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“When I say you’re going to require high levels of authenticity and authentication at the point of entry... that is no longer going to be enough to prevent access. You’re going to need multiple points that all need to match in order to unlock access- that’s where we’re going."
We went back to the “dispatch capital of the world” to see what’s changed.
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.
TOP LANE MOVERS POWERED BY TRIUMPH
We recently returned to Serbia, often called the outsource-dispatch capital of the world, for our second visit there since March of last year.
Kaja 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:
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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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.
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FREIGHT HUMOR
A FreightCaviar follower spent weeks quick-paying carriers on a steel project before learning the shipper was fake, the carriers were in on it, and not a single load was ever real. Plus: Congress takes aim at chameleon carriers, diesel keeps falling, and more.
“When I say you’re going to require high levels of authenticity and authentication at the point of entry... that is no longer going to be enough to prevent access. You’re going to need multiple points that all need to match in order to unlock access- that’s where we’re going."
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