The Hard Truth About Rates, 3PLs & Growth in Final Mile

Episode 36 is OUT TODAY! Host Jason Burns sits down in Chicago with Assif Hussain, Founder & CEO of Great American Delivery Service, for an unfiltered look at last-mile entrepreneurship: the immigrant grind, that first dock-door win, riding out cash-flow pain, and the real math behind 3PL vs direct customers. Assif came to the U.S. with $40 and big dreams. He learned the streets from a map book, drove as an IC, then took the leap: company formation, insurance battles, a scary empty warehouse… and the first shipment that changed it all. Today his team of ~75 handles messengers/courier/expediting across Chicagoland and beyond (24/7/365). What we cover ✅From driver to founder: airport work, expediting and learning the craft ✅The “empty warehouse” chapter → when it finally paid the rent ✅Why the first big customer matters (and how he got it) ✅3PL vs direct: margin squeeze, control, and customer experience ✅Pricing pressures vs UPS/FedEx increases — how smaller carriers survive ✅TMS, communication, and the customer you lose when you don’t communicate ✅CLDA/ECA networking that actually turns into revenue ✅Leadership, responsibility, and keeping payroll safe when AR slips 👍 Like the episode, 💬 comment your biggest takeaway, and ↗️ share with your team. 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Spotify 🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/3gDS58wo6IWeLl48LHukdP?si=gmhv7Lh8QvyY5xxFS9ZpPA Apple Podcasts 🍎 https://podcasts.apple.com/hn/podcast/last2first-podcast/id1778491941 YouTube ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@Last2FirstPodcast 💼 Connect with our guest: 🔗 Asif Hussain —https://www.linkedin.com/in/asif-hussain-3413a41ab/ 📌 Shoutout to our Sponsors! Dropoff Inc. https://www.dropoff.com/ [email protected] +1 888-376-7633 GigSafe https://www.gigsafe.com/ +1 407-496-9882 Deliver Different https://deliverdifferent.com/