Amanda Buros (00:13)

Welcome back to the vertical advantage. I’m your host Amanda Tischer-Buros. Today we’re diving into the most important and often overlooked parts of what keeps us all moving logistics. I’m joined by Justin Kaminsky, our director of logistics here at Dynamic. We’re talking about what happens when you bring logistics in house from our own fleet and train drivers to real time visibility and that full chain of custody customers can count on. It’s all about consistency, control, trust and how the right approach to logistics can actually make life a lot easier.

So Justin, one customer recently told us the biggest relief was not having to juggle multiple carriers, just one partner who showed up when they said they would. Justin, why is logistics such a critical piece to the electronics recycling puzzle?

Justin Kaminsky (00:59)

Yeah, honestly, logistics is where it all starts. It’s one of the most difficult parts of nearly every company and it’s also the heartbeat that kind of keeps everything moving. And at the end of the day, the equipment has to get picked up and if that part doesn’t go right, nothing else matters. For us, execution is everything. Customers tell us all the time how much they love seeing the same driver show up because it builds trust, it makes things simple, it just feels familiar. And we constantly get feedback from the customers. They mentioned the drivers by name, how professional they were, how positive their attitude was, and really just how helpful they were on site. And that just doesn’t happen by accident. Our drivers, they stick around, so they get to know the sites, the people, the details that kind of make everything smoother. Customers get comfortable with them too. That familiarity is kind of what makes the pickups faster and stress-free and logistics can actually be one of the easiest, most reliable parts of their experience.

Amanda Buros (02:00)

Yeah, and for Dynamic, can be such a added part of our personal touch with our customer service. So let’s start with the basics. What does Dynamics logistics model look like? And how is it different from a typical third party carrier approach?

Justin Kaminsky (02:15)

Yeah, I think the biggest difference is we can truly do everything. I think some customers just need a simple pickup, others need precise timing, direct shipments, they need pack and palletized on site or even on site shreds. So most brokers, they can kind of handle the full truck load or the LTLs, but when it comes to that. That white glove work and you get into the details, that’s kind of where they fall short. And I think where we’re really able to differentiate ourselves, we can adapt and customize based on exactly what the customer needs. Our model really has three layers. We have our own trucks, our own drivers, and then we have our in-house carrier network, a small group of vetted brokers for kind of the tough to cover areas. Having our own equipment and people gives us real control and just quality and timing. And it’s a big part of our vertical integration because it’s not just something we outsource, it’s something we own end to end. And that’s what keeps everything consistent and connected for our customers.

Amanda Buros (03:16)

Excellent. Expanding off of that, so Dynamic has invested in our own fleet and our own trained drivers. Why is that important to bring logistics in-house rather than outsourcing?

Justin Kaminsky (03:25)

For us, it really comes down to control. When you outsource, you kind of give up that visibility and you’re stuck on someone else’s timeline. That’s when the customer kind of gets unpredictable. With our own fleet, we decide who shows up, when they show up, and how that job gets done. It also gives us flexibility. As I mentioned, some customers have different needs. Because we run it ourselves, we can kind of build that process around the customer instead of forcing them into a generic model. And especially now with fraud and logistics kind of on the rise, it matters even more.

Whenever possible, we want our own trucks. We want our logo on the side, our drivers behind the wheel, so that the customer never has to question who’s handling their material. And that control is kind of what shapes a better, more consistent, more secure experience. It’s the same reason we’ve integrated other parts of the business, just fewer gaps between steps and just a more reliable process.

Amanda Buros (04:25)

Great, thank you. Yeah, I love that peace of mind that comes with that added chain of security. Does having vetted, trained drivers really add another layer of security for our customers, especially when we’re talking about sensitive equipment and data that is in transit?

Justin Kaminsky (04:40)

Yeah, one of the biggest advantages is the customer knows exactly who’s handling their equipment. These aren’t random drivers from a broker’s pool. They’re Dynamic employees. They’re wearing our badge. They’ve been background checked and trained how to handle that sensitive equipment. And I think that’s just critical when you’re moving high value freight or data bearing assets. Our drivers, they understand chain of custody. They follow strict procedures and nothing is really left to chance. Every step’s documented, every seal’s intact. Customers can trust that from the pickup all the way to file processing that their data’s going to be secure.

Amanda Buros (05:21)

Thank you. As you and I both know, culture is such a critical role at Dynamic. So how do we see culture carry through our drivers and how does it show up during customer pickups?

Justin Kaminsky (05:31)

Yeah, our culture definitely shows up through our drivers. They don’t just pull up, load, and leave. They kind of take control of the whole experience, do the right thing, and treat people with that genuine care and respect. And I think that’s why customers love seeing the same driver. It builds trust.

The driver knows the site, the people, the expectations, and we hear it all the time. Customers notice their positive attitude and how much pride they take in their work. That pride is just a reflection of who we are as a company. We serve with love, we’re reliable, we’re accountable, and we’re committed to pursuing excellence.

Amanda Buros (06:07)

Great, thank you. Our drivers are often the first and most frequent faces of Dynamic that customers see. How do they help build trust and strengthen relationships beyond just moving equipment from point A to point B?

Justin Kaminsky (06:20)

Yeah, like you said, they’re the face of Dynamic. They’re the people customers see the most often and that’s where so much of the trust is built. It’s not just about showing up on time, it’s kind of how they carry themselves, how they communicate, how they handle sensitive equipment. Over time, they kind of stop feeling like they’re just drivers and they kind of almost feel like they’re part of that customer’s team. More recently, one of our drivers messaged to the team to let us know that a customer’s mom was about to have surgery just so we could reach out and send flowers. So nobody asked him to do that. He just cared enough to make sure we knew and I think that’s kind of what trust looks like an action. I think that’s the Dynamic difference. It’s not just about moving freight, it’s about building relationships that customers know they can rely on every time.

Amanda Buros (07:06)

Yeah, that’s one of my favorite stories too of late. And I think it means so much to our sales team to know that when we really talk customer first, the our drivers are out there as the face and extension of our entire company. And they’re really making those connecting relationships with our customers and coming back and sharing information that allows us to provide a totally customer centric experience. So we’re really glad to have them out in the field and making those connections.

Can you share a story of a driver or logistics team member going above and beyond to make a pickup smooth, secure, or even more memorable for a customer?

Justin Kaminsky (07:43)

Yeah, I mean I think it happens every week, every day. I think just the other week after a pickup in Minnesota, a customer reached out right after the driver left just to say how easy our driver was to work with. And it’s never really one big dramatic thing.

It was just his attitude, the way he showed up and how simple they make the process for the customers. And that’s what we hear over and over. Customers talk about how helpful our drivers are, how smooth the process feels, and how seamless the communication is. And I think just those little touches take what could be a routine pickup and they make it more memorable. That’s just, again, how trust is built.

Amanda Buros (08:22)

Yeah, and it’s kind of one of our core principles of vertical integration is that ease of use and simplicity in the process. So we’re happy that our logistics team is really helping us kind of cross that bridge to provide that better simplicity to our customers. So a lot of customers worry about what happens between pickup and final processing. How does Dynamic ensure a secure, documented chain of custody from the moment equipment leaves their site to the time that it reaches our facility.

Justin Kaminsky (08:52)

Yeah, it’s natural, I think, for customers to worry about what happens in that kind of in-between stage. And that’s a big concern for them once the equipment leaves their site before it reaches final processing. So I think that’s where our process really matters. We seal every truck right at the pickup. It’s not broken until it arrives at our dock. And we have processes in place for this, just like everything else.

We check the asset list on site against what the customer provides. There’s a clear record of what was picked up as well as ensuring everything on the BOL is correct, the seal number, and all the other information. If a customer wants extra peace of mind We can even add GPS tracking or real-time updates so they can see where their material is at every step and nothing kind of falls into that black hole. It’s documented, secured, and kind of visible from start to finish.

Amanda Buros (09:44)

Yeah, you started to touch on this a little bit too. So what role does technology, real time tracking and documentation play into giving customers confidence where their assets are?

Justin Kaminsky (09:54)

Yeah, mean, technology is huge and I think we’re in a pretty good spot with that right now. We use tools like Geotab for ELDs and our dash cams, Toro TMS. We use MyCarrier to share, we can share live links so the customers can see exactly where their material is, whether the driver’s in transit, the pickup’s complete or it’s already at our dock.

And I think that real-time visibility paired with documentation kind of takes a lot of that guesswork out. Like I even provided GPS trackers so the customers can follow their material every step of the way. On top of that, we’re always looking ahead. More recently, we explored the idea of smart crates when shipping LTL.  

So these are extremely high tech crates that are equipped with GPS, tamper evidence seals, and they even monitor shock and vibration among other things. That way the customer can not only track the location in real time, but they also have proof that the load stayed sealed, secured from pickup through final processing. It’s another example, I guess, of how we’ve connected every piece of that process from pick up to processing under one roof.

Amanda Buros (11:02)

That’s great. I’m always really excited to hear about the more innovative things that we’re doing in our logistics services. So we hear a lot of times that customers often struggle with inconsistent service or missed pickups when they’re working with multiple carriers. How does owning the logistics piece improve reliability and turnaround speed?

Justin Kaminsky (11:21)

Yeah, this is one of the first things customers notice with multiple carriers. Service can get inconsistent, missed pickups, delays, bad communication. When you go through brokers, you’re kind of talking to middle layer instead of the carrier directly. Even good brokers add lag. I think with our own fleet, we take that uncertainty out of it. We control

the schedule, the communication, the service quality. And if something changes last minute, we can pivot right away. And that’s why customers kind of see faster turnaround times, fewer missed pickups, and just more reliable service.

Amanda Buros (11:54)

Do you have an example or a story that you could share where our in-house team helped a customer meet a tight deadline or handle a time-sensitive project?

Justin Kaminsky (12:01)

Yeah, one that comes to mind. This happens quite a bit actually, but Saturday collection event that we’ve helped with. These events are always a little unpredictable. You think you know how much material is going to come in, but the turnout’s higher than anyone expected a lot of the times. So that’s kind of what happened here. By the middle of the day, it was obvious one truck wasn’t going to cut it. So normally we would just send another but by the end of week our drivers are usually out of hours or it’s hard to find somebody who can handle it last minute. So we can’t really just pull a truck and a driver off the bench.

So instead of leaving the customer scrambling with just extra material sitting over the weekend, we kind of leaned on our carrier network and we’ve, we’ve got really great local partners that we trust. And luckily one of them was able to jump in and they brought another truck out. We loaded it up and that event kind of finished out without a hitch. I think that’s the value of how we run the logistics. not only our own trucks, it’s the relationships we’ve built. When something changes, we’ve got options. And that customer, I mean, they saw that everything went smoothly, but behind the scenes, I think, took a lot of quick problem solving to make that happen.

Amanda Buros (13:09)

Yeah, absolutely. That’s a huge testament to the way that your department is owned and run and the way that we manage that in-house at Dynamic. So beyond just moving equipment, how does logistics shape the overall partner experience with Dynamic?

Justin Kaminsky (13:22)

Yeah, just it comes down to when pickups happen on time Communication is clear assets are handled right customers. They feel supported. It goes above and beyond just moving equipment. It’s about how the entire experience feels for our partners. That consistency turns logistics from a headache into one of the smoothest parts of their experience. But logistics, guess, it’s never really easy. Trucks break down, customers reschedule, things change constantly, and that’s just the nature of the business. What makes us different, I think, is how we respond.

We stay proactive instead of reactive in a very reactive industry. Keeping new equipment on the road, relying on trusted drivers and just always having a plan B or C ready. I think that gives customers confidence that no matter what happens, we’ll figure it out.

Amanda Buros (14:11)

So what should customers know about how logistics connects to the bigger picture of vertical integration? Fewer handoffs, less risk, faster execution.

Justin Kaminsky (14:19)

 At the end of the day, think logistics is kind of what pulls vertical integration together. By keeping it at house, we cut out the handoffs, reduce risks. Customers don’t have to chase multiple partners. They have one team that owns the process from start to finish and that means just more control, more visibility, and just a more seamless experience. And it’s not just about moving equipment. I think it’s about being a real partner that customers can count on. There’s total accountability from a moment a customer calls to the moment that their equipment is processed.

Amanda Buros (14:54)

Well, that wraps today’s episode of our Vertical Advantage podcast. Huge thanks to Justin for sharing how our logistics team keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes and why owning this piece of in-house logistics makes such a difference to our customers and our partners. If you’ve enjoyed this conversation, be sure to follow along for our next episode as we keep exploring what makes Dynamics Vertical Model so powerful. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next time.