30 Years in Trucking: Brent Hutto on Relationships, Resilience, and the Small Carrier Advantage
[00:00:00] Brent Hutto: Without them, we don’t have a business. That changed my point of view on the industry, because you might think it’s all about the freight. No, it’s about the truck and the trucker driving that truck; without them, we don’t have an industry.
[00:00:13] Todd Waldron: Hello, and welcome to the first episode of Behind the Freight. We have a very special guest today: a dear friend, mentor, and coworker. Mr. Brent Hutto is joining John Howland and me as we step into Behind the Freight. Brent, I’ve been to many conferences over the years. Whether you are there and I
constantly see you talking to people, or you’re not there but your name is constantly coming up in conversations, it seems like everybody in the industry knows you. For those who don’t, Brent, can you tell our listeners a little bit about what you do and how you describe your role in freight?
[00:00:49] Brent Hutto: Yeah, for sure. First off, there is nothing like being on a podcast with two very good friends. This is really what trucking and transportation are all about. It’s about all of us working together to get freight moved and enjoying the process along the way. Who would have ever thought in 1998, when I got into
this marketplace, that I would have the opportunity to work for three of the greatest companies that have helped change the industry? There was Randall Reilly on the marketing end with Overdrive and CCJ magazines, and then a great tenure at Truckstop, where I’m still doing a few things. I got to learn about how freight moved,
and now, certainly, I’m working with Truck Parking Club. It has been such an honor to be a part of this, knowing that what I do helps and serves others in the marketplace. As for what I do, I like to say I’m kind of a paid entertainer sometimes. I like to keep it fun. I learned from an old CEO that people learn best, grow the most, and are most
engaged when it’s fun. So, I always want to keep it fun and engaging, but I like to call myself a consultant to the industry. I focus on how I can help their businesses grow fundamentally by serving them, bringing them information, and partnering
with them, whether that’s on the data, information, or tech side. I have had the wonderful opportunity to understand the manufacturing end, the freight end, and now the technology end. I try to bring all of that together from a consultative
perspective; it doesn’t matter who the client is. I’m here to help and serve across the board.
[00:02:16] John Howland: I used to love when the intros would come out for you; you’d have your War Eagle going, they’d introduce you as Mr. Chief Fun Officer, and you’d come out and hype everybody up. That was always my favorite part back in the day, so welcome! What brought you into freight in the first place? You have a
long tenure. What brought you here?
[00:02:37] Brent Hutto: I love to ask that question of everybody, John. What a great question. I’m going to try to answer it in a nonstandard way. I ask that question because there are so many different pathways. People never think they’re going to
end up in freight, but they do, and then they never leave. It’s such a great industry to be in. What I’ll tell you, John and Todd, is that what brought me into freight was friendship. I know that sounds kind of funny, but when I was making a career change, my best friend from college asked me to come work for what was then
Randall Publishing. It became Randall Reilly, which is a different company now. It was on the marketing and media end of the business. That friendship brought me into transportation, where I learned about manufacturing, branding, how to go to market with a product, and how to reach the customer through psychographics and
demographics. Then friendship, again, led me to something even bigger and better: Truckstop.com. My life fundamentally changed when my dear friend Scott Moscrip asked me to come to work and help build an iconic brand around the foundation of moving freight that he had already built. We had an incredibly fun time. I say “we”
because it was such a fun team that we all worked on. John, you were part of that; Todd, you came in right on the very tail end of it. Friendship brought me there, too. The benefit was what I got to learn: I learned about technology. I learned about the SaaS-based marketplace, and I got to understand how freight moved. I was just
talking to a big transportation company yesterday, and I told them that when you understand how freight moves, you can do anything in transportation. You can pivot and be any part of the marketplace because that is where everybody makes money. Now, I’m solving a bigger problem in the marketplace with truck parking through
Truck Parking Club. It’s all about friendship; I am friendship first. If I can’t put my heart behind it, I’m not going to do it. I was able to do that with all three places I’ve been over these thirty years. I know, thirty years in the industry, it’s been so fun. That’s how I got into it. It’s a bit of a long answer, but after thirty years, you’re
probably going to get a long answer!
[00:04:34] Todd Waldron: No doubt. That’s amazing, and as you look at that journey, it’s been incredible. I bet you’ve seen many perspectives, but is there an early role or a moment in freight that stands out where it really drove home or set the foundation for how you view carriers and the day-to-day realities they face?
[00:04:52] Brent Hutto: Todd, I am so glad you asked me that question. I put a flag in the ground back in about 1999 when I realized how important carriers are to the health of our country. And I mean the single-truck owner-operator, the leased owner-operator, the company driver, and the small, medium, and large fleets. I
realized the impact those participants, players, and leaders have on our nation. I learned very early on that they are in it because they love it. They’re not necessarily in it because they are great business people, though many of them are. They’re not in it because it was just the next pivot for their career. They genuinely love trucking,
driving trucks, and being on the road; they love everything about it. They love the hard work and the smell of diesel. I learned that early on with carriers while working at Overdrive magazine. I saw that so many owner-operators, who are really the core customers for Truckstop.com, struggle. They don’t struggle with being great truck
drivers. They are kings of the highway. What they struggle with is understanding the business aspect of their operations. They have to figure out the ups and downs, costs, profits, and market efficiency. That’s why I loved what I got to do at Overdrive magazine; we had a program called Partners in Business that helped them
understand how to run their trucking operations as businesses. Then, certainly, with Truckstop, Truckstop.com is the ultimate business tool for the owner-operator. That is why Scott started the company back in 1995; it was all about helping carriers be more profitable. Once you understand that your responsibility as a market provider
is to help these carriers move freight efficiently and profitably, it changes everything. That realization put my whole heart into helping carriers become the most efficient and profitable they can be, because they are already great truck drivers. That was really what changed everything for me, Todd. I knew it was
something I could get behind because it had purpose and meaning. When you have purpose, it’s hard not to find success.
[00:07:00] John Howland: Awesome. You mentioned the struggles carriers have running their businesses. Do you think there is any major misconception that brokers and shippers have about carriers? If so, what do you think that is, and is there a way we can change it?
[00:07:15] Brent Hutto: That is another good question. I get that a lot from brokers and shippers because I speak to many of them in the marketplace. During my time at Truckstop, I talked to so many brokers, and then I really started pivoting to talk to shippers. Brokers know transportation incredibly well. Shippers know it fairly well in
some segments, but it’s not how they make their money; it’s just how they get their products to market. The misconception is underestimating how much the carrier really wants to do a great job and have an operation that serves the marketplace. If that carrier had to do it all over again, they would still choose to be a truck driver.
They would still be in the marketplace; they are very dedicated to this. I think sometimes there is a misconception by the consumer public about how truly professional they are at what they do. I’ve been around trucking since I was about fourteen, running a forklift and loading trucks off my dad’s dock for his small steel
processing company. I gained an appreciation for truckers, but I’m not sure everybody understands how professional and safe they are on the highways. The ATA did a study back in about 2017 with a national poll regarding consumer impressions of truck drivers. I think almost 80% acknowledged that truckers are the
safest drivers on the road, yet there is still a perception out there that they aren’t. But they really truly are. To me, the key is that they are true professionals, and the more they are supported by customers in the marketplace, the more that professionalism will shine through. I think that is the main misconception, John.
[00:08:42] John Howland: I love that answer; carriers really are on the frontline. I have the exact same feelings and thoughts as you. They truly work their tails off, and sometimes I feel like they get the short end of the stick when they arrive at a shipper. They might be five minutes late because they weren’t given an exact
appointment time, yet they take the brunt of it. I totally agree; they are professionals who work hard, make the wheels turn, and make everything happen.
[00:09:09] Todd Waldron: It was amazing running a 115-truck carrier, sitting down in the driver’s lounge, talking to the drivers, and hearing their stories about the things that impact them. The founder of that company was also a former truck driver. As he retired from his main role, he would still drive a truck and pick up loads. It was
kind of an Undercover Boss situation. He would come back with all this feedback about how he was treated at various facilities. Little did those people know how much influence he had and the direct conversations he could have with their bosses. We have seen a lot of improvement, but it is definitely encouraging to sit
and hear their stories and see how they’ve made such a positive difference.
[00:09:50] Brent Hutto: Todd, let me add to that just a little bit. Two of the biggest leaders in the market are Shelley Simpson at J.B. Hunt and Derek Leathers at Werner. Most people probably don’t know that they spend a lot of time face-to-face with their drivers. They have direct lines and connections to them. They have
personal numbers that the drivers can call to reach them directly, and they are very dedicated. A lot of people don’t realize that, especially considering these are two publicly traded companies. You would think they are entirely corporate, but they are truckers at heart. I know both of them personally; you might not look at them and
immediately think “trucker,” but, boy, Shelley is a trucker. Derek is a trucker, and it doesn’t take long to see their heart for their carriers in the marketplace. Another misconception is underestimating how much the people who own these fleets love their carriers and drivers. Honestly, you can’t do it without them, so they are
incredibly vital to what we’re doing.
[00:10:38] John Howland: That’s great.
[00:10:39] Todd Waldron: You’ve had a pretty unique seat in the industry for years, right? You’re not just working in freight, but talking to so many people across it. You hosted Freight Nation for two years and recorded more than eighty episodes with drivers, carriers, and people from all corners of the industry. Now we’re launching
this new chapter of Behind the Freight, and essentially, you’re proverbially passing the torch to Tweedledee and Tweedledum over here. After talking to so many folks, what has really stuck out to you the most from these conversations?
[00:11:09] Brent Hutto: What a joy it was doing the podcast with Freight Nation. It was wonderful because I got to learn the stories of how people got into freight. The thing that kept coming up in those conversations was how many people ended up in freight by accident. It wasn’t their goal to be in transportation as a career. They
didn’t plan on moving freight up and down the highways. The recurring theme was that it wasn’t their goal to get into freight, but once they did, they never wanted to leave. It’s not like they have five or six other things they want to do in their careers. They decide they want to finish their careers in freight transportation, dealing with
truckers and freight. When you know that what you do matters to people, it gives you purpose. When we as human beings have purpose, we don’t just get up and go to a job every day. You get up and have fun. You love what you do, and the hours, days, weeks, and years just fly by. The next thing you know, you’ve been doing it for
thirty years like me, and you say, “Wow.” You look back and realize it was remarkable because it meant something and you were helping others. That is the common thread I kept seeing; about 80% of them had no thought they would ever be in transportation. They thought it was a dirty, boring, unsexy industry, but then they
get in and realize how great it is. Everyone always says they love the people of transportation, because it’s the people in the foxhole with you that make it great. That is definitely the main takeaway.
[00:12:43] John Howland: I love it. And you are long-tenured here too, right? You have been in the industry for thirty years, hosted a podcast, and done so many amazing things. Was there ever one specific moment, whether at one of the companies or on a podcast, that actually changed your perspective? Was there a
moment where you thought, “Wow, I just learned a lot”? What did you learn from that?
[00:13:09] Brent Hutto: Gosh, John, I can think of a thousand conversations that helped pivot my brain to think differently. I think number one was a time when I screwed something up. Early in my career at Randall Reilly, I messed up. I remember Pettis Randall, the man who built Randall Publishing. That includes Overdrive
Magazine, CCJ Magazine, trade shows, data, and all that sort of stuff. I screwed something up pretty badly. I got a phone call and had to go to his office. He told me to come in, and at about thirty-one years old, I was scared to death. I was responsible for a giant program involving a massive customer, and it didn’t go well.
He called me “Big,” and he said, “Hi, Big. It didn’t go so well, did it?” I said, “No, Pettis, it didn’t,” and he replied, “My friends call me Pet, so call me Pet.” I said, “Okay, Pet,” even though I had always called him Pettis. He told me that when things go wrong, you just need to learn from them and ensure they don’t go wrong twice. That really
helped me change; he told me they had a lot invested in me. He added, “You have a lot invested in yourself. Don’t depreciate your investment.” He advised me to always learn from my mistakes, pivot quickly, and create success the next time, because I wouldn’t be measured by my failures. I would be measured by how I pivoted and
created success the next time. That remark changed the way I looked at things; you are inevitably going to screw up. Things will happen, but it’s about how you ensure they don’t happen again. If you are trying new things, there is going to be some failure. The second story was this: I was sitting with Scott Moscrip when we were
redoing the logo for Truckstop, and I had a hundred different options. He said they all sucked and were terrible, explicitly stating he hated them. He told me, “Brent, there has got to be a truck in the Truckstop logo.” He insisted on the truck because, without them, we don’t have a business. That changed my point of view on the
industry, because you often think it’s just about the freight. It is about the truck and the trucker driving it; without them, we don’t have an industry or a business. Keeping the focus on the carrier as the most important element helped shift my mindset toward helping them be as successful as possible. Those two things
fundamentally changed my point of view in life and in this industry, John. There are always those pivotal moments; write them down and put them up on your computer. Put them up in your bathroom so you see them every day. Those are the things that help you think about how to improve yourself and the industry you serve.
[00:15:28] John Howland: What a couple of nuggets there. Honestly, that was some really good stuff. For those listening, it is okay to fail; learn from it, pivot, and get better. That’s great, Brent. Thank you.
[00:15:40] Todd Waldron: I think some of the most impactful conversations in my career have been some of the hardest. I remember a time when I was in a carrier sales role, and the sales manager was taking me under his wing for cold calling and going on sales trips. He suggested we get some appointments so we could go on a
sales trip together. I just dragged my feet. I would get sucked into doing research or focusing on my other role, and a couple of months passed. I still hadn’t set up any meetings, and he just kind of laid into me. He pointed out that if I had a chance to go on a meeting with his bosses, I would have gotten it done. Sure enough, within a
week, I had five appointments scheduled. It was my fear, my excuses, and my comfort in my primary role that prevented me from gaining momentum, rather than just putting in the work, drilling down, and getting it done. So, I like that perspective.
[00:16:29] Brent Hutto: We all need encouragement. As leaders, and you two are leaders, among many out there, just be encouraging to people, because encouragement is fuel. It can make them run through walls for you, so you just need to be encouraging. That doesn’t mean we don’t need to correct each other and have
good discipline. As a father of six, I’ve seen encouragement create a trajectory for my children that correction simply doesn’t. Certainly, corrections have their place, but encouragement absolutely works.
[00:16:55] Todd Waldron: That is the commonly debated topic of the carrot versus the stick. We live in a world right now that is so carrot-based, but sometimes we need a little stick in our lives, or the encouragement that helps us rebuild and learn from that correction at the same time. It can’t be one without the other. As we enter
an era with so many unknowns, you’ve been through a lot of freight cycles. With all of those conversations and your history, as you look forward to 2026, what are you seeing in the market right now? What are you seeing for 2026, and what is happening?
[00:17:39] Brent Hutto: That is a great question. I get to see a lot of cool things in the market given my history and my connection to so many different data sources. I also get to see things from a broader perspective. That’s one reason why I love Noel Perry as an economist. There are lots of people with great data, information, and
analysis, but I always appreciate someone with over fifty years of experience because they bring a perspective you can’t get anywhere else. My goal has always been to be a benefit to the players in the marketplace. The main headline, which I discovered along with Noel and my good friend Craig at FreightWaves at the
beginning of the pandemic, is that regulations are primarily what change trucking. Regulations imposed upon our network of transportation providers affect the hours of service you can operate on the road. I noticed some patterns in the data regarding our big markets. There were four different upcycles. I asked myself what
created the better rates in 2003, 2014, and 2018. What created these big markets? It was always regulations passed by the FMCSA that constrained hours of service, which in turn constrained capacity availability and the supply of trucks in the marketplace. Because we are in a supply-and-demand marketplace, when there is
less supply, rates go up. It wasn’t some magical occurrence. Understanding regulations is key. People always said to me, “The pandemic wasn’t a regulation.” I would respond that it absolutely was a regulation. It was just a different type: a consumer regulation. It wasn’t a trucking-imposed regulation, but a consumer
regulation that changed our buying behavior; we were all stuck at home and bored, so we bought a whole bunch of stuff. Consumer purchasing increased 100% in one year. It jumped from 40% to 80% of how consumers spent their money. All those goods had to be moved by trucks, and rates went way up because there was so
much freight. Trucks were charging five, six, or seven dollars a mile. So, to me, the headline is to watch the regulations in our industry. Right now, we have an administration under President Trump that is very pro-transportation and pro-trucker. They are pursuing regulations to remove the bad actors we currently
have in the marketplace. If you look at the data Noel Perry put out, this could affect up to 850,000 drivers. That covers 20% of the market; affecting 20% in an industry that operates on a 2% or 3% variable is massive. If you thought we had a great marketplace during the pandemic, this will eclipse that. That is what I am seeing and
reading for this year. By the way, I have talked to the DOT, the FMCSA, and the Federal Highway Administration. These players are sincere about helping transportation become healthy again. That means getting bad actors out of the market quickly. They aren’t going to do it over a decade; they’re going to do it over
the next couple of years. Watch how sincere Sean Duffy at the DOT and Derek Mars at the FMCSA are about helping transportation. This is a good thing, because many fleets have told me they would be profitable if they didn’t have to compete with people driving rates down by operating below profitability. Freight volumes haven’t
been down, but rates certainly have. The enforcement of regulations is going to help us get back to a healthy rate marketplace. The main takeaway is to watch our administration enforce regulations that have been on the books forever. Watching how they enforce those regulations is the biggest headline right now.
[00:21:39] John Howland: Cool. I’ve listened to you talk about how it seems the market is tightening a little bit. Rates are going up, which seems like a good thing, though whether it’s sustainable is to be determined. At Truckstop, we are seeing our load-to-truck ratio higher than it has been since early 2022, which is fantastic. It’s
an interesting time right now if you are a smaller carrier. Do you have any advice for those smaller owner-operators on what they should be doing to weather the storm and get through it? What do they need to do to survive such an unstable market?
[00:22:23] Brent Hutto: I’ve said this, and I will say it over and over again, John. To survive, number one: control what you can control. You need to control the efficiency of your operation, and no one can adapt faster than a one-, two-, or three-truck owner-operator. Todd, you’ve managed over a hundred trucks. Making a
change for a fleet of that size doesn’t happen overnight; it takes several quarters. Conversely, an owner-operator can change their operation tomorrow. That flexibility allows you to shift into different marketplaces; if you live in the Southeast but freight is better in the Northeast for the next quarter, you can focus there for a
better return. Trucks can go anywhere, and you can always make it back home, but you have a business to run. You must understand that your operation can change quickly and use that to your advantage. A 500-truck fleet is bound by certain constraints when pursuing customers, whereas an owner-operator can move freight
for anybody. You also need to control what you can by watching your costs. I was on a program with Kevin Rutherford, and an owner-operator called in to discuss his cost per mile. For fleets, it’s typically around $1.50 or more per mile. His cost was only 86 cents.
[00:23:50] John Howland: Crushing it.
[00:23:51] Brent Hutto: If you have an 86-cent cost basis, you can haul any freight you want. Right now, the average for freight is around $2.35 or $2.40 overall. For dry van, the most common freight, I think it was $2.31. I realize inflation and costs are up, and fuel has increased a few cents. However, the idea is to control your costs
and pivot your operation into marketplaces offering better rates. Remember, it is a supply-and-demand market. John, you mentioned the load-to-truck ratio earlier; you need to understand that metric. Know who you are competing against in every single city you pick up or drop off in. If you have an advantage, use it to negotiate
five or ten more cents a mile. Using data to your advantage is the most important thing a small, flexible operation can do. If you don’t know the data, someone else will use it to their advantage. Leverage your data, flexibility, and relatability. Go talk to people face-to-face and use that for your operation. If you do those things, it will be
hard not to find the rates you need to be successful.
[00:25:03] Todd Waldron: Absolutely, that’s fantastic; it’s been such an honor, Brent. We typically close with a lightning round of questions, and John has been waiting to ask you this first one. He will kick us off.
[00:25:22] John Howland: Alright, if animals were to jump behind the wheel and drive these trucks, what animal do you think would make the best driver?
[00:25:31] Brent Hutto: Oh my gosh, I could think of a bunch of them. Because of what we just discussed about efficiency and controlling costs, let’s go with the sloth. The slow, steady, purposeful, and measured sloth. I say that because if you slow your truck down and get better fuel mileage, you make more money. Fuel
surcharges are generally based on a 6.5 miles per gallon average. If you can beat 6.5 miles per gallon, you’re going to be much more profitable. If you slow down and get eight, nine, or even eleven miles per gallon like some guys I know, you will make significantly more money. When you’re making more money, your operation is
successful, and you are happier. So, I choose the sloth. I know it goes against transportation logic where everyone wants to go faster, but slowing down breeds success. I know it sounds funny, but it works, so absolutely the sloth.
[00:26:28] John Howland: I’ll tell you what, that is probably great for making money, but all the people driving around in their Teslas aren’t going to like that sloth! You take the next one, Todd.
[00:26:38] Todd Waldron: That’s fantastic. I knew Hutto wouldn’t be able to handle the “lightning” component of lightning questions!
[00:26:45] Brent Hutto: I will answer the next one quickly.
[00:26:48] Todd Waldron: You’re fine.
[00:26:48] John Howland: That was perfect.
[00:26:50] Todd Waldron: Professionally, what keeps you up at night, and what helps you manage it?
[00:26:55] Brent Hutto: What keeps me up is knowing that I have less time to help the trucking industry now that I’m almost sixty years old. We are a derived demand in the US economy and essential to the marketplace, so I’m not worried about transportation becoming irrelevant. I love this industry, and just knowing I have less
time to help is what keeps me up at night.
[00:27:14] John Howland: I have one more lightning question, and then we will close out. This is your opportunity to name-drop or hype someone up. If I were asked, I would say Mr. Hutto because he is the man. But if you were to name-drop someone in the industry doing great things that carriers, brokers, and the rest of the
industry should listen to, who would it be?
[00:27:36] Brent Hutto: From a small carrier standpoint, I would say listen to the wisdom of Kevin Rutherford; he’s been there, done that, and will give you great advice. I would also suggest pouring into the data sources you can get your hands on, because most truckers aren’t really looking at market data. There is a myriad of
sources out there; Truckstop has great free data, and the larger players do as well. C.H. Robinson, Arrive, and Schneider all put out data. There is great information in the market, so avail yourself of it to stay informed. When you are informed, you make much better decisions, so that would be my shoutout.
[00:28:11] John Howland: That’s awesome. Just for a quick recap, I want to first thank you, Mr. Hutto; this has been amazing. For the carriers, the main takeaway is to stay focused, be nimble, be ready to pivot, and control what you can control. Those are all really great things you’ve shared with us, Mr. Hutto. Todd, what else do
you have for a recap?
[00:28:33] Todd Waldron: I think what sums up Brent and his journey the best is that relationships drive everything. It is all about the relationships, not just for achieving a specific objective, but because people are what drive this business. That is what I have gotten to see Brent do so incredibly well. Thank you, Brent.
[00:28:56] Brent Hutto: Thank you, man. Guys, being on the first episode of your podcast is an honor. It’s great to hand it off to two guys I trust and love, who I know care tremendously about this industry. As with every part of my life, I’m indebted to you guys. I am honored to have been on, honored to call you friends, and honored to
call Truckstop a friend and part of my DNA. I am looking forward to seeing what Truckstop can do next to help the industry, because this market would certainly not be as healthy as it is without a healthy Truckstop.com.
[00:29:23] John Howland: We have some big shoes to fill, sir. Thank you for setting the foundation for us.
[00:29:28] Brent Hutto: My pleasure.
[00:29:29] Todd Waldron: If today’s episode helped you think differently about your operation, share it with someone in your network who needs to hear it.
[00:29:35] John Howland: If you are looking for tools to help keep your truck rolling, from finding quality loads to getting paid quicker, Truckstop.com is here to help.
[00:29:43] Todd Waldron: Visit truckstop.com to explore the load board, rate insights, and risk management solutions built specifically for carriers and brokers. Thanks for listening to us at Behind the Freight.
[00:29:55] Todd Waldron: Until next time, keep the wheels turning and the bad loads burning.
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