Convoy reduces staff, co-founder comments on resignation

Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday to add comments from Grant Goodale.

Digital freight platform Convoy said Monday it has made cuts to one of its departments.

The company, based in Seattle, told FreightWaves on Monday the trims were limited to the customer experience operations team. Convoy did not state how many jobs were affected.

The company uses a variable staffing model designed to flexibly address changing seasonal and economic conditions.

“Earlier this year, we staffed this team at levels necessary to ensure a smooth transition to our new dedicated service model and to be prepared for a potential freight market rebound,” a company spokesperson told FreightWaves. “With our customer service model transition complete and demonstrating efficiency levels double that of 2022 in many cases, coupled with a delayed rebound in the overall freight market, we are now right-sizing staffing levels accordingly.”

In February, Convoy went through a restructuring, leading to an undisclosed number of employees being laid off. With the reduction in staff, the company closed its location in Atlanta, which had opened in 2018.

Many FreightTech companies have experienced restructuring and employee reductions since Q4 of 2022, including Amazon, FourKites, project44, Tive, Flock Freight, Uber Freight, Loadsmart and GXO Logistics.

Leadership transition

The news comes just days after company co-founder Grant Goodale announced Friday he would step down as chief experience officer by the end of the month. Goodale has led the recently downsized department since the company began in 2015.

He explained to FreightWaves that this is a perfect opportunity to spend time with his family, particularly to bond with his oldest son, who will enter his senior year of high school in the fall.

Asked what his next venture could be, Goodale said, “I find the entire [supply chain] ecosystem fascinating. It’s the underpinning of modern life, and there’s a groundswell of interest in how it can operate better in the face of today’s challenges. However, I’m not currently looking for something new. I’m still involved with Convoy at the board level and as an adviser.”

He noted as he steps out of his current leadership role, he will miss the people and the culture that he and Dan Lewis, Convoy’s co-founder and chief executive officer, have built throughout the years.

Goodale also gave advice to the FreightTech community, in particular, those in leadership positions like his, centered around the individuals dedicating their lives to moving the economy — the drivers.

“Get out and spend more time with carriers. However much time you think is enough, double it,” he said. “The life of a driver is rich and varied, and there are nuances you won’t learn behind a desk. Friction and waste come from unexpected places, and experiencing it firsthand is incredibly valuable to both digital and traditional players.”