The Intermodal Logistics Podcast

Episodios

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  AI Is Driving Freight Volume in 2026. Will It Last? 22.07.2026 52m

  With rates consistently up in 2026, many consider a freight recovery well underway. But Michigan State University Professor of Logistics Dr. Jason Miller says freight volume is largely dependent on one thing - the AI boom (and the data center construction to support it). On this episode of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, Dr. Miller returns to discuss just how AI is helping shipping demand, and how long he sees that continuing. He goes over what else could fill the gap if AI slows down...
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  Block and Brace Yourself 07.07.2026 45m

  One factor that has many shippers shying away from using intermodal is a worry about protecting their cargo from damage. But proper blocking and bracing - along with packing - helps thousands of loads arrive intact every day. Kelsey Even, Manager - Closed Car Loading Rules with MxV Rail joins The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to go over the considerations for safely securing containerized freight: from the ocean, to the road and of course, the railroad. Kelsey takes us through procedures her ...
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  State of 3PLs & Women in Supply Chain 29.06.2026 49m

  It's an interesting time to be a 3PL (third party logistics provider), and an interesting time to cover the industry. Marina Mayer, IronMarkets Content Director and Editor in Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazines joins us on The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to discuss how she came to cover the industry and how it's evolved - and take us through her recent series on The State of 3PLs. Marina tells us how she put the series together, reaching out to past hono...
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  Investing in U.S. ports 19.06.2026 46m

  Ports are vital links in the global supply chain, but those responsible for running key U.S. trade hubs say they need an equipment upgrade. National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE) President Carl Bentzel joins The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to discuss a survey of 25 port executives NAWE released in May. Carl tells us how those member executives agreed on a need for $6.7 billion in new equipment across the country over the next five years to help domestic ports keep up with deman...
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  Humble-y changing autonomous trucking 11.06.2026 42m

  The concept of autonomous vehicles has been around for years, but just as taxis are beginning to take off, a new entrant in trucking is ready to hit the ground running - the Humble Hauler. Humble Robotics Founder/CEO Eyal Cohen joins us on The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to discuss his young company and why, after several years in the space, he chose to focus on freight. Eyal explains how the Humble Hauler can help with drayage capacity around ports and rail terminals with its ability to car...
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  Homebuilding and freight 26.05.2026 46m

  Robust homebuilding offers a tremendous lift to freight volumes, so on this episode, we put new home starts (and the general housing market) in focus with Kevin Oakley, Managing Partner with Do You Convert. Kevin takes us through the positives and negatives of the marketplace, where public and private builders diverge in terms of inventory and flexibility, how much building is taking place now - and how much buyer interest exists (now and in the future), and how COVID still factors in to wher...
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  The long (and short-line) of Texas rail freight 13.05.2026 34m

  They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that may be true of the freight environment, which includes vast swathes of land, a wide variety of goods and commodities, the Gulf Coast, and the U.S.-Mexico border. But keeping it all moving isn't just reserved for big carriers, short-line railroads and shallow water ports like those operated by TNW Corporation also play a vital role. TNW Director of Business Support & Development Joey Evans joins us to discuss it's key place in the Texa...
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  Capital Ideas, Cargo Theft and Chameleon Carriers 30.04.2026 44m

  Just a couple of weeks after a gathering of industry pros at the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) Capital Ideas Conference, President & CEO Chris Burroughs joins us again on The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to share a recap of the Phoenix gathering, the hot topics covered there (and still percolating), and the general mood he's seeing in the freight world today. Atop the list is an issue TIA has long focused on, cargo theft, and Chris explains some concrete progress made by...
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  Truck fleet, capacity, rates & outlook 10.04.2026 40m

  Plenty is happening in (and to) the trucking market of late, so we welcome back an old friend to The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to check on where it stands. ACT Research VP and Senior Analyst Tim Denoyer joins us as our first ever in-studio guest, to go over truck production and the state of the fleet, and what that signals for capacity and activity going forward. Plus, we address FMCSA enforcement measures and their effects on the market, how high diesel prices from the Iran conflict are c...
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  Agriculture shipping today 02.04.2026 33m

  Whether it's domestic, import or export, shipping agricultural products involves unique challenges - challenges that the co-founder and Executive Director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) Peter Friedmann has been tackling on behalf of membership for many years. Peter joins us on this edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to offer an overview of the organization, what goods and products fall under the ag umbrella, how they ship and more. Included in the "and more" is ...
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  The diesel spike & the trucking market 19.03.2026 52m

  The spike in diesel prices is starting to show up in the trucking market - with implications for intermodal as well. That's according to DAT iQ Principal Analyst Dean Croke, our guest on this episode of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast. In a wide-ranging conversation, Dean goes over how the sudden increase in fuel related to the Iran conflict has changed the equation for trucking carriers, essentially eliminating margin especially for smaller, independent contractors. He tells us how elevated...
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  How the Iran conflict clouds ocean cargo 11.03.2026 47m

  Less than three months into 2026, the ocean cargo outlook for the year has been thrown a major curveball with the U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran. Xeneta Chief Analyst Peter Sand returns to The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to go over both what was expected and what's changed in the ocean freight space now and for the next several months because of the Iranian situation. We go over the status of the Suez Canal and Red Sea shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz and oil, what adjustments car...
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  Sustainability breaks through 24.02.2026 42m

  When it comes to sustainability, there's long been a thought that in the corporate arena it was all for show. However, the 2026 State of Transportation Report by Breakthrough paints a different picture - at least when it comes to the freight industry. On this edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, Breakthrough COO Jenny Vander Zanden joins us to go over the report, which shows a strong majority of shippers and carriers report progress on sustainability goals, and more than two thirds ex...
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  Supply chain trends and insights 13.02.2026 36m

  While intermodal is our focus, it's important to remember how all forms of freight transportation around the globe tie together to make supply chains go. On this episode, we welcome Cathy Morrow Roberson, Founder and Head Analyst of Logistics Trends & Insights, to give us a fuller picture. Cathy takes us through a number of major supply chain stories - touching on the railroad merger between UP and NS, trucking capacity and FMCSA (as well as state) rules enforcement, ocean freight volumes...
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  Retail supply chains past and future 06.02.2026 40m

  Retail is the final link in supply chains getting finished products to consumers. So how did the industry do for the crown jewel period of the holiday season (and last year overall), and what are the expectations for 2026? For those answers and more, we welcome Jonathan Gold, Vice President, Supply Chain and Customs Policy with the National Retail Federation (NRF) to The Intermodal Logistics Podcast. Jonathan tells us how consumer spending stayed strong through the holidays, appearing to me...
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  Taking action on intermodal market share 29.01.2026 47m

  Just over a year after taking over as President and CEO of the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), Anne Reinke joins us on The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to both look back at her first 12 months on the job, and look forward to how IANA aims to tackle the biggest challenge facing intermodal - increasing market share. Anne gives an overview of IANA's 2025, which included a focus on more policy advocacy and becoming even more of a go-to for industry data - along with the things th...
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  The Freight Market in 2026 15.01.2026 33m

  Truckload and intermodal rate and volume trends - along with market conditions - are shaping shipper and broker strategy for 2026. For the first episode of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast of the new year, we discuss all that and more as we offer our 2026 outlook. InTek Logistics President Shelli Austin and InTek Logistics CEO Rick LaGore have you covered, looking at how transportation operations are going right now, how 2025 wrapped up, and the economic factors that led to last year's disap...
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  Coming full circular - with Rich Bulger 23.12.2025 44m

  While traditional forward logistics gets most of the attention, reverse logistics (in essence, returns) is a significant part of business as well. And our guest on this episode of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast explains how doing it right means a circular approach. Rich Bulger is the Founder of All Things Circular and author of "Going Circular: The Evolution of Reverse Logistics Into a Competitive Weapon." Rich explains how an early job at Verizon involving used phones got him into th...
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  Ports, Drayage and the Industry - with CEO Brian Kempisty 11.12.2025 52m

  On this edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, we cover a variety of bases with Port X Logistics Founder and CEO Brian Kempisty - joining us from his home in Montana. We start by learning about his background and the founding of Port X in 2017, then we get into the company itself - the areas it covers and services it provides. Next, we bounce around a few key issues, as Brian explains the situation with drayage (and trucking in general) in California - why regulatory enforcement has led...
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  English & immigration policy effects, plus tariff talk 24.11.2025 46m

  Almost all the way through year one of the second Trump administration, it's possible to assess the effects of some major policies on freight. On this edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, we welcome Arizona State University Professor Dr. Dale Rogers to discuss three key initiatives that relate to supply chains: The English language requirement for truck driversRamped up immigration enforcementTariffsDr. Rogers talks about how, particularly in areas like California and other states tha...