Letter to Our Stakeholders
October 2025
To Our Team, Customers, Carrier Partners, and Industry Friends,
I thought I’d take a little time to share how I think about our business, and more importantly, how I hope you think and feel about your role in it. I’ll start with a bit of reflection on our journey so far. It may be interesting to some of you who are unfamiliar with our history, and a reminder of where we came from to those who are familiar.
I’ve always had an itch to build a business—or if you ask my wife, Liz, she might tell you it was more of a rash that refused to go away. But either way, I was young and full of energy and ready to test my skills in this area. So in the early 2000s, with my wife and 2 young kids, we started a little truckload brokerage in our hometown of Dallas, Oregon. It wasn’t glamorous. We didn’t have deep pockets, industry clout, or a “master plan.” What we did have was a scrappy mindset and a determination to make every hour and every dollar count. Those early years forced us to be laser-focused on the things that actually moved the needle, because frankly, we couldn’t afford anything else.
It is worth pausing here to comment on those people who joined OpenRoad in our early days. Their loyalty and belief in me have meant the world. And without their hard work, OpenRoad would not look the way it is today.
Now, for those of you who are familiar with our financial growth, you’ll know that our business has been profitable every year, but it didn’t really take off until 2014. Some of you may look at our trajectory and wonder: why so slow in the first decade and then exponential growth in the second? The answer is simple. During the first ten years, I was only minimally involved because I was working a full-time construction job at the same time. But about a decade in, I turned my full attention to OpenRoad—and the results since then speak for themselves. Like most things in life, focus makes all the difference.
Over the years, we’ve weathered headwinds, leaned into opportunities, and learned from mistakes (sometimes the hard way). Through it all, our DNA hasn’t changed. From day one, growth has come from the caliber of people we’ve brought in. That’s why we’re here today, stronger than ever, with $250 million in revenue built entirely from organic growth. And while I’m proud of that milestone, I’m even prouder of the mindset that got us here.
Our Culture
Culture is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot, but to me it comes down to something very human: how we make people feel. At OpenRoad, we place the ultimate value on the trust and confidence our customers, carriers, and teammates have in us. We know we’re not perfect (like I said earlier, I’ve blown it many times and will certainly do so again). We make mistakes, but we don’t dwell on them. We own them, do our best to learn from them, and move forward quickly so we can do better next time. However, we’ll never risk our reputation. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. So our standard is simple: we want to behave in a way that we’d be proud to have described in detail to our family and community. That standard has carried us through the years, and it will carry us into the future.
OpenRoad has uniquely held onto our startup mentality and balanced it with the stability of our strong financial foundation. We support each other and our families, and we celebrate wins as a team. I believe a culture can make or break a company. And for us, it’s too important to take for granted, which is why we’ll keep working on it, protecting it, and making sure it grows stronger as we do.
Now for a moment, I want to speak directly to the wonderful people who have chosen to build their careers with OpenRoad: when I reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going, I keep coming back to you. Our culture matters, yes—but it’s you who live it every single day, who bring it to life in ways that make it stronger and better. It’s rare in business to find a group of people so committed, capable, and genuine. I believe with everything in me that OpenRoad is special and you are the reason this company feels different.
Growing People, Not Just Business
Another belief that sets us apart is how we develop people. Titles don’t mean much here unless they come with more responsibility for results. We grow by giving people the opportunity to run more business, not manage more people.
This decentralized approach only works if we have people who are willing to take ownership. And that’s why we put so much effort into hiring and developing people who have integrity, intelligence, energy, and an entrepreneurial spirit. We count on our people to make decisions for the business every single day that impact our future together—and we expect that of everyone, not just leaders. We believe decision-making authority belongs to everyone in every position, so they are empowered to make decisions that improve their area of influence. This is key for us.
Building for Tomorrow
Not only is it important to know who makes decisions here, but how we make decisions. In my opinion, the best decisions are made with long-term compounding in mind—what can we do today that will make OpenRoad a better company five or ten years from now? That questions sits at the center of every choice we make. We try do to the next right thing, over and over, so the future takes care of itself.
This way of thinking shows up in everything we’re working on right now. We’re putting real effort into our technology and infrastructure so that data, automation, and AI tools become everyday helpers for our team and our customers. We’re hiring and keeping the best people we can find because no strategy will ever beat amazing talent. And for the first time in our history, we’ve begun looking at acquisitions. For two decades, we’ve grown entirely on our own. But going forward, we’ll add to that foundation by thoughtfully acquiring companies that fit our values and vision, and that enhance what we can offer customers. As in all things, discipline will guide us here. And finally, we are continuing to invest in our benefits, training, and support so OpenRoad stays a place where people grow and do their best work. We are committed to making decisions today that will shape OpenRoad into a stronger, more rewarding company for everyone who’s a part of it.
Why Logistics?
Lastly, let me share why I think logistics is such a remarkable industry. This is the circulatory system of the economy—every product, every business, every household depends on it. That means we get to play an essential role in keeping things moving, and there will always be opportunity for people and companies who bring creativity, discipline, and care into this space. It has truly been a wonderful and fulfilling way to spend my days.
So as I look back on OpenRoad’s journey with gratitude, my personal goal is to live in the present with energy and look forward with intelligent optimism. We’ve achieved a lot, but we’re just getting started. OpenRoad’s future will be built the same way as our past: with great people, as sound of judgment as we can muster, and a shared belief that we can keep getting better.
If you take nothing else away from this letter, I hope it’s this: I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life than building this company, and I get to do it alongside all of you.
Mark Weisensee
CEO, OpenRoad Global
