🎣 Is Serbia Parasitic to U.S. Trucking?

We returned to Serbia to see what’s changed in the country’s booming dispatch outsourcing hub. Thousands of Serbian dispatchers, brokers, and others work daily on the U.S. logistics market.

Watch the full vlog below to see what’s new on the ground.

Plus, meet our Carrier of the Week at the end.

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I Went to Serbia to Learn How It Became Trucking HQ

We recently returned to Serbia, often called the outsource-dispatch capital of the world, for our second visit there since March of last year.

The FreightCaviar Podcast: Aleks Bates on Dispatching US Trucks from Serbia

Join us this week as Alex Bates, a Canadian dispatcher in Serbia, shares his journey, insights on Europe’s dispatching hotspot, and valuable team management tips.

FreightCaviarKaja Kusińska

Our trip began by catching up with Aleks Bates, Office Manager & Recruiting at PGT Northside.

That same afternoon, we were invited to join the company's team outing, where we met Marko Filipovic part of the update team, and Radoš Karadžić, better known as Mike, Update Manager at PGT, with a refreshingly unfiltered perspective.

Between preparing dinner and mingling, we sat down with the PGT Northside team to dig deeper into the realities of working as a dispatcher in Serbia.

Marko Filipovic, a former dispatcher now on the update team, spent five years playing college basketball in Florida.

During that time, he met many Yugoslavian players who had grown up in the United States, had family members in the trucking industry, and enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. Marko says this was his first real glimpse into what life was like for drivers in America.

When asked if he thinks Serbia plays a parasitic role in the U.S. trucking market, Mike didn’t hold back:

“You’re parasitic in the way of relationships and taking loads and harming smaller American companies. There are a lot of people that hop in with funny numbers, like $1.50 per mile. We’re probably the reason why the market is as bad as it is for truckers."

After a game of basketball, Aleks and I sat down to discuss the broader outsourcing scene and how it’s viewed in the United States.

“The average American doesn’t really understand the countries involved. They just sort of lump outsourcing into a broad term. If you ask Americans what countries outsource or dispatch, I’d find it hard to believe someone would say Macedonia or Moldova.”

We also caught up with Dusan from ICROM Logistics in the evening, whom we first met on our previous trip. When asked whether working the night shift as a dispatcher was affecting his social life, this is what he had to say:

“It has affected it, but I do have friends who also work this job, and we find the time to see each other on the weekends.”

Anyone you meet here will tell you that Serbia’s dispatch world is like no other. We're once again reminded that behind every load and lane are real people, navigating both the opportunities and challenges of the industry.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• Parasites or Powerhouse? - Is Serbia a hidden strength or a drain on U.S. trucking?
• The Outsourcing Perception Gap - How Europe’s dispatching scene is viewed by American carriers and brokers, and what they get wrong about it.
• Life Across the Line - What it’s really like for dispatchers picking up the phone an ocean away.

Here's what Aleks himself had to say as a Canadian-Serbian working and living here:

"I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's a good lifestyle."

Watch the entire vlog on YouTube.

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Carrier of the Week: IG Transportation

IG Transportation, based in Addison, IL, is a full-service freight provider serving companies nationwide. They specialize in hauling industrial and medical equipment, automotive and aircraft parts, solar and engineering products, as well as food and beverages.

• MC:  689501
• Location:  Addison, IL
• Years in Business:  Almost 15 years
• Fleet Size:  300 trucks
• Equipment:  Conestoga, Dry Van
• Lanes:  Depends on season, now South, fall-winter Midwest
• Phone Number/e-mail:  847-929-4487 / info@igtransportation.com

Want to be featured? Fill out this quick form to be our next Carrier of the Week.

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  🎣THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER

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