Dave Pattelli
Founder, PreShiftIQ™ · 25+ years across operations, carrier sales, and transportation technology
I make decisions from a 360-degree view of the freight ecosystem — one that began on the dock. Having managed a major breakbulk operation, led carrier sales, and advised on enterprise SaaS, I bring a perspective most advisors simply do not have. PreShiftIQ™ was founded to serve as a fiduciary for the buyer — ensuring buy-side intent and sell-side reality are perfectly aligned before the contract is signed.
I've sat at every seat in the freight technology conversation — operator, seller, technologist. The vendor has done this 400 times; the buyer does it once every seven years. PreShiftIQ™ exists to close that gap, with respect for both sides of the table.
The Perspective That Makes This Work
Three decades, three vantage points. Each phase informs how I evaluate technology, vendors, and the gap between what is sold and what gets implemented.
Running the Dock
District Manager over a high-volume breakbulk and cross-dock operation alongside a P&D operation — managing the P&L, 54 driver and dock employees, supervisors, admin, and sales operations at scale. Continually recognized for operational excellence.
Selling Freight
Years in senior commercial roles with asset-based and non-asset carriers — selling LTL, TL, and specialized freight to shippers and 3PLs. Learned exactly what shippers need and what carriers struggle to deliver.
Selling Tech
Enterprise SaaS sales and strategic partnerships — bringing TMS, rate engines, and logistics platforms to the shippers and brokers I spent years serving on the carrier side. Built GTM strategy, closed landmark deals, and worked with 80+ technology vendors.
Four Vantage Points. One Translator.
A buyer-side advisor who can speak credibly to operators, sellers, and technologists alike — because each role was a chapter in the career.
I know what technology looks like from the dock
Having run a carrier terminal, I understand how a system performs under real operational pressure — not in a controlled demo. That ground-level experience shapes every assessment I conduct.
I know what shippers and brokers actually need
Years in carrier sales taught me the shipper's and broker's world from the outside — what they need from their transportation partners and where the gaps between expectation and execution typically emerge.
I know what a well-matched implementation looks like
Enterprise technology sales and strategic partnerships gave me the vendor's perspective — what they build, how they bring it to market, and what success looks like from their side of the table.
I know this market at a depth most advisors do not
Structured audits of 80+ transportation technology companies have given me a level of market depth that most buyers — and most advisors — simply do not have access to.
The Formal Foundation
Two graduate degrees, multiple certifications, active industry memberships, and recognized speaking engagements.
Graduate Degrees & Certifications
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) — Benedictine University
- Master of Science, Management & Organizational Behavior — Benedictine University
- Six Sigma Black Belt
- Agile Leader Certification (Scrum)
- BSG Grand Champion — International Strategy Simulation (competed against top business schools worldwide)
Memberships & Speaking
Active participation in the industry organizations that set the standards — and on the stages where the conversations that move the market are happening.
"Too much is at stake for a partnership to falter in the translation phase."
PreShiftIQ™ exists to ensure buy-side intent and sell-side reality are perfectly aligned. If you'd like a second set of eyes on the friction points in your operation, let's connect for a strategy session.
Free 30-Minute Consultation