
Industry Insights
with Route Consultant
Welcome to Industry Insights with Route Consultant—your front-row seat to the fast-moving world of logistics and beyond. Each week, we bring you game-changing insights, real-world strategies, and fresh perspectives to fuel smarter investments and build stronger businesses. Join us as we sit down with expert guests to explore emerging trends and pressing topics across a wide range of industries.
Latest Episodes
Explore All Industry Articles + Videos
FedEx Entrepreneur Story with Amy + Dave Byers
This week, we're sitting down with Amy and Dave Byers to hear the inspiring story behind their journey as FedEx contractors. From navigating the early days of business ownership to scaling a successful operation together, the Byers share the challenges, lessons, and wins that shaped their entrepreneurial path. Whether you're exploring FedEx as an investment or already operating routes, this candid conversation offers real-world insights on partnership, growth, and what it takes to thrive in the logistics space.
HR with Melody Sundwall
This week, we're sitting down with Melody Sundwall, Chief Human Resources Officer of Patton Logistics, to hear the story behind her unique career path. Melody shares how her experience with processes and people led her through a variety of roles in human resources, ultimately steering her into the world of logistics and delivery.
Bread Routes with Stephen Rhein
This week, we're in the studio with Stephen Rhein, owner of Not By Bread Alone, LLC. Stephen shares his story and experience in the bread routes industry, from his days on a truck in high school through expanding distribution territories in Tennessee.
How FedEx Ground Drivers Are Paid
For the vast majority of FedEx Ground contractors, payroll is the largest operational expense. It’s no exaggeration that how you pay your drivers and manage your payroll expense will have a material effect on the profitability of your business as well as the productivity of your team.
What to Expect In Expenses for FedEx Routes for Sale
FedEx Ground routes have predictable revenues with few variables. It’s what makes these businesses such solid investments!
If your revenue is predictable with few variables to significantly change it, then how do you impact your Net Operating Income (or take-home pay)? You focus on Total Expenses.
Can I Lease My Fleet?
What many contractors don’t know, however, is that there is a strong argument for using full-service leases in some cases. If you have routes that travel 35,000 miles a year or less, a full-service vehicle lease may be the best option for you.
How Much Money Do Amazon Routes Make?
Understanding the valuations of an Amazon DSP business is a hot topic of conversation right now. With the constant growth of e-commerce, the transportation industry is skyrocketing.
Pros and Cons of FedEx Ground P&D Routes
There are two types of FedEx Ground routes: pickup and delivery (P&D) routes and linehaul runs. If you are investing in FedEx Ground routes for the first time, we highly recommend P&D routes. Why? P&D routes are easy to learn, less expensive than linehaul, and have a consistent revenue stream each month.
What is a Labor Market Analysis?
As we continue to face labor shortages, contractors struggle to recruit drivers for their operations. To help combat the challenges of finding drivers, we have partnered with Bright Flag Recruiting. One of the biggest challenges contractors face when buying or operating in a market is determining what they need to pay to be competitive when recruiting and retaining drivers.
SBA Loans for FedEx Contractors with Tucker Herring, GBank
This week, we're in the studio with Tucker Herring, Vice President of SBA Development at GBank. Tucker shares his journey into SBA lending, the process of securing financing for business acquisitions, and the advantages of SBA loans compared to conventional lending.
The Impact of Fuel Prices on FedEx Ground Operations
Fuel cards are the way your drivers will pay for fuel (if you enroll in a fuel card program). These cards look like a credit card, but there are important differences between a fuel card and a credit card.
Waste Management with the Turbeville Brothers
This week, we're talking trash with Tommy, Rick, and Marty Turbeville. Having grown up in the waste industry, the Turbeville brothers share their insights on how the industry has evolved and each of their journeys in the business.
Can You Buy Amazon DSP Routes? Understanding Your Investment Options
Our team has helped many Amazon DSPs find a new owner over their operating rights of the business. Going through the acquisition process within the Amazon network is similar to becoming a FedEx Ground contractor. There are a few different ways to become an Amazon DSP, similar to becoming a FedEx contractor.
Are Electric Vehicles Viable in the Package Delivery Industry?
Electric vehicles (EVs) are all the rage in today’s consumer market. Many cities and states, particularly on the east and west coasts, are edging ever closer to lowering emissions and adopting a more electric vehicle friendly environment. FedEx Ground has vowed to be fully carbon neutral by 2040. EVs will certainly be a big part of that initiative.
How to Secure an SBA Loan for Your FedEx Ground Business
Every day, Route Consultant’s FedEx routes for sale receive a record number of inquiries about listings via our website and hotline. Our team, and other vendors in this space, are inundated with requests and questions throughout the day. SBA lenders are in a similar position, particularly right now. Our goal is to prepare you to get to the front of the SBA lending line.
How Bread Route Territories Work
A bread route territory is a contractually protected area in which you, as the distributor, have the exclusive right to deliver and sell products from a specific brand, such as Pepperidge Farm, Flowers Foods, or Bimbo Bakeries…Each bakery brand has its own policies for how territories are created and assigned, but the general goal is to ensure exclusive coverage without overlap between distributors.
EMS with Hanz Fequiere
This week, we're sitting down with Hanz Fequiere, owner of The Constant Healthcare System, to talk about his journey into owning an ambulance company. From firefighting to restaurant ownership, Hanz shares how he has made an impact on his community and the rewards and challenges that come with being an entrepreneur in this space.
Are Bread Routes a Smart Investment? Equity Value and Market Outlook Explained
For many entrepreneurs, bread routes offer an accessible and consistent entry point into small business ownership. While much of the focus is often placed on weekly cash flow and brand alignment, one critical question often gets overlooked: What is the equity value of a bread route, and how does the market outlook affect it?
Whether you're buying your first route or planning for a future sale, understanding the equity you’re building and the current market landscape is key to making smart, long-term decisions.
Understanding FedEx Ground Territories: What Contractors Own
If you're thinking about buying a FedEx Ground route, one of the first things you’ll come across is the concept of territory rights. But what exactly does that mean—and how does FedEx define and enforce territories?
Understanding how FedEx territories are assigned, managed, and evaluated is essential to running a profitable and protected business.
Fleet Strategy for Bread Routes: What Kind of Truck Do You Really Need?
When you invest in a bread route, your delivery vehicle is more than just transportation—it’s one of the most important assets in your business. A smart fleet strategy can improve your efficiency, increase profitability, and reduce long-term operating costs.
A fleet strategy is your plan for acquiring, operating, and maintaining the delivery vehicle—or fleet of vehicles—used to run your bread route.