Mergers in Motion: Smart Acquisition Strategies for Freight & Logistics Leaders
Success in the freight industry today hinges on blending practical technology with authentic relationships, embracing diversification, and adopting a collaborative mindset that prioritizes honesty, partnership, and real-world problem solving.
In an era of rapid technological advancement and economic uncertainty, a recent conversation with Aaron Hatfield, Head of Sales at Arvist AI, revealed valuable insights about navigating the freight industry in 2025. Our discussion explored everything from the current economic climate to the importance of genuine business relationships and the role of technology in transportation.
The Current State of Freight: Navigating Uncertainty
As we move deeper into 2025, the freight industry continues to face a complex landscape. The year began with optimism that quickly tempered when new tariffs were announced, creating hesitation among industry players. Despite this uncertainty, Aaron’s perspective is refreshingly balanced.
“It makes where we’re at right now, makes me squirmy, just as a person, take out politics, take out political opinions. This is not like…it’s just an uncomfortable position for everybody,” Aaron noted. This feeling of discomfort isn’t new—the industry has been navigating challenging conditions for some time now.
However, beneath this uncertainty lies a silver lining. Despite market fluctuations, business activity remains robust. Aaron shared that he’s accumulated over 30 boarding passes in the past year from trade shows, client visits, and on-site tours, indicating that business development continues at a healthy pace.
“From at least my personal experience, we work with folks in Central and South America as well, in some facilities there. So in those instances, transparently, it is giving people pause…but that’s not slowing down business,” he explains.
The key economic factors at play include:
- Tariffs: While opinions vary about their impact, Aaron believes that once the current tensions settle, we could see a “slingshot effect” in business activity.
- Labor market: The tight labor market continues to create tension across the industry.
- Inflation: Though showing signs of slowing, inflation remains higher than ideal and affects operating costs.
The Diversification Imperative
One of the most compelling insights from our conversation was the importance of diversification as a business strategy. This applies not just to transportation companies but to solution providers and individual professionals as well.
“Diversification in the supply chain, diversification in your business solution offerings—it needs to stay in line with your core focus and product, but complement it at a minimum,” Aaron advises.
He likens business diversification to a mutual fund or insurance policy: “You’re saving yourself a headache for on a rainy day.” By maintaining multiple relationships and capabilities, companies create resilience against market fluctuations.
For transportation companies specifically, this might mean maintaining relationships with multiple carriers rather than relying on just one or two. For technology providers, it means developing complementary services that align with core offerings without diluting focus.
The "Win Together" Approach to Business
Perhaps the most powerful concept that emerged from our conversation was what we called the “Win Together” model. This approach emphasizes collaboration over competition, particularly through strategic partnerships.
“If you’re more likely to partner and work together with others to come up together, versus like, ‘Oh no, I have to work on my company and do these things, and we have to beat everybody else out’—you’re going to be more successful if you work on the win together model,” I suggested during our conversation.
Aaron enthusiastically agreed, noting that his company, Arvist AI, has been actively developing a partnership program that goes beyond simple referrals. He emphasized that true partnerships need “teeth”—substantial commitment and integration that creates mutual value.
The Win Together model includes several key components:
- Focusing on complementary strengths: Recognizing what your company does exceptionally well and partnering with others who excel in different areas.
- Building authentic relationships: Moving beyond transactional interactions to create genuine professional connections.
- Integrated solutions: Creating seamless experiences for customers by integrating partner capabilities.
- Shared success metrics: Measuring achievement not just through individual company gains but through collective impact.
Authentic Business in a Skeptical World
A recurring theme in our discussion was the importance of authenticity in business relationships. Aaron noted that in today’s environment, people are weary of insincerity: “People are so used to BS nowadays that if you are just that way [authentic], it stands out, and people find it refreshing.”
This authenticity extends to sales approaches as well. Aaron shared his personal philosophy: “I don’t sell crap that we don’t do, and that’s what I told the team. And I just flat out, I was like, I’m not gonna do it. I don’t do it. I won’t do it. I haven’t done it.”
He believes that honesty and profit aren’t mutually exclusive: “You can make money and you can have a profitable business and be honest and ethical along the way.”
This approach resonates in an industry where overpromising and underdelivering have become all too common. Many technology companies claim capabilities they don’t have, forcing them to rush development after securing a sale. The better approach, we agreed, is to be transparent about limitations and leverage partnerships to fill gaps.
“Sometimes you’re just not the right fit, right? And that’s okay. You’re not the right fit. So end of the day, you don’t get the sale. But I think that goodwill conversation— ‘No, we don’t do those things, not in our roadmap for years out’—but advising them like, ‘Hey, are you know, there’s these other companies that do those things, if that’s the right fit for you,’ is so much more meaningful.”
The Technology Balance: Innovation vs. Practicality
As the Head of Sales for a computer vision company, Aaron has a nuanced perspective on technology adoption. Our conversation explored how technology has both enhanced and complicated our lives, from the constant notifications across multiple devices to the transformative potential of AI in supply chain operations.
Aaron emphasized the need for balance in technology adoption: “Where is technology starting to not benefit or be a detractor in either a human life or like a workplace?” This question is particularly relevant as new technologies emerge at an accelerating pace.
For freight technology specifically, Aaron believes success comes from combining innovation with practical application: “The companies that are going to succeed long term are going to be the ones that keep pushing the limit, keep pushing that needle from a development standpoint… At the same time, though, is it filling a practical, digestible need?”
He cautioned against “snake oil” in the AI space, emphasizing that technology should solve real problems rather than creating impressive but impractical capabilities. When discussing artificial intelligence, he made a point to specify “computer vision” rather than using the broader AI term to be precise about what the technology actually does.
Building Tomorrow's Talent
An encouraging portion of our conversation centered on emerging talent in the supply chain industry. Aaron shared his experiences working with students at universities like Northern Kentucky University and Georgia Southern University.
“These kids in the universities…they’re so incredibly smart,” Aaron noted. “From a data analytics perspective, from a solution provider [perspective]…I think they are going to be absolute assets here in the near future.”
He emphasized the importance of balancing technical knowledge with practical experience:
“Before you start doing X, Y, or Z, whether it’s with a trucking company, a warehouse operation, a software company, whatever it might be—throw on some boots. Go walk a warehouse. Go talk to a truck driver.”
This combination of technological fluency and hands-on experience will be critical as the industry continues to evolve.
Practical Tips for Industry Professionals
Throughout our conversation, several practical recommendations emerged:
- Take notes persistently: Aaron shared his practice of carrying notebooks and recording details from conversations. “I write stuff down, whether it’s, you know, if somebody’s telling me about, ‘Oh, hey, they’re going on a trip’… I’ll put ‘beach trip, out of office,’ and that way, when they’re back in office, I can be like, ‘Hey, you had a fun time at the beach, right?'”
- Preserve business connections: Keeping track of contacts and conversations helps build authentic relationships over time.
- Be honest about capabilities: Clearly communicate what your solution can and cannot do, rather than overpromising.
- Seek balance with technology: Embrace innovation but recognize when disconnecting is valuable.
- Focus on solving real needs: Ensure technology implementations address practical challenges rather than implementing technology for its own sake.
Looking Ahead
As we look at the remainder of 2025, the combination of economic uncertainty and technological advancement creates both challenges and opportunities. The organizations and professionals most likely to thrive will be those who:
- Diversify their capabilities while maintaining focus on core strengths
- Build authentic relationships based on honesty and mutual benefit
- Adopt the “Win Together” model through meaningful partnerships
- Balance technological innovation with practical application
- Invest in developing both technical and experiential knowledge
Despite current uncertainties, the fundamentals of good business haven’t changed. As Aaron put it: “We’re relearning the way things used to be… You’ve got your name and you’ve got your word. Just do people right, treat people right. Good business goes around, comes around.”
In an increasingly complex and technology-driven freight landscape, perhaps that’s the most valuable insight of all.
This blog post was adapted from a podcast conversation with Aaron Hatfield, Head of Sales at Arvist AI, a computer vision company serving the supply chain industry.
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