Logistics Tech Summit: How to compete with the big freight brokerages

‘You want to focus on your interactions with carriers and make sure that they want to use your company over and over again,’ says ZUUM CEO

Mustafa Azizi, co-founder and CEO of ZUUM Transportation, talks to Ryan Schreiber of CarrierDirect during FreightWaves’ North American Logistics Tech Summit.

This fireside chat is from FreightWaves’ North American Logistics Tech Summit on Wednesday.

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: How small and medium-size brokerages can use technology to compete with bigger players

DETAILS: With carriers facing a wealth of choices in freight brokerages — including tech-forward firms like Uber Freight — smaller firms have their work cut out for them to attract customers. Mustafa Azizi, co-founder and CEO of ZUUM Transportation, talks to Ryan Schreiber of CarrierDirect about how small and medium-size freight brokerages can stay competitive. 

SPEAKER: Mustafa Azizi, co-founder and CEO of ZUUM Transportation 

BIO: Azizi spent 12 years working in the transportation and logistics industry in roles including chief operating officer at VMG Transportation Group and transportation manager at J.B. Hunt Transportation services before launching ZUUM. Azizi is a graduate of UC Berkeley.

Key quotes from Azizi 

“If you want to be competing with the big guys or even feel as though you’re competing with the big guys, you want to focus on your interactions with carriers and make sure that they want to use your company over and over again — and pay better than the other guys.”

“Since we’re a tech company, I could say, ‘You know what, focus only on technology and digitizing and catching up with the big guys.’ But ultimately, I think the most important part is to come up with a really trusted base of carriers that you can rely on when you get that right customer to scale your brokerage.”

“We’re unique because we have a digital freight brokerage but we’re also the first company to give our software to other brokers. So that resonates really deep with us because we’re always focused on … bringing a lower cost of doing that transaction for ourselves but also leveraging that for our partners that want to use our software.”

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Nate Tabak

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Compliance

Brokerage Compliance Symposium

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Awards

F3 Awards Dinner

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Compliance Brokerage Compliance Symposium Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
Awards F3 Awards Dinner Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now