AI Is Making Logistics Faster. But Are We Solving the Right Problem? | Chris Condon

Most people in logistics will tell you the problem is speed. Quote faster, book faster, move faster. My guest today thinks that is the wrong diagnosis. Going faster without better judgment just moves the mistake further down the line.

Chris Condon started out driving a forklift in a container yard in Kent, Washington in 1995. He spent 16 years at Expeditors, took over a freight company that was $59 million in debt and had it profitable inside one year, then built and sold another one. Today he runs Aircon, an AI platform for air freight forwarders.

The reason I wanted him on: he walked away from a part of the business that was making money because it was not the company he needed to exist. Running a tech enabled wholesaler alongside a tech brand confused the market and put his neutrality in question, so he cut it. What he found next is that most of his customers are missing 30 to 40 percent of their inputs, and the quote is just the visible output of the work.

What we get into:

• Speed without judgment relocates the error
• From forklift driver to logistics leader, and what the dock teaches that no dashboard shows
• Turning around a company with $59 million in debt in one year
• Stop selling the service and solve the customer's real problem
• The noise and trust problem around AI
• Why people and judgment matter more than data
• Walking away from a profitable business model to stay neutral
• Captain Cargo, and the brand that did not fit
• The 30 to 40 percent of inputs most forwarders never see
• Is the problem the technology or the willingness to let go of the work?
• Using AI to elevate human capacity and customer value

Timestamps

• 00:00 Why speed without judgment creates bigger mistakes
• 01:05 From forklift driver to logistics leader
• 02:24 What dock level execution teaches you
• 04:51 Turning around a company with $59 million in debt
• 08:16 Stop selling the service, solve the real problem
• 10:39 The noise and trust problem in AI
• 15:29 Why people and judgment matter more than data
• 20:09 Walking away from a profitable business model
• 23:06 The inputs customers do not know they are missing
• 24:44 Captain Cargo and the brand that did not fit
• 26:50 Speed without judgment relocates the error
• 33:37 Technology, or the willingness to let go of the work?
• 37:13 The takeaway: use AI to elevate customer value
• 38:23 Where to connect with Chris
• 39:08 How his wife felt about shutting down Captain Cargo

About the guest

Chris Condon is the founder of Aircon, an AI platform for air freight forwarders. He started on a forklift in Kent, Washington, spent 16 years at Expeditors, and turned around a freight company carrying $59 million in debt. He welcomes engagement from the industry on LinkedIn.

Aircon: https://aircon.ai

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-condon-air-freight-ai/

Want to be a guest? We are looking for real operators, not celebrities. Fill out the guest form at the link below:

https://forms.gle/guCp7wDBoUjkX86t7