Freightvine

This week’s guest is Ari Ashe, Senior editor of the Journal of Commerce which is part of S&P Global.  Ari explains the ins and outs of the proposed, and potentially transformational, merger between the Union Pacific (UP) and the Norfolk Southern (NS) railroads.  This deal would create the first transcontinental railroad across the United States. Our conversation delves into what is driving the merger, what's at stake, and the poten...

This week’s guest is Dr. Alex Leslie, Senior Research Associate at the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), a not-for-profit research arm for the trucking industry. 

Alex is the lead author on ATRI’s latest research publication “Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2025 Update”.  Using detailed polling and data analysis, Alex is able to reveal not only the current average per mile costs, but also changes in t...

This week’s guest is Vishal Jadhav, Product Director at Blue Yonder. Everyone listening to this podcast knows of Blue Yonder. It is a company with a long history, from I2 to JDA, that has consistently been on the cutting edge of supply chain management software. Vishal has spent almost 20 years at Blue Yonder. His recent work and writings have delved into the evolution of Large Language Models (LLMs) and how they are being incorpor...

This week’s guest is Andres Mendoza Pena, Partner at Kearney.  Andres is here to discuss Kearney and CSCMP's annual State of Logistics report, aptly titled "Navigating Through the Fog." This title reflects the high uncertainty in the macro context impacting supply chain executives, like driving through dense fog.  In our conversation, we discuss the "fragile optimism" in the economy and the "certainty of uncertainty" that supply ch...

This week’s guest is Chadd Olesen, CEO of AVRL.  Founded in 2017 as Advanced Voice Research Labs, AVRL brought voice technology to business applications such as predictive maintenance.   They shifted however to dynamic pricing models after meeting with pricing analysts at some larger carriers and brokers.  Today, AVRL automates over 25 million spot transactions monthly and provides pricing engines for two thirds of the top 100 3PLs...

This week’s guest is Matt Menner, Head of Transportation Management Sales at Uber Freight.  In our conversation, we discuss how the managed transportation sector has evolved, notably regarding the adoption of technology like AI and the increased use of spot or dynamic markets.  Matt also talks about the acquisition and integration of Transplace into Uber Freight, highlighting investments in technology and the blending of the cultur...

This week’s guest is Professor Michael Hicks, George & Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ball State University.  Mike brings an economist’s perspective on the recent introduction of tariffs as well their sudden modification or removal in many cases.  Being located in Indiana, Mike is keen on the impact that different policies have on manufacturing and agricultural firms and communities.  In our conversation we di...

This week’s guest is Kristian ‘KO’ O’Meara, SVP Strategic Initiatives for Jaggaer.  KO has been with Jaggaer for just shy of 25 years filling a number of senior roles.  Currently, he works with the larger enterprise customers for the procurement of direct and indirect materials and services.  In our conversation, we zoom in primarily to freight transportation procurement - mainly TL.  We discuss the challenges of TL transportation ...

This week’s guest is Jason Haith, Vice President Commercial Forwarding US & Mexico, for DP World.  With 20+ years experience in Import/Export operations, Jason is the perfect person to discuss global trade in general and trade with Mexico in particular.  In our conversation, we discuss how trade between the US and Mexico has changed over the years, the impact of recent tariffs being enacted and then almost immediately modified or r...

This week’s guest is Dr. Jason Miller, Professor and Head of the Supply Chain Management Department at Michigan State University's Eli Broad College of Business.  This is Jason’s 4th time on the Freightvine podcast -  we last had him on the podcast about two years ago when we were one year into what is now called the rate trough.  Jason discusses this and how the market was expected to have rebounded by now, but the spate of tariff...

This week’s guest is Ben Steffes, Vice President, Solutions & Strategy, Managed Transportation, at RXO.  Ben was last on the Freightvine 3 years ago when he had just published a white paper on Logistics KPIs for Coyote.  RXO acquired Coyote in the fall of 2024, so this time we talk about the RXO white paper on Logistics KPIs that Ben recently authored as a follow-up to and expansion of the 2022 study.   In our conversation, we disc...

This week’s guest is Dr. Josue Velazquez Martinez.  Josue is a Research Scientist at MIT’s Center for Transportation & Logistics and is also the Director of MIT's Sustainable Supply Chain Lab.  In our conversation, we discuss his lab's focus on environmental and social sustainability within supply chains.  Josue describes the lab's work on the sustainability of freight transportation, emphasizing the need for diverse decarbonizatio...

This week’s guest is Kary Jablonski, VP & GM, Broker Growth & Trucker Tools at DAT Freight & Analytics.  As her title implies, Kary previously led Trucker Tools before its acquisition by DAT at the end of 2024. Our conversation centers on her path to the freight industry, her experiences transforming Trucker Tools into a leading visibility and tracking solution for freight brokerages, and the company's subsequent acquisition by DAT...

This week’s guest is Mike Roeth, Executive Director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency or NACFE.  NACFE has been around for over 15 years - originating from a workshop run by the Rocky Mountain Institute in 2009.  Their objective is to drive the development and adoption of efficiency enhancing, environmentally beneficial, and cost-effective technologies, services, and operational practices in the movement of goods...

This week’s guest is Bobby Holland,  Vice President and Director, Freight Business Analytics, at US Bank.  US Bank has been around since 1863 and is currently the 5th largest bank in the United States.  They also process over $40B in freight payments each year.   In our conversation, Bobby explains his unexpected entry into the trucking industry and the incredible reliance everyone has on it.  He also discusses how US Bank’s Freigh...

This week’s guest is Jerrod Mounce, Vice President of Energy & Sustainability at JB Hunt.  Our conversation focuses on JB Hunt’s sustainability initiatives and the broader landscape of alternative fuels in trucking.  Jerrod discusses his 26-year career at JB Hunt, detailing his shift from operations to a focus on fuel efficiency and sustainability. He highlights the complexities of fuel surcharge programs and JB Hunt's commitment t...

This week’s guest is Matt McLelland, VP of Sustainability and Innovation at Covenant Logistics Group.  

In our conversation today we discuss the connection between sustainability and innovation, the potential impact of emerging technologies, and the paroles of overly prescriptive regulations. We also talk about the pros and cons for alternative fuels. Matt makes a strong case for having regulations that encourage innovation in a var...

This week’s guest is Ian Jefferies, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads.  

Ian has been with the AAR for over 10 years taking over as President in 2019.  Ian was last on the Freightvine in February 2023 and obviously a lot has happened since then.  In the conversation, Ian talks about the long term effect of the 2022 Railroad Labor Dispute, how the rail industry is currently evolving, and where it is heading over th...

This week’s guest is Andrew Petrisin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Freight in the U.S. Department of Transportation and the creator of the USDOT’s Freight Logistics Optimization Works or FLOW. FLOW is a public private partnership whereby different players in the global supply chain share previously unshared commercial data to better understand changes in international freight flows.  These data are securely anonymized ...