Last2 First Podcast

About Last2 First Podcast

Welcome to Last 2 First, the podcast dedicated to exploring the final mile in logistics and the unique challenges faced by business owners in this vital industry. Each episode features insightful conversations with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who share their experiences, strategies, and innovations shaping the future of final mile delivery. Join us as we dive into topics like optimizing delivery routes, enhancing customer satisfaction, navigating regulatory hurdles, and leveraging technology for efficiency. Whether you're a seasoned logistics professional or a business owner looking to improve your operations, Last 2 First offers valuable insights and actionable advice to help you lead your business to success. Tune in and discover how to turn the last mile into your first priority!

Publisher

Jason Burns

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Nov 2024

Latest episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

94 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Why Cutting Back-Office Costs Is The Only Lever Logistics Owners Have Left (Part 3) | Remotely+

   Labor is one of the biggest costs in this industry, and in Part 3 of the Remotely+ series, Jason Burns and the team get to the heart of it: trust, and the strategic reason nearshore talent is the one cost a logistics owner can still cut. Learn more or find talent: https://www.remotelyplus.com As Matt puts it, a mid-sized logistics owner is stuck. You can't get your trucks any cheaper, you can't pay your drivers any less, and you can't raise your prices. The only lever left is the back office, and that's exactly where this model works. For this final part, they brought in Michael Frankel, a mid-sized logistics owner who started as a Remotely+ client and was so convinced by the results he became an owner in the business. He shares what happened after COVID sent frontline wages soaring, why paying more wasn't getting him better people, and how one remote hire grew into a full team across multiple positions. Steve Schoeffler and Matt Cohen walk through the trust factor: the vetting and English-proficiency assessment every candidate goes through, why retention runs significantly higher with nearshore talent from Central and South America, and the honest answer on what happens when a placement isn't the right fit. They also cover how remote and in-office staff build culture together, where AI actually fits alongside a human team, and why there's no upfront cost and no long-term contract, you don't spend a dime until you've interviewed the finalists and picked one. Guests: Steve Schoeffler and Matt Cohen, co-founders of Remotely+, with Michael Frankel, logistics owner and Remotely+ investor Watch more on the Last2First YouTube channel. #Last2First #Remotely+ #NearshoreStaffing #RemoteTalent #BackOffice #Logistics #LastMile #Staffing #Outsourcing #BusinessGrowth

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   He Delivers For More Than Half The Fortune 20 | Tyler Thatcher, Western Peaks Logistics | Last2First

   Tyler Thatcher didn't come from transportation. He built his early career in technology, riding the software wave through the dot-com crash, then spent time in private equity before buying a small final mile courier company in 2011, knowing almost nothing about the industry. Days after closing, DHL dropped them, wiping out about 20% of the revenue overnight. That was his introduction to logistics. Today, Tyler is President of Western Peaks Logistics, operating 17 facilities across six Western states with around 500 employees, and he does delivery work for more than half of the Fortune 20. In this episode, Jason Burns sits down with Tyler to trace how he built a regional powerhouse in the Rocky Mountain West, the market he calls a "black hole on the map" that the national carriers wouldn't touch. In this conversation: 1. How Tyler expanded market by market, through both building his own facilities and acquiring competitors, always by solving a specific customer problem 2. Why he treats the business as a math problem, tracking route-level profitability every single day to make thin margins work 3. How healthcare and pharma grew to more than half the business, moving lab work, blood, and life-saving prescriptions where the delivery is only a fraction of the total service 4. His honest take on private equity in logistics, why some deals strip out the relationships and humanity that made the business work, and why he was selective about his own partner 5. Why rising insurance premiums nearly ended the company, and how a captive insurance program became a lifeline 6. The technology he's investing in, from AI driver-safety cameras that cut his claims to a data warehouse pulling profitability by route and by hour 7. The culture rules he refuses to break, respect and kindness as non-negotiables, and the leadership lessons that shaped how he runs 500 people 8. Whether you run a small fleet, operate in final mile, or want to understand how a regional carrier scales in a tight-margin industry, this is a detailed look at the business from someone who learned every part of it the hard way.

3. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Truck Leasing vs Buying: Why Owning Your Fleet Is Costing You More | Wayne Posten | Last2First

   Wayne Posten spent 32 years in home delivery before building the company he runs today. He started on a truck in Atlantic City in the early '90s, became a contractor, and worked his way up to Chief Operating Officer of his own company and final mile Vice President for a billion-dollar operation. He knows exactly what it costs to be a small operator, because he spent decades as one. Now, as Managing Partner of Final Mile Leasing, Wayne has built an alternative to the big truck rental companies, one designed specifically for the one-to-ten-truck owner-operator the larger brands overlook. In this episode, Jason Burns sits down with Wayne to unpack why ownership has become so expensive for small operators, and why leasing the right way can be the smarter path. They get into why the cost of owning a truck, between financing, maintenance, insurance, and downtime, quietly eats into a small operator's margins, and how Final Mile Leasing runs 10 to 15% below the big brands by carrying less overhead. Wayne explains why he vets operators carefully instead of handing a truck to anyone who walks in, the difference between calling an 800 number and reaching a dedicated fleet manager who picks up on a Sunday, and the mentorship side of the business, including the young operator he spent three hours on the phone with who now runs 13 trucks. He also shares what 32 years in the field taught him about helping the next generation of owner-operators get in without sinking. Whether you're an owner-operator weighing leasing against buying, a small fleet trying to control costs, or someone thinking about getting into final mile, this conversation is a look at the economics of the business from someone who has lived every side of it.

Who has been a guest on Last2 First Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Larry Zogby
• Mitch Miller
• Pete Fidopiastis
• Sam Wiggins Jr.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

131,662

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

41

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

32

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