What is Veterans in Logistics and who leads it?

Veterans in Logistics is a new initiative officially launched at the 2026 Broker-Carrier Summit in Kansas City. It is led by John Tozer, a former naval aviator with 13 years of helicopter pilot experience and current leadership role at Highway's Capacity Business Unit. Tozer serves as the initiative's first chairman.

What are the key challenges veterans face when entering the logistics industry?

According to Tozer, challenges include inaccurate career counseling that either undervalues or overinflates expected compensation, communication barriers due to military-specific acronyms and vocabulary unfamiliar to civilian employers, and misalignment between military roles and available logistics positions. The article emphasizes that poor job placement frustrates both veterans and employers.

How does Veterans in Logistics plan to reach potential candidates?

The initiative is filling five chair positions and plans to host job fairs and networking events. Importantly, Tozer is establishing direct pipelines through former commanding officers who now lead base transition programs, allowing the organization to reach service members before they separate from the military.

Why is this initiative significant for freight and logistics companies?

Veterans bring disciplined leadership experience, organizational skills, and a culture that closely aligns with logistics operations. Tozer noted that military and logistics cultures are 'wildly similar,' suggesting strong integration potential. Access to this talent pool addresses ongoing labor shortages in freight, brokerage, and carrier operations while potentially reducing recruitment costs through direct pipeline access.

Labor & Workforce

Moderate

Veterans in Logistics Launches with Naval Aviator as Chairman

Jun 8, 2026

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The signal

The Broker-Carrier Summit officially established Veterans in Logistics at its 2026 Kansas City event, appointing naval aviator John Tozer as the initiative's first chairman. This new organization addresses a critical gap in military-to-civilian career transition within the freight and transportation sectors, establishing a two-sided marketplace connecting veteran talent with sponsoring shippers, brokers, and carriers seeking qualified personnel. Tozer brings both military credibility and industry experience—13 years as a naval helicopter pilot followed by co-founding Newtrul (now acquired by Highway), where he developed freight-matching technology.

His perspective highlights the specific challenges veterans face: inaccurate market-value assessments, communication barriers stemming from military acronyms and culture, and misaligned job placements that leave both employers and veterans dissatisfied. Veterans in Logistics aims to bridge these gaps through job fairs, networking events, and AI-powered tools that translate military qualifications into civilian logistics roles. For supply chain professionals, this initiative represents a potential source of disciplined, leadership-experienced talent entering a tight labor market.

Tozer's emphasis on cultural alignment—noting that military and logistics cultures share significant similarities—suggests successful integration pathways. The organization's plan to establish direct pipelines through base transition programs could provide early access to talent before civilian recruitment intensifies, offering carriers and brokers competitive sourcing advantages.

#veteran-employment

#logistics-labor

#freight-industry

#workforce-development

#broker-carrier-summit

#ai-recruiting