Vlad Skots Is Rewriting the Rules of Logistics. Can Small Fleets Compete with Giants?
America's trucking industry moves over $1 trillion worth of goods every year but 95% of carriers run fewer than 10 trucks. These small fleets haul most of the nation's freight, yet are locked out of the tech tools that big players use to dominate the market.
Vlad Skots, a Ukrainian-born truck driver turned logistics CEO, is out to change that.
His company, USKO Inc. , manages over 3,000 owner-operator trucks and generates more than $130 million annually. Now, he's using that scale to launch a new solution: Motion TMS, a transportation management platform built to give small carriers big-carrier power.
Motion: Built from the Inside
"Unlike software built in boardrooms, Motion TMS was created in the dispatch rooms, loading docks, and cab conversations of USKO's own network," says Vald Skots. "It combines everything a small fleet needs: dispatch planning, compliance, GPS, docs, safety, payments, and more—all in one cloud system and mobile app."
Drivers can grab loads, submit paperwork, manage logs, and even get paid the same day. It's real tech for real truckers. Vlad Skots
A Shift in the Industry
Manual work, messy spreadsheets, and razor-thin margins have long crushed small carriers. In 2023, average costs hit $2.27 per mile—an impossible number for many small fleets.
Motion aims to flip that script by digitizing workflows and giving owner-operators the leverage to run smarter, faster, and cheaper.
"In trucking, size has always meant access," shares Vlad Skots. "We're changing that. Small fleets deserve the same firepower the big guys have."
What's Next: AI and Beyond
Motion isn't stopping at automation. According to Vlad Skots, the next version will include AI-powered dispatching and predictive load planning—reducing empty miles, cutting idle time, and helping fleets plan smarter.
As 65% of carriers look to adopt AI by 2026 (Geotab), Motion is already one step ahead.
A Bigger Vision
But Vlad Skot's mission isn't just about tech. It's about fairness.
"Fixing broken systems isn't enough. We need to rebuild logistics from the bottom up—starting with the people who've carried it the longest and gained the least," underpins Vlad Skots. Vlad Skots
Motion is more than software. It's a blueprint for a fairer, faster, more resilient freight economy where small fleets finally have a fighting chance.
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DW
a day ago
- DW
Ukraine updates: Merz invites Trump, Zelenskyy to meeting – DW – 08/11/2025
German Chancellor Merz has invited Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a virtual meeting ahead of Trump's planned meeting with Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, EU ministers are also meeting via video link. DW has more. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a virtual meeting on Wednesday, It comes ahead of a summit in Alaska later this week where Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. European Union foreign ministers are also meeting via video link to discuss the upcoming Alaska summit, The EU has already expressed concern over the lack of Ukrainian presence in Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday invited US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and several European leaders to a virtual meeting, to take place on Wednesday ahead of the Trump-Putin summit later this week. The German chancellery said in a statement that the talks would concentrate on "the current situation in Ukraine with a view to the planned meeting between US President Trump and Russian President Putin." The chancellery also said the talks would focus on "further options for action to put pressure on Russia" as well as "preparations for possible peace negotiations and related issues of territorial claims and security." The foreign ministers' virtual huddle on Monday is more of a debrief after smaller talks with the US near London than deliberations on concrete EU action. There's little new in Europe's position — but in a way, that's the point. The EU's big players have spent the last few months trying to demonstrate their commitment to Ukraine by maintaining military, financial and political backing in the face of shifting US policies and a drawdown in support from across the Atlantic. Aware there will likely be no seat for Europe at Friday's Trump-Putin talks, the EU now seems keen to remind both sides that it, too, is key to any potential peace accord. Frozen Russian central bank assets, extensive EU sanctions on Moscow, ongoing support to Kyiv and a possible role as future security guarantors — these are some of Europe's areas of leverage. The bloc also wants to send a message to Moscow that trying to cut a deal directly with Washington won't cut Europe out of the picture. EU capitals will be watching Friday's talks "extremely attentively" — one diplomat told DW — conscious of how quickly things could move. US Vice President JD Vance said an eventual negotiated settlement would probably leave both Russia and Ukraine unhappy in one way or another. With the gap in positions so wide, it's likely Europe would find itself in the same boat. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a "long conversation" with Narendra Modi on Monday, where the Ukrainian president "informed" the Indian prime minister "about the Russian attacks on our cities and villages." "And this is at a time when there is finally a diplomatic possibility to end the war," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "Instead of demonstrating readiness for a ceasefire, Russia is showing only its desire to continue the occupation and killings. It is important that India is supporting our peace efforts and shares the position that everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine's participation." Zelenskyy's remarks come amid concerns over the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy and Modi also "discussed in detail the sanctions against Russia." India has been heavily criticized in the West for increasing imports of Russian fossil fuels in the face of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. India's oil purchases from Russia grew nearly 19-fold from 2021 to 2024, from 0.1 to 1.9 million barrels a day. And Zelenskyy "noted that it is necessary to limit the export of Russian energy, particularly oil, to reduce its potential and ability to finance the continuation of this war. It is important that every leader who has tangible leverage over Russia sends the corresponding signals to Moscow." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday warned against capitulating to the demands of Vladimir Putin ahead of talks between the Russian president and Donald Trump. The US-Russia summit is set to take place in Alaska on Friday and will be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since 2021. Kyiv is concerned that Trump and Putin could strike a deal requiring Ukraine to cede territory. "Russia is dragging out the war, and therefore it deserves stronger global pressure," Zelenskyy wrote in a statement. "Russia refuses to stop the killings, and therefore must not receive any rewards or benefits. And this is not just a moral position, it is a rational one." "Concessions do not persuade a killer," he added. Russia has become increasingly reliant on drones in its attacks on Ukrainian cities. Mass production of the Iranian-designed weapons began a year ago in Tatarstan, in central Russia. Independent Russian reporters say that children are involved in drone production and development. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video EU foreign ministers on Monday are to discuss a Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meeting in Alaska later this week. The ministers are set to meet via video link, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha also planning to join. Trump and Putin will meet on Friday, but the EU has insisted that Kyiv and European powers should be part of any arrangement to end the war that began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Over the weekend, European leaders pushed for Ukraine's involvement in the talks, amid fears that a meeting without Kyiv could see if forced to cede swaths of territory. "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain and Finland and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement, urging Trump to put more pressure on Russia. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday he hoped and assumed that Zelenskyy would attend the Alaska summit. Leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries — Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden — also said no decisions should be taken without Ukrainian involvement. Talks on ending the war could only take place during a ceasefire, they added in a joint statement. "The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine's and the whole of Europe's security," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance said Washington is working on arranging a meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy. "We're at a point now where we're trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things like that around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict," Vance said during an interview on Fox News. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said that seven Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russia's air defense systems overnight on Sunday and into Monday morning. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry and a regional official said three people were killed in Ukrainian drone strikes targeting the regions of Tula, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow. Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in the Russian war on Ukraine. European Union foreign ministers are set to hold talks via video link ahead of a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. The Europeans want to push for Ukraine's involvement in any peace talks with Russia. Monday's meeting comes amid an apparent stance change by Trump toward Ukraine and Russia, with him threatening harsher sanctions against Russia if it doesn't agree to a ceasefire.
Local Germany
a day ago
- Local Germany
Is Germany headed for a period of austerity?
Over the weekend, economics expert Veronika Grimm spoke up to warn that the government's budget plans aren't sustainable. Grimm, who is a member of Germany's Council of Economic Experts, which evaluates the country's economic policies, warned that, "We will not be able to finance the system [as it is] in the long term." She added, "This also means that we will have to cut benefits from time to time." "We need more honesty in pension, long-term care and health insurance about which services we can really afford and which we cannot," she told the Funke media group. Grimm suggested that people living in Germany need to be aware that the state-funded pension system, as well as long-term care benefits for the elderly, will likely need to scaled back in the future. Appearing to speak directly to government leaders, she said, "If you make promises to people that you can't keep in the end, then they don't make private provisions, even though many could." The black-red coalition government - comprised of the conservative Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) - has so far embarked on an ambitious spending spree. They quickly succeeded in loosening the country's debt brake and getting approval to significantly up the country's debt in order to fund massive expenditures in defence and infrastructure, as well as maintaining the pension system. But as they pour money into these areas, they've also warned about needing to cut back spending elsewhere. Cuts in unemployment benefits and health insurance Introducing Germany's budget for 2026 , Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) warned that the country's new debt will be "one of the biggest domestic challenges" to navigate in the coming year. Advertisement To that end, we've heard a number of proposals from leading politicians about where budgets could be trimmed back. 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Also, research has linked austerity measures with both electoral abstention and votes for non-mainstream parties. In other words, cuts to services and welfare in Germany could be expected to boost votes for far-right and far-left parties - exactly the opposite of what conservative CDU/CSU leaders say they are trying to avoid.
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
After Busy First 100 Days, Germany's Merz Faces Discord At Home
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has driven sweeping changes in security, economic and migration policy during his first 100 days in office, but faces widening cracks in his uneasy coalition. On election night in February, a jubilant Merz promised to bring a bit of "rambo zambo" to the post -- using a colloquialism that can evoke a wild and joyous ride, or chaos and mayhem. Having achieved his life's ambition at age 69 to run Europe's top economy, Merz lost no time to push change, mostly in response to transatlantic turbulence sparked by US President Donald Trump. "Germany is back," Merz said, vowing to revive the economy, the military and Berlin's international standing after what he labelled three lacklustre years under his centre-left predecessor Olaf Scholz. Even before taking office, Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and their governing partners from Scholz's Social Democratic party (SPD) loosened debt rules and unlocked hundreds of billions of euros for Germany's armed forces and its crumbling infrastructure. Merz vowed to build "Europe's largest conventional army" in the face of a hostile Russia and keep up strong support for Ukraine in lockstep with Paris and London. A promise to ramp up NATO spending endeared Merz to Trump, who greeted him warmly at a White House meeting in June, only weeks after a jarring Oval Office showdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. When Israel bombed Iranian targets, Merz, with a penchant for strong and often controversial one-liners, praised it for doing the "dirty work" -- but last Friday he took the bold step of freezing arms exports to Israel over its Gaza campaign. On the home front, Merz has pressed a crackdown on irregular migration, a sharp departure from the centrist course of his long-time party rival Angela Merkel. He has said he must address voter concerns about immigration to stem the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which won a record 20 percent in February's election. Merz's heavy focus on global events has earned him the moniker of "foreign chancellor" -- but trouble looms at home, where his SPD allies have often felt overshadowed or sidelined. To many of them, Merz's right-wing positions have been hard to swallow in the marriage of convenience they entered following the SPD's dismal election outcome of 16 percent. German voters have not yet fallen in love with Merz either. His personal approval rating slipped 10 points to just 32 percent in the latest poll by public broadcaster ARD. In an early sign of trouble, Merz's inauguration on May 6 turned into a white-knuckle ride when rebel MPs opposed him in the first round of the secret ballot. He was confirmed in the second round, but the debacle pointed to simmering resentment in the left-right coalition. Many have chafed at his hard line on immigration, his vow to slash social welfare and his limited enthusiasm for climate protection. Merz also sparked controversy when he dismissed plans to hoist an LGBTQ rainbow flag on the parliament building by saying the Reichstag was "not a circus tent". The biggest coalition crisis came last month, sparked by what should have been routine parliamentary business -- the nomination of three new judges to Germany's highest court. Right-wing online media had strongly campaigned against one of them, SPD nominee Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, calling her a left-wing activist on abortion and other issues. The CDU/CSU withdrew support for her and postponed the vote, sparking SPD fury. The issue looked set to fester until Brosius-Gersdorf withdrew her candidature on Thursday. Other trouble came when the CDU's Bavarian sister party demanded sharp cuts to social benefits for Ukrainian refugees, a position the SPD opposes. Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil of the SPD warned the conservatives to refrain from further provocations, telling Welt TV that "we already have far too many arguments in this government". Both coalition partners know that open squabbling will turn off voters after discord brought down Scholz's three-party coalition, and play into the hands of the AfD, their common foe. For now Merz and most other politicians are on summer holidays, leaving unresolved issues lingering. Merz will need to pay attention, said Wolfgang Schroeder of Kassel University. "The chancellor's attitude is: I think big-picture and long term, I'm not interested in the small print," he said. But Schroeder added that all the coalition's big troubles so far -- from the judge row to Ukrainians refugees -- "have been about the small print". German Chancellor Friedrich Merz achieved his life's ambition at age 69 to run Europe's top economy AFP German border police checking cars in eastern Germany in July 2025 -- Merz has promised to crack down on irregular immigration AFP Merz's approval rating stands at just 32 percent in the latest poll by public broadcaster ARD AFP Merz, right, with his Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, who has warned of 'too many arguments in this government' AFP
