Talking Transports

Fraud in the trucking industry has become a major issue for carriers, brokers and shippers alike. The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) estimates that freight fraud costs supply chains over $1 billion annually in the US. The pandemic, market-participant anonymity and ease have helped spark a new wave of cargo theft. In this Talking Transports podcast, Michael Caney, chief commercial officer of Highway, joins Lee Klask...

The global container-liner industry is facing increased uncertainty stemming from the protectionist measures coming out of Washington. Trade between Asia and North America accounts for about 13% of global container trade, with the majority from China to the US. In this Talking Transports podcast, Thomas Lister, CEO of Global Ship Lease, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share ...

Fighting fraud and improving visibility is paramount for freight brokers, carriers and shippers. GenLogs’ nationwide network of sensors collects 50,000 images of trucks every five minutes. This data and its artificial intelligence-powered platform can help brokers better vet carriers by visibly inspecting them and their equipment. In this Talking Transports podcast, GenLogs’ co-founder and CEO Ryan Joyce joins Lee Klask...

Railroads and trucking companies are facing headwinds to 1Q earnings from the impact of severe weather on volume and costs, coupled with higher fuel prices. In this Talking Transports podcast, Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, previews what could be in store for the truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL) and railroad industries during 1Q earnings season. Railroads are poised for adjusted...

The chassis market is a critical part of supply chains and many times can be overlooked. Freight markets could come to a halt without access to safe, reliable chassis, for which prices have almost doubled since tariffs were implemented in 2021. In this Talking Transports podcast, Daniel Walsh, president and CEO of TRAC Intermodal, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior transportation and logistics analyst, to shar...

North American heavy-truck and engine producers face an increasingly uncertain regulatory, trade and economic backdrop in 2025. With the EPA planning to reconsider several heavy-truck regulations, there are growing risks to expectations of higher build rates in 2H and 2026. In this Talking Transports podcast, Brett Merritt, president of Cummins’ Engine Business, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior transpo...

Saia’s expansion plans are helping it mitigate weak less-than-truckload (LTL) demand, but that also comes with higher costs and margin pressures as new facilities build density. The company added 21 new facilities with plans to open up to six in 2025. Tonnage has increased 12-13% during the first two months of the year, while its competitors are experiencing mid- to high-single-digit declines. In this episode of the Talking T...

Dry-bulk rates are well below their pandemic peaks and are now hovering around operating costs for many fleets. The outlook will be challenging this year as supply growth is expected to outpace demand by 230 bps, based on a forecast by Clarksons. In this Talking Transports episode, Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill Ocean Transportation, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share...

The Port of Los Angeles is a major gateway for freight moving in and out of the US, which is key to the regional and national economies. The pull-forward benefits from anticipated new US implemented tariffs, and a potential strike at US East Coast and Gulf ports, helped drive 19% volume growth in 2024. This year, comparisons will become more difficult and may result in low-double-digit declines in 2H. In this Talking Transports pod...

Geopolitical-fueled supply-chain dislocations have provided a constructive supply-demand backdrop for product and chemical-tanker fleets in 2025. The crisis in the Red Sea, sanctions on Russian energy exports and potential US tariffs have increased ton-miles and absorbed capacity. Time charter rates remain above historical averages despite coming off their robust levels over the past three years, which will weigh on earnings this y...

Supply-chain executives are more optimistic about freight markets and the pace of mergers and acquisitions in 2025. Deals can be a win-win for buyers and sellers as seen by RXO’s recent acquisition of Coyote, UPS’ brokerage business. The transaction lets UPS focus on its parcel business while provides RXO with significantly increased market penetration. Some deals are motivated by companies expanding their specialties i...

The growth in machine learning and artificial intelligence can drive significant productivity gains for trucking carriers and shippers. Those leaning into these new technologies will be able to make better decisions and drive improved economic outcomes. Transports appear to be in the early innings of this new technology revolution. In this Talking Transports podcast, Rob Painter, CEO and president of Trimble, joins Lee Klaskow, Blo...

Tariff risk has forced many companies to take a long hard look at their supply chains. In this Talking Transports podcast, Didi Caldwell, CEO and president of Global Location Strategies and America’s factory whisper, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share her insights into what it takes for an industrial-development project, which are key for long-term railroad carload ...

FedEx and UPS are trying to navigate an ever-changing parcel industry as volume mix shifts toward more-expensive home deliveries and increased competition from the likes of Amazon.com, which have weighed on margins. These legacy players are focused on productivity improvements, expense controls and restructuring networks in the hopes of thriving in this complex environment. In this Talking Transports podcast, Satish Jindel, preside...

The trucking industry could transition to a more robust environment after the freight recession of the past two years. A more probusiness Trump administration may spur domestic freight growth and be more sympathetic to the issues facing the trucking industry, according to Chris Spear, president and chief executive officer of the American Trucking Associations. In this Talking Transports podcast, Spear joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg I...

Technology will be a driving force in shaping the transportation and logistics industry for years to come given the productivity improvements afforded by artificial intelligence and machine learning. It may also spur a new era of consolidation within the freight brokerage industry, as those companies without the scale and capital will find it increasingly difficult to compete. In this Talking Transports podcast, Ken Beyer, CEO of T...

Fourth-quarter earnings could provide some signs that 2025 will be a brighter year for freight-transportation companies. In this Talking Transports podcast, Ravi Shanker, Morgan Stanley’s managing director and lead North American freight transportation and airlines analyst, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share his insights about what could be in store this earnings se...

The freight market outlook is set to improve next year following two challenging years for surface-transportation providers. In this Talking Transports podcast, Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, shares his 2025 outlook for the truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL) and railroads industries. Mid-single digit contractual rate growth, low-single-digit volume gains and improving utilization ...

Refocusing Roadrunner into an asset-light less-than-truckload (LTL) provider over the past four years may have been key to turning the company around. In this Talking Transports podcast, Chris Jamroz, Roadrunner’s executive chairman and chief executive officer, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share his insights about the strategic steps the company took to bring it bac...