'Tell Me Everything' Podcast - Talking Brokerage Growth in Cold Chain Logistics

It’s the 24/7 reality of logistics. The phone rings at 1 a.m. A reefer is down, a load is at risk, and a relationship is on the line. This is the moment that defines a brokerage, not the easy loads, but the hard ones. It’s also the environment that kills most new freight brokerages and 3PLs, which often run out of cash or burn out their teams long before they build a sustainable brand.

So, how do you build a brokerage that lasts?

Our founder, Jason McArthur, recently joined Danielle Spinelli on the 'Tell Me Everything' podcast (part of the Fr8Talk Media network) to share the Lone Cypress Logistics blueprint. It’s not a "growth hack." It’s a disciplined model for scaling built on service, trust, and financial stability.

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The Blueprint: 5 Pillars of Sustainable Growth

1. Build on Trust, Not Just Freight We didn’t start by cold-calling. LCL was built on a foundation of 50+ years of combined experience and loyal customers who trusted us from day one. We started with a deep niche in produce, operating from Salinas, the "produce hub" of California. That expertise allowed us to speak the language of growers and solve their specific problems, earning trust before we ever moved a load.

2. Master Cash Flow from Day One This is the most critical, and most overlooked, pillar. We were determined to "run pretty lean at first" and not fall into debt. To do this, we had transparent conversations with our shippers. We asked for quicker payment terms, Net 15 or Net 21, instead of the standard Net 30. Most agreed because the trust was already there. The operational key? "Invoice the customer as quickly as possible to get that clock rolling."

3. Pay Carriers Like Partners You can't have healthy shipper relationships without healthy carrier relationships. From the beginning, our goal was to "pay carriers as quickly as we could." A carrier who knows they’ll be paid fast and treated with respect is a partner. They know we’ll "treat them well... communicate well," and be responsive when things get tough. That respect is currency, and it’s why our partners are willing to work with us on complex freight.

4. Earn Growth with Service We didn't earn our customers' full book of business by taking their easy lanes. We earned it with the "mentality, 'give me the hard stuff. I'll show you what I can do with that'." We proved our value on the complex, multi-pick, multi-drop produce loads. By nailing the hard freight, we earned the right to the rest. Service on the problem loads is what unlocks new opportunities.

5. Scale People and Process Intentionally Growth has to be strategic. Jason handled the 24/7 grind for the first seven or eight months alone. We hired an assistant first, then an experienced broker. We chose our tech (Descartes/Aljex) because it was what our team knew and trusted, not just what was new. And to protect our people from burnout, we invested in an after-hours support team to handle routine tracking, escalating only true emergencies.

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From a 'Person' to a 'Brand'

This model allowed us to grow from two people to a team of 11. Now, we’re focused on the next step: becoming an "authoritative voice" in the cold chain. As Jason said, the goal is to shift the market's thinking from, "Call Jason," to, "What if the industry thought, 'Let's call Lone Cypress'?"

That’s the difference between being a broker and building a brand. This conversation with Danielle was just a high-level look at our model. For a much deeper dive, you can read our The Complete Blueprint: How to Build a Sustainable Freight Brokerage.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about strategic growth, tech implementation, and carrier relations from Jason McArthur on Tell Me Everything with Danielle Spinelli. (You can also find Danielle and other industry leaders at BCS Freight Network events).

Move your perishable freight with a partner built on trust.

📧 Email: sales@lonecypresslogistics.com

📞 Phone: (833) 317-5517

📍 MC Number: 1395266

Sales: Brent Walter

Join Our Team: Brian McBrayer

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About the Author

Brian McBrayer is the Director of Business Development for Lone Cypress Logistics. With a proven background in sales leadership and scaling successful businesses across multiple industries, Brian is now focused on applying those same process-driven growth principles to the company's freight solutions. Connect with Brian on LinkedIn.