischenLtl Industry
Share
Building a Resilient LTL Sector: Trust and Relationships are at the Core

Key takeaways

01

Personal connections are more important than technology for long-term success in the LTL sector.

02

Curtis Garrett shares insights into the LTL industry based on his diverse experiences.

03

Relationship-building is a key component of success in logistics and transportation.

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Transportation?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Transportation coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Start free

In the latest episode of the Semi-Related Podcast by Optym, host Jacob Eischen, Marketing Communications Manager at Optym, engages in a deep dive into the Less Than Truckload (LTL) sector with Curtis Garrett, Senior VP of LTL at Freight Plus and founder of Understand LTL.

The conversation with Curtis Garrett, an LTL industry veteran, covers a range of topics, from his career journey in LTL to the latest trends and challenges in the sector. Garrett shares his unique perspective on LTL, drawing from his diverse experiences as a driver, dock worker, and now a senior executive.

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Transportation starts with a company putting its fleet managers, logistics engineers, and safety leads on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Fleet and logistics buyers compare quietly, and your operators become the evidence that settles it.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

T
Transportation

Follow Transportation Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Transportation: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Transportation buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free plan

You just read one Transportation expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your fleet managers, logistics engineers, and safety leads into the articles, video, and social content Transportation buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale workspace, up to 10 people
One professional video edit a month for qualifying companies
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
$0, no credit card, nothing that expires

More Transportation Insights

Nissan's Rogue Hybrid Is More Than a New Model. It Is a U.S. Manufacturing Bet.

Nissan's Rogue Hybrid Is More Than a New Model. It Is a U.S. Manufacturing Bet.

Nissan’s 2027 Rogue Hybrid, powered by the e-POWER series-hybrid system, aims to regain relevance in the U.S. compact SUV segment while supporting a bigger shift toward U.S. manufacturing. Nissan plans to launch the gas-powered 2027 Rogue from Smyrna, Tennessee, in the spring, import the Rogue Hybrid from Japan initially, and begin U.S. hybrid production next year—supporting its goal to build 80% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. domestically by 2030.

  • 01Nissan is assessing whether demand could support a third production shift at its Smyrna and Canton facilities, which could lift U.S. output toward 1 million vehicles annually, up from about 487,000 in 2025.
  • 02The Rogue Hybrid uses e-POWER, a series-hybrid system where a gasoline engine generates electricity for dual electric motors, aiming for up to 40 mpg in city driving.
  • 03Nissan expects the first Rogue Hybrid models to arrive this fall, with the broader lineup following in early 2027. The company plans to launch the gas-powered 2027 Rogue from its Smyrna, Tennessee, plant in the spring, followed by U.S. hybrid production next year.

Sep 21, 2026

Tesla's Cybercab Is on Austin Streets. The Bigger Test Is Whether It Becomes a Fleet Platform.

Tesla's Cybercab Is on Austin Streets. The Bigger Test Is Whether It Becomes a Fleet Platform.

Tesla launched paid Cybercab rides in Austin on September 4, beginning a deliberately limited public deployment of its purpose-built autonomous vehicle for commercial service. For fleet operators and mobility companies, the critical question is whether Tesla can build the surrounding operational infrastructure—charging, maintenance, dispatch, insurance, and regulatory compliance—and whether it ultimately supports third-party ownership and operation beyond a Tesla-only fleet.

  • 01Tesla published an interest form seeking fleet operators, mobility hubs, and infrastructure partners for Cybercab commercial deployment, signaling the company may not own every vehicle on its network.
  • 02Removing human drivers eliminates the driver role but relocates operational tasks like vehicle inspection, maintenance exception handling, and edge-case response into software, remote support, and fleet operations staff.
  • 03NHTSA escalated its audit of Cybercab to a Special Order requiring sworn responses by September 30, establishing regulatory strategy as part of vehicle architecture rather than a post-engineering concern.

Sep 19, 2026

Geely says a European R&D office can’t quickly match its 13-year setup

Geely says a European R&D office can’t quickly match its 13-year setup

Geely says its 13-year China-Europe engineering system, built with Volvo through CMA, is hard to replicate just by opening a European R&D office. Engineer Kennet Pettersson says he has worked on more than twice as many platforms in 13 years at Geely as in 15 years at Saab and Volvo. Chery says it plans a UK R&D center this year.

  • 01One data point to measure against: Pettersson said he worked on three platforms in 15 years at Saab and Volvo, then more than double that in 13 years at Geely’s Sweden operation.
  • 02The two engineering cultures pull in opposite directions, European teams designing for needs five to 10 years out and Chinese teams building for now and changing fast, and Geely's stated answer is a negotiated middle, not a winner.
  • 03Chinese companies have invested in 130+ European parts makers since the mid-2000s, per Rhodium via the FT—raising new questions for suppliers about where cross-region engineering decisions get made.

Sep 19, 2026

Explore More Transportation Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Transportation.

Browse Transportation Hub

About the Experts

T
Transportation

Marketing Communications Manager at Optym

Jacob Eischen is a Marketing Communications Manager at Optym. He engages in discussions about the Less Than Truckload (LTL) sector and explores topics related to logistics and transportation. He brings valuable insights to the logistics industry through his role.

CG
Curtis Garrett

Senior VP of LTL

Freight Plus

Curtis Garrett is a Senior VP of LTL at Freight Plus and the founder of Understand LTL. He has a career spanning various roles in the LTL sector including positions as a driver, dock worker, and senior executive.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Transportation and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512