Latest news with #GovCon
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Small Carriers Should Be Watching Government Freight Right Now
Government freight isn't the secret shortcut social media makes it out to be—but for small fleets that are tired of chasing the spot market and ready to build something more stable, it's a lane worth learning. Over the past year, more owner-operators and small-carriers have started asking how to bid on government loads, especially as contract freight keeps shrinking and spot rates stay unpredictable. The truth is, government contracting—or GovCon, as it's often called—isn't a fast track. It's a structured lane with strict rules, longer payout cycles, and big paperwork. But for those who understand the game, it can also mean steady lanes, longer contracts, and consistent recently broke this all down in a deep-dive session inside the Playbook Masterclass—but here's what every small carrier needs to understand right now, whether you watched it live or not. Let's start with what's real. There's more freight out there than just what you're seeing on DAT and Truckstop. From local school districts needing weekly milk deliveries to FEMA emergency contracts that need box trucks on standby, the government buys more transportation than any private shipper in the here's what most carriers don't realize: a large portion of that freight is set aside specifically for small businesses. If you're a carrier with: Fewer than 500 employees Less than $30 million in annual revenue Proper authority and registration …you qualify to bid on many of these jobs. Some contracts are even reserved exclusively for small carriers or companies with certifications like Woman-Owned, Veteran-Owned, or Minority-Owned. But qualification doesn't mean readiness. Melanie Patterson, founder of Team Integrity Knowledge Center, a firm that assists small business owners with navigating the complexities of getting established as a government contractor said it best; 'Too many small carriers think GovCon is out of reach. The government buys everything—and they're required to buy from small businesses first. If you're set up right, you've already got a shot.' Let's be honest up front—GovCon is not for everybody. There are serious downsides that you need to be ready for: This isn't the world of quick pays and factoring. Expect Net 30, 45, or even 60 on some federal contracts. That means you'll need to float fuel, driver wages, insurance, and maintenance before that first check lands. If you're already tight on cash flow, this can bury set up in (the federal contractor registration system) isn't a simple sign-up form. You'll need your business structure in order, tax info, NAICS codes, and a banking setup ready to go. And even when you're registered, just being in doesn't get you work. You still have to find the bids, respond with a clean package, and compete on pricing and capability. Government customers use systems like WAWF (Wide Area Workflow) or IPP for invoicing. You can't just fire off a QuickBooks invoice. If your admin team—or your cousin managing the books—can't handle this, you're going to have serious delays. Despite all the red tape, government freight can be a game-changer for the right carrier with the right setup. Take this scenario: You're running one or two reefers. You've got a dependable driver. You know your cost per mile and have some admin support. Now picture this: A local USDA contract opens up to deliver temperature-controlled goods 3x per week to three counties. Total value? $180,000 over 10 months. No brokers. No bidding war. Just a clean response, a capability statement, and a pricing sheet. This happens more often than you think. But the carriers that win are the ones who are organized, registered, and pay attention to what's posted. You don't have to go all-in on federal contracts right away. Here are three ways small fleets are entering the GovCon space without overextending: Instead of going after the award yourself, link up with a prime contractor who already has it. They need reliable carriers to execute the work—and they handle the invoicing and compliance. You focus on delivering freight and building a relationship. Local governments—school boards, counties, state agencies—also need transport. These jobs often pay faster and come with less complexity. Some can be found on your state's procurement site, others are listed right on under 'State/Local'. Every week, the government posts small, low-dollar, short-term contracts for basic freight. These jobs are a great way to get your feet wet, understand the paperwork, and start building past performance—without locking into something huge. We've seen too many businesses win a government contract and lose money because they didn't calculate real costs. Here's a basic formula you need to know before quoting anything: Start with your cost per mile. Add admin time and billing complexity. Include buffers for fuel and unexpected accessorials. Factor in time delay on payments. If you quote like you're on a load board, you're going to sink. GovCon freight pays well—but only if you submit a complete, realistic rate that covers your full operation. As Melanie shared in Masterclass: 'You don't win contracts by bidding the lowest. You win them by bidding clean, fair, and clearly.' If you want to explore this lane, there are four things you need to get in order first: – Get your Unique Entity ID (UEI), DUNS no longer used. Free to register. – A 1-page resume for your business. Lists your equipment, service area, and past performance. – Build a template that calculates your breakeven per load and gives you a buffer. – Keep your COI, DOT/MC info, safety rating, driver roster, and endorsements in one place. Optional (but powerful): Certifications like WOSB, MBE, DBE, or 8(a) can put you in front of set-aside contracts you won't see otherwise. The freight market is full of noise right now. Everyone's chasing the next hot load or hoping rates bounce back. But the carriers that will survive and scale in 2025 are the ones building systems and securing freight they can count on. Government work isn't for everyone—but for those who want out of the chaos and into something consistent, this is a lane worth learning. And no—you don't need a $2 million fleet or a full compliance department. You just need: A clean setup A smart plan A willingness to execute This isn't a shortcut. It's a shift in strategy. But for those ready to shift, there's real opportunity here. If you want more help with the setup, the bidding, or understanding how to structure your backend to support this freight—our Masterclass covered all of that. You can catch the replay in the portal. But even if you never watch it, now you know what's possible. And for a small carrier, that knowledge could be your edge. The post Why Small Carriers Should Be Watching Government Freight Right Now appeared first on FreightWaves. Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TechnoMile and Carahsoft Partner to Bring Market Intelligence Solutions to Federal Contractors
TechnoMile's GovSearchAI and GovSearch NoticesIQ solutions now available to the Public Sector TYSONS, Va. and RESTON, Va., June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TechnoMile, a leading provider of transformative, AI-enabled cloud solutions that empower companies to find, pursue, win and retain more business with the Government from go-to-market through contract closeout, and Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, today announced a partnership. Under the agreement, Carahsoft will serve as TechnoMile's value-added reseller, making the company's AI-powered solutions for Federal opportunity and market intelligence and streamlined management of task order notices available to Carahsoft customers in the GovCon and aerospace and defense sectors. "We are thrilled to partner with Carahsoft to make TechnoMile's GovSearchAI and GovSearch NoticesIQ solutions available to Carahsoft's network of Government IT solution providers," said Billy Biggs, Chief Revenue Officer and President at TechnoMile. "With efficiency improvements and technology modernization top of mind in today's Federal marketplace, Government contractors are actively seeking innovative tools, including TechnoMile's solutions, that will enhance their organizations' ability to operate efficiently and deliver maximum value to their agency customers." GovSearchAI is TechnoMile's AI-enabled opportunity and market intelligence platform that consolidates and enriches data from top Federal sources and identifies best-fit opportunities for Federal vendors. This enables contractors to efficiently fill their pipelines and analyze customers, competitors, and partners to sharpen win strategies. GovSearch NoticesIQ is TechnoMile's solution for management of task order opportunities that unifies contractors' task order notices into a single workstream and uses agentic AI to help teams rapidly qualify incoming new notices and maximize the revenue potential of their contract vehicles. "Our partnership with TechnoMile enhances Carahsoft's robust portfolio of Government solutions, allowing us to offer specialized AI-powered tools designed specifically for the Government contracting process," said Edward Walinsky, Sales Director and GovCon Vertical Lead. "By making TechnoMile's GovSearchAI and GovSearch NoticesIQ available through our reseller network, we're enabling Government contractors to identify and pursue Federal opportunities more efficiently, ultimately supporting agencies in fulfilling their missions with innovative, cost-effective solutions." For more information, contact the TechnoMile Team at Carahsoft at (888) 662-2724 or sales@ or visit About TechnoMile From go-to-market to contract closeout, TechnoMile provides transformative, AI-enabled cloud solutions that empower companies to find, pursue, win, and retain more business with the government. Using TechnoMile's best-in-class cloud platform, companies optimize BD and capture processes, source market and contact intelligence, automate and de-risk the contract lifecycle, foster stronger relationships with partners/suppliers, and gain an information advantage that elevates enterprise performance. TechnoMile serves more than 250 clients ranging from growing small businesses, to mid-market organizations, to Fortune 500 companies, including over half of the top 10 federal defense contractors and 70 percent of the top 10 IT government contractors. For more information about TechnoMile, visit or follow us at TechnoMile Media ContactShayne Forsyth, VP of (832) 215-5692 About Carahsoft Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator® for our vendor partners, we deliver solutions for GovCon, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Visit us at Carahsoft Media ContactMary Langepr@ 230-7434 View original content: SOURCE TechnoMile
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Lead In Difficult Times
Leading through the storm (c) Mark Nevins via AI You may have heard the so-called Chinese curse, 'May you live in interesting times.' There's no evidence the saying comes from China, but it's memorable and ironic. We are certainly living in 'interesting times' right now. Indeed, as the American Patriot Thomas Paine famously wrote, these may feel like 'the times that try men's souls.' Tough times demand strong leadership. Leaders are forged not when things go well—but when they don't. Warren Bennis, one of the fathers of modern leadership studies, called these 'crucible moments.' I often tell my clients that if there's no change, we don't need leaders—we just need administrators. Change is challenging enough when we initiate it ourselves. It's harder still when it's imposed on us. If you're a fan of the old military acronym 'VUCA'—Volatile, Unpredictable, Chaotic, and Ambiguous—welcome to Q2 of 2025. Right now, many organizations are navigating conditions they didn't anticipate—and probably couldn't even have imagined. We are facing challenges we certainly can't control: economic headwinds and instability, policy shifts, operational uncertainty, and extremely unpredictability. In times like these, leadership requires more than execution. It requires presence. A few weeks ago, I was speaking with a client who's second-in-command at a midsize GovCon firm. As you can imagine given her industry, she was feeling the extreme strain of unclear priorities, financial pressures, and an overwhelmed team. 'I need to step back and figure out what the organization needs from me right now,'she said. That sentence—quiet and clear—was her turning point. In challenging times, the most important work is often internal. Resilience isn't about pushing harder; it's about grounding yourself so you don't get pulled off-center. It's easy to become reactive, to chase the latest fire drill. But great leaders stay focused. As Marcus Aurelius reminded us nearly two millennia ago: You have power over your own mind—even if you don't have power over outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. That strength makes space for discernment. The temptation in crisis is to drop into 'Do' mode—put out fires, solve problems, keep busy. But leadership is about more than doing. It's about prioritizing, aligning, and guiding. I like to use the framework 'Do–Manage–Lead.' Doing has limits. You can't scale yourself as a doer. You can only scale by leading and managing—by setting direction, developing others, allocating resources, and coaching your team. In difficult times, ask: Where should I spend my time? What are the few things only I can do? How can I help others stay calm and focused? One executive I work with sets aside 30 minutes each morning to reflect—no screens, no interruptions. 'If I don't do that,' she said, 'I'm just another firefighter with a bigger hose.' One of the best public company CEOs I've ever worked with instituted daily 30-minute team check-ins at the start of COVID. Priorities shifted quickly, and he knew alignment was critical. Each meeting was short, focused, and anchored in the classic Eisenhower Matrix—a.k.a., urgent vs. important. The cadence brought calm and clarity. But tactics aren't enough. Leadership in hard times is also emotional and demands resilience. Your team is watching how you show up. If you model balance, optimism, and clarity, they'll draw from that. Stay positive—but real. Celebrate small wins. Acknowledge progress. Remind people why their work matters. That kind of affirmation becomes fuel for your people not just to stay in the game but to put points on the board. A few years ago I coached a not-for-profit Executive Director whose organization was struggling through budget cuts. She began each team meeting by highlighting a story of impact: something their work had made possible. These weren't elaborate presentations—sometimes it was a single paragraph. But that reconnected the team to their mission, and it significantly changed the emotional temperature and optimism of her team and reminded them that their work had meaning. Tough times are also the right time to stay close to customers and stakeholders—even if doing so uncomfortable. One of my clients, a truly mission-driven firm in the government contracting space, is dealing with sudden cancellations and budget cuts, with no warning and often no logic. Yet they have committed to staying in touch with their customers— even when projects disappear and payments stop. That kind of loyalty gets remembered. When those clients are ready to re-engage, they'll return to the relationships that stayed strong during the storm. A few years ago I wrote a book with the subtitle 'Reinvent Yourself as a Leader Before Your Business Outruns You.' These days it often feels like the whole world is threatening to outrun us. Stay focused. Remain calm. Lean into what you can control and constantly inquire 'What Happens Now?' The best answer today may be different from yesterday's answer. Remember: you don't have to figure all of this out alone. Invite your team into the conversation. Ask questions. Listen well. Involving others builds commitment—and can surface ideas you may not see on your own. There's no playbook for leading through uncertainty, but there are principles. Stay centered. Lead, don't just Do. Align often and communicate clearly. Keep close connections with all your stakeholders. And when in doubt, ask: What does my organization need from me right now? That question won't always give you the answer. But it will inevitably point you in the right direction.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Product Innovations at Unanet Champions 2025 Leverage AI to Help Customers Achieve Unprecedented Efficiency and Business Development Success
GovCons and AEC firms attended annual user conference to gain best practices for streamlining processes and generating new business DULLES, Va., May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Unanet, the leading provider of growth, productivity, compliance, and operations solutions for the government contracting (GovCon) and architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry unveiled new product innovations and essential research at its annual user conference, Champions 2025, which took place in Atlanta last week. More than 1,000 attendees and dozens of sponsors and partners came together to collect best practices, network, and connect with Unanet experts to maximize their project-based ERP and CRM solutions and achieve greater business success. At the conference, Unanet shared a variety of new product innovations – many of which leverage artificial intelligence (AI) - and are designed to help customers win more business and execute it more efficiently. The new innovations include: GovIntel provides actionable intelligence to growing GovCons seeking new business and partner opportunities by integrating over 80 million federal records with AI-powered scoring and summaries, task automation, notifications, and agency and vendor profiles to enable teams to assess, pursue, and win more contracts. OpportuneAI helps GovCon and AEC firms make smarter early stage go/no-go decisions by surfacing AI-powered insights on client history, past performance, available resources, and competition—right inside Unanet CRM. It reduces wasted effort on low-probability pursuits and ensures teams focus on the work they're most likely to win. Purpose-built for the way GovCon and AEC firms pursue new business, OpportuneAI brings strategy to the start of every pursuit. Unanet ProposalAI is a secure, AI-powered solution that helps GovCon and AEC firms generate high-quality first draft proposals up to 70% faster. By automating RFP analysis, content creation, and compliance checks, it empowers teams to pursue more work without sacrificing quality. Purpose-built for the GovCon and AEC industries, Unanet ProposalAI turns firm expertise into polished, winning proposals that drive growth. Spend Management is a modern expense solution that helps GovCon and AEC firms control spending, reduce risk, and improve profitability. Through a partnership and integration with Mesh, it offers proactive spend controls, automated approvals, real-time tracking, and integrated corporate cards, empowering firms to manage spending with less effort and more control. AP Automation has undergone major enhancements to further help companies manage their accounting operations more efficiently than ever before. Using advanced AI capabilities, vendor invoices can be scanned and processed via email and automatically routed to accounting for payments. Customers also gain real-time visibility and control, and faster month-end closings. "Our customers came to Champions for real support during what is becoming a turbulent time for businesses everywhere," said Steve Karp, Chief Innovation Officer, Unanet. "We listened, collaborated, and most importantly, delivered solutions that will help them actively manage their businesses for success. Whether it's identifying, pursuing and winning more business using our CRM growth suite solutions, or more effectively managing existing projects for maximum efficiency, our goal is to help all our customers succeed. Innovation coupled with unsurpassed customer support are how we make that happen." In addition to launching new product enhancements at Champions, Unanet released its 2025 AEC Inspire Report. This primary research unveils insights into the challenges, solutions and industry dynamics faced by hundreds of AEC executives. This year, the AEC Inspire Report reveals that AEC firms are most concerned with talent, business development, and resource management, areas where Unanet's new AI-enabled solutions can help ease their strain. "Champions is more than a user conference. It's a celebration of peers, friends, and colleagues who all have one mission: to do great work," continued Karp. "We were thrilled to be working side-by-side with our customers to help them gain even greater business advantages with Unanet." About UnanetUnanet is a leading provider of project-based ERP and CRM solutions purpose-built for government contractors, architecture, engineering, construction, and professional services. More than 4,000 project-driven organizations depend on Unanet to turn their information into actionable insights, drive better decision-making, maintain regulatory compliance, and accelerate business growth. All backed by a people-centered team invested in the success of your projects, people, and financials. For more information, visit View original content: SOURCE Unanet
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Growing AI and Robotics Solutions Provider MindPetal Streamlines Operations with Unanet ERP GovCon
DULLES, Va., April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Unanet, the leading provider of project-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) for the government contracting (GovCon) industry, today announced that MindPetal has selected Unanet ERP GovCon to modernize its business operations, drive growth, and boost efficiency. "I spent many hours a month manually managing timekeeping, the general ledger, and forecasting – all in disparate systems and spreadsheets," said Paul Grace, chief financial officer at MindPetal. "That all goes away with Unanet. Now, I save tons of hours with all that information at my fingertips in a single platform, and it's much easier for me to respond quickly to both government and internal MindPetal requests." With a team of over 150 experts throughout the country, Virginia-based MindPetal provides AI solutions and robotic process automation support to create efficiencies for federal customers, including the Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security. In 2023, MindPetal acquired VerticalApps to expand its data and AI capabilities, helping drive rapid growth through new contracts. The company's expansion highlighted multiple challenges with its off-the-shelf ERP software and the need for a more robust, integrated, and mature platform. With the support of implementation partner Callao Consulting, now GRF CPAs and Advisors, MindPetal assessed several solutions but quickly chose Unanet GovCon ERP for its ability to integrate multiple functions like timekeeping, bookkeeping, and financial reconciliation, as well as provide robust budget reporting and forecasting in one user-friendly platform. Jennifer Arce, principal at GRF CPAs and Advisors, is a seasoned Unanet expert and appreciates that the Unanet team is always quick to provide answers and information. "Seeing MindPetal significantly reduce the time it takes to do multiple tasks has been one of the biggest successes of implementing Unanet. For example, they've cut labor distribution time from hours to seconds and invoicing from days to hours," said Arce. As MindPetal continues its phased approach to implementing Unanet ERP GovCon, it looks forward to learning how Unanet can scale with the company's growth plans through features such as Unanet ProposalAI and the new Unanet Growth Suite. Today, more than 2,000 GovCons depend on Unanet ERP GovCon and Unanet CRM to provide them with the right mix of functionality, accessibility, and scalability, backed by support that users consistently rate best in its class. To learn more, visit About UnanetUnanet is a leading provider of project-based ERP and CRM solutions purpose-built for government contractors, architecture, engineering, construction, and professional services. More than 4,000 project-driven organizations depend on Unanet to turn their information into actionable insights, drive better decision-making, maintain regulatory compliance, and accelerate business growth. All backed by a people-centered team invested in the success of your projects, people, and financials. For more information, visit About MindPetal Software SolutionsFounded in 2006, Mindpetal Software Solutions provides smart, secure digital, data and AI solutions to the U.S. Federal and State governments. Mindpetal translates existing and emerging technologies into measurable, enduring value and helps provide enhanced productivity and rapid achievement of critical government missions. For more information, visit View original content: SOURCE Unanet
