AI is changing logistics fast—but can technology actually replace the relationships that keep freight moving?
In Episode 15 of Around the Diamond Powered by American Diamond Logistics, Kevin, Steve, and Elise go guest-free for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what American Diamond is building, where logistics technology is headed, and why the human element still matters no matter how advanced the tools become.
Steve gives an update on American Diamond's push to automate more of the shipment lifecycle, including new AI-powered carrier sales capabilities, continued development inside Navigator, and internal tools designed to make the company faster, leaner, and better prepared to scale.
They also dive into the changing relationship between people and technology. AI can analyze data, automate repetitive work, identify potential problems, and create efficiencies that weren't possible just a few years ago—but technology is only as effective as the people implementing it. For American Diamond, the goal isn't replacing people. It's giving great people better tools.
The conversation also gets into the company's evolving LTL technology, including testing that identified a potential reclass/rebill scenario before booking that could have saved a customer roughly $100 on a $300–$400 shipment. It's a small example of a much bigger goal: finding problems before they become expensive problems.
And because this is Around the Diamond, things eventually go completely off the rails—with parenting, getting older, tattoos, Steve's potential first tattoo, vacations, and Rob getting unexpectedly pulled onto the show to explain his Four Horsemen sleeve.
In This Episode:
How American Diamond is using AI in carrier sales
Automating more of the shipment lifecycle
What's being built inside Navigator
Using technology to strengthen carrier relationships
Why AI still needs the human element
Preparing American Diamond for the next freight market shift
New technology designed to prevent costly LTL rebills
How automation is making teams leaner and faster
Why relationships remain critical in logistics
Building technology from real operational problems
The difference between using AI and depending on AI
Raising kids in a technology-driven generation
Why necessity drives some of the best innovation
The technology opening new possibilities at American Diamond
And somehow... a very serious discussion about whether Steve needs a tattoo
Around the Diamond Powered by American Diamond Logistics explores logistics, leadership, technology, business, sports, and the conversations happening behind the scenes with the people building what's next.
Chapters
00:00 – Welcome Back to Around the Diamond
01:30 – Steve's Next Vacation & Elise's Wedding Plans
03:20 – Generational Differences, Music & Technology
07:22 – Stolen Freight and the Risks Facing Logistics
08:33 – American Diamond's Latest AI Developments
10:24 – Building Smarter Carrier Sales Automation
11:33 – What's New Inside Navigator
12:34 – Rethinking Dedicated Freight & Carrier Relationships
13:37 – Preparing for the Next Freight Market Shift
15:20 – Why Technology Is Only as Good as the People Using It
15:48 – AI Can't Replace the Human Element
16:27 – Growing Up Before AI & Smartphones
18:32 – What Happens When Technology Becomes a Crutch?
20:11 – Parenting, Growing Up & Where the Time Goes
24:09 – Being Intentional With Time With Your Kids
25:51 – Passing the Entrepreneurial Mindset to the Next Generation
27:12 – American Diamond's Next Generation of LTL Technology
28:15 – Catching an LTL Rebill Before It Happens
29:02 – Years of Ideas Finally Becoming Reality
30:29 – Technology, Medicine & Why Humans Still Matter
34:33 – Somehow We Started Talking About Tattoos
38:04 – Rob Shows Off His Four Horsemen Sleeve
41:06 – Should Steve Get an American Diamond Tattoo?
43:46 – Inside the Culture at American Diamond
44:30 – How Internal Automation Is Changing the Business
45:21 – Turning Week-Long RFPs Into Days
46:19 – Becoming Leaner Without Sacrificing Service
47:23 – What's the Next Big Idea?
48:14 – Technology Has Removed the Barriers to Innovation
49:03 – Closing Thoughts
Check out American Diamond Logistics: https://www.adldelivers.com/
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