Founded 2020
John Ferguson, Founder & CEO
Founded in 2020, Pivot Supply Chain Solutions has quickly made its mark in the freight brokerage industry. From a basement startup to a growing company with offices in Tennessee and Illinois, Pivot’s story is one of persistence, community, and big ambitions.
Building a business from the ground up
Pivot was founded by John Ferguson in 2020. After spending years at Circle 8 Logistics and later navigating the culture shifts of an acquisition of a large national brokerage, Ferguson wanted to build something that recaptured the speed, decision-making, and sense of community that made him fall in love with logistics in the first place.
“I missed working in an environment where every decision mattered and where you had a great community of people around you,” Ferguson recalls. “After the acquisition, that energy was gone. I knew I wanted to create something different.”
What began in his basement quickly moved to a small co-share office. As Pivot grew, Ferguson was able to bring on trusted colleagues from his Circle 8 Logistics days. Together, they built credit, expanded their carrier network, and grew their customer base. Today, Pivot operates from offices in Chattanooga, TN, and Lisle, IL, with a strong team culture at the center of its success.
Overcoming startup challenges
Like many brokerages, Pivot’s biggest early challenge was not customers, it was credit. Nearly 90% of U.S. carriers use factoring companies, and for a new brokerage, the lack of a credit history can be crippling.
“In the beginning, I was paying carriers out of my own bank account,” Ferguson explains. “Sometimes half upfront, half on delivery. Other times I was calling factoring underwriters and begging for a $1,000 credit limit just to get a load moved.”
The timing was equally challenging. Launching in the middle of COVID meant that freight opportunities were there, but getting carriers to trust a brand-new brokerage without established credit certainly was not. Pivot tackled it load by load, working with local plastics and scrap companies, proving reliability, and slowly building credibility in the market.
Turning early risks into expertise
Some of Pivot’s earliest successes came from taking risks that others might have avoided. One of their first major customers offered refrigerated loads with 7 to 10 stops, something Ferguson had never done before.
“Someone on my team told me, ‘No way we’re quoting this.’ But at the time, those were the only loads we had an opportunity at. So, we quoted them, figured it out, and made it work,” says Ferguson.
That decision paid off. Today, Pivot has deep expertise in refrigerated, multi-stop freight, whether it is two drops or ten. The willingness to step up to tough challenges helped shape Pivot’s reputation as a problem-solver for enterprise shippers.
Tools that drive success
Technology has been central to Pivot’s growth, and DAT has been a cornerstone from the start.
“We use DAT for everything: rating and quoting, bids, posting loads, searching for carriers. Honestly, I have used it since I came into the industry in 2011, and it is still one of the most essential tools we have today,” Ferguson says.
Beyond DAT, Pivot leverages Trucker Tools for GPS tracking and visibility, ensuring the transparency that customers expect. Together, these tools form the backbone of Pivot’s ability to serve large, complex accounts.
Ferguson adds, “We are also really excited about DAT’s recent acquisition of the Convoy Platform. We are looking forward to connecting with that product as it rolls out, and seeing how it can strengthen our ability to match freight and carriers in the future.”
Looking ahead: big goals and bigger growth
Pivot’s future is ambitious. In 2025, the company is on track to hit $25 million in revenue. But Ferguson and his team are not stopping there.
“Our goal is to be one of the top five freight brokerages in the U.S.,” Ferguson says. “It is a lofty goal, but with my experience and the team’s experience, I believe it is something we can achieve. We will get there by continuing to invest in sales, marketing, and enterprise-level service.”
For Pivot, the vision is clear: grow smart, stay customer-focused, and build a team culture that can scale alongside the business.
From its humble beginnings to its bold goals, Pivot Supply Chain Solutions exemplifies the grit and vision that define successful startups in logistics. With the right people, the right tools, and the right mindset, Pivot is proving that even in a competitive industry, big dreams are within reach.
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