The Grawe Pod

Grawe Pod hosts Doug Grawe and Gary Randall dedicate this episode to examine some of the biggest headlines and trends happening this summer, including the impact of Yellow’s closing on its people and the industry. Doug and Gary also discuss what’s taking place these days with driver recruiting and retention efforts. You’ll also hear perspective on California’s equipment rules impacting carriers, brokers and shippers all over the U.S. Additionally, Doug touches on a recent court decision that stands as a win for brokers in the industry. Doug and Gary close out this edition of the podcast looking at some of the Grawe Group’s work in 2023 that has helped their clients do better and be better.

In today’s transportation landscape, trucking companies are crunched by the prevalence of nuclear verdicts, the shortage of quality drivers, and multiple viewpoints from Operations, Safety, & Recruiting. With this episode of the Grawe Pod, Doug Grawe and Gary Randall are back to talk about driver qualification guidelines and the qualification process. Doug and Gary explore a number of key points on this topic through their discussion while offering some helpful insights.

Posting a recycled job ad on Indeed, conducting four rounds of interviews and utilizing a copy-and-paste approach with job qualification requirements are not cutting it in today’s market. During the People Episode of the Grawe Pod, we will be sharing a collection of insights that address attracting, hiring and onboarding non-driving talent into your transportation organization. Doug Grawe is your host for the podcast and he will be joined on this episode by Grawe Group Executive Business Partners Gary Randall and Steve Youngquist. They will explore how transportation companies are attracting, hiring and retaining strong employees through thoughtful approaches. Attention to detail is vital in today’s market. Job descriptions are carefully crafted for each new opening. Qualification requirements are narrowed to attract fit as much as technical expertise. Interviewing is purposeful to draw out the traits that truly matter in your culture. And onboarding is designed to build a strong foundation, not fight fires.

In this episode of the Grawe Pod, we will explore a very important aspect of mergers and acquisitions as the M&A activity is once again heating up in the transportation industry. Grawe Pod hosts Doug Grawe and Gary Randall discuss the subject of mergers and acquisitions from the perspective of having a plan for implementation in place that can be well executed once the decision is made to buy or sell. With years of experience in leading Operations and Administration on both the selling sides and the buying sides of M&A transactions, Gary and Doug share valuable tips for successfully retaining people, retaining freight and collecting equipment through the transition.

One of the realities of transportation and logistics is that companies will encounter emergency situations. During this episode of the Grawe Pod, hosts Doug Grawe and Gary Randall of the Grawe Group discuss the importance of being prepared and having the proper planning in place when unexpected events, one-off situations and emergencies arise. Doug and Gary are joined on this edition of the Grawe Pod by Greg Thompson, a media relations professional with extensive experience in the trucking industry. Doug and Gary cover a collection of examples, noting situations that can arise and offering key points for building effective and adaptable approaches for addressing what your company needs at those challenging moments. Greg shares some tips related to communication and working with the media when certain situations arise.

It’s the start of a new year and you have big plans for 2022. In the first episode of 2022, the Grawe Pod will be examining a few key questions trucking executives should be asking at the beginning of the year, including: What action are you going to take in Q1? What are you going to get done in Q1 to set the table for a big 2022? Your podcast hosts Doug Grawe and Gary Randall will be sharing insights related to driver retention, employee retention, and IC program tips carriers can use to make lasting improvements in Q1.

In our latest episode, podcast hosts Doug Grawe and Gary Randall discuss the headline-grabbing topic of nuclear verdicts in trucking. As you will hear, nuclear verdicts can be prevented in 3 ways: (1) investing in a robust, proactive defense that tells your safety story to the jury; (2) advocating for reasonable reforms of litigation rules to curb abusive lawsuits and abusive plaintiff tactics; and (3) developing and maintaining a safety culture that goes above and beyond base-level compliance and focuses on preventing accidents. With this episode, Doug and Gary focus the majority of their discussion on the importance of making a comprehensive commitment when it comes to accident prevention. This edition of the Grawe Pod will highlight the importance of investing in technology as well as the importance of following through consistently on an Operations-driven safety culture.