Podcast
The Intermodal Logistics Podcast
Hosted by InTek Logistics · EN
Stay up to date on all things intermodal, spotlighting the road plus rail transportation solution and the logistics of today's market - with a little fun mixed in - on the Intermodal Logistics Podcast.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Homebuilding and freight
2w ago00:46:09Tap to summarizeRobust 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 where the market stands today.Plus, he explains the role of elevated mortgage rates in demand, how those rates are calculated beyond the Federal Reserve, and where they appear headed. We also discuss how tariffs and fuel prices are affecting builders, inflation, where intermodal is coming into play on those shipping expenses and how logistics generally is becoming a greater focus for some in efforts to control costs and maintain material supply. Before all that, we talk about Kevin's background in homebuilding marketing, what Do You Convert does, and have a discussion on the role of AI in the industry (and beyond). Find more on Do You Convert at www.doyouconvert.com, where you can also get Kevin's podcasts including Market Proof Marketing. Follow him on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/kevinoakley) for more insights as well.As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →The long (and short-line) of Texas rail freight
4w ago00:34:16Tap to summarizeThey 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 Texas supply chain and the state's freight market today. Joey explains how short-line railroads differ from larger rail carriers (and why they're all important), his role as Texas Short Line & Regional Railroad Association President (and why upgrading infrastructure matters), and the areas of the state that TNW's four short-lines cover.Plus, he goes over the importance of transloading, how short lines handle containers, TNW's Port of Victoria operations, and how the company is dealing with higher diesel prices. Joey also takes us through its cross-border role, what's moving the most through Texas these days, and why technology is a differentiator for short line railroads.Learn more about TNW Corporation at www.tnwcorporation.com.As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Capital Ideas, Cargo Theft and Chameleon Carriers
Apr 3000:44:37Tap to summarizeJust 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 the FMCSA, the FBI and in Congress to combat this continually concerning problem. We touch on how awareness has risen and technology has evolved to help - but also how technology has helped thieves, too.Chris also shares the definition of chameleon carriers - which have also gained in profile due to media coverage of late - and explains why they're dangerous when it comes to road safety. And he reacts to a recent CBS Sunday Morning report that he says unfairly singled out C.H. Robinson - pointing out the difficulty of safe carrier verification as an area that the government needs to assist with.Chris goes over the big issue on the minds of many TIA members that was part of that report, the Supreme Court Montgomery case, which could have implications on broker liability for accidents caused by carriers they use - with the ruling pending. And finally, we hit on AI, and even the film Sideways.Learn more about TIA at www.tianet.org, where you can also find their Cargo Theft Hotline, recently created in partnership with the FBI.As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Truck fleet, capacity, rates & outlook
Apr 1000:40:05Tap to summarizePlenty 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 changing driving behaviors (and how they're affecting costs), and why the combination of elevated rates and fuel seem to setup an opportunity for intermodal.Additionally, Tim takes us through his thoughts on the volume picture - with a look at manufacturing, the Federal Reserve (and interest rates), tariffs and whether AI data centers are making a dent.For more from Tim and the ACT team, visit www.actresearch.net. And you can also check out the monthly Cass Transportation Index updates at www.cassinfo.com/freight-audit-payment/cass-transportation-indexes.As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Agriculture shipping today
Apr 200:33:03Tap to summarizeWhether 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 a discussion of the vital role of intermodal, perhaps surprising to some who think of bulk grain shipping. He explains how many different items require containers to move - and how intermodal and transloading (something we also discuss in this blog: www.inteklogistics.com/blog/the-third-option-bulk-and-agricultural-shippers-dont-know-about) helps them get where they're needed. Plus, he goes over the import, export and domestic scenarios involved - highlighting key locations like ports and rail terminals that make movement happen.Additionally, Peter points out how cargo theft is affecting agriculture in multiple ways, both with targeted products like whey protein and beef, and with thieves simply breaking seals on containers then leaving the contents - making them no longer viable for use.Learn more about AgTC at www.agtrans.org and get more detail on their Annual Meeting coming up May 18-21 (which Peter also discusses) at agtrans.org/events.Subscribe or follow us now to catch new episodes of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →The diesel spike & the trucking market
Mar 1900:52:00Tap to summarizeThe 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 diesel prices may keep capacity (already a bit tight) out of the market, lead to a greater pursuit of contract versus spot rates, and send shippers toward intermodal to keep shipping costs down.Speaking of capacity, Dean explains how many have exited the market due to FMCSA enforcement activities - and why a driver safety focus is a good thing in relation to a large portion of suspect training facilities being shuttered.He also takes us through produce season, which areas are hot and which are not so much, the issues at both the Canadian and Mexican borders, port activity and why the reefer market may be especially tight at times this year. Plus, Dean and Rick recap their time at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference in Washington.Get more from Dean through the DAT Freight & Analytics YouTube channel youtube.com/@datfreight and website www.dat.com/blog/author/dean-croke. And learn more about DAT iQ at www.dat.com/iq.Subscribe or follow us now to catch new episodes of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →How the Iran conflict clouds ocean cargo
Mar 1100:47:50Tap to summarizeLess 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 carriers are making and the overall ocean rate picture.Plus, we discuss Xeneta's 2026 Ocean Outlook (released a few months back), which expected a bit of a shipper's market, how U.S. (and China) tariffs were projected to impact behavior, how the Supreme Court's IEEPA ruling may make its own mark, and some sage advice for shipper and carrier relations during turbulent (and not so turbulent) times.To learn more about Xeneta and see the outlook for yourself, visit www.xeneta.com, where Peter also offers regular industry updates via Xeneta's blog.Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Sustainability breaks through
Feb 2400:42:57Tap to summarizeWhen 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 expect to reduce emissions in the coming year.We discuss how even with fewer outside incentives tied to sustainable behaviors, companies see their own benefits - like decreased fuel costs and greater supply chain agility - that keep them on a positive environmental track. We even learn the related term "greenhushing." Jenny tells us how about a third of shippers explored (or are exploring) mode conversion - including using more intermodal - to realize emissions and fuel savings on top of rates. She also talks about her career path, which took her from intern to the C-suite, and how Breakthrough started with a fuel focus but now does much more. Learn more about Breakthrough and find the report at www.breakthroughfuel.com.As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Supply chain trends and insights
Feb 1300:36:33Tap to summarizeWhile 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 (and Red Sea status), tariffs & trade policy and air cargo activity. Speaking of air cargo, Cathy goes over the general relationship between air and ocean cargo as well.Before getting into all those topics, though, we talk with Cathy about her background - moving from a librarian to a logistics career with UPS, to where she is now as a leading industry analyst. She discusses the value of research and making connections with other people involved in freight, and she talks about how more women and minorities have gotten into logistics since her career began - with more work to do.Learn more about Logistics Trends and Insights at logisticsti.com and find Cathy on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-morrow-roberson-lti), where you can also subscribe to her free weekly Freight Forward newsletter (www.linkedin.com/newsletters/freight-forward-6915791014746066944).As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Retail supply chains past and future
Feb 600:40:11Tap to summarizeRetail 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 meet lofty expectations even if there were some adjustments in spending patterns related to pricing concerns. He also goes over how retailers were able to ensure item availability unlike some instances in the past when there were shortages.Looking at 2025 as a whole, we discuss the effects of tariffs on retailers and how many were able to shift supply chains to keep products flowing while minimizing costs. And on the flip side, we talk about how fluctuations in trade policy caused the inventory pull-forward phenomenon, with smaller retailers having a tougher time adjusting over the course of the year.In 2026, Jonathan explains that NRF membership is especially hoping for more certainty and stability policy-wise, and he expresses optimism that consumer spending will stay strong throughout the year. Beyond those questions, we touch on credit card swipe fees, retail theft, the NRF Big Show and more.Learn more about the NRF at www.nrf.com.As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.
Transcribe →