The Journey Podcast

Kevin Miles, The RFP Game Is Changing

Episode Summary

Kevin Miles, CEO of Eureeka BI, returns to The Journey Podcast to talk with Will Jenkins about the current freight market, where brokerages are feeling pressure, and how leaders should be thinking about growth right now. Kevin brings more than 20 years of supply chain experience, including time on the shipper side managing RFPs. In this conversation, he breaks down how policy changes, rising costs, technology, and AI are all hitting brokers at the same time. Will and Kevin also get into one of the biggest questions facing freight leaders today: when the market starts to move, how do you grow without spending too fast, hiring too late, or buying technology that does not solve the actual problem? This episode covers smarter RFP strategy, freight pricing, AI adoption, TMS mistakes, hiring trends, and how brokers can position themselves for the next cycle with more discipline.

Episode Notes

SUMMARY: 

Kevin Miles, CEO of Eureeka BI, returns to The Journey Podcast to talk with Will Jenkins about the current freight market, where brokerages are feeling pressure, and how leaders should be thinking about growth right now. Kevin brings more than 20 years of supply chain experience, including time on the shipper side managing RFPs. In this conversation, he breaks down how policy changes, rising costs, technology, and AI are all hitting brokers at the same time. Will and Kevin also get into one of the biggest questions facing freight leaders today: when the market starts to move, how do you grow without spending too fast, hiring too late, or buying technology that does not solve the actual problem? This episode covers smarter RFP strategy, freight pricing, AI adoption, TMS mistakes, hiring trends, and how brokers can position themselves for the next cycle with more discipline. 

TOPICS: 

• The current freight market and what brokers are watching
• How policy changes may affect rates and capacity
• Why shippers are increasing RFP cadence
• How brokers can approach net-new RFP opportunities
• Common mistakes in TMS and technology buying
• The difference between a prototype and a working product
• Where AI can help and where leaders need to be careful
• Why some brokerages are hiring too reactively
• How to prepare before the market fully turns
• What Eureka BI is building next 

TAKEAWAYS:

• Brokers need to understand the business problem before adding new technology.
• AI can help teams move faster, but it has to be tied to a real strategy.
• A great demo does not always mean the product is ready to use.
• RFPs are becoming more frequent, which creates more work for brokers and shippers.
• The best RFP strategy starts with knowing where your network is already strong.
• Higher revenue does not always mean true growth if load count and customer count are not expanding.
• Brokerages should stay disciplined with spending, hiring, and tech adoption as the market shifts. 
• The teams that invested early in people, systems, and infrastructure are better positioned now. 

CHAPTERS: 

00:00 Introduction to The Journey Podcast 

01:00 Kevin Miles returns as the first-ever Journey Podcast guest 

01:18 Kevin’s background and the start of Eureka BI 

03:40 Freight market pressure, policy changes, and technology shifts 

05:01 Where technology implementation breaks down 

07:54 AI adoption, demos, prototypes, and real-world use 

11:23 Building, testing, and improving technology faster 

12:06 Policy changes and the impact on capacity 

13:03 Insurance costs, rate pressure, and RFP changes 

15:07 Healthy growth versus market-driven revenue gains 

18:05 Spending discipline during a market shift 

19:02 Hiring trends across freight brokerages 

21:23 How brokers should approach new RFP opportunities 

23:35 What is next for Eureka BI 

24:18 Closing thoughts 

RESOURCES: 

• Eureka BI: https://www.eureekabi.com/ 
• Kevin Miles on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwmiles/?isSelfProfile=false