Ep. #73: Shawn McLeod, President of Axle Logistics

How do you build a billion-dollar freight brokerage without a single dollar of outside capital? Sean McLeod, who joined Axle Logistics as employee #21 in 2016, gives us a rare glimpse into one of the fastest-growing and most respected brokerages in North America.

Sean shares the extraordinary journey of scaling Axel from a small operation with 20 people to a powerhouse with nearly 700 employees. What makes this story particularly fascinating is how Axle has maintained its cradle-to-grave model at scale – something many industry veterans claim is impossible. "Everyone says you can't operate a billion-dollar company cradle-to-grave," Sean explains. "Yeah, you can—you just keep hiring people."

We dig deep into Axle's counter-cyclical approach to downturns, where they double down on customer visits and hiring while competitors pull back. This strategy led to explosive growth during COVID, with the company growing from $176 million to $521 million in just one year. Sean's philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: "Volume is everything. The market dictates my rate and profit. All I can do is continue to find new business."

The conversation takes an emotional turn when Sean discusses his leadership style, revealing how deeply he cares about his employees, customers, and carriers. He still makes cold calls alongside his team, books freight, and holds everyone (including himself) accountable to the company's high standards. His authentic passion becomes clear when he admits, "I probably care too much, but that's all right."

Whether you're running a small brokerage or a large logistics operation, this episode offers invaluable insights on maintaining culture through growth, balancing compensation between different operational models, and strategically adopting technology without sacrificing the human touch that makes freight brokerage work.

Ready to be inspired by a freight success story built on grit, service excellence, and unapologetic commitment to people? This episode will challenge your assumptions about what's possible in building a brokerage in today's market.

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*** This episode is brought to you by Rapido Solutions Group. I had the pleasure of working with Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza at Coyote, as well as being a client of theirs more recently at MoLo. Their team does a great job supplying nearshore talent to brokers, carriers, and technology providers to handle any role necessary, be it customer or carrier support, back office, or tech services. Visit gorapido.com to learn more.

A special thanks to our additional sponsors:

Cargado – Cargado is the first platform that connects logistics companies and trucking companies that move freight into and out of Mexico. Visit cargado.com to learn more.
Greenscreens.ai – Greenscreens.ai is the AI-powered pricing and market intelligence tool transforming how freight brokers price freight. Visit greenscreens.ai/freightpod today!
Metafora – Metafora is a technology consulting firm that has delivered value for over a decade to brokers, shippers, carriers, private equity firms, and freight tech companies. Check them out at metafora.net. ***