In today’s unpredictable freight landscape, complexity has become the only constant. Between shifting trade patterns, labor constraints, and rapidly evolving customer expectations, shippers are being forced to rethink how they design and manage their transportation networks.

During a fireside chat at F3: Future of Freight Festival, Christopher Clemmensen, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Echo Global Logistics, and Brad Guinane, Chief Revenue Officer at SONAR explored how shippers are adapting to these disruptions through more connected, end-to-end logistics strategies.

The changing landscape of logistics

Echo Global Logistics has experienced impressive growth over its 20-year history, evolving from a $7 million startup to a company with over $4 billion in revenue. This journey has included more than 25 acquisitions, as well as periods as both a public and private company. Clemmensen, who has been with Echo for nearly 11 years, highlighted how the company’s transition back to private ownership under The Jordan Company has allowed for a more strategic, long-term approach to business development.

“When we were public, we were very driven by quarterly analyst meetings,” Clemmensen explained. “Being privately owned with The Jordan Company, we’re able to really take a long term strategic perspective on things.”

This shift in ownership structure has enabled significant investments, particularly in technology. Echo is now spending upwards of $80 million annually on technology initiatives that may have been challenging to justify under the short-term pressures of public markets.

Customer-driven strategy development

At the heart of Echo’s strategic direction is a commitment to understanding and responding to customer needs. Clemmensen emphasized the importance of the “voice of the customer” in guiding the company’s growth.

“For the time that I’ve been there, we have done shipper (client) satisfaction surveys every year, as well as carrier satisfaction surveys. We get thousands of responses to these. We also do pulse surveys throughout the year. So we want to understand what’s important to our shippers, and what’s important to our carriers. What are those unmet needs?”

This customer-centric approach has led Echo to expand its service offerings beyond traditional truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. Three years ago, the company acquired Roadtex, which specializes in temperature-controlled, food-grade shipping and warehousing. This acquisition has given Echo over 30 locations across the country with more than 3 million square feet of temperature-controlled and food-grade warehouse space.

Similarly, Echo has strengthened its cross-border capabilities, particularly in Mexico. The company recently established its headquarters in Mexico City and opened an office in Monterrey, enhancing its ability to provide end-to-end services for shipments crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Building flexibility and resilience

A key theme throughout the discussion was the critical importance of flexibility and resilience in modern supply chains. Clemmensen described how Echo helps its customers navigate disruptions such as tariffs, port strikes, and weather events by providing the flexibility to pivot quickly.

Echo’s value goes beyond short-term logistics solutions, however. The company provides strategic consulting to help clients make long-term business decisions, such as determining optimal warehouse locations by analyzing their shipping routes, capacity availability, competitive rates, and proximity to customers.

Echo positions itself as a strategic partner that uses its logistics data and expertise to guide clients’ broader supply chain decisions.

This strategic approach to building resilient supply chains extends to sustainability initiatives as well. As Clemmensen explained, Echo’s customers are increasingly accountable to their boards and consumers regarding sustainability practices. While efficiency measures like optimizing backhauls and maximizing truck capacity are important, Echo has also developed innovative solutions that address both business challenges and sustainability goals.

One such example is the company’s retail consolidation offering, which emerged from a specific customer need. A large big-box retailer was considering delisting a manufacturer that couldn’t maintain sufficient inventory levels across the retailer’s distribution centers. Echo leveraged its Roadtex division’s presence in these DCs to create a solution where multiple manufacturers’ products could be consolidated into single shipments.

“Every day we can go into these 40+ DCs with a truck that has products from five different shipper customers of ours,” Clemmensen said. “Now the retailer is happy because we have one truck going into one dock, instead of having four more trucks out in the parking lot, idling and using up fuel. That is actually helping with sustainability.”

Leveraging technology and AI

Echo’s approach to technology, particularly AI, exemplifies its philosophy of “technology at your fingertips and experts by your side.” Rather than implementing AI solutions for their own sake, the company focuses on solving real business problems and enhancing human relationships.

Clemmensen described two complementary approaches to AI implementation. The top-down approach identifies operational inefficiencies that can be addressed through technology, such as using AI to generate freight quotes from among thousands of daily email inquiries. These AI-generated quotes are then reviewed by human representatives before being sent to customers.

“It takes some of the routine time sink out of their day so they can be more strategic and come alongside their shippers and carriers and be more productive,” Clemmensen explained.

The bottom-up approach, meanwhile, empowers employees to identify areas where they could be more efficient.

“What are things that you’re doing in your day where you need help or you could be more productive,” Clemmensen described asking employees. “How can we help you be more efficient?”

This human-centered approach to technology implementation aligns with Echo’s belief that the logistics industry is fundamentally built on relationships. Rather than replacing human interaction, AI and other technologies can eliminate administrative burdens, creating more time for strategic conversations with partners.

Looking forward

As Echo celebrates its 20th anniversary, the company remains focused on preparing for the eventual market turnaround while continuing to invest in its business, employees, and technology. With the backing of The Jordan Company, Echo can maintain a long-term perspective despite current market challenges.

The company continues to evaluate potential acquisitions while also investing in training and technology for its workforce. Most importantly, Echo remains committed to listening to its shippers and carriers, understanding their evolving challenges and developing solutions that address the complexity of today’s supply chains.

By combining technological innovation with deep industry expertise and a customer-centric approach, Echo exemplifies how logistics providers can help their clients navigate complexity while building more flexible, resilient, and sustainable supply chains for the future.