{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Last2First Podcast","title":"From Miami Courier to 13,500 Members: The Steve Howard Story","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3355,"description":"33 years. One partner who went bankrupt. Millions left on the table. And zero regrets.In this episode of Last of First Podcast, Jason Burns sits down with Steve Howard — 2026 CLDA Hall of Fame inductee, former owner of Esquire Express in Miami, and current Director of eCommerce Solutions at WCA, the world's largest freight forwarder network with 13,500 members across 197 countries.Steve built his courier business from scratch at 23 years old with nothing to lose — legal courier work, medical runs during Hurricane Andrew, air cartage, big & bulky e-commerce — and watched margins get gutted by three PLs, commoditization and Chinese-backed competitors willing to lose money just to grab market share.He's seen it all. And he's not holding back.We get into:✅Why he walked away from a 33-year business and never looked back✅How Hurricane Andrew turned a cargo van into his biggest account overnight✅The three PL model that squeezed his margins from 24% down to 4%✅What Chinese-backed delivery companies are doing to last mile pricing right now✅Why volume without value will eventually destroy your business✅How WCA connects last mile carriers directly to freight forwarders — and why the margin difference is massive✅The partner who went bankrupt and left him holding millions in SBA loans✅A masterclass in survival, reinvention and knowing exactly when to walk away.👉 Subscribe for real last mile logistics strategy and courier business growth insights👉 Comment \"MARGINS\" if the race to the bottom is hitting your business right now👉 Comment \"WCA\" if you want to learn more about unlocking international freight opportunitiesCHAPTER MARKERS00:00 - Introduction & CLDA Hall of Fame Moment03:30 - His Dad Surprises Him at the Ceremony07:00 - What Is WCA? 13,500 Members, 197 Countries12:00 - World Parcel Alliance: Cutting Out the Brokers18:30 - Starting Esquire Express at 23 in Miami24:00 - Hurricane Andrew and the Diesel Run to South Miami Hospital29:30 - First eCommerce Client: IKEA in...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/GXEfemdOctPhLy5xj00kyNMdJLROCQ3j30AG-ygggg8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hNTQ0/ZDViYTc0MDVkNWM0/NDllMDM4MTE1NDc3/NWJjOC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}