Talking Transports

AI is moving beyond supply-chain visibility to help companies make and execute better decisions. In this special crossover episode of Bloomberg Intelligence’s Talking Transports and Tech Disruptors podcasts, Manhattan Associates Chief Product Officer Brian Kinsella joins BI’s Lee Klaskow to discuss how agentic AI is being embedded across warehouses, transportation and fulfillment. Agents can already reroute orders, process freight invoices and retender loads autonomously, while bigger decisions keep humans involved. Kinsella also discusses cloud migration, transportation optimization and how unifying warehouse, yard, labor and transportation systems can unlock savings that siloed software can’t

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Autonomous trucking is shifting from proving that the technology works to demonstrating that it can safely scale up and deliver compelling fleet economics. In this Talking Transports podcast,Torc Robotics Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Culhane joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss the company’s Level 4 technology and 2027 commercial target. Torc, an independent Daimler Truck subsidiary, plans to integrate its virtual driver into factory-built Freightliner Cascadias, initially on the Dallas-Laredo corridor. Culhane says higher utilization could offset autonomous trucks’ added cost, with some fleets identifying routes capable of 200,000-300,000 miles annually. They also discuss AI, safety, tightening truck capacity and why thousands of autonomous trucks could be operating within three years.

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Tanker rates risk remaining elevated as geopolitical disruptions reshape oil flows and tighten effective vessel supply. In this Talking Transports podcast, Heidmar Maritime Holdings CEO Pankaj Khanna joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss crude and product tanker markets. Khanna says freight costs have surged to 25-30% of oil’s delivered cost from 3-5% historically, with one US Gulf-China VLCC voyage recently fixed at $82 million. He sees crude outperforming products given greater cargo availability and says Asian buyers diversifying away from Middle East oil could boost ton-miles. They also discuss the shadow fleet, Heidmar’s asset-light model, dry-bulk expansion and AI, which could allow operators to manage twice as many ships.

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Tighter truck capacity could create an elongated rate cycle, keeping pricing higher for longer as regulatory changes, rising costs and driver availability reshape the market. In this episode of the Talking Transports podcast, FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller and Polyglass Executive Vice President Alex Formoso join Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow on a panel at the Trimble Insight 2026 conference to discuss the freight recovery, regulation and technology. They explore why safety enforcement could structurally constrain supply, while high interest rates and inflation threaten demand. AI is already boosting productivity in pricing, procurement and customer service, though human relationships remain critical. They also debate autonomous trucking, the Montgomery ruling’s effect on broker liability and why carriers should invest in drivers and compliance in 2027.

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Freight-brokerage consolidation could accelerate as technology and scale become increasingly important. In this Talking Transports podcast, Arrive Logistics CEO and co-founder Matt Pyatt joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss how the Supreme Court’s Montgomery decision is changing carrier vetting, insurance and shipper behavior. Arrive expects $4.5 billion in 2026 revenue as volume rises 27-30%, despite a soft freight market. Pyatt sees tighter truck capacity keeping rates elevated, with spot up about 35% and contract 20% year over year. He also discusses the CH Robinson-RXO deal, Arrive’s $40 million annual technology investment, drop trailers, AI and how its new majority investor could support M&A and a path toward $10 billion in revenue by 2031.

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Tighter truck capacity and elevated diesel prices are creating an opening for intermodal to win highway share. In this Talking Transports podcast, Intermodal Association of North America President & CEO Anne Reinke joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss why regulatory enforcement is constraining truck supply and improving rail’s value proposition. Intermodal has about 14% share of its 500-mile-plus sweet spot, leaving substantial room for conversion. Reinke says keeping that freight when trucking loosens will require reliability, visibility and resilience. They also discuss Mexico cross-border growth, drayage, AI, cargo theft, rail consolidation and why elevated diesel could keep intermodal booming into 2027.

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Parcel delivery is getting faster, increasingly fragmented and more technology-driven as alternative carriers and automation challenge traditional models. In this bonus episode of the Talking Transports podcast, recorded on the exhibit floor of the PARCEL Forum 2026 conference, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow speaks with executives from Loop, OnTrac, OSM Worldwide, Parcel Pending by Quadient, Veho, UniUni and Slip Robotics. The conversations explore AI-powered freight audit, seven-day parcel networks, postal workshare, smart lockers, gig and DSP delivery models, and robotics that can load and unload a trailer in about five minutes. The episode also highlights OnTrac’s 75-80% shopper reach, UniUni’s roughly 1.5 million daily packages and how technology is helping carriers and shippers lower costs, improve speed and expand consumer choice.

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Technology enhancements, Amazon.com and a growing roster of carriers are reshaping the US parcel market. At the PARCEL Forum 2026 conference, a panel moderated by Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow, Gartner’s Chris Kina, Deloitte’s Joanne Strong and Pharand Advisors CEO Andre Pharand discussed how AI and dynamic routing are shifting competitive advantage away from physical networks alone. Shippers increasingly use multiple carriers to balance cost, service and reliability, with Gartner noting some retailers now use 10-20. The panel also explored Amazon’s growing third-party delivery ambitions, rising consumer expectations, parcel lockers and why reliability is becoming more important than speed as technology helps shippers select the best carrier for each shipment.

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Tighter truck capacity and higher diesel prices could accelerate intermodal’s highway share gains. In this Talking Transports podcast, BNSF Group Vice President of Intermodal and Automotive Jon Gabriel joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss why rail’s 10-12% share of long-haul freight can move considerably higher. BNSF has seen more inbound customer calls in the past six months as trucking conditions tighten, and Gabriel believes this could evolve from an intermodal “moment” into an “era.” He also discusses BNSF’s technology investments, J.B. Hunt partnership, rail consolidation, Barstow International Gateway and automotive business, where demand remains resilient and tariffs have caused only limited changes to established supply chains.

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Amazon.com is turning the logistics network it built for itself into an end-to-end supply-chain platform for other companies. In this Talking Transports podcast, Amazon Supply Chain Services Head Peter Larsen joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior transportation and logistics analyst Lee Klaskow to discuss how ASCS is expanding across ocean and air freight, trucking, intermodal, fulfillment and parcel. Larsen says parcel is “cooking with gas,” while international markets offer significant growth potential. He explains how Amazon’s scale, more than 1 million robots and AI-powered inventory placement can give customers greater visibility and resilience. They also discuss rising trucking costs, Amazon’s shift toward more intermodal, its mix of owned and third-party capacity and why supply chains should be viewed as a growth driver rather than just a cost center.

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